Galaxy Tab S 8.4 makes a great ereader

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by danskmacabre

If your brother doesn't want his S5, he can send it to me.. I still have an old Sony Walkman phone in a box in storage somewhere from the early 2000s he can have if he wants!
It still has a great battery life..

It's not his, it's his company's. I think he'd gladly take his Verizon Barrage back if he could. He uses an Android Motorola Admiral for his own use -- so he's not against smartphones per se. He just figures, for his position, he doesn't really need a company smartphone. And the S5 is a lot bulkier to carry around.

[Apache]

It could also be used to keep track of his time and movement related to work.
Apache

[rgeorg]

Originally Posted by danskmacabre

The App I eventually settled with was "ub reader"
I found the other apps I used such as Moon reader, cool reader etc didn't perform very well in ultra power saver mode for various reasons.
UB reader is a pretty simple ereader app, but it's rock solid for me and uses the entire screen to display text and it has no background image, just a white background and black text. Very simple looking.

Also, in order to be able to use an app in the limited ultra power saver mode, I had to root the tablet and install an app called "app launcher" which requires root access, so you will need the root access to take advantage of ultra power saver mode.
The App launcher allows you to add and remove apps from the limited 9 apps that are displayed in the ultra power saver app launcher.


I also installed "Uninstaller" which also needs root access and I removed all the unnecessary apps from the tablet.

Still, there is just the power saver and reading mode you can use and you can just set the screen to black and white and try ub reader and see how it goes. But you won't get the battery saving features like Ultra power saving mode has. Using that won't require root access.

Thanks, I'll take a look. I am not up to rooting my newest tablet

[rgeorg]

I just downloaded the free version, then purchased the paid for $5 (?sale price). I really like UB reader. It is a simple interface and I can even add my own bookshelves for organization which is useful. And a 2-page view while in a horizontal screen mode is much easier than reading vertically (for me).

So, even just for the ereader recommendation - Thank you!

[TonyGamble]

The problem that Samsung have, even with the AMOLED screens, is that they are useless in the sunshine.

I have the Samsung S4 phone. I have to go into the shade to use it.

I have the Samsung 7.7 (illegal in the EU as it was challenged by Apple) and that is equally hopeless.

I have yet to find an illuminated screen, other than e-ink, that is really visible in the British sun - let alone overseas.

Tony

[danskmacabre]

Originally Posted by TonyGamble

The problem that Samsung have, even with the AMOLED screens, is that they are useless in the sunshine.

I have the Samsung S4 phone. I have to go into the shade to use it.

I have the Samsung 7.7 (illegal in the EU as it was challenged by Apple) and that is equally hopeless.

I have yet to find an illuminated screen, other than e-ink, that is really visible in the British sun - let alone overseas.

Tony

Yes you're right about that.
I haven't used every tablet out there, but I've used quite a few.
One thing for sure Eink has over Tablets is the performance in direct sunlight.

However for me that's not been a problem so far. Which is probably to do with where and when I read a lot, which tends to be in the house, on public transport, in a cafe or just waiting for something and often in the evening.
It's very rare I'll be reading somewhere in direct sunlight, but that's just me, I'm sure lots of other people, such as yourself have this problem.

However whilst this is one pretty big negative point, the benefits for me outweigh that disadvantage.

[danskmacabre]

Originally Posted by rgeorg

Thanks, I'll take a look. I am not up to rooting my newest tablet

Yeah understandable. whilst it is pretty easy, I've done it lots of times before on other Android devices and I always did all my research properly before proceeding.
If you've not done it before, the first time is nerve wracking and the risk of bricking your device is very low, but it is possible if you really screw it up really badly.

[danskmacabre]

Originally Posted by rgeorg

I just downloaded the free version, then purchased the paid for $5 (?sale price). I really like UB reader. It is a simple interface and I can even add my own bookshelves for organization which is useful. And a 2-page view while in a horizontal screen mode is much easier than reading vertically (for me).

So, even just for the ereader recommendation - Thank you!

Yes, it's nice and simple and as you say has a couple of nice features.
Really that's all you need if you just want to read an ebook.
and you're welcome.

[markom]

Originally Posted by TonyGamble

The problem that Samsung have, even with the AMOLED screens, is that they are useless in the sunshine.

