E-Book Reader for Reading programming books in CHM and PDF format

kateeus · 07-15-2012, 05:44 PM

Hi,

I'm still undecide which E-Book Reader to buy. At the moment it should be able to read this specific CHM book:

http://www.mql5.com/files/docs/mql5.chm

Later I'll be reading similar books in PDF and CHM format. It should be able to handle code fields and links well enough. I'd also like to hear any personal experiences of those who have been using or are using Ebook-Reader for reading programming books. In general is it in your opinion comfortable enough to replace paper, laptop, etc.

I've been pondering between these devices at the moment:

ONYX BOOX i62HD BLACK SOFT TOUCH
ONYX BOOX M92 WHITE PEARL
Barnes & Noble NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight

Which of them you think is the best, or maybe there are other good candidates?

Thank you very much for your help!

jojoba · 07-15-2012, 05:46 PM

For PDF reading I strongly recommend a tablet.

kateeus · 07-15-2012, 05:50 PM

Thanks for your opinion, duly noted. I know tablet is an option as well, but I'd really like to avoid the lcd, because E-Ink is so much more like reading from paper and thus better for eyes.

charmian · 07-16-2012, 02:21 AM

I don't have experience with programming books, but I would strongly recommend only using a 9.7" or larger screen with PDFs, based on my personal experiences using pdfs with 6" ereaders.

I recommend visiting the Onyx Boox subforum here on mobileread to get more information on the M92.

JimMcLaren · 07-17-2012, 11:07 AM

I've been reading programming books (CHM & PDF) on a Pocketbook 302 6" reader. It's not painful but almost is (at times). I switched to a 9.7" tablet (Le Pan II) which helps with diagrams and code but the reading experience is still not optimum. I've recently ordered a Pocketbook 912 off of ebay since Pocketbook is no longer selling the 912 in the U.S. Either that or the Boox M92 would probably do you well. I think you could probably convert your chm files to another format (mobi or epub) and read them on a Kindle DX but I don't consider that an optimum solution.

My reader arrives at the end of the week. I'll try to post if I get a chance to test it.

kateeus · 07-17-2012, 11:33 AM

Thanks guys for your help. Based on what I've read so far I'm now considering tablet instead of E-reader because tablets have higher performance and are more versatile. The only negative thing is the LCD-screen which is not that good when reading for long times. I'm looking at the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 at the moment. It's quite a jump from my original plan, but why not to get a bit better device right away

The Pocketbook 912 seems to fill my demands well too. I'll look into it too.

kateeus · 07-17-2012, 02:22 PM

I'm now at a crossroad

I will choose from these two:

ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7

I'm completely lost with tablet CPU and GPU performance. Does anyone know if there is a large difference between the CPU performance of these two devices?

Really hard decision to make

JimMcLaren · 07-17-2012, 03:31 PM

FWIW, I think you'll be unhappy with the size of these two. If I were looking for a tablet and weren't concerned about the operating system (e.g. Android or iPad) I would probably look at a used iPad. You'll get pretty good performance, a 10" tablet with a 4:3 aspect ratio. That's probably best for reading PDFs. I got the Le Pan II largely because I have an Android phone and another 7" Android tablet.

charmian · 07-17-2012, 04:14 PM

I agree about the 4:3 ratio.

If you are merely concerned about reading PDFs, I would say that you don't even need a Tegra 3. I would say the main attraction of TF Infinity is the high res screen. However I'd say Jim McLaren is correct and you had might as well get an iPad 3 since you're prepared to spend that much anyhow.

jojoba · 07-17-2012, 04:54 PM

My husband has the Samsung galaxy tab 7 and it's a great device, but not for reading PDFs. The screen is too small. If you can afford it, the iPad 3gen is brilliant for this purpose with the high retina screen, combined with iAnnotate or PDF Expert for PDF reading and annotation.

kateeus · 07-19-2012, 01:14 PM

Based on all the answers here I'm currently still partly undecided

Hmm gotta be patient. I've now been looking at the up-coming Windows 8 tablets. Of particular interest is the Asus Transformer Book. Too bad it won't be released anytime soon

I think it is a safe bet when it comes to reading CHMs and PDFs

Anyway waiting is boring so I went ahead and ordered the ASUS TF700KL. Too bad it too will take some time to arrive (mid August in Finland). The TF700 is handy as it has 3g/4g built in so I'll be using it more on the road. Based on the stats it should be a very nice experience to use it for reading.

DarkScribe · 07-19-2012, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kateeus

Based on all the answers here I'm currently still partly undecided

Hmm gotta be patient. I've now been looking at the up-coming Windows 8 tablets. Of particular interest is the Asus Transformer Book. Too bad it won't be released anytime soon

I think it is a safe bet when it comes to reading CHMs and PDFs

Anyway waiting is boring so I went ahead and ordered the ASUS TF700KL. Too bad it too will take some time to arrive (mid August in Finland). The TF700 is handy as it has 3g/4g built in so I'll be using it more on the road. Based on the stats it should be a very nice experience to use it for reading.

I have an iPad 3 and a Kindle DX 9.7". I much prefer the Kindle for reading PDFs, far easier on the eyes. Even with the HiRes screen on the iPad it will give me eyestrain after a couple of hours.

kateeus · 07-20-2012, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkScribe

I have an iPad 3 and a Kindle DX 9.7". I much prefer the Kindle for reading PDFs, far easier on the eyes. Even with the HiRes screen on the iPad it will give me eyestrain after a couple of hours.

