Somehow I missed this little gadget, the Pepper Pad (and now Pepper Pad 3) from Pepper Computing. Currently, I'm waiting for v. 1/2 of the Pepper Pad from Amazon/Target to test, as the 3 series isn't yet available. I've been looking for a non-laptop, but close to a laptop device for reading the massive amount of eBooks I've downloaded and bought over the years. For years, I've tried to do with Palm or Palm-like devices (whether the Treo or LifeDrive) and never find them completely comfortable for reading mainly because the screen is too small. I also have a need/want that I can't live without on a computing device: OpenSSH. Yes, that's right, if I'm going to get a PDA or anything between a PDA or laptop, it has to have the capability of running OpenSSH (or a derivative thereof). It is the only program that is able to keep me in touch with the world under any and all conditions (even on a slow 9.6kbps link). (The excuse used to be needing the ability to get into the network gear for Anywhere Technology, but these days it has to do with every connected device I own, including the server farm that now sits in DLS's facilities.) If I have a device that can be considered a computer and it can't run OpenSSH, then it simply isn't worth it.
Well, considering the two needs listed above (i.e. reading eBooks and running OpenSSH) and the fact that I can check facts, lookup ideas and write some basic notes (vis a vis the keyboard), I really like the device (in concept). What I want to find out is whether or not the Pepper Pad (original or 3) is as much of a disappointment in the area of battery life as the OQO +01 I picked up last year (which I've written about before). CrunchGear has a YouTube video that gives a brief, brief overview of the newer of the devices.
(For a written [quick] review, see: PepperPad 3 Hands-On - by the way, it is Pepper Pad, not PepperPad per Pepper Computer's site)
