Buy or Wait ?

[medwatt]

Hello fellow eReader owners,
I've been on a hunt for an eink reader for about a week now. I am basically interested in reading technical/scientific books that are usually in PDF and DJVU formats. I am ready to pay as much as $200 or something close to the vicinity of that amount. I think 6'' eReaders are definitely not going to be enough for my purposes. Also 9.7'' eReaders and above usually exceed my budget. So, I've narrowed down the options to three:

1. Kobo Aura H2O - Its 6.8'' and so offers a slightly larger screen estate compared to 6'' devices. The base price is £139 ($213). It definitely has the latest technology of all the eReaders. This was released at the end of 2014.

2. Onyx i86 ML Plus - This has an 8'' screen which I think will be ideal for my needs. It costs €226 ($226). So, I get much more screen space for just an extra $13, which is exactly why I'm considering this eReader. This was released in the middle of 2015, but it is definitely using older technology.

3. Pocketbook 840 - Also has an 8'' screen. Its slightly cheaper than the Onyx, but it is difficult to buy and is based on an even older technology than the Onyx.

To say the truth, in the beginning, I was leaning heavily on the Aura H2O before I came across the Onyx. The Onyx seems to be ideal for my needs really but according to some, the software is unpolished, the frontlight is splotchy, scrolling seems terrible, and so I'm wary whether to invest that kind of money on something that might give me headaches in the future and so I might regret buying it.
Also, according to Michael on GoodEreader, there's some optimism on the horizon with regards to large e-readers in the sense that most e-readers will dedicate all screen issues to hardware. So, I'm really in a deeper dilemma on whether to commit and buy the Onyx or wait, God knows how long, until there's something that is worth the money.

Please provide your opinions.

[HarryT]

As someone who reads a lot of PDFs, if you want to read PDFs, in all honesty I'd suggest using an LCD tablet, not an eInk reader. EInk devices have limited RAM and slow CPUs in order to minimise power consumption. Rendering PDFs well needs a fast CPU and a lot of RAM. I read fiction on eInk devices, but a tablet is way better for PDFs.

[medwatt]

Originally Posted by HarryT

As someone who reads a lot of PDFs, if you want to read PDFs, in all honesty I'd suggest using an LCD tablet, not an eInk reader. EInk devices have limited RAM and slow CPUs in order to minimise power consumption. Rendering PDFs well needs a fast CPU and a lot of RAM. I read fiction on eInk devices, but a tablet is way better for PDFs.

Oh man, you've just made it more difficult. I have the 2012 Nexus. Its a 7'' device and has a 1.2GHz processor and a 1GB RAM. I've been able to read all of my PDF's and DJVU files on it.
The Onyx has similar specs; 1GHz processor and 1GB RAM.

[Dr. Drib]

If you use the Nexus 7 inch, then why don't you consider buying a slightly larger tablet for PDF reading?

I agree with Harry, unless you find a deal on some older technology - something like the Kindle DXG, which is really nice for fiction reading, on those occasions when the sun is shining or you read in a room with the lights on.

[medwatt]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

If you use the Nexus 7 inch, then why don't you consider buying a slightly larger tablet for PDF reading?

I agree with Harry, unless you find a deal on some older technology - something like the Kindle DXG, which is really nice for fiction reading, on those occasions when the sun is shining or you read in a room with the lights on.

If I want to read on LCD screens, I don't see much difference between a tablet and a laptop really. Apart from the fact that e-ink is eye friendly, tablets bring too many distractions. You might be thinking of installing some social media app, some video/audio app, browser etc . . . you'll end up wasting a chunk of your dedicated reading time on these.
I used to own both the kindle 3 (keyboard) and the nook simple touch and I was pretty satisfied with the reading experience, although at the time, I was more interested in reading fiction. I didn't have to worry about any diversion. Unfortunately, I thought, on both occasions, that I was clever and didn't buy a pouch and both ended within a year with a cracked screen. That was in 2010 and 2012.
I've stopped reading fiction completely because I believe I've read enough (close to 400) and there's not much one can learn from them. So, I didn't find it necessary to buy another e-reader. However, from the time I entered university, most of the material I read are are in PDFs and DJVU. So, I definitely need a larger device. Hence, I've been thinking of the Onyx i86 ML plus because it has a large enough screen to make a difference and the price is reasonable. But, while some claim it is very good (Michael from GoodEreader), Nate (from the ebook-reader) wasn't as thrilled. So, I'm really worried about spending my year-long savings on something that I might regret buying, hence this thread. Will the onyx be a viable purchase ?

