Like people mentioned, what do you see yourself carrying to read?
You will want something with AT LEAST a 1024x720 pixels screen, 8 inch minimum, since most PDF's are based on A4 or lettertype page sizes.
These pages are pretty detailed, thus you need a resolution as above,or better, to read the text well.
Seeing that you'll need such a device there are 4 main categories of devices that have on-screen displays:
1- A laptop
2- A netbook
3- A tablet
4- A large size e-ink reader
1-Laptop ($400-800):
Pro's:
- Fast
- Compatible with (almost) every book format
- Good screen contrast ratios;made for medium bright environments
cons:
- Low battery life
- Heavy
- Not really weather proof (can't be used under light rain or humid environments)
- Lousy screen brightness outside
- Annoying bright screen in low light environments
2-Netbook ($250-400):
Has everything a laptop has save for:
- Bit slower than a laptop, but much faster than a tablet.
- Has a lower screen resolution (though within minimum requirements if you can handle holding the netbook at a 90 degrees angle).
- Equal annoying screen brightness
The good about a netbook:
- Has better battery life (nearly double of a laptop)
- Weighs less (half of a laptop), and is more portable.
- Costs less (half of a laptop)
3- Tablet ($150-350)
Pro's:
- Small in size (half of a netbook)
- Lighter in weight (half a netbook's)
- Compatible with 'almost' every book format
- Cheapest solution (tablets are cheaper than ebook readers based on e-ink, and start at about half the price of netbooks to about equal the price of netbooks).
Cons:
- Minimum resolution (often @800x480 pix it is boarderline of minimum requirements,and some PDF's will not be readable).
- Low battery life, between a laptop and netbook.
- Annoying screen brightness for low light, unreadable in full sunlight.
- Better weather resistant (can be used in light rain)
- Slow performance (much slower than a netbook)
4- Large size Ebook reader ($290-499):
Pro's:
- Significant reduced eye-wear (better viewable, and readable for longer times in bright sunlight, as well as in normal inside light)
- Extremely light, handy easy to carry, similar to tablets.
- Best battery life of all (often extending 10x the battery life of a tablet or laptop)
- Can be used in nearly all weather conditions (including light rain)
Cons:
- Only visible in lighted area's or outside. Not viewable in dark area's.
- Very expensive
- Very limited file support,some files need to be converted
- Not all devices have the options to expand the memory
- Performance is the slowest
It looks to me like you either can get a tablet, or if you want some quality reading, you'll have to go with a 9" hi-res e-ink reader.
There are currently 4 ebook readers I could recommend; 2 of which are exceptional:
1- The kindle DX
2- The Jetbook Color.
What the Kindle DX has over the color:
- Better B/W resolution
- Better contrast ratio
- Faster page turns
- (Lousy) Keyboard
What the Jetbook Color has over the Kindle:
- Color display
- Equal black resolution, but lower color resolution
- SD/SDHC card reader
- Wider file support (not limited to Kindle store offers)
- Sleeker looks
- TTS
- Touch screen
- Wifi
I would recommend the Kindle DX if it only had better file support, and an SD card reader.
Because it's lacking that, I'm recommending the Jetbook Color.
Last edited by ProDigit; 02-26-2012 at 06:33 AM.
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