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Pico Life BK7021 7" eBook Reader at JB Hi-Fi - $78 - Originally $93

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Pico Life BK7021 7" eBook Reader at JB Hi-Fi - $78 - Originally $93
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voiper99 on 02/06/2012 - 20:43 jbhifionline.com.au (587 clicks)
Last edited 02/06/2012 - 20:45

I tried calling every Woolworths, Big W and Dick Smith in my area and tried to pick up a Kindle Gen 3 with keyboard & WiFi, but no one had them available (see this bargain for more information http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/71062 )

So, I started looking at alternatives and found the Pico Life BK7021 7" E-Book Reader. Its battery life is no where near as good as the Kindle, however, it does have other advantages which the Kindle does not, such as:
- It is back lit.
- Plays music.
- Plays videos (a large variation of formats supported too, surprisingly).
- It is cheaper.
- It is brand new (as opposed to the refurbished Kindle Gen 3 with keyboards).

As mentioned above, its battery life is nothing compared to that of the Kindle, however, I believe the Kindle and the Pico are aimed at different audiences. Kindle's are aimed at people who are only interested in reading whereas the Pico is more for the person that wants a bit of everything.

I'll be heading overseas shortly so unfortunately won't be able to provide any real feedback (until I get an internet connection O/S), so please feel free to ask anything and I will respond as soon as I can.

Note: In store the label said the Pico was $93 but it scanned at the right price. The lady I spoke with did say it was on special though, so hurry if your looking at getting one as I don't know when the special ends. In terms of stock, the Chadstone store (Victoria) said they had 10 units available.

Note 2: Sorry, this is one of my first bargains so am not sure how to add a picture. For those interested in the specs and videos which are supported, please see this image of the box: http://upload.ozbargain.com/2012/06/02/8567_imag0180.jpg

Electrical & Electronics eBook Reader Pico Life

Related Stores

JB Hi-Fi
JB Hi-Fi

closed Comments

  • Gecko on 02/06/2012 - 20:54
    +2

    The real reason I prefer the kindle over any of those is because of the e-ink display, try using a TFT for reading for 12 hours and then compare it to an e-ink for 12 hours!

    • voiper99 on 02/06/2012 - 21:15

      hehe agreed :) This is why I mentioned the two being aimed at two different audiences.

      As I catch public transport quite a lot, on the way to work I'll do some reading, and if I've had a particularly hard day at work, I'll listen to music or watch a video on the way home.

  • robotdad on 02/06/2012 - 21:20
    +1

    300 cycles for battery life? Is this low? it sounds like a year of use or less, but at $78 I guess it is essentially disposable after that time.

    • voiper99 on 02/06/2012 - 21:53

      Good question, I wondered that myself.

      Yeah, I'm thinking of upgrading to a Transformer in the not too distant future anyway but was wanting something inexpensive to tide me over until then.

      A couple of pros:
      - Extremely easy to use/learn how to use (I haven't touched the manual and feel I already know how to use it well).
      - Video playback and photo viewing is absolutely great. I really can't fault it.

      A couple of cons:
      - A massive con is that the buttons on the side are not lit, so unless you memorise what each of them are, your going to have to press them one at a time until you find the one you were looking for.
      - The middle button is difficult to press/does not register easily. I find I have to press it right in the centre in order for the press to work.

      Summary:
      I am extremely happy with the purchase and can't recommend it more for those who are after a casual read as well as music and video playback. At this price, you really can't go wrong.

  • Lacerta on 02/06/2012 - 22:44
    +1

    I think I would rather have either a dedicated eBook reader (with e-Ink), or a tablet with more features than this one.

  • StewBalls on 03/06/2012 - 01:20
    +2

    Despite the fact that pinchies comment got deleted for spruiking his own ebay listing, s/he raised a valid point…the specs are almost identical to those of the $29 Migear at DSE, as seen here: http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/70439

    Sorry OP, I just don't see this as any kind of bargain! $78 is a pretty fair chunk of a much better device for either ebook or tablet purposes…that's without even getting into the whole '300 battery cycles' thing!

    • pinchies on 03/06/2012 - 01:35

      Totally agree - this is not a bargain - the Migear units are no less capable, and this is several times the price. Seriously, you can pick up a capacitive, android 4 tablet for that price these days!! I won't provide a link lest people mis-interpret this as more spam…
      I'm a bit disappointed with the mods that my last comment was marked as spam; I didn't even provide a link!

    • trams on 03/06/2012 - 04:43

      Totally agree. I have just got my hand on MiGear and it does everything this eBook Reader can do with less than half price. Sorry OP but I don't think it is a bargain.

  • voiper99 on 03/06/2012 - 10:04

    Thanks for the feedback guys. I hadn't seen the Migear to be honest. I just had a look at DSE's website though, and it looks like it doesn't play video? Anyway, it is quite a large price difference so if you can live without the video, then the Migear would definitely be the better buy.

    I'm trying to hold out a little longer before spending $800-ish on an Android tablet. The apps are starting to look really good and with ICS being released not too long ago, they'll only get better.

    Cheers

    • StewBalls on 03/06/2012 - 10:29

      I'm trying to hold out a little longer before spending $800-ish on an Android tablet.

      You could still consider a much better ~$200 tablet http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/71507 in the meantime! :)

      • voiper99 on 03/06/2012 - 10:35

        I did see that one, however, I was hoping to keep my ebook reader purchase under $100. The reason why I say this is because when I start seeing $200 ones, I then see the nicer $300 ones, then when I start to consider the $300 ones, I think, why not just get the $800 one and be done with it? lol. In other words, I tend to get carried away :(

        I can live with under $100 for a temporary solution, but anything above that, I start thinking it's better not to buy anything at all and put the money towards the tablet.

        • StewBalls on 03/06/2012 - 10:37

          In that case you should have looked at the $30 solution first, because if you read the Migear comments you'll see that it can play 720p video! ;)

        • voiper99 on 03/06/2012 - 10:43

          ah nice! In that case I agree with you guys, this isn't really a bargain at all :'( hehe.

    • trams on 03/06/2012 - 13:02

      There is a several version of MiGear and the newest one can play video and comes with PU case as well.
      But I can understand you because there is no website stating the latest model which capable to play video.
      However the latest model of MiGear is really exist and do video well.

      Just a small tip for unfortunate buyer like me who bought MiGear BSTE 101 (V2/01).
      This model already has Adobe DRM support but still lack of video playback function.
      Guess what? you can keep Adobe DRM support while get video feature as well by using firmware upgrade from Gear 2 Go eReader.

      Warning!
      Make sure your MiGear eReader is the same model as me or has Rockchip rk2738 chip.
      Otherwise I cannot guarantee if your MiGear will be bricked.

  • kogi on 03/06/2012 - 14:13

    Ebook battery life 6-8hrs , pathetic

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