Pandigital 9-Inch eReader

Offering consumers another option in the burgeoning e-reader market this holiday season, digital content provider Pandigital has introduced a 9-inch, Android-powered color Novel eReader.

The device offers access to over 2 million ebooks, magazines and newspapers at Barnes & Noble's eBookstore. The R90L200 model has built-in WiFi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity that also lets users surf the web, check email, play music, video and games and view photos on a full-color touch screen display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. Its dimensions are 5 x 7 x .05 inches, and it weighs 20.5 ounces.

The eReader has 2GB of internal memory, a 4GB microSD memory card and up to 32GB of expandable memory. It comes with a mini-USB 2.0 port and stereo mini headphone connector, as well as a built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery.

The device has a customizable feature, My Library, that lets multiple users select their favorite titles.

Early reviews on the QVC shopping site have been mixed. One user raved that the device costs less than others advertised and “does it all.” Another wrote "I thought I would use this and save my phone's battery. I did keep this for a week or so to give it a chance but it was way too frustrating [and] it went back. You can get an ereader with 3G connectivity for around the same price, so you can truly use all the features anywhere, not just where there is WiFi." The response time, the person added, was “extremely slow." In addition, "The steps you have to take to get to different sections of the reader weren't logical. Maybe I'm just spoiled by the speed and ease of the iPhone, but this just got on my nerves."

The Pandigital eReader competes with the recently launched Hanvon eReader with color, the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, Kobo, which is affiliated with bookseller Borders, and the Sony Reader, among others.

The 9-inch eReader comes with a case and a one-year limited warranty. It is available at QVC online for $213.80 plus shipping and handling.

Pandigital, based in Dublin, Calif., also makes digital photo frames and digital photo greeting cards.