7" tablet just for ebooks

[Tramsden]

Hi
I'm after getting either the kindle fire or nexus 7 but need thoughts before final decision. I've got an ipad 2. iPhone 5 and paperwhite at moment. The paperwhites display bothers me, with its colour hues and light streaking at the foot of the page, and recently the wifi refuses to connect. I will be returning the unit as faulty and getting a refund.
That said I love the software and the ability to read on the iPhone at work and be page syncronised at bedtime when I use the paperwhite. So I'd like to be able to retain this function when deciding on my 7" tablet.
I use the kindle app on the ipad too and I find the display very easy to read but the weight and balance of the ipad at bedtime is not good.

I do most of my reading in bed so a self illuminated unit is what I need.

Any one like to share their experience on this matter and best option for me will be gratefully accepted.

Regards
Tony

[AnemicOak]

Can't comment on the Fire's, never had one. I find reading on the Nexus 7 to be quite nice. Be aware that the Kindle for Android app isn't as nice as the iOS one depending on what features are important to you. That's not to say it's bad, it's just not quite as polished. However if you're mainly reading things like regular fiction books it works just fine IMO (and sync works fine). If the brightness on either device doesn't turn down far enough for you to be comfortable ScreenDim works very nicely.

[kgn]

I have 5 tablets (and a smartphone) and a Pocketbook 302 ebook reader. The only time I use a tablet/phone to read on is when I am waiting in the doctor's office or similar. I use the ebook 2 hours or so a day, every day, and I can spend several days (when camping) doing nothing but reading (so 15+ hours a day).

The BIG problem with tablets is the battery life. I can go weeks between charges on the ebook. A tablet will last me 3 or 4 hours tops. I can use an external powerpack (and I have 4 of them), but that only adds another 3 hours or so. Basically - a tablet will be pushing it to last you one day.

The other big problem is reading tablets/phones outside. You basically can't.

The battery thing alone kills it for me. I simply cannot be bothered organising myself to have external battery packs, etc, so that I can simply last out one whole day. I have 5 tablets just because of this - I have 2 or 3 on charge all the time, so that at least one is fully charged at any one time. I now mainly use the tablets for Reddit, FB, ebay, and things like that. Not for reading novels. This is not a problem with the ebook. Every week or so I will check the battery level - in 4 years I have only ever run it flat once. The ebook will easily last me 2 or 3 weeks between charges.

Also - tablets have an OS (so do ebook readers, of course, but much less stable) . They crash, need rebooting, etc. My ebook reader ALWAYS works. I just turn it on and read. Android is as buggy as all hell. Dunno about the Ipad.

Just my 2 cents worth

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by kgn

Also - tablets have an OS (so do ebook readers, of course, but much less stable) . They crash, need rebooting, etc. My ebook reader ALWAYS works. I just turn it on and read. Android is as buggy as all hell. Dunno about the Ipad.

????? I don't know what android tablets you've been using, but I can count the amount of unplanned reboots on 1 finger on my Flyer. Because that was 0. The only time I rebooted was when I rooted it and put Honeycomb on it...

Some Android implementations are more stable than others, but that has nothing to do with Android itself, but with the final build that has been adapted by the manufacturer of the tablet.



@Tramsden: I'd look for a 7" with as much pixels as possible. The higher resolution, the easier it will be to read upon. I wouldn't pick a cheaper tablet, as their screens usually aren't as nice. We've got two tablets at home, both have the same resolution and screensize, but my Flyer has a much clearer screen than the other (cheaper) tablet. I'd go to a store where they sell several versions and start comparing. Open a website, with a lot of text and see which looks best...

[Andy_T]

One thing to consider is that if you buy a second tablet, you will find that most of the apps that you most likely like on your iPad and iPhone are either not available on Android or you need to buy them again. So looking at the iPad mini might make sense for you.

That's what I found out when I got a Kindle Fire in addition to my iPad, iPod and Kindle Keyboard. I would be using the iPad for nighttime reading, but my wife uses that one when we are both in bed. So I like the Kindle Fire a lot for nighttime reading, but I do not consider it to be a tablet (the screen is too small for web surfing, as well).

