Quote:
Originally Posted by sunreader
Thank you all a lot for your helpful replies! 
I have updated my OP after having done more reading on the matter. Updates are:
- Offline Wikipedia is not really important.
- I was pretty happy with what I saw here regarding reading pdfs on an 6" e-ink reader (horizontal format reading): https://youtu.be/MOhuIGIsqA4?t=2m53s . So pdfs although I see that they are not ideal for small an e-ink reader should not be a problem - being able to read in the sun is much more important to me! Or is your personal experience different from what I could see in the video above?
- A must have I forgot: Being able to browse a website and then save/download it (my browser on my laptops saves it as html) to read if offline. Is that a standard feature that all e-readers are capable of?
Here is what I want to do (besides situations that are easy to handle for almost all devices): Working in the sun. Reading pdfs (social science, mostly text, some tables) and writing a few texts in the sun.
The two devices I consider atm:
1) Kindle paperwhite, using it's touch screen keyboard to write.
Question: Can you make notes (without making reference to some part of the text) with the paperwhite?
Advantages:
- Seems to be the more mature system with regard to details that matter in daily use: Zomming into pdfs, keyboard. Also referring to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWBGJ7_QbMs
- Has a well working built in vocabulary trainer which I really like.
- Best overall device at the moment, except for the keyboard.
Disadvantages:
- no external keyboard.
- no further apps.
2) An android device, using this app https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...keyboardhelper to use an external keyboard. The best device I could figure out is the Energy Sistem PRO (almost the same as the Boyue T62 and the Iccarus Illumina). The Onyx T68 is almost twice the price as the Energy Sistem here in Germany...
Advantages:
- External keyboard
- More extendable in the future. It's usability grows with the Android ecosystem.
Disadvantages:
- big bug with zooming into pdfs: https://youtu.be/aqPEJu_FPg8?t=6m59s
- I haven't yet found an android app that remembers the words you looked up from a pdf and saves those. Does anyone know more?
This is an interesting option to the Energy Sistem: http://goodereader.com/blog/electron...ernal-keyboard
I still have to find out here how this/such an app is applicable to currently available Nook devices in Germany.
Someone said on this forum (can't find the link atm) that writing on an e-ink device would be a bad idea in general because the constant page refresh would lead to a battery live comparable to a tablet. If so this still would not be a killer argument because I can still read better than with a tablet in the sun. |
If you are happy converting your pdfs to a Kindle format (mobi, az3), then the PW2 is okay. The annotation ability is very good and the touchscreen is good. I don't know how well annotations work with non-Amazon purchased material.
I don't think you'll be satisfied reading pdfs natively on the Kindle using its pdf reading software.
I will also add, if you want to type texts (not annotations) I am not aware that the Kindle can do it. I know the older models did it, but Amazon has removed the ability to run notepad-like programs and games, at least for the Voyage.
Be aware: As of the moment, you cannot customize the software in any way. It's locked. For this reason, the Kindle is the worse choice for reading pdfs natively.
If you wish to retain the option to read pdfs in their native pdf format, get an Android reader. I personally always convert pdf to epub, but sometimes that is not possible, and I have to read the pdf natively.
I also highly recommend getting an e-reader that includes a stable A2 no-refresh mode so that the screen scrolls without flashing. It is essential for reading pdfs natively and for browsing.
An Android e-reader is also best for writing on (I mean typing on a screen keyboard). You can install a plethora of writing apps.