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Old 10-18-2018, 10:20 AM   #1
immortal192
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Ereaders for PDFs and textbooks

I don't read too much PDFs and textbooks, but probably enough to make trying to read it on a Kobo/Kindle devices a pain. The Kobo Forma looks interesting--do you guys think it will work well with reading PDFs/textbooks? Its hardware appears to be basically an Aura One with a bigger screen.

Or should I just not bother looking for an e-ink device? I'm mostly interested in it because that and comfort light makes it possible to read without eye fatigue (something important to me because I'm a programmer that stares at a monitor for 10+ hours a day).

I know I'll want an e-ink reader for reading books in general anyway, so if the Kobo Forma or alternatives that have a similarly large device are still not ideal for PDFs/textbooks, then I'm considering getting the Kobo Clara HD as it seems more wieldy.

P.S. I don't want/need capabilities like writing on the device. Price is not a factor.
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Old 10-18-2018, 10:29 AM   #2
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My personal minimum for PDF is 10" class. Smaller than that requires too much pan/zoom. That's annoying enough on LCD which has relative fast refresh rates. Probably more so on e-ink.

Letter and A4 diagonal length is ~14".
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Old 10-18-2018, 11:19 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by immortal192 View Post
I don't read too much PDFs and textbooks, but probably enough to make trying to read it on a Kobo/Kindle devices a pain. The Kobo Forma looks interesting--do you guys think it will work well with reading PDFs/textbooks? Its hardware appears to be basically an Aura One with a bigger screen.

Or should I just not bother looking for an e-ink device? I'm mostly interested in it because that and comfort light makes it possible to read without eye fatigue (something important to me because I'm a programmer that stares at a monitor for 10+ hours a day).

I know I'll want an e-ink reader for reading books in general anyway, so if the Kobo Forma or alternatives that have a similarly large device are still not ideal for PDFs/textbooks, then I'm considering getting the Kobo Clara HD as it seems more wieldy.

P.S. I don't want/need capabilities like writing on the device. Price is not a factor.
If money is no object, a two device solution would be best. A regular ebook reader plus your choice of the bigger Sony pdf reader (you don't have to use the markup feature) or a tablet.

The Surface tablets have a pdf-friendly 3:2 aspect ratio so that puts them at the top. They start at $399 for the 10" Surface Go.

Here: https://www.windowscentral.com/surfa...e-and-features

Then again, the Surface Go runs Calibre and most ebook readers so it's a premium ereader in its own right.

Last edited by fjtorres; 10-18-2018 at 11:22 AM.
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Old 10-18-2018, 01:07 PM   #4
immortal192
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Thanks, guys. Seems like I should just suck it up and get a 6" Clara HD. The 7.8" Forma, while big, feels like it's in an awkward niche unless you're reading manga/comics or "etextbooks". The size seems a bit too large for regular ebooks but too small for technical PDFs and textbooks with sample programming code (I'm in computer science).

I have a 13" XPS 13 laptop which I'm pretty sure is not as portable as I would like (e.g. I would be uncomfortable using it on the subway, train, or even a plane if I'm on economy). The Surface Go looks portable enough and I like that it has a keyboard which I can use in appropriate situations.

I was considering a tablet with an AMOLED display in particular since their blacks are "true blacks" where no power is used to light up the LED, resulting in better power savings. More importantly, I'm pretty sure it will result in a better reading experience--white text on black background.
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