Which device has best support for tiffs and graphical pdfs

[amys]

Most of my books are graphical PDFs, or PDFs with text that cannot be easily extracted. There are also TIFFs. Most ebook readers support these formats, but the files might not display well after resizing -- or else I'd have to scroll the screen for each line.

Which devices deal best with these files?

[jocampo]

For PDF reading only I suggest the following devices:

Kindle DX
Native support for PDF. Screen is 9" so most of the time you don't even have to resize. There is also landscape mode and even zoom. It is a bit slow when turning pages tough.

Kindle 3
Native support for PDF. Screen is not so big but it handles PDF document faster than DX. It could not be so good or big depending of the kind of document and/or graphics but still you can read in landscape mode and has zoom capabilities as well.

Nook Color
Nice reading experience for PDF documents. Because is color that's a big plus. You can read landscape mode and zoom in or out via "pinch" or with your fingers, like iPad. When I had mine (I returned it) NC was not able to remember last read page, that's really annoying for large documents. It is also heavier and about 8 hrs of continue battery life.

I don't own or have a Sony but I believe most recent model supports PDF documents too and I've read really good coments about it.

[amys]

Thank you, so it seems that screen size (naturally enough) and native PDF support are relevant features; and color can be helpful for displaying graphical text files like TIFF and some PDF, even for black-and-white.

[Latinandgreek]

Take a look at the Kindle DX (9.7 inch screen), Pocketbook 902 (9.7 inch screen), Pocketbook 903 (9.7 inch touchscreen), and the Sony PRS-950 (7 inch touchscreen). Try looking reviews up on youtube to get a better idea of their capabilities, or looking them up here:

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_devices

[SkyDream]

Further requirements than just reading ?

Like PDF annotations, dictionary, touchscreen, Wifi, 3G ?

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by amys

Thank you, so it seems that screen size (naturally enough) and native PDF support are relevant features; and color can be helpful for displaying graphical text files like TIFF and some PDF, even for black-and-white.

Each person is different but to me, big screen is a plus when reading PDF documents. That way, you probably won't need to zoom in and your reading session will be more natural and faster.

I would also like a reader which can remember last read page; if I have to go back and find the last page I read every time, I would be annoyed ;-)

Color? hmmm... it depends. Some documents won't loose any value if you read them on black and white but that's a subjective topic too. For instance, Magazines, Photographic manuals or books (GIMP, Photoshop, etc) are useless in black and white. Those are one of the few PDFs that I still read on my computer(s) or with original pbook.

For regular black and white PDFs, screen contrast is what dictates how clear the text is going be, not if the device is color capable or not.

[FF2]

Frankly, even my 22inch desktop monitor is not great for all pdf files. I have to zoom and sometimes pan to see things. My eyesight is not bad but the format, particularly, of some manuals (cameras, gps, etc) just don't always work well as a viewable format. Just my opinion.

[amys]

So do you think that screen size is the most important feature for such graphic (and so non-reflowable) files?

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

Take a look at the Kindle DX (9.7 inch screen), Pocketbook 902 (9.7 inch screen), Pocketbook 903 (9.7 inch touchscreen), and the Sony PRS-950 (7 inch touchscreen). Try looking reviews up on youtube to get a better idea of their capabilities, or looking them up here:

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_devices

[amys]

Originally Posted by SkyDream

Further requirements than just reading ?

Like PDF annotations, dictionary, touchscreen, Wifi, 3G ?

No special requirements. Just want to read some PDFs and TIFFs. Because they are not reflowable, and the device does not render their characters itself, I am wondering if eBook readers are the right way to read them.

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by amys

So do you think that screen size is the most important feature for such graphic (and so non-reflowable) files?

Yes, I do. You can view those files on smaller devices, but I think that you would likely be the most satisfied with a larger screen. The Sony PRS-950 or even an irex dr800 (An 8 inch screen device - if you can still find them - I'd heard that some people had lucked out and got them for very cheap at best buy) are a compromise between portability and screen size. The Sony 950 has great PDF rendering capabilities, pan and zoom, and in landscape mode divides the page into 3 sections, so text is still quite legible. Here is a video review of its PDF capabilities:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sYTLtYPh90

However, if you don't want to have to divvy up your pages as you are viewing them, you would probably be happier with a larger screen.

Kindle DX and the Sony prs-950 both have the new, sharp pearl screen. Pocketbook Pro 902 and 903 don't have them, but the Pocketbook 903 does have a touchscreen and can view a truckload of file types. Of these devices mentioned, the PRS-950 is the cheapest, the other devices all cost between 330 - 400 USD (if I recall correctly).

There is also the Entourage Edge; it is a double screen device (clam-shell). It has a 9.7 inch e-ink screen AND a 10 inch LCD screen. There is also a 7 inch version. Not very portable, but it does look like a neat device. I believe that it sells for about $500.