Quote:
Originally Posted by kartaviryarjuna
I want to buy my first reading gadget. I need to read mainly PDF's of technical nature, no reflow possible, no other functionality needed. For the rest I can use my smartphone.
What device would you advise me to buy, in terms of performance/price ratio? Are tablets equally fit for the task as an 9,7 inch E-Ink reader? I am troubled mainly by the battery, but also I need to take into account the effects of a prolonged reading session.
Your oppinion is highly appreciated, along with several recommandations.
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Battery isn't that big an issue anymore, in my opinion. Most tablets easily can make >10 hours. Even on my business trips (typically 2 or 3 days) I normally don't have any problems with battery duration. At some stage I always find a hotel, meeting room or whatever to re-charge the battery. But I easily can make an entire day on a fully charged tablet anyway.
Personally, I don't have any problems at all with reading sessions >5 hours on tablets. But I was reading on PDAs 10 years ago without any complaints as well, so maybe I'm very easy to please in that area.
Actually, a few weeks ago I had a strange experience re. display quality. I hadn't used any dedicated reader for some months and wanted to re-activate one of my favorites. When turning it on for the first time, for a brief moment I was kind of shocked. I had remember the contrast way better than I actually did experience it. And I even have some friends, who find backlit displays more contrast-rich and "natural" to the eye.
Re. your PDFs:
You definitely are right. For the kind of documents you describe, reflow would be a disaster: Formulas get lost, graphs will be out of context and such.
A dedicated reader ca. 10", for example PocketBook 902/903, should manage the task perfectly.
Tablets are faster and scrolling or zooming will be a bit more comfortable on them. But dedicated readers, in my opinion preferably with touchscreen, will do a great job as well.
Personally, I'd go for a tablet anyway, if price is not the issue. If you read technical documents, online researches might come in handy. And such tasks are way more efficient on tablets than on readers.
Tablets are easy to recommend.
Basically, it's Android or iOS.
If you opt for iOS, iPad 2 still is a great choice. iPad 3 of course will be highly interesting, but iPad 2 is far from being dated.
If you tend to Android, differences aren't that big: Samsung Galaxy Tab, Motorola Xoom, ...
For dedicated readers I have lost touch (I won't buy another one, but will buy at least 4 to 6 tablets in 2012). I hear great things about PocketBook 902/903, but I have no personal experience with them. I love my Kindle DX Graphite, but I'd never use it for PDFs.
BTW: I find one significant argument for readers against tablets: Weight.
I find iPad 2 extremely heavy for example. Reading for more than 5 hours can be tiresome for your arms, depending on your holding position.