[loviedovie]

I recommend the 8.4 inch Samsung tablets for pdf. I had a nexus device too and the difference between these devices is huge.

However I wish there was a nice eink solution for large format pdfs out there.

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by medwatt

So, I'm really worried about spending my year-long savings on something that I might regret buying, hence this thread. Will the onyx be a viable purchase ?

Some love it, some are disappointed. There's no way anyone else can know which camp you'll fall into. If the money to purchase it is hard to come by, it may not be worth the risk to buy one.

I've noticed two trends with people's satisfaction with the device. Firstly, those who only want to read with the device are generally satisfied. Those that expect it to be a general purpose tablet with E-Ink screen are often dissatisfied. Secondly, those that love the device tend to be "glass half full" people, who are pleased that some things work well. Those that are disappointed tend to fall into the "glass half empty" group, and are displeased when some things don't work well. If you know which group you belong to, maybe you can decide based on that.

[medwatt]

Originally Posted by rkomar

I've noticed two trends with people's satisfaction with the device. Firstly, those who only want to read with the device are generally satisfied. Those that expect it to be a general purpose tablet with E-Ink screen are often dissatisfied. Secondly, those that love the device tend to be "glass half full" people, who are pleased that some things work well. Those that are disappointed tend to fall into the "glass half empty" group, and are displeased when some things don't work well. If you know which group you belong to, maybe you can decide based on that.

I've already mentioned that the main reason I want an e-reader is to read PDFs and DJVUs. As long as the reading experience is good, I'll be happy. In fact, I don't think I've ever used an e-reader for browsing. This version of the onyx has a 1GHz single core processor and a 1 GB RAM.

[OtterBooks]

Originally Posted by medwatt

I've stopped reading fiction completely because I believe I've read enough (close to 400) and there's not much one can learn from them.

I think that from 'literary' fiction we learn to understand other's perspectives, and what motivates them (and ourselves). In a practical sense it's valuable for social and emotional intelligence, communication skills, empathy etc. At least good fiction. Sorry, off topic.

[medwatt]

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

I think that from 'literary' fiction we learn to understand other's perspectives, and what motivates them (and ourselves). In a practical sense it's valuable for social and emotional intelligence, communication skills, empathy etc. At least good fiction. Sorry, off topic.

By fiction, I meant thrillers, murder mysteries . . . etc . . . I've read all books by Agatha Christie, Robert Ludlum, Sidney Sheldon . . . most of John Grisham, Ross McDonald . . . I think I've grown tired of them . . .

[eschwartz]

Well, if all you've read is thrillers, then no wonder you think you've "read enough".

[meeera]

Originally Posted by medwatt

I used to own both the kindle 3 (keyboard) and the nook simple touch and I was pretty satisfied with the reading experience, although at the time, I was more interested in reading fiction. I didn't have to worry about any diversion. Unfortunately, I thought, on both occasions, that I was clever and didn't buy a pouch and both ended within a year with a cracked screen.

If this is particularly precious money to you and you have a history of breaking e-ink readers, that's another reason to stick with a tablet.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by medwatt

If I want to read on LCD screens, I don't see much difference between a tablet and a laptop really.

There's a huge difference between a tablet and a laptop. It's in fact about the size of the laptop: the keyboard. A laptop is not meant to be hold in the hand, the tablet is.

Originally Posted by loviedovie

I recommend the 8.4 inch Samsung tablets for pdf. I had a nexus device too and the difference between these devices is huge.

I bought a Samsung Tab S 8.4 for my stepfather this summer. He had a Nexus 2013 before that. You cannot even compare the two! That screen is awesome.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by medwatt

By fiction, I meant thrillers, murder mysteries . . . etc . . . I've read all books by Agatha Christie, Robert Ludlum, Sidney Sheldon . . . most of John Grisham, Ross McDonald . . . I think I've grown tired of them . . .

That's called 'genre' fiction.

I completely agree with OtterBooks on literary fiction, which is also the reason I read it.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by medwatt

By fiction, I meant thrillers, murder mysteries . . . etc . . . I've read all books by Agatha Christie, Robert Ludlum, Sidney Sheldon . . . most of John Grisham, Ross McDonald . . . I think I've grown tired of them . . .

Perhaps you might consider switching gears and trying out some other types of fiction.



Of course, once you do that you will have to buy an e-ink ereader, regardless of whether you would use it for PDFs.