e-readers for academic papers and note taking

[abclaurie]

I know this has been discussed in the past but all of the threads I see are several years old.

I am looking for an ereader that allows me to read and annotate pdfs of academic papers. I currently use ReadCube Papers on my macbook to annotate and organize my references so ideally I could synch anything I annotate on my ereader with my ReadCube app - I'm not sure if this is even an option.

I am getting tired of reading on my laptop and hoping an ereader would be easier on my eyes but I also don't want to lose a ton of time transferring articles back and forth and reorganizing etc.

I would love to know my options and am getting overwhelmed trying to do my own research. I am in Canada. TIA!

[meeera]

My answer's always the same for the PDF academic reading/annotation question: get a tablet. The PDF experience is so much better. Since you're in the Apple ecosystem already, probably an iPad (older/refurbished is fine for this purpose) - but ReadCube also works on Android tablets so that's not out of the question either.

Everything else depends heavily on what your budget is.

[abclaurie]

Thank you for your reply! My hesitation to get a tablet vs an ereader is for eye strain. I want something that doesn't feel like more screen work which I assumed a tablet would do. I have never owned an ereader myself but I have seen the Kindles and appreciate the lighting. Do newer tablets offer this variety of lighting?

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by abclaurie

Thank you for your reply! My hesitation to get a tablet vs an ereader is for eye strain. I want something that doesn't feel like more screen work which I assumed a tablet would do. I have never owned an ereader myself but I have seen the Kindles and appreciate the lighting. Do newer tablets offer this variety of lighting?

No. If you want something without a backlight eInk is the only realistic option. I would take a look at Android offerings from Boox or Likebook. Unlike Kobos or Kindles they have the grunt to do PDFs well. Readcube seems to have an Android app although with the way eInk pen input works using it with 3rd party apps is not a great experience. Boox's PDF reader and note taking software is decent IMO.

[Aleron Ives]

I would advise looking at the reviews of various Boox products on My Deep Guide, specifically the Boox Note and Note Air (10.3") series. The NeoReader software that Boox uses offers a slew of options to customise the PDF reading experience, and I doubt you can get a device that does it better than that.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by abclaurie

Thank you for your reply! My hesitation to get a tablet vs an ereader is for eye strain. I want something that doesn't feel like more screen work which I assumed a tablet would do. I have never owned an ereader myself but I have seen the Kindles and appreciate the lighting. Do newer tablets offer this variety of lighting?

Are you currently getting a lot of eyestrain, even with brightness appropriately turned down and colour adjusted? For many people it's just a matter of adjusting the lighting instead of leaving it blaring white at you.

[Kindleing]

Originally Posted by abclaurie

I am looking for an ereader that allows me to read and annotate pdfs of academic papers.

If the papers include color charts, graphs or images you really need a tablet. I have no experience with color eink devices, but I understand they leave a lot to be desired.

And Meeera asks a great question about adjusting the screen brightness; reports say many (most?) people accept default settings, which are typically way too bright.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by Kindleing

If the papers include color charts, graphs or images you really need a tablet. I have no experience with color eink devices, but I understand they leave a lot to be desired.

For me there is a clear decision: Boox Tab .... C - Kaleido 3 Tablets with pen:
- Tab Ultra C - 10.3 inches
- Tab Mini C - 7.8 inches

[Quoth]

You need iOS or Android due to proprietary apps and DRM for textbooks and Academic papers.
The eink versions of Android may sometimes be incompatible, and certainly some work poorly with eink on my Boyue Likebook (Mars), now Meebook.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by abclaurie

I know this has been discussed in the past but all of the threads I see are several years old.

I am looking for an ereader that allows me to read and annotate pdfs of academic papers. I currently use ReadCube Papers on my macbook to annotate and organize my references so ideally I could synch anything I annotate on my ereader with my ReadCube app - I'm not sure if this is even an option.

I am getting tired of reading on my laptop and hoping an ereader would be easier on my eyes but I also don't want to lose a ton of time transferring articles back and forth and reorganizing etc.

I would love to know my options and am getting overwhelmed trying to do my own research. I am in Canada. TIA!

Your best choice is not a Reader but an iPad using the GoodReader app. It's the best app for reading, annotating, and editing PDF. No eInk Reader is even close.