Yes, I would really love to have an E-Ink display, but the problem is that at the moment it would seem that there is no device available that is capable of handling the needs I have e.g. colored text, CHM files, high performance, etc. The optimal device would be E-ink with tablet capabilities, which I'm afraid won't be possible at the moment

07-15-2012, 05:44 PM	#1
kateeus Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: none	E-Book Reader for Reading Programming Books in CHM and PDF Format Hi, I'm still undecide which E-Book Reader to buy. At the moment it should be able to read this specific CHM book: http://www.mql5.com/files/docs/mql5.chm Later I'll be reading similar books in PDF and CHM format. It should be able to handle code fields and links well enough. I'd also like to hear any personal experiences of those who have been using or are using Ebook-Reader for reading programming books. In general is it in your opinion comfortable enough to replace paper, laptop, etc. I've been pondering between these devices at the moment: ONYX BOOX i62HD BLACK SOFT TOUCH ONYX BOOX M92 WHITE PEARL Barnes & Noble NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight Which of them you think is the best, or maybe there are other good candidates? Thank you very much for your help! Last edited by kateeus; 07-15-2012 at 05:55 PM.

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07-15-2012, 05:46 PM	#2
jojoba Addict Posts: 277 Karma: 1039638 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Europe Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPad 3gen, Cybook Odyssey FL HD	For PDF reading I strongly recommend a tablet.

07-15-2012, 05:50 PM	#3
kateeus Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: none	Thanks for your opinion, duly noted. I know tablet is an option as well, but I'd really like to avoid the lcd, because E-Ink is so much more like reading from paper and thus better for eyes.

07-16-2012, 02:21 AM	#4
charmian Addict Posts: 386 Karma: 1814548 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kindle 3, Kindle PW2	I don't have experience with programming books, but I would strongly recommend only using a 9.7" or larger screen with PDFs, based on my personal experiences using pdfs with 6" ereaders. I recommend visiting the Onyx Boox subforum here on mobileread to get more information on the M92.

07-17-2012, 11:07 AM	#5
JimMcLaren Addict Posts: 260 Karma: 1014230 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Onyx Boox T68, Kobo Aura HD, Pocketbook 302, Pocketbook 912, Nook HD+	I've been reading programming books (CHM & PDF) on a Pocketbook 302 6" reader. It's not painful but almost is (at times). I switched to a 9.7" tablet (Le Pan II) which helps with diagrams and code but the reading experience is still not optimum. I've recently ordered a Pocketbook 912 off of ebay since Pocketbook is no longer selling the 912 in the U.S. Either that or the Boox M92 would probably do you well. I think you could probably convert your chm files to another format (mobi or epub) and read them on a Kindle DX but I don't consider that an optimum solution. My reader arrives at the end of the week. I'll try to post if I get a chance to test it.

07-17-2012, 11:33 AM	#6
kateeus Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: none	Thanks guys for your help. Based on what I've read so far I'm now considering tablet instead of E-reader because tablets have higher performance and are more versatile. The only negative thing is the LCD-screen which is not that good when reading for long times. I'm looking at the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 at the moment. It's quite a jump from my original plan, but why not to get a bit better device right away The Pocketbook 912 seems to fill my demands well too. I'll look into it too.

07-17-2012, 02:22 PM	#7
kateeus Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: none	I'm now at a crossroad I will choose from these two: ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 I'm completely lost with tablet CPU and GPU performance. Does anyone know if there is a large difference between the CPU performance of these two devices? Really hard decision to make

07-17-2012, 03:31 PM	#8
JimMcLaren Addict Posts: 260 Karma: 1014230 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Onyx Boox T68, Kobo Aura HD, Pocketbook 302, Pocketbook 912, Nook HD+	FWIW, I think you'll be unhappy with the size of these two. If I were looking for a tablet and weren't concerned about the operating system (e.g. Android or iPad) I would probably look at a used iPad. You'll get pretty good performance, a 10" tablet with a 4:3 aspect ratio. That's probably best for reading PDFs. I got the Le Pan II largely because I have an Android phone and another 7" Android tablet.

07-17-2012, 04:14 PM	#9
charmian Addict Posts: 386 Karma: 1814548 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kindle 3, Kindle PW2	I agree about the 4:3 ratio. If you are merely concerned about reading PDFs, I would say that you don't even need a Tegra 3. I would say the main attraction of TF Infinity is the high res screen. However I'd say Jim McLaren is correct and you had might as well get an iPad 3 since you're prepared to spend that much anyhow.

07-17-2012, 04:54 PM	#10
jojoba Addict Posts: 277 Karma: 1039638 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Europe Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPad 3gen, Cybook Odyssey FL HD	My husband has the Samsung galaxy tab 7 and it's a great device, but not for reading PDFs. The screen is too small. If you can afford it, the iPad 3gen is brilliant for this purpose with the high retina screen, combined with iAnnotate or PDF Expert for PDF reading and annotation.

07-19-2012, 01:14 PM	#11
kateeus Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: none	Based on all the answers here I'm currently still partly undecided Hmm gotta be patient. I've now been looking at the up-coming Windows 8 tablets. Of particular interest is the Asus Transformer Book. Too bad it won't be released anytime soon I think it is a safe bet when it comes to reading CHMs and PDFs Anyway waiting is boring so I went ahead and ordered the ASUS TF700KL. Too bad it too will take some time to arrive (mid August in Finland). The TF700 is handy as it has 3g/4g built in so I'll be using it more on the road. Based on the stats it should be a very nice experience to use it for reading.

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