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rschauer · 06-27-2011, 03:41 AM

I've been loving my Kindle to death, but as well as it renders PDF files, many of the ones I have (tech books and such) are difficult to read. So, I've come up with a list of what I'd like in a second reader that I feel would make it more suitable for PDFs (I use them a lot at work, so it would be extremely handy there).

So, I've been researching, considering, keeping my eyes on a few different devices. I'd like to know if anyone here can recommend, from experience, something like what I'm describing below.

1) At least 9" screen size. I have experimented with a couple of PDFs, resizing them on-screen (on a PC) to various sizes, and I don't think I can settle for smaller than that. On most of my PDFs, less than a 9" page size makes the text far too small, and zooming/panning is just no way to read anything.

2) Color display. I can usually live without color images, but sometimes it's important. If I'm going to spend the money on a second device, I might as well get one that handle color. I could change my mind about this, considering how much I enjoy the E-ink screens.

3) Matte finish screen. If I get a color device, I would really rather not have a screen with a glossy finish. I find the amount of glare on an LCD to be inversely proportional to the amount of time I can spend reading from it. I know there are screen protectors out there that will reduce glare as well; has anyone used one of these that doesn't distort the display too much?

4) Cost. Always the kicker. I'd like to get out of this for well under $200 if possible.

5) Other. WiFi is a must. 3G/4G unimportant; I won't use it for this. A standard (not Micro) SD/SDHC card slot would be nice. On a tablet, Bluetooth would be a nice bonus, for connecting a wireless keyboard. Availability of accessories isn't too important to me either, other than a decent case, perhaps.

What I've found so far is that a number of Android-based tablets might fit the bill. There are lots of sub-$100 models, but the screen size is always 7" or less. I have found a few 10" ones in the area of $170. They are generally generic or off-brands, which is OK with me, but I'd really like to get some opinions on various units first. I can try to list the specific tablets I've looked at if someone would like. They're all fairly basic ~1GHz tablets. And I'd very much like to hear about any other devices I haven't thought of! If there's another type of reader that will do what I need, please enlighten me!

Questions I might have about a particular unit:

- Durability - does it feel cheap? E.g., any "loose" bezel pieces?

- Battery life - obviously an LCD will kill a cell faster than e-Ink, I don't expect miracles. But I would like it to at least last through my 11-hour work day.

- File formats - if not an Android tablet (which I should be able to install support for just about anything on), PDF is the main necessity, but ePub and Mobi support would be nice.

- Root access - if an Android tablet; I'm big on customising and tinkering. I'd like it to do what I need out of the box, but if I should choose to mess with custom ROMs and such, are they available for this device? Has it been made possible at all to gain root access? This is much less important, so if you don't know what I'm talking about, just ignore.

That's about all I've got right now. Please let me know if I've been too specific (or not enough); I know I might be asking a bit much. Thanks in advance!

06-27-2011, 03:41 AM	#1
rschauer Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 40 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Iowa Device: Kindle 3	Large color readers? I've been loving my Kindle to death, but as well as it renders PDF files, many of the ones I have (tech books and such) are difficult to read. So, I've come up with a list of what I'd like in a second reader that I feel would make it more suitable for PDFs (I use them a lot at work, so it would be extremely handy there). So, I've been researching, considering, keeping my eyes on a few different devices. I'd like to know if anyone here can recommend, from experience, something like what I'm describing below. 1) At least 9" screen size. I have experimented with a couple of PDFs, resizing them on-screen (on a PC) to various sizes, and I don't think I can settle for smaller than that. On most of my PDFs, less than a 9" page size makes the text far too small, and zooming/panning is just no way to read anything. 2) Color display. I can usually live without color images, but sometimes it's important. If I'm going to spend the money on a second device, I might as well get one that handle color. I could change my mind about this, considering how much I enjoy the E-ink screens. 3) Matte finish screen. If I get a color device, I would really rather not have a screen with a glossy finish. I find the amount of glare on an LCD to be inversely proportional to the amount of time I can spend reading from it. I know there are screen protectors out there that will reduce glare as well; has anyone used one of these that doesn't distort the display too much? 4) Cost. Always the kicker. I'd like to get out of this for well under $200 if possible. 5) Other. WiFi is a must. 3G/4G unimportant; I won't use it for this. A standard (not Micro) SD/SDHC card slot would be nice. On a tablet, Bluetooth would be a nice bonus, for connecting a wireless keyboard. Availability of accessories isn't too important to me either, other than a decent case, perhaps. What I've found so far is that a number of Android-based tablets might fit the bill. There are lots of sub-$100 models, but the screen size is always 7" or less. I have found a few 10" ones in the area of $170. They are generally generic or off-brands, which is OK with me, but I'd really like to get some opinions on various units first. I can try to list the specific tablets I've looked at if someone would like. They're all fairly basic ~1GHz tablets. And I'd very much like to hear about any other devices I haven't thought of! If there's another type of reader that will do what I need, please enlighten me! Questions I might have about a particular unit: - Durability - does it feel cheap? E.g., any "loose" bezel pieces? - Battery life - obviously an LCD will kill a cell faster than e-Ink, I don't expect miracles. But I would like it to at least last through my 11-hour work day. - File formats - if not an Android tablet (which I should be able to install support for just about anything on), PDF is the main necessity, but ePub and Mobi support would be nice. - Root access - if an Android tablet; I'm big on customising and tinkering. I'd like it to do what I need out of the box, but if I should choose to mess with custom ROMs and such, are they available for this device? Has it been made possible at all to gain root access? This is much less important, so if you don't know what I'm talking about, just ignore. That's about all I've got right now. Please let me know if I've been too specific (or not enough); I know I might be asking a bit much. Thanks in advance!