cheap portable device for reading text pdf's

[brehon]

That's pretty much what I've been wondering about. I normally view pdfs in landscape/flow(scroll) mode with page fully streched to sides but with cropped bottom. So all I have to do is just scroll down, hence I don't mind widescreen displays like Nxtpaper 11.

On the other hand Nxtpaper 14 is awesome because it allows for fully sized A4 in portrait mode.

Might I also ask, does Nxtpaper 3.0 quality differs much from Nxtpaper 2.0 quality, especially when displaying text?

And thanks for the help, I am yet to decide what to buy, as I have time, but at least now I know what I'm into.

[Quoth]

There isn't a huge difference Nxtpaper 2.0 & Nxtpaper 3.0

Scrolling where there is only one page or only a few pages is doable, but it's ghastly for 50+ pages or even on one page that's columns.

So I ONLY view in landscape if it doesn't need scrolling!

[brehon]

Hey, back to this topic with some questions because TCL released Nxtpaper 11 Plus specs:
https://www.tcl.com/global/en/tablet...tpaper-11-plus

11.5" screen with 3:2 ratio and 229 ppi, 120Hz refresh, better CPU and of course Nxtpaper 4.0 screen. Honestly, I'm not impressed, there is no news on MSRP but roumor is it will be around EUR250 depending on region. Still no headphone jack or LTE by default.

For me the question is, what could Nxtpaper 4.0 bring over Nxtpaper 2.0 and 3.0? From text-reading perspective, I've found out that 2.0 has PWM while 3.0 is using DC Dimming. TCL also claims that 4.0 will have 100% sRGB color reproduction, but I doubt I will need it for reading text.

The only one thing that catches my attention is "60 million-level Nano-matrix lithography". I'm not entirely sure how that is supposed to work but I guess it could mean that image might look sharper? Which would mean that text could be shaper, perhaps look better than comparable 229 ppi devices?


As of sidenote, I have one more general question - does BW text looks better/shaper than color text on LCD displays? I am asking given that TCL Nxtpaper offers monochromatic mode for reading but wouldn't that get rid of sub-pixel rendering benefits? On the other hand, given how LCD panels are built, the BW part of panel is usually of higher resolution than colored part. Quite puzzling...

[Quoth]

It will be better than 300 dpi eink, because eink has only 14 grey levels, black and white. Colour eink is only 150 dpi unless you want artefacts.

Confusing naming because the Nxtpaper 14 pro is simply a higher refresh rate of the Nxtpaper 14, but same aspect ratio and size and both Nxtpaper 3.0. Yet, the Nxtpaper 11 (not pro) is 10.9" and almost 16:10 aspect. The Nxtpaper 11 pro at 3:2 and 11.5" is better.

There isn't an obvious difference between Nxtpaper 2.0 and Nxtpaper 3.0 (I have both). The original Nxtpaper isn't so bright in daylight.

The difference between PWM and so called DC on any decent device is not discernible. DC Dimming as well as anti-blue light are marketing tick boxes except on poor products.



But for PDFs and magazines the 14.25" is far better than 11. 5".

does BW text looks better/shaper than color text on LCD displays? I am asking given that TCL Nxtpaper offers monochromatic mode for reading but wouldn't that get rid of sub-pixel rendering benefits?

The monochrome and color eink modes are gimmicks. No advantage over sRGB mode in an application like Pocketbook and screen brightness properly set on the Nxtpaper 14. A marketing thing. The monochrome is simulated, just as it is on a colour CRT, Plasma, LCD, OLED, real LED or eink (Kaleido or Gallery). When a display panel can do colour then that is always there. Any kind of technology based on additive R G B (or R G and G B 2 x2 cells etc) can still do sub-pixel addressing to enhance edges to an extent, though it's poorer on anything other than vertical stripes as the fonts need enhanced in the horizontal direction and adjacent vertical pixels on Kaleido or other non-stripe layouts (common also on OLED) aren't the same colour, but need to be.

Actually above 200 dpi the subpixel addressing is often not used. It's more of benefit for 72 dpi to 130 dpi.

So, no monochrome mode is no different to colour mode on an application using mono anyway. On eink Kaleido the 300 dpi mono mode can result in coloured artefacts, so there is usually an option to "reduce rainbows" which simply renders at 150dpi.