Low tech, large screen?

[863127]

I'm new to learning about ebook readers. I'm interested in buying one with a large screen -- closer to the size of 8.5 x 11" paper or larger the better -- and I would prefer no wireless, no backlight, no features other than a grayscale screen, USB connection, PDF support, and an add-on storage card slot. I'd like if it's common enough to find one used but I might pay for a new one depending on the price. Let me know if I don't know enough to be asking the right questions.

[863127]

A very low magnetic field would also be good.

[DNSB]

It sounds as if you are looking for a 13.3" eInk reader. A quick google search will find the few devices in that size range. The Sony DPT-RP1, the Onyx Max3 and the Onyx Boox Max2Pro are three devices that I can think of off hand. The Sony probably comes closest to your specifications.

As for low magnetic field? I don't think that any ereader has that as a published spec. Given one common phrase in a good majority of the studies on the effect of ELF EMF (0 -3KHz) has been to the effect that "There is no established evidence that ELF EMF is associated with long term health effects" One nice article from the Aussie goverment can be found at Electromagnetic hypersensitivity.

There was a local to me issue with people who were complaining that the new BC Hydro electrical power meters with their once a month call home for automatic readings were causing symptoms similar to the ones complained about in the referenced article. Oddly, over 70% of the complaints were from people who either had not had the meters installed in their area or the meters had not yet had their RF report home modules enabled.

I tend to regard most of the complaints about ELF EMF sensitivity as being in the same category as the people who suffered from "Chinese restaurant syndrome" blamed on a sensitivity to monosodium glutamate. Considering the amount of glutamic acid/glutamine (2 of the 10 amino acids the human body produces) either free or bound present in the human body runs to about 6000 mg/kg in muscle tissue dropping to ~50mg/l in plasma and that human breast milk contains about 300mg/l of glutamic acid, I found and still find it a trifle hard to believe that it is likely to trigger an allergic reaction.

[863127]

I'm also interested in models with smaller screen sizes with the other specs. Maybe I shouldn't have said about the screen size first; that'd be good, but not necessary. I don't know how common larger screens have been in the ten years or so that ereaders have been popular. I had a very basic Kindle from about 2010, I think, that was like the specifications I described but a smaller screen, and I'd use something like that again but I imagine it's less common now and so harder to find used ones that still work.

[863127]

Originally Posted by DNSB

As for low magnetic field? I don't think that any ereader has that as a published spec. Given one common phrase in a good majority of the studies on the effect of ELF EMF (0 -3KHz) has been to the effect that "There is no established evidence that ELF EMF is associated with long term health effects" One nice article from the Aussie goverment can be found at Electromagnetic hypersensitivity.

There was a local to me issue with people who were complaining that the new BC Hydro electrical power meters with their once a month call home for automatic readings were causing symptoms similar to the ones complained about in the referenced article. Oddly, over 70% of the complaints were from people who either had not had the meters installed in their area or the meters had not yet had their RF report home modules enabled.

I tend to regard most of the complaints about ELF EMF sensitivity as being in the same category as the people who suffered from "Chinese restaurant syndrome" blamed on a sensitivity to monosodium glutamate. Considering the amount of glutamic acid/glutamine (2 of the 10 amino acids the human body produces) either free or bound present in the human body runs to about 6000 mg/kg in muscle tissue dropping to ~50mg/l in plasma and that human breast milk contains about 300mg/l of glutamic acid, I found and still find it a trifle hard to believe that it is likely to trigger an allergic reaction.

In case you're interested, here's some better information about that:



Naval Medical Research Institute Bibliography of Reported Biological Phenomena ('Effects') and Clinical Manifestations Attributed to Microwave and Radio-Frequency Radiation Research Report 1972

https://www.emfanalysis.com/wp-conte...th-Effects.pdf

"More than 2000 references on the biological responses to radio frequency and microwave radiation, published up to June 1971, are included in the bibliography.* Particular attention has been paid to the effects on man of non-ionizing radiation at these frequencies... An outline of the effects which have been attributed to radio frequency and microwave radiation is also part of the report."

____

Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation (Radiowaves and Microwaves) Eurasian Communist Countries - Prepared by U.S. Army Medical Intelligence and Information Agency Office of the Surgeon General - Defense Intelligence Agency

"No unusual devices or measures for protection from radiowave exposure were noted, but a continued stress upon personnel protection in occupational situations was apparent. Here, protective goggles and clothing are recommended when working in regions of microwave radiation. Although some differences in standards remain between the various Communist countries and between military and civilian standards, the Communist standards remain much more stringent than those of the West...

If the more advanced nations of the West are strict in the enforcement of stringent exposure standards, there could be unfavorable effects on industrial output and military functions. The Eurasian Communist countires could, on the other hand, give lip service to strict standards, but allow their military to operate without restriction and thereby gain the advantage in electronic warefare techniques and the development of antipersonnel applications...

Combinations of frequencies and other signal characteristics to produce other neurological effects may be feasible in several years. The possiblitity of inducing metabolic diseases is also suggested. Animal experiments reported in the open literature have demonstrated the use of low-level microwave signals to produce death by heart seizure or by neurological pathologies resulting from breaching of the blood-brain barrier."

____

Radiofrequency/Microwave Radiation Biological Effects and Safety Standards - A Review - In-House Report Rome Laboratory Air Force Material Command Griffiss Air Force Base, New York June 1994

"The study of human exposure to radiofrequency/microwave (RF/MW) radiation has been the subject of widespread investigation and analysis. It is known that electromagnetic radiation has a biological effect on human tissue. An attempt has been made by researchers to quantify the effects of radiation on the human body and to set guidelines for safe exposure levels... An overview of research that was conducted in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe is also included in this report..."

