You have to wonder about our relationship to technology sometimes. Here we are, all happily coughing up handfuls of cash for trendy new gadgets, when all the time we know that the price of the thing we’re buying is going to plummet very shortly and leave us holding an obsolete paperweight. Why do we do it? Are we stupid? Or just incurable optimists?

This Pandigital Novel 7 inch Tablet computer started out as a $199.00 ‘cheap’ alternative to the Apple iPad. Yes of course it was a pathetic excuse for a rival, no it didn’t feature anything near the functionality or sheer elegance of the Cupertino product, but it was ‘cheap’. A tablet for the rest of us. And it ran Android, the operating system for the rest of us.

Well time moves on and here we are now with the things selling at a ridiculous $53.60. They’re labeled as Factory Manufactured, but you and I both know that means nothing more than the fact that they probably ripped out the old motherboard and stuck a brand new one in. Otherwise it’s not cost effective right? And surely it can’t be any worse than that $99 Maylong M-150?

Anyway, if you’re looking for the perfect stocking filler or birthday gift for someone you hate love, then look no further. They’re in stock, fully warranted and come with Android 2.2, WiFi, VGA camera, 2GB RAM, microSD slot, HDMI out and the ability to work with a 3G wireless dongle. For $53.60. Heck, that’s less than a round of drinks come Saturday down the local hostelry.