Tablet for PDFs

[Araucaria]

Like many of us here, I've found that a surprising number of so-called "e-books" are simply PDFs, and having converted a few in my time (and sworn never again), I think I need to get myself a cheapish tablet.

My eyesight isn't good enough for the print size I get on the Kindle with a PDF - which in almost every other respect does me quite well.

I'd probably only be using the tablet for reading PDF versions of books.

I hesitate to buy second-hand as the problem with doing so is usually a battery that is at the end of its life. But I'm afraid the word "cheap" means probably not an iPad, wonderful though they are. So can anyone recommend something suitable that's currently available new? Or at least share their experience of ones to avoid.

[HarryT]

I can't make specific recommendations (because I am an iPad user ), but I would just say that I'd strongly recommend that you look for at least a 9.7" screen to be able to comfortably read PDFs without endless zooming and scrolling. I read an awful lot of PDFs, and find the 10.5" screen of my iPad to be an ideal compromise between size and portability.

I don't think that high resolution is particularly important, but storage space is, because PDF files can be really, really big. If you get a device which has only 8GB or 16GB internal storage, I'd make sure it also has an external memory card slot to allow you to carry around a respectable number of PDFs with you.

[mobama]

Lenovo Tab4, 8" or bigger. I own this. In my opinion it's well worth it's money. It has easily accessible screen tone settings, multiple users (incl. kids' mode), cell phone functions, and if you know your reading apps, it will work splendidly as a portable reading device.

[ottdmk]

I can second the Lenovo recommendation. Bought my wife a Tab 4 8 a few weeks ago; it's been great. I have a Tab 2 A10-70; it's a 1920x1200 10" tablet that I use mainly for PDFs and Comixology. It's been fantastic, but it's long out of stock. You might be able to find a Tab 3 10 Plus in the second-hand markets; it's pretty much the same as my Tab 2 but with Android 6.0 out of the box.

The Tab 4 10 might be ok, but it's lower resolution on the 10" screen, so I'm not sure.

The Tab 4 Plus tablets are higher resolution, can do cellular data, have USB-C and are significantly more expensive then there non-Plus cousins.

[mobama]

Originally Posted by ottdmk

The Tab 4 10 might be ok, but it's lower resolution on the 10" screen, so I'm not sure.

I have found that resolution is not the only factor. For example Samsung makes noticeably crisper and clearer screens even at a lower resolution than LG, and a Lenovo 10" tablet easily surpasses a much cheaper Prestigio tablet at the same resolution. I have had a chance to compare them side by side.

As long as other factors are the same, a better pixel density is of course preferable. If your vision is good or tolerable, it's better to take the 8" Lenovo for a better pixel density, while you are getting the same features and a lower price compared to the 10".

[dwig]

Originally Posted by mobama

I have found that resolution is not the only factor. ...

I have to agree.

I regularly read on a Dell Venue 8 Pro (Windows 10) 8" tablet which has a 186dpi screen. It is very crisp and the ~4-6pt text often seen in the UI is very readable.

Windows tablets make very good PDF readers, that is if you can find one these day that is large enough and light enough for your use. You have a very wide range of available reading apps, though some don't have the greatest UI for use in a touch only environment. Also, Win tablets generally have a microSD slot allowing easy access to massive storage. My 8" tablet is somewhat marginal for use with stupidly produced PDF "ebooks" that are laid out on an overly later (e.g. "letter sized") page.

[GlenBarrington]

Originally Posted by mobama

Lenovo Tab4, 8" or bigger. I own this. In my opinion it's well worth it's money. It has easily accessible screen tone settings, multiple users (incl. kids' mode), cell phone functions, and if you know your reading apps, it will work splendidly as a portable reading device.

I have a Lenovo A10-70 and it's a great relatively inexpensive Android tablet. Rugged and well built. You can buy cheaper tablets, but I doubt you can buy one that is more reliable, for less.

Until I got my Paperwhite, it was the only ereader I used. It's been great.

When my wife decided she wanted a smaller tablet, I bought her the 8 inch version. They are both 3 or 4 years old now and both are going strong.

[Graham]

Bigger and heavier, but a joy to read PDFs on, is my Samsung Chromebook Plus. It's not a pure tablet, but folds into one. It can also be folded into 'tent' mode to stand up in front of you, mitigating the extra weight.

The Android support is excellent, so I can use EZ PDF Reader, and the 12" 4x3 screen is just fabulous, with its 2400x1600 resolution.

You're not going to want to hold this in one hand, but as long as you're happy to read resting it on your lap or on a table the bigger screen makes reading PDFs very comfortable indeed.

Graham

[HarryT]

Obviously everyone's preferences vary in this, but I sold my 12.9" iPad because it was just too big and heavy to comfortably hold. Lovely to read on if I was somewhere I could prop it up, but too heavy to hold for long periods of time. For me, around the 10" size is the ideal compromise between size and portability.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Obviously everyone's preferences vary in this, but I sold my 12.9" iPad because it was just too big and heavy to comfortably hold. Lovely to read on if I was somewhere I could prop it up, but too heavy to hold for long periods of time. For me, around the 10" size is the ideal compromise between size and portability.

And I've been mulling over ordering a larger screened tablet than my 10.1" Lenovo Tab2 A10-70 (which I agree is a great tablet), just because I think it would be neat to read comics on a screen nearly as large (or larger) as the original printed page.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by mobama

Lenovo Tab4, 8" or bigger. I own this. In my opinion it's well worth it's money. It has easily accessible screen tone settings, multiple users (incl. kids' mode), cell phone functions, and if you know your reading apps, it will work splendidly as a portable reading device.

Based on recommendations I have built a Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus wiki page to explore this product. I needed an 8" device in screen sizes for a 16x9 display anyway.

[ottdmk]

Yeah, I kinda wish I could afford a Tab 4 8 Plus as a replacement/upgrade to my Playbook. But funds are tight and the Playbook still works well as a very portable PDF reader. Maybe in a year or two...

[Araucaria]

Thank you all very much: just what I needed to know.

I've only one question, as I've not owned a tablet before.

Do all these (and particularly the Lenovo ones) do that clever business of automatically turning the screen round when you turn the tablet round?

I ask as some of the illustrations of the 10" tablets show it with a landscape rather than portrait display, and for a book-reader I'd want to be sure it would display the book portrait-wise.

Thanks again.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by Araucaria

Do all these (and particularly the Lenovo ones) do that clever business of automatically turning the screen round when you turn the tablet round?

The Chromebook Plus does.

Graham

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Araucaria

Thank you all very much: just what I needed to know.

I've only one question, as I've not owned a tablet before.

Do all these (and particularly the Lenovo ones) do that clever business of automatically turning the screen round when you turn the tablet round?

I ask as some of the illustrations of the 10" tablets show it with a landscape rather than portrait display, and for a book-reader I'd want to be sure it would display the book portrait-wise.

Thanks again.

Every tablet should have the ability at least to manually switch from portrait to landscape orientation. For automatic switching, you need a tablet that has an accelerometer. Look for that word in the description of the hardware.