Customer Reviews

Pepper Pad 3 - Web Player / White

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Pepper Pad is primarily marketed as a consumer device with a small number of included applications that cover the basics. It is easy to use, but most buyers will already have a larger computer. It integrates best with a Windows machine, but those with Macs or Linux should be OK too. Its only Internet option is wireless, so you need a wireless router (another indication that you probably already have other computers). The "killer application" for this kind of machine is the web browser, which here is Firefox (but without extensions). It works very well, and the 800x480 screen is big enough so that sideways scrolling isn't usually required.

It is a bit larger than I expected: 2 inches longer and about as high as a typical hardback book placed on its side. It works very well in a living room, e.g. on the arm of an armchair.

The Pepper Pad is running Linux under the hood, and this is my 2nd Linux-based Internet Tablet. I also have a Nokia 770, which has a similar screen resolution but is much smaller (PDA size). The big advantage of the Pepper Pad is that its AMD Geode LX800 processor is Intel compatible, so many Linux binaries (Fedora rpms) will run "as is". The built in keyboard and disk drive are also big pluses. However, the Linux developer community for the Pepper Pad is smaller, and the Nokia allows for better integration of 3rd party applications. I find I primarily use the Nokia to read e-books, and the Pepper Pad for casual web browsing. The Nokia can't read encrypted e-books though, and the Pepper Pad can (Mobipocket only). For those who expect to travel in the US with the Pepper Pad, I have found that free WiFi access is usually available in hotels but often not in airports.

Overall, I like the Pepper Pad and would particularly recommend it to anyone who is familiar with Linux.

I had been looking for the past year for *exactly* this set of features in a handheld computer, but always came up short. This marvelous little powerhouse has everything. Wifi g, bluetooth 2.0, very usable thumb QWERTY keyboard, 20gig HD...and all this in a terrific form factor. Nice size, feels great in the hand, it's only two lbs. And it is affordable, no less.

There are several apps I would like to see (sketch/digital ink...pleasePLEASE, Office-type suite, VOIP, etc.), but I am guessing these will be developed before long.

Biggest surprise was how much I enjoy the pre-installed ebook reader. I downloaded Bob Woodward's new book, which worked like a charm, and have been enjoying reading it at home and, propped on its stand, in coffee shops all over Manhattan. Btw, expect to be interrupted when you do as it is quite the head turner. Almost as good as walking your dog for meeting new people here in NYC.

No surprise was how much I enjoy playing with it on the couch, in bed, sitting on the terrace, etc. It is so much nicer than even my three pound, 8 x 11" Tablet PC. Two lbs is soooo much nicer than three. And the scroll wheel is fabulous, too. And, oh, I almost forgot, the remote controller is excellent. You can set up any combination of video and audio equipment (TV, dvd players, Tivo) in about two minutes and, snap, it just works. And with no lag at all. Touch the pen to the screen and your Tivo chirps back instantly.

FYI, I met several of the top people from the Company at the recent Digital Life Conference. Wonderful folks who seem to love what they do. And they were *more* than helpful. Jon M must have spent close to an hour talking with my boyfriend and me. All in all, great effort, guys!

I am not surprised at all that it is backordered.

Most of the reviews already have captured the great things this device offers - so I wont repeat them here. There are a few short minuses (strictly on the power user level) .
- only 802.11 wireless (no gprs cell phone data net capability)
(this is MINOR when one considers public/free 802.11 availability)
- no real "file" manager- each app manages specific files

What you can do in about 3 minutes out of the box:
- stream media from SlimServer for home mp3 library
- browse pictures and video from any win computer with media connect
- browse homw network resources
- stream internet radio,
email and web

Many UMPC sites and reviews will claim that the pepperpad 3 (ppd3) lacks functionality. This is not really relevant when you consider the huge psh for web based apps (word processing, spreadsheet etc). pepper computer & hanbit just released 3.2 software tha5 includes document app as well. Everything that needs to be done quickly, without long boot-up sequences can be done with ppd3.

The form factor is IDEAL. when considering the nokia N800 or Qoo, consider this: the 7 in screen of the pepperpad3 is enormous- really makes a difference in web browsing and web apps.

Split thumb pad keyboard is not as weird as it may look in pictures. After about a week, I've typed this review on my ppd3 in under 4 minutes.

The open source community behind pepperpad3 will certainly ensure that this device has longevity and applicabilty in the marketplace for quite some time. The embedded linux at the core will appeal to the power users out there (yes, there is an xterm and cmd line available)

Far more capable and user friendly than the nokia N8000

We have been waiting for a simple, easy to use web browser for mobile casual use around the house. The Pepper Pad 3 is definitely this device! We own laptops, Smart Display, Nokia 770, etc and while each of these has strengths, the PP3 gets the functionality, speed and design mix just right. A terrific experience and step forward in this product space.

