While in Vegas, Dan and I received emails about an upcoming VIP program offered by Camangi, makers of the previously unboxed and discussed Camangi WebStation. As you may recall, Dan and I took a leap of faith when we pre-ordered our Camangis; the company was new, we didn’t know for sure that the product would even ship, and it didn’t arrive exactly as soon as promised. After receiving the units, we quickly decided that the WebStation was being incorrectly marketed — in fact, we felt it might even be incorrectly named.

The Camangi is an excellent and responsive eReader. It is not however, an end-all-be-all tablet for surfing or data entry; as long as you understand its limitations going in, it may be a great option. But I digress.

Partly because we were busy with CES, and partly because the original email’s terms seemed a little bit open to interpretation, I didn’t really give them a second thought. This morning I received confirmation that the program was a “go”, as well as a more complete invitation to join.

This is the email that Dan and I received today; I’ve highlighted a few items in red:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Welcome to Camangi WebStation’s VIP Program!
Thank you for your support in advance. We really appreciate your trust and pre-ordering Camangi WebStation.

To reward your support, we sincerely invite you to join Camangi WebStation VIP program. Here you will find yourself partaking in one of the most valuable loyalty programs around. This VIP program consists of several key features as follows.

1.  A VIP owns the VIP Room in Camangi WebStation’s forum
Your opinions matter to us. Therefore, we create a unique VIP room in our forum where only a VIP is authorized to view and edit articles. As a VIP of Camangi WebStation, you deserve the right to receive our feedback speedily.

2.  A VIP is invited to experience the next generation of Camangi WebStation in advance for FREE (freight included)
It is always rewarding to enjoy an up-to-date electronics before anyone else. As a VIP of Camangi WebStation, you can expect to
1)    Update the latest version of software for your current WebStation for FREE
2)    Discuss, suggest, or know the up-to-date information about next generation of Camangi WebStation
3)    Test on a next generation of Camangi WebStation for FREE before it is officially launched to the market.

3.  A VIP is given a priority to receive the latest information or enjoy a special offer of Camangi WebStation in the future
Joining in the VIP program, you will be the first priority to receive the latest information for our event or special offer, etc. in the future.

Who can become our VIP?
-  The one who had pre-ordered the Camangi WebStation in our official website before Dec.31, 2009 (EST)
-  The one who doesn’t ask for return or refund the pre-ordered WebStation

How to become a VIP?
Three steps to become our VIP.

Step 1: Register an account on the forum and send a private message to the moderator of the article of VIP Program
Step 2: Wait for approving in 2 business days
Step 3: Congratulations! You are our VIP now!

More details are available on the forum of Camangi WebStation.

Once again, thank you very much for your support.
Your opinions encourage us to improve ourselves and provide with better products and service for you.

Sincerely,
Camangi WebStation Team

I took a look at the VIP agreement which must be agreed to when joining, and found that it appears to be an NDA of sorts — basically an agreement between the “VIP” and Camangi that if shown pre-production models, videos, pictures, information, etc., VIPs will agree to keep them secret until Camangi is ready to share them publicly. I can certainly live with that, as I am under the same type agreements (written and verbal) with several other companies.

I’ve had a few operational questions about the Camangi after I started using it, and I’ve already found their customer service to be open and helpful. Bearing in mind that there is a bit of a delay due to our sides of the world, they have been more than responsive. The introduction of this program seems to show that Camangi is committed to the Webstation platform, and that they plan to continue improving it; I am glad to see that.

Dan and I will probably bring this up many more times in our review once published, but the Webstation is a device that has been much maligned online because it was marketed for surfing and “entertainment media”. It is absolutely not the fastest web tablet, it is underpowered for viewing movies, and it doesn’t have 3G. But if you look at it as a color LCD option to the plethora of eBook readers available, one that allows the user to surf via built-in WiFi web, one that has the ability to stream Pandora, as well as the option of loading and using other Android apps, then the Camangi Webstation is a very compelling device.

The fact that they are already talking about future devices looks promising — never mind the fact that Dan and I will evidently get one for free simply because we took that leap of faith and ordered our WebStations before December 31. I like that Camangi is setting up a VIP board and already discussing the input they will be allowed. Dare I hope that they will listed and possibly incorporate our suggestions? In that spirit, I am eager to see what Camangi has planned.