Quote:
Originally Posted by abeaty
Mueller,
I just finished reading through this entire thread from start to finish. I have been looking for an eBook reader mostly for technical, non-DRM'd PDFs. Having said that, I would hate to buy something that prevented me from reading other formats too.
Before I started reading this thread, I was thinking of waiting on the PocketBook 90x series which are scheduled for release in late Q3 or early Q4.
After reading this thread, I am still thinking the same thing. If iRex weren't in chapter 11, then I would also be looking at an 800, but given the company and the cost of the unit, I will probably just wait.
I wanted to get your opinion to see if you think I am missing something.
PS - I would love to see if the new Kindle DX with the Pearl screen changes your opinion.
Thanks.
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That's a tough one.
First of all, I'd carefully check the PDFs.
Does "technical" mean formulas, graphs, diagrams and stuff like that?
A friend of mine did try that on the otherwise great Sony 505. He (although being a gadget enthusiast) gave up rather quickly.
When reflowing the document, details like formulas usually get lost.
So: If you need details like this, you're most likely stuck to zooming.
And this limits the field drastically.
In my opinion, zoom only makes sense if you freely can use it.
Meaning: No "zoom to page width" or something like that. With features like this, you usually run into problems, for example with text columns.
Personally, I favor what I call "intelligent" zoom. You find this, for example, on all iRex units or Onyx Boox/BeBook Neo.
Meaning: You mark the area of interest with your stylus (draw a circle around it or a diagonal line through it) and explode it to full screen.
You can do so on Sony touchscreen units as well, but their zoom only applies to the respective single page. Very often I'd like to use the very same zoom for a batch of pages.
Conclusion: If you need details as described above (formulas, diagrams, ...), I'd go for a touchscreen unit. And I'd go for a screen size as close as possible to the original. 6" might be too small.
Personally, I'd still consider iRex 800. Chapter 11 doesn't necessarily mean that iRex actually will disappear. And even if so, there still might be a 3rd party for servicing the units. AND: Some of my readers already are about 3 years old. I've only had 2 problems: One reader was defect from the very beginning and has been replaced without any problems. Another one, after roundabout 2 years, did have have a screen defect. Meaning: eInk readers seem to be extremely stable and robust, the risk of actually needing any customer support seems minimal. That's the main reason why I "risk" to order 2/3 of my readers from the US. Support would be a pain (having to send the unit back to the US), but I most likely never will need it...
PS: I didn't check the description of Kindle DX Graphite in detail (and won't be able to check myself for another 2 days or so). But as far as I know, changes are some details in design and the higher contrast of course. But I haven't heard of any additional features. If so, PDF support of Kindle DX Graphite still would be very basic. Absolutely fine for your casual read. But I'd never use it for "technical PDFs".