Which device should I get for manga reading?

GoldThreader · 03-17-2011, 12:14 AM

I understand this question has been asked several times but I couldn't really find any suggestions leaning towards my criteria first off some of these e-readers can be expensive if possible I would like to get it around 100$ to 150$ next i don't want a lit screen I want one of those ink screens like the kindle I would just get that one if it weren't for the fact it does not support SD cards and they tend to be large files they wouldn't all possibly fit on the 3GB storage it has I do not mind size and i understand that it is recommended to be at least 9 inches for them to be easily readable which is why i need it to be compatible with PDF as well as a zooming feature

so really I need it within this criteria

1 SD card or Micro SD supported
2 Ink screened instead of lit
3 PDF compatible
4 Zooming feature

and if there's anything else I am missing to be able to read these things extra help would be appreciated so if you please could suggest what is available like that and if its within that price range that would be great

Ripplinger · 03-17-2011, 12:55 AM

The Sony PRS-950 would seem to fit your reading requirements but not your price range.

You might check this recent thread if you haven't already seen it.

GoldThreader · 03-17-2011, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

The Sony PRS-950 would seem to fit your reading requirements but not your price range.

You might check this recent thread if you haven't already seen it.

thanks it doesn't seem to be ink based like the kindle though or is it the only of its kind? and I was thinking of the PRS-600 is that one good for manga reading it falls closer to my price range and seems to have all of the features i need except it not really being ink based and i couldn't really find much info on if it took SD cards is that one good for manga reading specifically?

Ripplinger · 03-17-2011, 08:19 PM

All the Sony readers have e-ink screens. The newest models are the PRS-350, 650 and 950, 5", 6" and 7" screens respectively, and naturally the price goes higher for the larger screens.

The PRS-600 is an older model (and probably why it's closer to your price range) and only a 6" screen, and (I'm not sure about this, someone please correct me if I'm wrong) possibly has the first gen e-ink screen. The 350/650/950 have the newest e-ink screen. They all have touch screens.

If you're set on having a 9" screen, the PRS-950 is the largest (7" I think), but as I said, out of your price range. The 650 and 950 have an SD slot and can play audio books or music. The 350 has no SD expansion slot and no sound abilities at all. The 950 also has wi-fi. While you can still find the 350 at $129 on sale at times, since it has only a 5" screen, I didn't think you'd be interested in it at all. You can check all 3 out at the Sony Style Store.

I don't read manga myself, but I thought color displays were more suited for them? which would leave out e-ink screens.

jocampo · 03-17-2011, 10:23 PM

The problem with manga is the dialogs. You need a big screen to read the small writing or good zoom capabilities. I've found that iPad and Kindle DXG satisfy those two requirements, with iPad being faster of course.

Sony ereaders can be a good alternative but the screen is not as big , which means, lot of scrolling and zooming. I personally find that quite annoying but some people find no issue on that.

Most manga are black and white only so a color device should not be a must.

GoldThreader · 03-17-2011, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

All the Sony readers have e-ink screens. The newest models are the PRS-350, 650 and 950, 5", 6" and 9" screens respectively, and naturally the price goes higher for the larger screens.

The PRS-600 is an older model (and probably why it's closer to your price range) and only a 6" screen, and (I'm not sure about this, someone please correct me if I'm wrong) possibly has the first gen e-ink screen. The 350/650/950 have the newest e-ink screen. They all have touch screens.

If you're set on having a 9" screen, the PRS-950 is the largest (7" I think), but as I said, out of your price range. The 650 and 950 have an SD slot and can play audio books or music. The 350 has no SD expansion slot and no sound abilities at all. The 950 also has wi-fi. While you can still find the 350 at $129 on sale at times, since it has only a 5" screen, I didn't think you'd be interested in it at all. You can check all 3 out at the Sony Style Store.

I don't read manga myself, but I thought color displays were more suited for them? which would leave out e-ink screens.

ah no sorry i meant to put in with my first post hat the screen can be smaller which is why it is so imperative it have a zoom feature so I can see any text bubbles that may be unreadable and the 600 does not have an sd card slot of some sort? if the screen size is the only difference I will get the 600 but I didnt see a 650 is it any more costly than a 600 whats the difference between them? http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Digital-R...0342514&sr=1-6 this is a link to the one I was thinking of all thats left for me to decide is if it has SD card or Micro SD support and if there might be something better for my money that has all the functions I need

GoldThreader · 03-17-2011, 11:14 PM

for some reason it would not let me reply but i meant to put in the very first post that it didnt need to be 9 inches as long as it has a zoom that's why i want it so I wont have to worry about reading the small text I can just zoom in or out whenever I need to and I only see the PRS600 whats the difference between that and the 650? and does it have SD card compatibility even if its just Micro?

