Help with ereader to buy

[jadeh]

I want to buy an ereader in a couple of months.

Things that I am wanting are:
*pdf compatibility
*mp3 or similar
*touch screen
*removable storage
*wide range of compatible document formats
*e-ink
*ability to highlight/take notes

What would you suggest? I had my heart set on a Sony 650, but I just can't find one, and since I'm not looking at buying til the end of August... I can see it being more of a problem then.

[jocampo]

Have you take a look on the Pandigital? I agree, Sony basically provide most if not all of your requirements.

[hughes]

Besides the Sony 650 and 950, if you relax the MP3 player requirement and settle for somewhat weaker PDF support, you could add the Kobo Touch and Nook Touch as possibilities.

[jadeh]

Main issue is that I'll be mainly using the mp3 to listen to lectures for uni, and all my uni documents will be in pdf format. Though I guess I could look at a mp3 or somthing as an external unit for the lectures. Might need to look at the sony 350...

[hughes]

Sony 350 doesn't do MP3.

[Jarulf]

iRiver Story HD meets most of your points. Not sure how well it handles PDF, it has a 6" screen but a higher resolution than other devices of that size.
I'm probably getting one next week so could give a better answer then.

[HarryT]

No device with a 6" screen will handle PDF at all well. You really need to be looking at 9.7" screens if PDF is a priority for you.

[Flip Martian]

You could also hang on a month or 2 if you're buying later in the Summer anyway - Sony may well have new releases up their sleeve as older models seem to be being withdrawn.

[witeowl]

Originally Posted by HarryT

... You really need to be looking at 9.7" screens if PDF is a priority for you.

I disagree. The 7" display on my Nook Color handles PDFs just fine.

In fact, to the OP: If you let go of your requirement for eInk (an issue only if you plan to read outdoors, and even then workable), the Nook Color meets your requirements quite nicely.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by witeowl

I disagree. The 7" display on my Nook Color handles PDFs just fine.

In fact, to the OP: If you let go of your requirement for eInk (an issue only if you plan to read outdoors, and even then workable), the Nook Color meets your requirements quite nicely.

I think that what Harry is trying to say is that the screen is too small for most PDF documents. And I can confirm that. Even with some Sony models, landscape mode won't enlarge enough and yo need to keep zooming in and out which after a few minutes becomes annoying to say the least, affecting the overall reading experience .

The Nook Color is too small and out of the box, the default PDf reader is awful. It does not even remember last page read. That's so basic and missing? ...

If eink is not a must, any 10 inch tablet, let's say iPad with Goodreader app on it, handles PDFs better and faster, giving you capabilities and speed that no eink reader offers on the market right now.

But, if eink is so important, the Kindle DXG gives you a good balance between screen size and PDF features. Granted, the editing and PDF features are not as good as Sony, but it's 10 inches, you won't have to rely on zooming most of the times.

The stock Nook color is awful for PDFs. It does not remember last page read. That's so basic and it's absent from the stock NC.

[CyGuy]

Take a look at the Pocketbook Pro 903...

[boswd]

Originally Posted by jocampo

I think that what Harry is trying to say is that the screen is too small for most PDF documents. And I can confirm that. Even with some Sony models, landscape mode won't enlarge enough and yo need to keep zooming in and out which after a few minutes becomes annoying to say the least, affecting the overall reading experience .

The Nook Color is too small and out of the box, the default PDf reader is awful. It does not even remember last page read. That's so basic and missing? ...

If eink is not a must, any 10 inch tablet, let's say iPad with Goodreader app on it, handles PDFs better and faster, giving you capabilities and speed that no eink reader offers on the market right now.

But, if eink is so important, the Kindle DXG gives you a good balance between screen size and PDF features. Granted, the editing and PDF features are not as good as Sony, but it's 10 inches, you won't have to rely on zooming most of the times.

The stock Nook color is awful for PDFs. It does not remember last page read. That's so basic and it's absent from the stock NC.

Yeah but the nook color does offer ezPDF app in the nook appstore

These are some of it's features.

Annotation features - Sticky Memo, Highlight, Underline, Strikethrough, Freehand Draw, Rectangle / Oval Shape Figure
* Play Embedded Video & Audio
* Text Reflow
* Text Select (Copy, Web Search)
* Auto Fit Zoom & Scroll Lock
* Hyperlinks
* Open standard Password-protected PDF (No DRM protected mode)
* Bookmarks
* Support 2.1 and up

[witeowl]

Originally Posted by jocampo

The stock Nook color is awful for PDFs. It does not remember last page read. That's so basic and it's absent from the stock NC.

You must feel strongly about that because you said it twice in one post.

But why stay with stock? Even without rooting, there are plenty of PDF readers available for the NC. boswd puts forth the features of one, and he makes the point quite nicely.

Regarding it being "too small" to comfortably read? Well, that's just subjective thus hardly worth arguing about, but I can say that the NC handles PDF far, far better than my 6" Sony did.

Regarding the iPad or any other 10" tablet... Well, I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds a $250 difference in price not insignificant.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by witeowl

You must feel strongly about that because you said it twice in one post.

But why stay with stock? Even without rooting, there are plenty of PDF readers available for the NC. boswd puts forth the features of one, and he makes the point quite nicely.

Regarding it being "too small" to comfortably read? Well, that's just subjective thus hardly worth arguing about, but I can say that the NC handles PDF far, far better than my 6" Sony did.

Regarding the iPad or any other 10" tablet... Well, I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds a $250 difference in price not insignificant.

Yes I do

I owned a Nook Color, currently have an iPad, Galaxy Tab, Kindle DXG and Kindle 3. Because experience, I can tell that anything below 10" is too small for a PDF document. PDFs are not ebooks, so they are basically being forced to display on such a small area, making very difficult to read or enlarge pictures. A tablet is better and faster for that, let's say Xoom or iPad.

However, if eink is really a must and someone is on a tight budget, the Kindle 3 is the best alternative. If price is not a constraint, Sony readers are better. But 10" is more comfortable than 6 or 7 for sure, at least for PDF documents.

But you are right, iPads are not cheap. However, you can get a decent tablet for the money you paid. iPads 1 can be found used for about $350.00 which still I think is a very competitive price

I've tried RepliGo and ezPDF, and they don't compare to GoodReader. But that's my opinion.

[paola]

if you want a large screen, at the moment there are the new Onyx Boox M90 and the Pocketbook 903 (ok, there is the Kindle DX, but from what I udnerstand the consensus is that it does not handle pdf well - plus it handles fewer formats than the other two). The first one has a pearl screen, the second one doesn't but still the display is good. There is a video comparison of these two devices here, however if you are itnerested I woudl urge you to at least lurk (if you do not want to ask questions) in both forums, as you will get a better idea. For instance, the Onyx does read mp3 files, but I am not sure whether there is a proper mp3 player there (you have it in the PB903). For both devices the touch interface is via astylus, not your fingers. Neither device is quite there yet, but if you are not in a hurry you can wait a couple more months to see how things pan out.

The Asus DR900 is also 9.7'', but has a Sipix screen that many find too dark. But again, have a look at the video and read through teh relevant threads here on mobileread (eg this one).

If you are fine with a smaller screen (and I have to say I can read very well pdf files on my 5'' Pocketbook 360, though of course I prefer the larger device), you may have a look at the smaller "brothers" of the two devices above, i.e. the Pocketbook 603 and the Boox A60. Another 6'' device that has mp3 player, and this time with a finger touch interface is the Pocketbook 302. But when it comes to 6'' devices there are many out there, you may want start narrowing down your choice by looking at the famous Mobileread matrix.