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by Quoth

You need iOS or Android due to proprietary apps and DRM for textbooks and Academic papers.
The eink versions of Android may sometimes be incompatible, and certainly some work poorly with eink on my Boyue Likebook (Mars), now Meebook.

Nobody puts DRM on academic papers. They just watermark. Most of the DRM'd textbooks are undergrad stuff IME.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Your best choice is not a Reader but an iPad using the GoodReader app. It's the best app for reading, annotating, and editing PDF. No eInk Reader is even close.

Why exactly? I don't remember it being particularly amazing in my time using it. And you get the added negative of dealing with the idiotic way iOS handles files.

Boox's pretty great. The only real con I run into with academic papers on my Boox Note Air is lack of color but most papers at least in my field don't need color to begin with. So long as you get one big enough and not excruciatingly slow eInk is fine for PDFs. Academic papers are mostly text on pages all the same size. It's fine.

[Quoth]

Also the ipad is mandatory in some educational establishments, so has the best support for textbooks and academic materials most of which have more awkward DRM. Without notes Android can be cheaper, but the iPad has the digitizer built in and Nebo works well. The 3rd party Pencil seems to work fine and a fraction of Apples.
With eink you have no colour unless always using outdoors, no or poor video and really only the mono Android ones will do because you'd need Android apps. But some apps and some android ink are not great compatibility.
Otherwise for notes, but not PDF, Sage is better, and if PDF and only Adobe DRM or DRM free then Elipsa is better.

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Also the ipad is mandatory in some educational establishments, so has the best support for textbooks and academic materials most of which have more awkward DRM. Without notes Android can be cheaper, but the iPad has the digitizer built in and Nebo works well. The 3rd party Pencil seems to work fine and a fraction of Apples.
With eink you have no colour unless always using outdoors, no or poor video and really only the mono Android ones will do because you'd need Android apps. But some apps and some android ink are not great compatibility.
Otherwise for notes, but not PDF, Sage is better, and if PDF and only Adobe DRM or DRM free then Elipsa is better.

I'd imagine if they know an iPad is mandatory they'd get one? Again academic papers are typically watermarked. I can't think of a single publisher that uses DRM on their papers.

10-13" eInk devices are perfect for things like journal papers. Color is the only real con but again it's like a 1/20 paper problem IME. Boox devices chew through PDFs and notes.

Being able to play video is IMO, a con if the whole point is to read papers! It's just a distraction.

Why do you use a Kobo Sage? It can't play video! No color! You should just get an iPad mini. /s.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

Why do you use a Kobo Sage? It can't play video! No color! You should just get an iPad mini. /s.

I use DVD/BD/VHS and 42″ ot 55″ screen for video. Mostly I read real ebooks (almost all fiction), small PDFs (mostly manuals) and do notes on a Sage. Elipsa for bigger PDFs, either proof POD or non-fiction.

But most textbooks and academic content is serious DRM, or special apps. If it needs colour at all (depends on subject) then a tablet is better. Other people in the family have ipads. I have the rarely used €180 inc VAT 10″ LCD tablet for colour. If I was watching any online video I'd use the desktop or laptop on the ethernet. The WiFi is 2 Mbps to 250 Mbps depending on location and who else is using it.

Obviously a Sage, Elipsa and an iPad (or high end Android with Digitiser) might be best.

A reMarkable is really too limited (had one).
A Kindle Scribe is too locked to Amazon for annotating PDFs

I might read for 6 to 8 hours with short breaks, so eink is good. But academic stuff, when I did it, isn't like that. The Boox sounds interesting, but maybe risky for Academia compared to an iPad. I do have a 7.8″ Android eink, but it's got no pen digitiser and some of the apps don't behave well with the eink compared to using them on much cheaper Android 10″ Lenovo (Borrowbox, Libby, Google Playbooks).

Being able to play video is IMO, a con if the whole point is to read papers! It's just a distraction.

True
Unless of course sometimes you need video and don't have a tablet, or don't want to carry around laptop, tablet, eink. I don't much go out and have a dedicated library/office as well as a desk in the bedroom. I can have any number of gadgety things at once.

[shanhe]

Highly recommend standard ipad or ipad Air tablet for note taking.
If you want something that's more affordable than an IPad, the Samsung Galaxy android tablets with stylus are great for taking notes.
I used one in PA school and I could upload PowerPoints on the notes app with a pdf and do all sorts of things.