Reader for College Textbooks

DaveCanRead · 01-29-2014, 05:58 PM

I'm looking for a reader with number one priority is reading pdf's, kindle, and web etext for college textbooks.

Due to price constraints I am considering the kindle fire hd 8.9 and kindle fire hdx 7.

I am thinking the 8.9 size would be better than getting the newer hdx 7.

I was also considering the dell venue 8 pro or upcoming thinkpad 8 at one time.

While the Ipad mini is a nice device, for what I want, I do not believe it's price is worth it.

jscarbo · 01-30-2014, 09:28 AM

I agree that a larger screen tablet is probably the best choice for PDF and web articles and for books with charts and graphics. If price is an important consideration, you may want to consider the Nook HD+. The Kindle for Android app works fine for reading Kindle books on it. Before making a decision, you should also check to see if the textbooks you need are available in a compatible format. Many are only available for specific devices.

DaveCanRead · 01-30-2014, 10:23 AM

Thanks for your reply.

I will be taking different classes over the years and instructors will not be staying with the same textbooks. I don't believe it's possible for me to predict what books I will need to be reading.

HarryT · 01-30-2014, 10:56 AM

Your choices seem very good to me. The iPad (NOT the iPad Mini) is the best PDF reader around, to my mind, but for the price-conscious buyer, the devices you've suggested seem very sensible.

Mivo · 01-30-2014, 12:45 PM

There is the Nexus 10, too, as an alternative to a non-mini iPad.

hel · 01-31-2014, 12:27 PM

I have both of them, big and small iPad. But I prefer to read pdf from iPad mini not from iPad3. Mini is quite enough for most of pdf. Of course I can find some unreadable pdf on 9.7". But mini is so easier to hold...

HarryT · 01-31-2014, 01:03 PM

I too do most of my reading from my iPad Mini. I do find my iPad 3 to be a lot better, though, for PDFs which are formatted for an A4/Letter page size.

DaveCanRead · 02-02-2014, 03:06 PM

Is there a better tablet than the kindle fire hd 8.9 around the same size and price tag?
Or what quality ~8" tablet competes with fire hd 8.9 in the same prize ballpark I should compare it to?

I just tried out Amazons cloud reader. I found it to work out great on the macbook air 13".
I will go with that and just deal with the pdf books until textbooks become better integrated with e-readers. Thanks for the advice.

BatmansDouble · 02-03-2014, 06:48 AM

Sure, it's nice to read from an iPad or whatever, but you read textbooks to learn, thus you need to engage with the text (active reading) which requires you to take notes. And other than annotating the physical book itself, typing your notes on a laptop is the next best thing. Inputting information into an iPad is painful...

HarryT · 02-03-2014, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BatmansDouble

Sure, it's nice to read from an iPad or whatever, but you read textbooks to learn, thus you need to engage with the text (active reading) which requires you to take notes. And other than annotating the physical book itself, typing your notes on a laptop is the next best thing. Inputting information into an iPad is painful...

Inputting information into an iPad is incredibly easy and effective using its speech to text capabilities. That's how I take all the notes for the essays in my Egyptology degree and it works beautifully.

DaveCanRead · 02-10-2014, 06:15 PM

I picked up my $99 kindle paperwhite 2 today. First ereader.
Going to play around with flippdf & k2pdfopt for pdf's.
Keeping an eye on the Nexus 8 coming out March - May 2014? for first tablet.
came close to getting hdx 7 or nexus 7.

Nice change from Apple. Not really apple fanboy, but 2010 iphone 4 was best product. and mac air 2013 for college student.

01-29-2014, 05:58 PM	#1
DaveCanRead Enthusiast Posts: 25 Karma: 430010 Join Date: Jan 2014 Device: kindle Paperwhite	Reader for College Textbooks I'm looking for a reader with number one priority is reading pdf's, kindle, and web etext for college textbooks. Due to price constraints I am considering the kindle fire hd 8.9 and kindle fire hdx 7. I am thinking the 8.9 size would be better than getting the newer hdx 7. I was also considering the dell venue 8 pro or upcoming thinkpad 8 at one time. While the Ipad mini is a nice device, for what I want, I do not believe it's price is worth it.

02-02-2014, 03:06 PM	#8
DaveCanRead Enthusiast Posts: 25 Karma: 430010 Join Date: Jan 2014 Device: kindle Paperwhite	Is there a better tablet than the kindle fire hd 8.9 around the same size and price tag? Or what quality ~8" tablet competes with fire hd 8.9 in the same prize ballpark I should compare it to? I just tried out Amazons cloud reader. I found it to work out great on the macbook air 13". I will go with that and just deal with the pdf books until textbooks become better integrated with e-readers. Thanks for the advice. Last edited by DaveCanRead; 02-02-2014 at 04:49 PM.

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01-30-2014, 09:28 AM	#2
jscarbo Addict Posts: 220 Karma: 1075434 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Costa Rica Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle PW2, Nook HD+, Nexus 7	I agree that a larger screen tablet is probably the best choice for PDF and web articles and for books with charts and graphics. If price is an important consideration, you may want to consider the Nook HD+. The Kindle for Android app works fine for reading Kindle books on it. Before making a decision, you should also check to see if the textbooks you need are available in a compatible format. Many are only available for specific devices.

01-30-2014, 10:23 AM	#3
DaveCanRead Enthusiast Posts: 25 Karma: 430010 Join Date: Jan 2014 Device: kindle Paperwhite	Thanks for your reply. I will be taking different classes over the years and instructors will not be staying with the same textbooks. I don't believe it's possible for me to predict what books I will need to be reading.

01-30-2014, 10:56 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Your choices seem very good to me. The iPad (NOT the iPad Mini) is the best PDF reader around, to my mind, but for the price-conscious buyer, the devices you've suggested seem very sensible.

01-30-2014, 12:45 PM	#5
Mivo Fanatic Posts: 556 Karma: 3531054 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Germany Device: In use: Pocketbook InkPad 3, Kobo Glo, iPad Air 2	There is the Nexus 10, too, as an alternative to a non-mini iPad.

01-31-2014, 12:27 PM	#6
hel Sorceress Posts: 167 Karma: 19604 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Montreal Device: Onyx Air2&Nova 3C,Kindle oasis1,Kobo Forma,iPad pro 12.9&9.7,and more.	I have both of them, big and small iPad. But I prefer to read pdf from iPad mini not from iPad3. Mini is quite enough for most of pdf. Of course I can find some unreadable pdf on 9.7". But mini is so easier to hold...

01-31-2014, 01:03 PM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I too do most of my reading from my iPad Mini. I do find my iPad 3 to be a lot better, though, for PDFs which are formatted for an A4/Letter page size.

02-03-2014, 06:48 AM	#9
BatmansDouble Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 12580 Join Date: Feb 2014 Device: Kobo Aura	Sure, it's nice to read from an iPad or whatever, but you read textbooks to learn, thus you need to engage with the text (active reading) which requires you to take notes. And other than annotating the physical book itself, typing your notes on a laptop is the next best thing. Inputting information into an iPad is painful...

02-10-2014, 06:15 PM	#11
DaveCanRead Enthusiast Posts: 25 Karma: 430010 Join Date: Jan 2014 Device: kindle Paperwhite	I picked up my $99 kindle paperwhite 2 today. First ereader. Going to play around with flippdf & k2pdfopt for pdf's. Keeping an eye on the Nexus 8 coming out March - May 2014? for first tablet. came close to getting hdx 7 or nexus 7. Nice change from Apple. Not really apple fanboy, but 2010 iphone 4 was best product. and mac air 2013 for college student.

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