I have the Samsung S4 phone. I have to go into the shade to use it.

I have the Samsung 7.7 (illegal in the EU as it was challenged by Apple) and that is equally hopeless.

I have yet to find an illuminated screen, other than e-ink, that is really visible in the British sun - let alone overseas.

Tony

You can make shade for yourself wherever you go though, as I do.

e.g. my quick DIY method is, sunshade cap + A4 or bigger sheet of dark colored drawing paper or similar opaque thicker paper (as a extended visor all the way to the tablet top) and a couple of bigger paperclips, for attaching the sheet of paper to the sunshade cap visor.

If you also want the left and right side completely protected from the reflected sunlight or the ambient light (not just the upper side from the sun above), all you need is a bigger sheet of paper (folded or taped), just left hanging unfolded from the both sides of cap/visor when necessary.

I usually use my tablet's cover as sun protection for the left side though, when reading in portraite, so would just need the upper and right side protected for a complete enclosure, but usually just upper side and reader's own cover is enough for me.

If or when this method is not acceptable because of aesthetic reasons, we can try some sunhoods like:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...43&postcount=3

[TonyGamble]

Interesting suggestions markom.

There is another thread running where I am suggesting that compactness and lightweight are attractions - for my family anyway when it comes to ereaders.

For us that rules out the bits of kit you are suggesting - but I don't doubt they work. And full marks for inventiveness. Well done.

I'd just like not to have to cross the road to the shady pavement to see what my Samsung S4 phone is telling me on its screen.

Tony

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by danskmacabre

Yes, it's nice and simple and as you say has a couple of nice features.
Really that's all you need if you just want to read an ebook.
and you're welcome.

I just tried the free version of ub reader and I don't even see a place to change margins or line height. It looks like the paid version doesn't allow that either. Is there a way to do basic changes? It seems rather expensive for an app that can't even do the basics.

[danskmacabre]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

I just tried the free version of ub reader and I don't even see a place to change margins or line height. It looks like the paid version doesn't allow that either. Is there a way to do basic changes? It seems rather expensive for an app that can't even do the basics.

I don't about those features. I didn't actually buy it, the free version (which doesn't have pop up ads if you're not online) was what I was looking for.
It's very simple and works in ultra power saving mode very well.
all I want it to do is display text and allow me to turn pages etc. I don't need much more than that.

I think there's more feature rich ereaders out there which are probably more suited to your tastes, such as Cool reader, Moon reader or even the Kindle and Kobo readers, but many of them seem to have functionality issues in ultra powersaving mode.

[rgeorg]

I think the black background in UB Reader is a true black, not an image. As such, the AMOLED screen should have very good energy consumption because the black pixels are "off". I'll have to test.

Too bad I didn't realize offline use doesn't have ads although the $5 is not a big deal. It's good to support the developers and I buy very few apps in general.

It is the only reader app (that I can figure out!) where you can have custom bookshelves. This is a major plus for me as I have many books of different genres. Even better than Calibre Companion as I can't switch libraries (again, that I can figure out easily). UB shelves is simple, quick and very easy to use. The display is fine, I usually don't muck around with detail display options in general. My ebooks tend to be well formatted I suppose.

To be fair, I haven't actually migrated my reading from the KOBO GLO yet. I don't read much during the day, certainly not in sunlight as it gives me a headache, so tablet screen glare isn't an issue.

I should look in another thread, but perhaps you know: Can the kindle fire HD be rooted? I have one that I don't use and perhaps I can experiment with it. I have a good tech background - although dated - but I could give it a try. I'll check other threads...

[Mivo]

It's one of the models with an (AM)OLED display, isn't it? I never used a phone or tablet with an OLED display, but my PS Vita (handheld gaming device where I "collect" games on) uses that technology. Every time I use it, I can't get over how stunningly beautiful everything looks, and how dark the black is. Admittedly, colors are oversaturated, but still, I much prefer it over LCD displays. (And here I am, using two tablets with boring LCD screens, a laptop with a boring LCD screen, and a desktop with a boring LCD monitor!)

[danskmacabre]

Yeah the Galaxy Tab S uses AMOLED screens and yeah it looks really nice.