Have you looked at the Kobo Glo?
I am a total Kindle fan myself, but when I received the paperwhite, I sent it back because the screen was not as sharp as that of my Kindle Keyboard. Also, the greenish colour of the screen did not exactly turn me on. But ... I had the opportunity to handle a Kobo Glo at an airport display, and I totally loved that screen and the nice blue lighting. If that one could display Kindle books without needing to go the calibre route, I would most likely pick one up.

Best regards,
Andy

[Daniel Jones]

Hey Tramsden
No doubt Nexus 7 is a nice tab but if your only concern is to read eBooks then you better go for Kindle fire. Amazon store has large collection of eBooks and your can remove all the ads from your tab screen by paying one time amount.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by Daniel Jones

No doubt Nexus 7 is a nice tab but if your only concern is to read eBooks then you better go for Kindle fire. Amazon store has large collection of eBooks and your can remove all the ads from your tab screen by paying one time amount.

You can read Amazon books on the Nexus 7 (or any other tablet) by installing the Kindle app.

[Tacty]

if the point is only for reading ebooks i would go with some 8" 4:3 tablets...they're cheap, and better for reading because of 4:3 screen ratio. don't put anything else but ebook reading programs on it and you'll have practical ereader with backlight...

[Graham]

Originally Posted by Tacty

if the point is only for reading ebooks i would go with some 8" 4:3 tablets...they're cheap, and better for reading because of 4:3 screen ratio.

4:3 feels better for a larger tablet for reading PDFs, but doesn't really make much difference for ebook fiction on a smaller tablet.

I've just measured a typical trade paperback, and the visible page area (losing a tenth of an inch because of the fold) is 6.7" / 3.9" = a ratio of 1.72.

A 4:3 screen has a ratio of 1.33. A typical Android tablet at 16:10 has a ratio of 1.6.

In other words, the 'widescreen' tablets are closer to the ratio of a paperback page than the '4:3' tablets.

Graham

[Tacty]

Originally Posted by Graham

4:3 feels better for a larger tablet for reading PDFs, but doesn't really make much difference for ebook fiction on a smaller tablet.

I've just measured a typical trade paperback, and the visible page area (losing a tenth of an inch because of the fold) is 6.7" / 3.9" = a ratio of 1.72.

A 4:3 screen has a ratio of 1.33. A typical Android tablet at 16:10 has a ratio of 1.6.

In other words, the 'widescreen' tablets are closer to the ratio of a paperback page than the '4:3' tablets.

Graham

whatever...even slightly wider space for reading is welcome and wont hurt anybody...all eink readers are 4:3 anyway...since when is the paperback page ratio ultimate goal for reading?

[Alter Ego]

iPad Mini.

[l_macd]

If its just for reading books isn't an iPad Mini complete overkill? Even the the far more reasonably priced Nexus seems like a lot of bang just for reading books. I'd research cheap tablets with good screens..... or if you are definite it'll pretty much just be for books, play it safe and go for the Kindle Fire.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by Alter Ego

iPad Mini.

Right, because it has the best screen for reading on

[exscentric]

I would suggest you look at the Samsung tab 2 7 inch. Their last update puts newest android on it. You can run kindle, nook and all the other great ereaders on it. It is more powerful than some of the cheapies but it was 179 on samungs site a week ago.

Wife and I have them and love them.

Kindle fire is very good but limited in some of the apps it will run.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by Tacty

whatever...even slightly wider space for reading is welcome and wont hurt anybody...all eink readers are 4:3 anyway...since when is the paperback page ratio ultimate goal for reading?

You were advising going with 4:3 for reading. I simply pointed out that at 7" this didn't make much difference.

The paperback example wasn't to hold paperbacks up as the ultimate goal, but simply to point out that someone already used to reading paperbacks would find that either of the common ratios for small tablets offer more reading width.

Graham