e-ink vs "regular" tablet

[hrs1]

Hi all

I am a long time kindle user, which serves me well for ebooks
However, when I want to read pdf documents (mostly technical papers and books) I end up printing them as I can't stand reading them on my laptop or large computer screen (I want to hold them in my hand, which would hopefully be possible with a light weight e-reader)

AFAIK, currently the 13.3" e-ink devices to read full size pdf documents are the onyx max lumi, fujitsu quaderno A4, and perhaps quirklogic's papyr (I understand its pdf file size is currently limited)

1. since its screen size is 13.3", isn't an A4 pdf going to be scaled down (smaller)? has anyone had experience reading technical text (e.g. equations) on these displays (or the lumi's predecessor the max 3)

2. these products are priced between 700$ to almost 900$. Sumsung's powerfull Tab S7+ is selling now for about 750$. naturally this is a much more powerful device, albeit with a slightly smaller display (12.4" instead of 13.3") and of course an amoled display instead of an e-ink display
I would love to hear the forum's thought and recommendations

[MarjaE]

It depends on the pdf.

If you can get a Kindle Dx, it can read older pdfs without too much trouble, but you will need pre-processing before it can read newer pdfs. It's 9.7" so it shrinks things, but even with my eyesight, it doesn't give me any trouble.

I haven't been able to use "regular" tablets with the glowing screens. I am returning a Samsung Galaxy Tab A7, due to frequent migraines.

[ottischwenk]

I only use EInk devices for reading.
The only 13.3 inch device with light is the Boox Max Lumi - also very well equipped in other ways.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MarjaE

It depends on the pdf.

If you can get a Kindle Dx, it can read older pdfs without too much trouble, but you will need pre-processing before it can read newer pdfs. It's 9.7" so it shrinks things, but even with my eyesight, it doesn't give me any trouble.

I haven't been able to use "regular" tablets with the glowing screens. I am returning a Samsung Galaxy Tab A7, due to frequent migraines.

Kindle DX? Heck no. Better off with a 10.3" Pocketbook or Onyx Boox for PDF unless you go for a 13.3" eInk device.

[salamanderjuice]

A lot of it depends on your eyesight. If you have difficulty reading PDFs on paper than the smaller size could be an issue. Personally I can read technical PDFs with equations on a 7.8” reader. It’s not great, but it’s usable. 10” is IMO fine. Cropping margins can help too. I picked up a Boox Note Air recently for note taking and reading journal articles. It works great. I’m less distracted than when I was using my iPad since stuff like video aren’t really options. Plus I like reading on eInk better.

[Marinolino]

Any newer 10" eink reader should be good enough for displaying b/w technical documents and A4 pdfs, by using its landscape mode (two screens per pdf page, with or without cropped margins), because we can even get a certain text magnification in that case.

New Onyx Boox (Air or Note 3) would be my choice since its native pdf reader is good enough (no need for installation of KOReader app), it has got a good pen and frontlight, OTG support for an external storage etc.

Dasung has recently released a powerful 10.3" eink tablet claiming that their newest refresh technology allows for almost no latency, but it is almost twice as expensive as Boox Air and it lacks pen support.

https://dasung-tech.myshopify.com/pa...ot-ereader-103

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gEb4wWKSfo

[james_]

Originally Posted by Marinolino

Any newer 10" eink reader should be good enough for displaying b/w technical documents and A4 pdfs, by using its landscape mode (two screens per pdf page, with or without cropped margins), because we can even get a certain text magnification in that case.

New Onyx Boox (Air or Note 3) would be my choice since its native pdf reader is good enough (no need for installation of KOReader app), it has got a good pen and frontlight, OTG support for an external storage etc.

Agree 100%. You could also consider using an older model secondhand (Note2 is still on offer via Ebay from Onyx, I just bought one). Check out this video if you want to be persuaded that 10inches is the optimum size for an eReader...

[Pajamaman]

10" onyx note in landscape mode should be fine. I was reading a dodgy scanned pdf on 7.8" in landscape last night no problem. Nook 7.8 from ebay with koreader is a cheap but underpowered option.

[Marinolino]

" PDF reading size vs. actual book & Single-handed use test (Onyx Boox Note 3/Note Air/Max 3/iPad Pro) "
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyRfbEBGnkk


DASUNG 10.3" E-ink Tablet "Not-eReader 103"
Extended display MAC OS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyNU8MpS3Dw
As a Computer Monitor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY4TndnioPs
Play videos, online lessons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1JcOZeTB0E
Watch Comics and Pictures
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7vNAwHn_Ig

[Lectueur]

I've been using a 10 inch device for PDF reading with no trouble, even for scientific documents with multiple columns (where landscape mode is needed). For most document, a good cropping of the margins is enough to read it comfortably.

[codrut_popescu]

My use case is similar to yours. I use a 10'' Quaderno with no problems. You can order it via Amazon JP, I paid for mine a bit under 300 EUR with taxes and shipping included.