____

Captured Agency - How the Federal Communications Commission Is Dominated by the Industries It Presumably Regulates by Nrom Alster

http://ethics.harvard.edu/files/cent...ncy_alster.pdf

____

The Effect of Microwaves on the Central Nervous System by W. Bergman 1965, translated for Ford Motor Company

https://www.emfanalysis.com/wp-conte...ous_System.pdf

"The autonomic nervous system is affected by the microwaves of the centimeter wavelength band [between 3 and 30 GHz]. These waves affect circulation, respiration, temperature control, water balance, albumin and sugar concentration in the cerebro-spinal fluid, hydrogen ion concentation, EEG, GSR, sleep, conscious awareness, etc."

____

https://www.emf-portal.org/en/article/search

"The EMF-Portal is provided by the RWTH Aachen University." (from https://www.emf-portal.org/en/cms/page/home/imprint)

"With more than 45,000 students enrolled in 144 study programs, it is the largest technical university in Germany." (from Wikipedia)

____

Effects of Wireless Communications Technologies Brochure 5 - Radiation Protection in Conflict with Science by Franz Aklkofer and Karl Richter

https://kompetenzinitiative.com/wp-c...eng_screen.pdf

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Effects of Wireless Communications Technologies Brochure 6 - Health Implications of Long-term Exposure to Electrosmog by Karl Hecht

https://www.emfanalysis.com/wp-conte...th-Studies.pdf

____

https://www.emfanalysis.com/research/

[pdurrant]

Moderator Notice
I'll leave these two posts, but any further comments in this thread on the effects of EM radiation or Magnetic fields on people or animals will be deleted.

If you'd like to discuss this topic, please start a thread in the lounge.

It is enough that a member wants a device that minimises EM fields. There's no need for a discussion on the reasons for that desire

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by 863127

I'm new to learning about ebook readers. I'm interested in buying one with a large screen -- closer to the size of 8.5 x 11" paper or larger the better -- and I would prefer no wireless, no backlight, no features other than a grayscale screen, USB connection, PDF support, and an add-on storage card slot. I'd like if it's common enough to find one used but I might pay for a new one depending on the price. ...

Originally Posted by 863127

I'm also interested in models with smaller screen sizes with the other specs. ...

I think about the closest you can come to this with a new reader is the PocketBook Basic 3. It has WiFi (and a 6" screen) but no touch screen and no front light. It does have the microSD slot and comes with 8GBs built-in. Most large screen readers are going to have all the "bells and whistles" since they're considered premium readers.

PocketBook Basic 3...
https://pocketbook.ch/en-ch/catalog/basic/basic-3

If you live in the U.S., it appears these can be purchased from Tech Inn, currently for $70 plus shipping. (Ignore the blurb below the Basic 3 in this link, they've accidentally given information for a different model on this page.)

Tech Inn
https://www.techinn.com/en/pocketboo...-6/137356315/p

[863127]

Thank you both for the suggestions. The large Sony and Onyx devices are priced higher than I'd like to spend. The PocketBook Basic 3 looks good. Maybe there's something similar with a larger screen that's been discontinued and could be found used? And I should clarify, I'm ok with it having Wifi capability if it can be turned off -- I don't know whether there are some that can't be.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by 863127

Thank you both for the suggestions. The large Sony and Onyx devices are priced higher than I'd like to spend. The PocketBook Basic 3 looks good. Maybe there's something similar with a larger screen that's been discontinued and could be found used? And I should clarify, I'm ok with it having Wifi capability if it can be turned off -- I don't know whether there are some that can't be.

The WiFi can definitely be turned off on the PocketBook Basic 3. Some of the Russian versions of the various PocketBook models didn't even have WiFi. As for a larger screen without front light and touch screen... about the only one I can think of is the Kindle DX. Modern large screen eReaders were new enough that they included touch screen and front lighting. But there may have been something made in the Android tablet eInk eReaders that I'm missing (I know very little about these.)

[Sirtel]

Frontlight can be turned off just like wifi. So it shouldn't be a dealbreaker. Now SD card slot is pretty hard to find in modern readers. OTOH some modern readers come with 32 GB internal memory (Kobo Forma, Kindle Oasis)

[863127]

And about the low magnetic field -- whether an SD card can be used or not, the interal drive being solid state would be better. Have solid state drives been used much in ereaders?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by 863127

And about the low magnetic field -- whether an SD card can be used or not, the interal drive being solid state would be better. Have solid state drives been used much in ereaders?

Depends on what you call a solid state drive. uSD cards and eMMC are the most popular technologies in the ereaders I've looked at so no spinning parts involved. I would worry more about the fields generated by the power supply components.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by 863127

And about the low magnetic field -- whether an SD card can be used or not, the interal drive being solid state would be better. Have solid state drives been used much in ereaders?

I do not know of any ereaders that used spinning hard disks. They've all used some version of non-volatile electronic storage.

[Quoth]

No ereader has ever used an HDD or floppy. The Sony Data Discman did have a magnet in the CD rom reader.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Discman

There is no measurable external field from a modern HDD, floppy, CD, DVD or BD Drive. Any loudspeaker has a much stronger field as anyone that ever sat an unshielded one beside a TV colour CRT or computer monitor Colour CRT can tell you.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by 863127

And about the low magnetic field -- whether an SD card can be used or not, the interal drive being solid state would be better. Have solid state drives been used much in ereaders?

Please do not use magnetic field as a synonym for electromagnetic field.