reader for PDFs without converting?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by hoboslobobabe

Is it just me or is the Foxit eslick the same exact device as the Cybook gen3 and the Pocketbook 301?

Same hardware (Netronix EB600), but all three devices have different firmware.

[mjhudston]

I never found reading pdf's on my 505 any good, no matter what I try. I've gone the iPad route now, and that meets all my needs.

[BenLee]

I second that.

For reading pdfs, iPad is a very simple way to go especially if you don't care about e-ink and also would like to have other useful apps to play around with.

If e-ink is needed, i second Dulin's suggestion for the Pocketbook. A neat little device with good PDF support.

[velvet]

Is it really necessary to have that Irex for the PDF to be viewed in a mobile?...

[velvet]

What is the phone that displays PDF?

[hoboslobobabe]

Originally Posted by velvet

Is it really necessary to have that Irex for the PDF to be viewed in a mobile?...

Do you mean in general?
Necessary?
No it's not.
Some people say it is because it's a drag to view pdf on small screens, some people say it works okay, also depending on the ereader of course.
So bottomline :
It's definitely more convenient to have a bigger screen, 8 inch and up.
Some people also depending on pdfs they genererally view might have a higher tolerance in concern of the appearance than others.

If the pdfs haven't been created with the presumption to be viewed on a smaller screen as a 5 or 6" inch device, you will have to zoom and scroll in them.
Or if the ereader supports it use reflow, which can be either okay or not okay depending on the particular pdf and the capabilties of the ereader.
On the other hand you can use tools to convert pdfs on your PC which I think might be helpful especially when the pdf or your ereader doesnt support reflow too well or not all.

Originally Posted by velvet

What is the phone that displays PDF?

I think you have to be more elaborate with your general approach to questions, I am not sure I know what you exactly want to know .

A friend of mine has a Blackberry storm.
He uses the software Mobipocketreader on his PC to convert his files to another format (I think .prc) and he a BB version of Mobipocketreader on his cell phone also.
The software on his PC basically changes formats, also pdf files so they become readable on a small screen.
Now, I guess everyone has to decide for his and herself whether reading on small screen is an option.
The BB Storm is 3,25", which seems very small, but at least the epubs my friend reads are pretty fine to his mind.
I dont think he has tried pdf yet and I dont know if the reader software on his cell can display them.
But in general you can convert them on your PC and then they should be okay on your cell, of course depending on if they have images or anything else that might get hard to read after conversion.

You can download Mobipocketreader (or any other free software of course) and see for yourself if the software converts your particular pdfs to your satisfaction.
Bottomline here is, that I doubt that it makes sense to read pdf files on a mobile directly unless your screen is at least 4 or 5" and the reader software you use supports zooming and reflow.
If you want to know more, I think you should look and post (more precisely)here

greets
hobo

[oncdoc]

wait for the skiff. it will come.

[vxf]

I am using a PRS900.

I have a booklight attached to it, because contrast isn't great.

Have to use it landscape, so you don't get to see the full page, but have to scroll down.

Yet, it works pretty well. It's not fast like an ipad, but it's not slow either (unless you fill a 16 gb SD card with notes and then try using the device like I did... ).

It has downsides, so I would not suggest to anyone to buy one without trying it out.

But it works. I am pretty happy with it - I think it's the best option right now.

I do, btw, have an Ipad. It's not the same thing as an Ebook reader. It's heavy, has tons of glare, the retro-illuminated screen gives you headaches if you spend too much time on it (I often read 6+ hours per day) and the battery life just isn't there.

But to each their own...

[frabjous]

Originally Posted by mjhudston

I never found reading pdf's on my 505 any good, no matter what I try.

I find that I can read just about any PDF on my Sony 505, if I try hard enough. It does take some effort. Still for those who can't afford the bigger or fancier readers, you might be stuck with something like this. I wrote a blog post describing the best methods I've found for making PDFs useable on smaller sized screens. You can read it here:

http://www.charlietanksley.net/philt...-on-portables/

(It relies heavily on things I've learned as a member of the MR community.)

[mdmorrissey]

Useful discussion. I have a PB 360 which I am still trying out (had to send it back once) and my initial impressions on ereading in general are the following:
1) E-ink is definitely far superior to back-lit screens for sustained reading: much less eyestrain and longer battery life.
2) Conversion problems, which led me to this thread, lead me to the conclusion that whatever machine can show PDFs as well as my (old Dell Inspiron 6000) laptop does will be the best, because PDFs are the most widespread and stable forms. Graphics and color would be nice but I am quite willing to do without them if the text function works properly. Calibre et al. is nice, but I would like to be able to read the PDFs in e-ink without having to go through the trouble and tweaking, which never seems to end up with anything like the original PDF.

Conclusion: what kuck (and I) want doesn't exist yet. An inexpensive e-reader for PDFs. 8" would be ok. Seems to me like this is a market niche.