GoldThreader · 03-17-2011, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jocampo

The problem with manga is the dialogs. You need a big screen to read the small writing or good zoom capabilities. I've found that iPad and Kindle DXG satisfy those two requirements, with iPad being faster of course.

Sony ereaders can be a good alternative but the screen is not as big , which means, lot of scrolling and zooming. I personally find that quite annoying but some people find no issue on that.

Most manga are black and white only so a color device should not be a must.

I dont really want a big screen i want a zoom feature instead I think most text will be readable but for the few that isn't then I can just zoom in or out and I think I stated that I wanted ink based I do not want color and I have seen videos of people using manga on there devices on youtube they didn't look that bad like your describing in fact it looked completely legible perhaps it just depends on the manga but the ones I want to use seem to have the same font so im not concerned

snipenekkid · 03-18-2011, 12:57 AM

trust me you do not want a device w/o a touch screen if you need to do a lot of zooming. The Kindles I've owned, and I have owned 4 to date, are horrible in their zoom implementation. My PB360 is not that much better. I suspect you would be better off using an iPod Touch 4 over almost all of the non-backlit readers that don't use a touch screen with a pinch/gesture based zoom feature. I say it because the kludginess of zooming using buttoms or menus is very distracting for me.

Just my observations on the zoom issue on eink type displays.

BTW, it would mean doubling your budget but the Pocketbook 903 is super nice and might be an option. I would search their forum here on MR for your fellow Manga readers to see if any have the 903 or even 902. I also realize it's a MUCH larger device but to get there from here you might need that if an LCD device is out of the question.

GoldThreader · 03-18-2011, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snipenekkid

trust me you do not want a device w/o a touch screen if you need to do a lot of zooming. The Kindles I've owned, and I have owned 4 to date, are horrible in their zoom implementation. My PB360 is not that much better. I suspect you would be better off using an iPod Touch 4 over almost all of the non-backlit readers that don't use a touch screen with a pinch/gesture based zoom feature. I say it because the kludginess of zooming using buttoms or menus is very distracting for me.

Just my observations on the zoom issue on eink type displays.

thanks for the input but the device i have been mentioning has a touch screen just not sure on its SD card compatibility

snipenekkid · 03-18-2011, 01:11 AM

cool, anytime. Just hope you can find a reasonable device that has most of the features you need. I know many people loved their PRS600 from Sony and it does have an SD card slot as I recall. It also has side lighting for reading in the dark. Whoopsie, it's the PRS700 that had the side lighting not the PRS600, my gaff, sorry about that one. Link to Sony page about the PRS700:
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...62069#features

The PRS600 did have clarity issues due to the touch layer but not everyone is bothered by the slight blurring/fuzziness it introduced.

I am unsure of the max SD card size though I would think that at least a 16GB card could be used. That is just a guess though. I would hit the Sony site to see if you can find the last firmware update to see if it mentions the capacity limit for SD cards.

Something to remember for the PRS600, when Sony stops support a product they STOP supporting it. I have used a Sony Clie for about 8yrs and then they dropped the Clie lineup that was it, done no more nothing.

I'll peek around to see if there is anything else not mentioned so far. But to be candid for your budget you might have found the sweetspot between compromise of features and your needs. Nothing will be a perfect fit and we have all had to make concessions of our own.

snipenekkid · 03-18-2011, 01:18 AM

wow, I did not realize Sony is still selling the PRS600. That is sorta cool!! Hmmm, might be a decent option after all.

snipenekkid · 03-18-2011, 01:52 AM

OK, I know you are set on a device which uses eink. I don't want to persuade you from going that direction at all. But I would ask have you considered the Pocketbook IQ 701? It's color LCD, backlit of course, is not transflective so no reading outdoor that I am aware of and will have a far short run time between charges.

However it has TWO micro SD card slots. One is internal and one external. You can crack the case, slip in a LARGER micro SD card, as far as I know it can be up to 32GB BUT the memory allocated to running programs. There might be a limit on the size of the internal card but I don't know either way. You can also change the battery yourself as well. finding a battery might be an issue. But this leaves you with some huge internal storage options plus there is still the external card slot that reads up to a 32GB card. I guess in theory it can support up to 64GB or maybe even 128GB if it can read 64GB cards. And if luck then up to 128GB of storage space using two 64GB cards. THis does not suck.

Problem is it's an LCD device. But it is also only $139. If something like Manga were my reading focus I would consider is as viable option. But like the 902/903 from the same Pocketbook brand, you should make sure there is a reading app, for the format of your books, which runs on the OS.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=123593

http://pocketbook-usa.com/products/pocketbook-iq/

I would look into it more closely and think about where you would be using the device to read. If you like to read outside then heck yeah, a device with an E-ink brand/type display is needed, well for the most part aside from the transflective LCD screens out there.