My Pepper Pad has been plagued with calibration and crashing issues, and after five months it finally gave up completely--I think the hard drive is dead. What's worse than the product's unreliability, though, is Pepper Pad's terrible customer service. I've made numerous phone calls and sent even more e-mail, but so far I've only received one response, and even then it was only to find out if it still in warranty. Once they found out they were still responsible I never heard from them again. I wonder if the company's going out of business (they certainly should be). All phone calls are going to their voicemail now, and anything sent to their support e-mail is bouncing back. I really enjoyed using my Pepper Pad while it worked--it was great for my specific needs--but now I really regret spending so much on a faulty product with awful customer service.

The Pepper Pad3 is a really cool product. Was considering purchasing the alternative Nokia 770, but decided to go with PepperPad. 20GB harddrive is great for storing library of ebooks and files. I do most of my offwork browsing and reading on it. Its great for ebook reading also. It's very easy to use though I wish the java front end(Keeper) could be more configurable. There are plenty of ways to hack it assuming you know Linux. Overall, I'd recommend it to anyone!

Pepper Pad 3 - Web Player / White
I've been a fan and user of handheld devices for years. I've tried hand-writing enabled devices and PDAs. The split thumb-centric keyboard of the Pepper Pad is one of the better methods for entering keyboard text, although it would work better if there weren't such a wide split between the 2 halves of the keyboard. A more vertical design with the keyboard below and the screen above would be easier to use. Maybe if this were done, there'd be enough room to use 6 columns of keys on a side, so that, among other things, the 'B' key would be on the left, where I invariably try to find it.
My initial impressions of the device were quite mixed. After unboxing the device, turning it on, and stepping through the initial setup screens, during which the unit connected to my wi-fi, and began downloading its upgrade, all data input froze. I couldn't get the screen to respond to sylus entries, and the keyboard also didn't work. This was quite frustrating as I was in the middle of entering my owner information. At this point I was about ready to send it back.
However, after powering the unit off and back on, everything acted OK. I did have problems with re-connecting to the WiFi signal until I told the unit about the second WiFi network here. Since then I've had no problems with connectivity.
The screen is easy to read and refreshes plenty fast enough most of the time. There are times, however, when everything slows to a crawl. I think this may be in times of high memory useage such as having a large (90 page) PDF file open while surfing.
The packaged applications are good for entertainment use. I particularly like the Radio app for listening to music, althouth you'd better have some speakers nearby to connect to. The included speakers are quite tinny. The ebook reader is also quite legible.
The remote desktop app works for connecting to my WinXP box, although when I connected to a left-mouse account, my default, all I got were context menus when I used the sylus. Some good mechanism for emulating both a Left and a Right mouse click is really needed.
I think there are a few utilities that are strongly required to make the Pepper Pad a really useful device. A file archive reader - since this it runs a Linux variant, .gz and .tar files should be readable and unpackable, and .zip files should be too. There should be at least a trivial spreadsheet application. Since it has a touch screen a sketch app should be supported, and a scribble to text converter would be nice.
The battery life is sufficient. In suspend mode it'll last multiple days, maybe up to a week without being plugged it. When in full time use the battery last 3 or more hours.
In all, I like the Pepper Pad 3, but I'd like to use it more, which I would if it had a few tweaks.

In the few days that I had the Pepper Pad 3, I enjoyed it. However, as it neared the end of a battery charge, and in the early part of the recharging cycle, the area of the case under the right hand on the back (presumably the area over the battery?) became literally too hot to touch. Obviously, the interior heat must have been considerably higher.

This greatly distressed me, because it was uncomfortable, because I began to fear that the battery might explode (in light of recent stories in the tech news), and because that much heat can't possibly bode well for the longevity of a solid-state electronic device. I returned it.

If not for the heat problem, the only complaint I would have had was somewhat short battery life. I would have given it 4 stars.

I ordered the Pepper Pad 3 from Amazon and the first one that came was defective---the screen would not come on. After speaking to someone at the Pepper Company I was told it was defective and to send it back, which I did. Amazon quickly replaced the unit the same week (great customer service). The next Pepper Pad I received did come on and function BUT when on the web it kept knocking you off. I contacted Pepper again and they stated that the software was crashing and they didn't know why. Needless to say this one went back for a refund.

I really liked the Pepper Pad 3 size and mobility wise IF it would just function correctly. I may think of purchasing one again later IF all of the bugs are worked out. I wouldn't necessarily say not to purchase one--Just be AWARE that the software is FAR from perfect at this time.