Pandigital Novel Personal eReader Gets Epaper Touchscreen

Pandigital has outed another two ereaders, and this time around they've gone back to basics and stuck with epaper displays.  Unlike the Pandigital Novel, which uses a color LCD display, the Pandigital Novel Personal uses a 6-inch 800 x 600 Sipix/AUO epaper touchscreen, though you still get WiFi and a browser app along with PDF and ePub document support.

The two models are the PRD06E10WWH7, with 1GB of memory, and the PRD06E20WWH8, with 2GB.  Each has a memory card slot, headphone jack and speakers, together with a USB port and a battery good for up to 6,000 page turns.  The Pandigital Novel Personal will hit retailers this month, with an MRSP of $199.99.  However the company expects that to be reduced to a street price of $179.99 from the get-go.

Press Release:

Pandigital Novel eReader Line Expands with Company's First ePaper Models; Both Feature Full Touch-Screen Display

Two new 6-inch ePaper models give more choices to customers – especially those who want to read outside and on vacation; Easy to use and enjoy with full touch-screen display

Dublin, Calif., Oct 18, 2010 – Pandigital Inc. today expanded its Pandigital Novel line of eReaders featuring the integrated Barnes & Noble eBookstore with its first models using ePaper technology. Featuring touch-screens for easy navigation, the two new Pandigital Novel Personal eReaders each have a crisp 6-inch electrophoretic ePaper display, so they can be easily enjoyed in bright sunlight and also provide battery life lasting thousands of page-turns.

The new Pandigital Novel Personal eReader models utilize a 6-inch ePaper display that provides a crisp 600x800 resolution. Both models are touch-screen, something not normally found with ePaper eReaders. Made by Sipex/AUO for Pandigital, the display takes ePaper technology to a new level of functionality and ensures that customers get a first-rate reading experience.

This innovative display, combined with the intuitive software interface, lets customers easily navigate through the various functions and capabilities of the Pandigital Novel while reading books and magazines. In addition to being fun and easy to use, the ePaper display used on the Pandigital Novel products is non-reflective, so the devices are incredibly easy to read in bright light and sunlight.

Like the other models in the Pandigital Novel eReader line, the two new eReaders come integrated with the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, so customers can easily download and enjoy books, magazines, and periodicals.

"We're extending our Pandigital Novel eReader line to include ePaper models that will encourage even more readers to embrace the ease, comfort and enjoyment of electronic book readers," said John Clough, president of Pandigital. "Our new Pandigital Novel 6-inch eReaders are perfect for the many readers who love to catch up on their books outdoors, on vacation or just when they have a moment to relax and unwind."

Each unit weighs less than 10 ounces so they are incredibly portable and easy to take anywhere. In addition, they deliver long battery life of up to 6,000 page turns. The Pandigital Novel Personal eReaders come with convenient features that make reading easier and more enjoyable, including adjustable font size, a built-in dictionary, word/character search, highlighting, and creation of multiple bookmarks.

There are two models – the PRD06E10WWH7 with 1GB of memory and the PRD06E20WWH8 with 2GB of memory. Customers are able to store hundreds of books and periodicals, music, photos, and more. Plus, both units have a built-in memory card reader that accepts up to 32GB memory cards for access to a virtually unlimited number of files.

The new Pandigital eReaders will be available this month at national retailers. They are each priced at a $199.99 MSRP with promotional retail pricing expected as low as $179.99. Both are backed by a one year limited warranty.

In addition to being a first-rate eReader, the Pandigital Novel is a multifunction device, allowing users to browse the web, check email, view photos, or listen to music. The built-in Wi-Fi and web browser lets users easily go online to check out the latest news or their favorite website while the integrated email application allows customers to stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues. Customers can enjoy their favorite music via the built-in speaker or use the stereo-mini headphone jack for private enjoyment and also view photos on the 16-level grayscale display. The Pandigital Novel eReaders also have additional convenience features including a built-in appointment calendar and alarm clock.

The Pandigital Novel 6-inch Personal eReader provides excellent reading for electronic books and has the following features:

· A 6" ePaper electrophoretic display with 800x600 resolution and 16-level grayscale

· Responsive touch-screen and intuitive user interface for navigation

· Built in speaker and stereo-mini headphone jack

· A virtual keyboard for making notes, emails, and other entries

· Orientation sensor for automatically adjusting between portrait and landscape mode when the device is tilted

· Supports popular eBook formats PDF & EPUB

· Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and web browser

· Expandable storage through its memory card slot (supporting up to 32GB cards)

· Rechargeable lithium-ion battery (via AC adapter or USB)

· Built-in mini-USB port provides an option for easy transfer of files between the device and a computer (Mac and PC compatible)

· Compact and sleek design – they measure ~5.0"(w) x 7.0"(h) x 0.5"(d) and weigh under 10 ounces

eBook Access Easy & Quick Through Barnes & Noble eBookstore

The integration of Barnes & Noble's eBookstore ensures that Pandigital Novel customers have quick and convenient access to more than one million eBooks, newspapers and magazines, most available for $9.99 or less, and more than half a million free classics. Customers will find it simple to browse, sample, buy, and download published content in seconds from the Barnes & Noble eBookstore. Also, customers can use Barnes & Noble's LendMe™ technology to share many eBooks with friends and family for 14 days.

About Pandigital

Privately held, Pandigital® develops and markets digital entertainment products. The company recognizes the growing digital lifestyle market as well as the convergence of digital media such as photos, video, published content, and audio, and is delivering high quality products to utilize and share that content by combining innovative technology with contemporary style and simplified user interfaces. Pandigital sells its award-winning line of Pandigital® and PanTouch® digital photo frames and PhotoLink® scanners through more than 33,000 well-known national retail storefronts in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Central America. The company has received numerous accolades and industry awards for its outstanding products that are renowned for their easy-to-use features, high-quality, and elegant design, and for providing exceptional value to consumers. Pandigital is headquartered in Dublin, Calif. For more information, please visit http://www.pandigital.net.