Also check and read the Pocketbook forum specifically for the reader to make sure any issues it has as OK with you and how you plan to use the device. The guys at PB are actually pretty nice, for "former" commies that is...snickersnickersnicker...

JUST TEASING I don't want a visit from some big dude that speaks with a Ukrainian accent!! YIKES, what I have I done to myself!!

Anke Wehner · 03-18-2011, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldThreader

for some reason it would not let me reply but i meant to put in the very first post that it didnt need to be 9 inches as long as it has a zoom that's why i want it so I wont have to worry about reading the small text I can just zoom in or out whenever I need to and I only see the PRS600 whats the difference between that and the 650? and does it have SD card compatibility even if its just Micro?

I don't know all the details, but, importantly, the 650 has a way better screen. Here's a video with a direct comparison: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-svizTNV2MA

I got the 650 rather than a 5'' reader because I wanted a realistic option to read manga/b&w comics on it. I made a pdf file of a chapter of http://www.diggercomic.com/ and found it readable (if only just) wihtout zooming. The 650 has along with the Kindle 3 the best screen on the market currently, which I'd think is pretty important for comics.

The 650 has a normal SD card slot, and one for Sony memory stick, or whatever they call their own thing. I'm not sure about the upper limit of SD memory it supports, but I tried a 16 GB one which worked.

GoldThreader · 03-18-2011, 09:49 PM

just looked at the PRS650 it is much more expensive and only difference it seems is the clarity and loading times seems like the 600 is going to be the winner for me

03-17-2011, 12:14 AM	#1
GoldThreader Zealot Posts: 130 Karma: 1230 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kobo Glo	Which device should I get for manga reading? I understand this question has been asked several times but I couldn't really find any suggestions leaning towards my criteria first off some of these e-readers can be expensive if possible I would like to get it around 100$ to 150$ next i don't want a lit screen I want one of those ink screens like the kindle I would just get that one if it weren't for the fact it does not support SD cards and they tend to be large files they wouldn't all possibly fit on the 3GB storage it has I do not mind size and i understand that it is recommended to be at least 9 inches for them to be easily readable which is why i need it to be compatible with PDF as well as a zooming feature so really I need it within this criteria 1 SD card or Micro SD supported 2 Ink screened instead of lit 3 PDF compatible 4 Zooming feature and if there's anything else I am missing to be able to read these things extra help would be appreciated so if you please could suggest what is available like that and if its within that price range that would be great

03-17-2011, 08:19 PM	#4
Ripplinger 350 Hoarder Posts: 3,574 Karma: 8281267 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Midwest USA Device: Sony PRS-350, Kobo Glo & Glo HD, PW2	All the Sony readers have e-ink screens. The newest models are the PRS-350, 650 and 950, 5", 6" and 7" screens respectively, and naturally the price goes higher for the larger screens. The PRS-600 is an older model (and probably why it's closer to your price range) and only a 6" screen, and (I'm not sure about this, someone please correct me if I'm wrong) possibly has the first gen e-ink screen. The 350/650/950 have the newest e-ink screen. They all have touch screens. If you're set on having a 9" screen, the PRS-950 is the largest (7" I think), but as I said, out of your price range. The 650 and 950 have an SD slot and can play audio books or music. The 350 has no SD expansion slot and no sound abilities at all. The 950 also has wi-fi. While you can still find the 350 at $129 on sale at times, since it has only a 5" screen, I didn't think you'd be interested in it at all. You can check all 3 out at the Sony Style Store. I don't read manga myself, but I thought color displays were more suited for them? which would leave out e-ink screens. Last edited by Ripplinger; 03-17-2011 at 10:36 PM.

03-18-2011, 12:57 AM	#9
snipenekkid Banned Posts: 760 Karma: 51034 Join Date: Feb 2009	trust me you do not want a device w/o a touch screen if you need to do a lot of zooming. The Kindles I've owned, and I have owned 4 to date, are horrible in their zoom implementation. My PB360 is not that much better. I suspect you would be better off using an iPod Touch 4 over almost all of the non-backlit readers that don't use a touch screen with a pinch/gesture based zoom feature. I say it because the kludginess of zooming using buttoms or menus is very distracting for me. Just my observations on the zoom issue on eink type displays. BTW, it would mean doubling your budget but the Pocketbook 903 is super nice and might be an option. I would search their forum here on MR for your fellow Manga readers to see if any have the 903 or even 902. I also realize it's a MUCH larger device but to get there from here you might need that if an LCD device is out of the question. Last edited by snipenekkid; 03-18-2011 at 01:01 AM.

