[pata]

Originally Posted by ePingus

Hi,

I was wondering what a good eBook reader is for viewing PDF's in addition to ebooks???

I'm an engineer so a lot of my reading is done with PDF based manuals, howto's and user-guides; however, I do like finctional books to relax with also.

Since my branch of engineering is dealing in computers and networks it's no problem being infront of a computer all day in order to purchase books online or download PDF documentation into the reader.

Originally Posted by ePingus

a 10.1" tablet would be huge and definately not fit in my pocket

I just want something small and portable to be able to read documentation and a few books which I seem to be getting through at a rapid pace these days.

I'm in the same boat as you and have been looking for a similar device. Perhaps my advice will be of use...

Originally Posted by ePingus

If the LIBRE will be able to display images within PDF's (I need mostly diagrams nothing really hi-res) it should be ok for my purposes

PDF is a fixed-layout document so, unfortunately, describing the embedded images as "nothing really hi-res" doesn't make much of a difference. While certain measures can be taken to make a pdf display better on a low-res screen (such as cropping the margins) there isn't much that can be done short of reflowing the text—which works poorly with PDFs containing lots of diagrams and images.

Originally Posted by ePingus

What I really need however is:

-USB charging
-Flash memory style accessability from computer (no added software to transfer)
-Long battery life
-Sufficient storage (memory card option would be better)
-Ability to bookmark pages and locate back to bookmarks easily
-Ultra protability
-Good build quality


What I would like but not necessity:

-Backlight for low light levels
-Color display for graphic PDF's
-802.11 WiFi a/b/g/n
-Online purchassing of books directly from eReader
-Linux based OS so I can hack the system to provide extra functionality (mainly web, mail, NFS and SSH - ok ok I know eBook reader and not laptop)

Many thanks in advance. :-)

if wishes were horses... see under my username for the list of devices that meet our requirements

Spoiler:

none

Jokes aside, there are options out there but none of them are ideal. The first thing you have to keep in mind is that screen resolution and screen ratio are more important for displaying PDFs that the size of the screen itself. A 3.5" 960x480 screen is going to better than a 7" 800x480 screen.

Here is my list:

E-ink eReaders
iRiver Story HD
Sony PRS-950 (discontinued)
iRex iLiad (discontinued—rare item)

Portable Media Devices
iPod Touch 4th Generation
Nook Color
Nook Tablet
Kindle Fire
Sasmung Galaxy Tabs (7" versions)
Kobo Vox
Blackberry Playbook
Sony Tablet P

SmartPhones
iPhone 4/4S
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
HTC Rezound
LG Optimus LTE
Samsung Galaxy Note
Sharp IS03 (Japan only)
Meizu M9 (China only

It's not enough to know that the device supports PDFs so try to find a high-res picture of the device displaying a PDF. I haven't had hands-on experience with all these devices. If you're lucky, you'll find a review as detailed as this one of the Sony PRS-950. If no such reviews are available, ask on these forums and you might get some responses e.g. this thread on the iRiver Story HD.

Good luck.

Oh, by the way, I'm waiting on reviews on the upcoming Kyobo eReader. Perhaps it's the one we've been waiting for?