Larger e-reader for my dad

[Rizla]

8" reader: http://the-digital-reader.com/2014/1...etbook-inkpad/

Runs Android, I think, so you can do what you want.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kacir

What is the screen size?

It is 6.8" with a very nice front light and high resolution. Very comfortable to hold and read from.

[Doranwen]

Originally Posted by burnafterreading

i'm noticing that you haven't mentioned (in the requirements) anything that specifically dictates it MUST be an eink device.

I should have mentioned that yes, he wants something with good battery life and easy on the eyes (LCD screens are not so much). Sorry it wasn't clear from my first post! I've never really considered a tablet because none of us in my family even have a smartphone; we don't do apps or any of that sort of thing. I have a massive desktop with a huge screen, but I'm of the sort that prefers to have more dedicated devices (and so's the rest of my family, pretty much). If we want a computer, we want a powerful computer, not a tablet (which is limited in its capability; none of us are that tied to our e-mail or Facebook or anything, so we don't feel the need to have it at our fingertips when away from home). (We do compromise on that by having laptops, but only because it'd be ridiculous to set up a desktop at someone's house unless you're there for several weeks at least.) If we want portable reading, we'd rather it be just for reading--easy on the eyes and last as long as possible, battery-wise.

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

A tablet or laptop solution might be better for your Dad as he mostly wants it when he is away from home.

While my parents do bring a laptop with them on trips, a laptop is not something you can just recline in a chair and hold comfortably to read. My dad definitely wants an e-reader with an e-ink screen--and larger than mine. That's why I'm thinking that from the suggestions, the Onyx M96 is going to be his best option. My Firefly was well worth the price; I'm willing to bet the M96 will be too.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Rizla

8" reader: http://the-digital-reader.com/2014/1...etbook-inkpad/

Runs Android, I think, so you can do what you want.

No, the InkPad is not running an open android. And ePub support is not all that good according to the review.

Epub wasn't so well supported. The InkPad forced full justification, which was annoying, but I actually didn't mind so much. But the other bugs, including the tendency to freeze, the general inability to go a page back in the text, and the slow page turns, did detract from the reading experience.

[Rizla]

https://onyx-boox.com/shop/onyx-boox...android-4-0-4/

The M96. It's 9.7" but has no light and the def is low for such a large screen. It's open Android.

Edit: I see you're already looking at it. It's kinda old tech. You might want to wait for the next gen. Depends on the price.

[Rizla]

The biggest "mainstream" reader is the H2O and it's nice. If you want a bigger screen and better pdf support (via open android) you'll have to go Onyx or something similar.

This seems about to come out.
http://the-digital-reader.com/2014/10/30/onyx-boox-i86/
Again, Android.

Depends on your budget. There is no cheap large e-reader.

[Doranwen]

Originally Posted by Rizla

This seems about to come out.
http://the-digital-reader.com/2014/10/30/onyx-boox-i86/
Again, Android.

Depends on your budget. There is no cheap large e-reader.

I'll keep an eye out; at this point he is just going to be saving up anyway, so having a goal in mind is good, but I'll keep an eye out to see if they release a newer model than the M96.

[burnafterreading]

Originally Posted by Doranwen

I should have mentioned that yes, he wants something with good battery life and easy on the eyes (LCD screens are not so much). Sorry it wasn't clear from my first post! I've never really considered a tablet because none of us in my family even have a smartphone; we don't do apps or any of that sort of thing. I have a massive desktop with a huge screen, but I'm of the sort that prefers to have more dedicated devices (and so's the rest of my family, pretty much). If we want a computer, we want a powerful computer, not a tablet (which is limited in its capability; none of us are that tied to our e-mail or Facebook or anything, so we don't feel the need to have it at our fingertips when away from home). (We do compromise on that by having laptops, but only because it'd be ridiculous to set up a desktop at someone's house unless you're there for several weeks at least.) If we want portable reading, we'd rather it be just for reading--easy on the eyes and last as long as possible, battery-wise.

fair enough. the battery life issue is one i don't generally agree with since it's rare for anyone to sit and read for 6-8 hours straight with no breaks and without access to electricity of any kind. it's nothing more than a convenience. an eink device will last longer since the screen takes almost no power to display a static image, but with outlets all over the planet that's almost a moot point. potty break / food break = plug into charger time. no biggie.

"easier on the eyes" is about the only thing i'd agree with. there's methods to make a tablet's LED display be less tiring, and the upshot is that a tablet generally gives you (more) options. i read in night-mode all the time and it's not tiring at all. outside in the summer, an eink will win easily. in the evening, most eink devices rely on some form of room light to make text visible (not all have built-in lights). if your dad intends to read in bed in the evening, that might limit your choices (and those choices might be at odds with other things that he deems important)

if you / your dad are OK with a 6" device and primarily epubs, then an eink reader is the best option, of course. but once you say pdf and large screen, the trade-offs come quickly and options are limited. imagine a 2014 eink device handling a pdf the way a 1989 monochrome laptop handled pdfs. get your dad to watch some youtube video reviews of the devices and see if how they perform is OK with him or if it's far short of what he'll expect of a device.