03-18-2011, 01:11 AM	#11
snipenekkid Banned Posts: 760 Karma: 51034 Join Date: Feb 2009	cool, anytime. Just hope you can find a reasonable device that has most of the features you need. I know many people loved their PRS600 from Sony and it does have an SD card slot as I recall. It also has side lighting for reading in the dark. Whoopsie, it's the PRS700 that had the side lighting not the PRS600, my gaff, sorry about that one. Link to Sony page about the PRS700: http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...62069#features The PRS600 did have clarity issues due to the touch layer but not everyone is bothered by the slight blurring/fuzziness it introduced. I am unsure of the max SD card size though I would think that at least a 16GB card could be used. That is just a guess though. I would hit the Sony site to see if you can find the last firmware update to see if it mentions the capacity limit for SD cards. Something to remember for the PRS600, when Sony stops support a product they STOP supporting it. I have used a Sony Clie for about 8yrs and then they dropped the Clie lineup that was it, done no more nothing. I'll peek around to see if there is anything else not mentioned so far. But to be candid for your budget you might have found the sweetspot between compromise of features and your needs. Nothing will be a perfect fit and we have all had to make concessions of our own. Last edited by snipenekkid; 03-18-2011 at 01:22 AM. Reason: whoopsie...wrong device with side lighting.

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03-17-2011, 12:55 AM	#2
Ripplinger 350 Hoarder Posts: 3,574 Karma: 8281267 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Midwest USA Device: Sony PRS-350, Kobo Glo & Glo HD, PW2	The Sony PRS-950 would seem to fit your reading requirements but not your price range. You might check this recent thread if you haven't already seen it.

03-17-2011, 10:23 PM	#5
jocampo Layback feline Posts: 3,034 Karma: 6980745 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: USA Device: Oasis 2nd gen, Sony DPTS1, iPad Pro 10.5"	The problem with manga is the dialogs. You need a big screen to read the small writing or good zoom capabilities. I've found that iPad and Kindle DXG satisfy those two requirements, with iPad being faster of course. Sony ereaders can be a good alternative but the screen is not as big , which means, lot of scrolling and zooming. I personally find that quite annoying but some people find no issue on that. Most manga are black and white only so a color device should not be a must.

03-17-2011, 11:14 PM	#7
GoldThreader Zealot Posts: 130 Karma: 1230 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kobo Glo	for some reason it would not let me reply but i meant to put in the very first post that it didnt need to be 9 inches as long as it has a zoom that's why i want it so I wont have to worry about reading the small text I can just zoom in or out whenever I need to and I only see the PRS600 whats the difference between that and the 650? and does it have SD card compatibility even if its just Micro?

03-18-2011, 01:18 AM	#12
snipenekkid Banned Posts: 760 Karma: 51034 Join Date: Feb 2009	wow, I did not realize Sony is still selling the PRS600. That is sorta cool!! Hmmm, might be a decent option after all.

03-18-2011, 01:52 AM	#13
snipenekkid Banned Posts: 760 Karma: 51034 Join Date: Feb 2009	OK, I know you are set on a device which uses eink. I don't want to persuade you from going that direction at all. But I would ask have you considered the Pocketbook IQ 701? It's color LCD, backlit of course, is not transflective so no reading outdoor that I am aware of and will have a far short run time between charges. However it has TWO micro SD card slots. One is internal and one external. You can crack the case, slip in a LARGER micro SD card, as far as I know it can be up to 32GB BUT the memory allocated to running programs. There might be a limit on the size of the internal card but I don't know either way. You can also change the battery yourself as well. finding a battery might be an issue. But this leaves you with some huge internal storage options plus there is still the external card slot that reads up to a 32GB card. I guess in theory it can support up to 64GB or maybe even 128GB if it can read 64GB cards. And if luck then up to 128GB of storage space using two 64GB cards. THis does not suck. Problem is it's an LCD device. But it is also only $139. If something like Manga were my reading focus I would consider is as viable option. But like the 902/903 from the same Pocketbook brand, you should make sure there is a reading app, for the format of your books, which runs on the OS. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=123593 http://pocketbook-usa.com/products/pocketbook-iq/ I would look into it more closely and think about where you would be using the device to read. If you like to read outside then heck yeah, a device with an E-ink brand/type display is needed, well for the most part aside from the transflective LCD screens out there. Also check and read the Pocketbook forum specifically for the reader to make sure any issues it has as OK with you and how you plan to use the device. The guys at PB are actually pretty nice, for "former" commies that is...snickersnickersnicker... JUST TEASING I don't want a visit from some big dude that speaks with a Ukrainian accent!! YIKES, what I have I done to myself!!

03-18-2011, 09:49 PM	#15
GoldThreader Zealot Posts: 130 Karma: 1230 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kobo Glo	just looked at the PRS650 it is much more expensive and only difference it seems is the clarity and loading times seems like the 600 is going to be the winner for me

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