it's nice to have a dedicated device for a task, but that usually means you pay more and get less. you don't need a smartphone to justify a tablet - my mom has a blackberry that she uses as only a phone and my old iPad mini that she uses for all sorts of tablet stuff (books, magazines, news feeds, games, etc). she's 65 and has crap eyes.

i use both tablets and einks, but i tend to grab whichever device that's easier and less limiting to actually use for what i want to read. 95% of the time it's one of the tablets.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by burnafterreading

fair enough. the battery life issue is one i don't generally agree with since it's rare for anyone to sit and read for 6-8 hours straight with no breaks and without access to electricity of any kind. it's nothing more than a convenience. an eink device will last longer since the screen takes almost no power to display a static image, but with outlets all over the planet that's almost a moot point. potty break / food break = plug into charger time. no biggie.

It's a very "biggie" to me. I often sit in the dark for six hours reading (most of my books are read in a setting or two ... or maybe three) and the idea of hooking a tablet up to electricity while reading has zero appeal to me. Besides, it's just a matter of being able to pick up an eInk Reader and going with it -- and not worrying at all about its battery state, or where I'll be able to find my next electrical socket.

Originally Posted by burnafterreading

"easier on the eyes" is about the only thing i'd agree with. there's methods to make a tablet's LED display be less tiring, and the upshot is that a tablet generally gives you (more) options. i read in night-mode all the time and it's not tiring at all.

I'm not much for the reversed (white on black) lettering. I do occasionally read on my smartphone (when I know it's going to be for short stretches) -- when I do this I use the Sepia setting.

Now, if I was reading PDFs on a regular basis, I'd probably find a small tablet for that. But I don't and I can't see where a tablet will ever replace my eInk eReaders.

[burnafterreading]

Originally Posted by rcentros

It's a very "biggie" to me. I often sit in the dark for six hours reading (most of my books are read in a setting or two ... or maybe three) and the idea of hooking a tablet up to electricity while reading has zero appeal to me. Besides, it's just a matter of being able to pick up an eInk Reader and going with it -- and not worrying at all about its battery state, or where I'll be able to find my next electrical socket.

fair enough. i usually keep my tablets plugged into a charger whenever i'm not using it, so i always end up grabbing a fully charged tablet. i've considered getting a long 10ft (3m) microUSB cord to keep it plugged in while reading, but then i remember what it used to be like with AC-powered lawnmowers and i shudder. i get around 6.5-8hrs of actual use from a full charge on either tablet, which - for me - is enough in any given day.

with USB chargers being as small as they are, and with me having several devices all synched, maybe my battery capacity is strongly biased towards "who cares"

// on an aside, i couldn't fathom sitting in the dark for 6-8hrs if i'm not sleeping. i'd get headaches from lack of sunlight.


EDIT (update):

on the other hand, there is that new or upcoming 13.3" eink device from novatronic or whatever that would be quite tempting. since the OP is planning for a future buy, that could/should be on their radar. if they hit the market at $300 or so (but not $500), i'll buy one just for chits-n-giggles. (i assume you can substitute the correct letter where needed, what with this being a PG13 forum )

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Rizla

The biggest "mainstream" reader is the H2O and it's nice. If you want a bigger screen and better pdf support (via open android) you'll have to go Onyx or something similar.

This seems about to come out.
http://the-digital-reader.com/2014/10/30/onyx-boox-i86/
Again, Android.

Depends on your budget. There is no cheap large e-reader.

But this device is going to be using the same poor ePub add. So given that it's a poor ePub app, I'd say don't bother. Not worth it.

[This device is running the same reading app as on Onyx's other Android-based ebook readers (with the same note-taking and scribbling abilities).

Also, when it's going to be released is an unknown.

Onyx hasn't said when we might see the i86 on the market, and since we have so little information it is too early to speculate.

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by Doranwen

I'll keep an eye out; at this point he is just going to be saving up anyway, so having a goal in mind is good, but I'll keep an eye out to see if they release a newer model than the M96.

It might be a good time to wait a few months.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by burnafterreading

fair enough. i usually keep my tablets plugged into a charger whenever i'm not using it, so i always end up grabbing a fully charged tablet.

My Android smartphone will usually be plugged in every night -- sometimes I won't need to -- but my eReaders aren't used every day, so I usually just charge them all about once every three weeks to a month, usually on the same day.

But it doesn't really matter. Whatever works best for each person. I tried using tablets but just didn't like the experience. Basically all I ever did with my tablet was charge it -- well, for a while at the beginning, I played Angry Birds on it. But that got old. My nephews (and their families), on the other hand, are constantly using tablets. They hardly ever use their PCs now.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by Doranwen

I'll keep an eye out; at this point he is just going to be saving up anyway, so having a goal in mind is good, but I'll keep an eye out to see if they release a newer model than the M96.

You might also look into the refurbished market if there is one where you live. A lot of refurbished are just open box items and can be very cheap. 40 cents on the dollar.

Helen

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But this device is going to be using the same poor ePub add. So given that it's a poor ePub app, I'd say don't bother. Not worth it.

That's your opinion. I'm really happy with mine.