The device for technical books (PDF)

ykg · 06-29-2013, 04:08 AM

Hey guys,
I'm considering buying a reader for technical books that are usually in .PDF format.

I was about to order one of the 6" kindles (the cheapest one or paper-white), but a friend told me that for the kind of books I'm going to us it and for PDF in general a 6" screen isn't recommended. How bad do the cheap kindle display PDF files? Will converting the files to the kindle format (mobi?) work for me?

rkomar · 06-29-2013, 04:27 AM

For technical books with lots of equations, tables, and source code snippets, reflowing is not an option. You have to see the content laid out in the original format, or it will just be gibberish.

I have a 9.7" reader which works adequately for reading A4/letter-sized documents. The Kobo Aura HD has a higher pixel resolution than most of the 9.7" ereaders, so that's probably the one 6" device whose display can properly show the contents. However, I've heard some complaints about the actual PDF-viewing software on that device. So, the answer may be that there aren't any 6" ereaders that are good enough for reading technical PDFs at this time. There may be more high def 6" readers coming out over time, so waiting is probably your best option, if you can do that.

markom · 06-29-2013, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ykg

Hey guys,
I'm considering buying a reader for technical books that are usually in .PDF format.

I was about to order one of the 6" kindles (the cheapest one or paper-white), but a friend told me that for the kind of books I'm going to us it and for PDF in general a 6" screen isn't recommended. How bad do the cheap kindle display PDF files? Will converting the files to the kindle format (mobi?) work for me?

If your pdf's are scanned books with page width less than 16 cm you can read it comfortably on 6" reader in landscape mode after margin croping.

You can even read A4 format pdf scans after reflowing the scans with k2pdfopt app (beforehand on your computer or in kindle reader with kindlepdfviewer).
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=144711

but i would recommend used Kindle DX with installed KindlePdfViewer or some other bigger e-ink reader.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...12&postcount=3

ykg · 06-29-2013, 06:15 AM

If the books that I'm going to read are popular enough so I'll be able to find a .epub/.mobi/.chm version, I mean the book was published originally this format, will it be ok using a 6" reader for reading them?

Can I rely on finding the my books in the stated above formats, today, if they are technical and popular enough?

I'm new to all this Ebooks thing

Billi · 06-29-2013, 06:26 AM

First, you could do a websearch yourself and look in which formats your books are offered.

"Technical" is a broad term, if you mean "computer" or "programming": OReilly offers most of their books in epub/mobi too. But you're right, the predominant format is pdf.

HarryT · 06-29-2013, 06:36 AM

I would personally recommend a large-screen tablet, such as the iPad (or Android equivalents) for reading PDF documents, especially those which are formatted for an A4/Letter page size. No 6" device will do a good job with these, although some are less bad than others.

ykg · 06-29-2013, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billi

First, you could do a websearch yourself and look in which formats your books are offered.

"Technical" is a broad term, if you mean "computer" or "programming": OReilly offers most of their books in epub/mobi too. But you're right, the predominant format is pdf.

Yeah I mean computer books mostly. But not only OReilly, also MS Press and others. I've managed to find the books that I'm currently reading in epub/mobi but:

I'm not sure if the epub experience is same as good as the pdf one...

I don't want to use a tablet since it bothers the eyes when I'm reading from it for a long time

rkomar · 06-29-2013, 12:50 PM

I have many O'Reilly books, which I download in both epub and pdf formats. The epubs work surprisingly well, the only problem is that some source code snippets are so long that they wrap around to the next line, and that makes it difficult to follow them. The same sometime happens for tables, as well. Complex diagrams can also be hard to follow, as the details can get lost when the whole figure is squashed into the display. I started out reading the epub versions on my 6" PRS-505 (many years ago), but ended up buying the 9.7" reader for technical reading.

epubs have the advantage that the text is well suited to e-ink devices (thicker font strokes and the characters are aligned on pixel boundaries), but the non-text stuff can be a problem. With pdfs, the non-text stuff is laid out as it should be, but the text can be hard to read (the fonts and character kerning are aimed towards ink and paper rather than e-ink). Neither was very satisfactory for me on the 6" device.

Randy11 · 07-01-2013, 10:06 AM

I user my Onyx M92 to read technical books (O'Reilly and other), in PDF or EPUB. I like to use EPUB, because I adjust the font size

06-29-2013, 04:08 AM	#1
ykg Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2013 Device: Sony PRS 650	The device for technical books (PDF) Hey guys, I'm considering buying a reader for technical books that are usually in .PDF format. I was about to order one of the 6" kindles (the cheapest one or paper-white), but a friend told me that for the kind of books I'm going to us it and for PDF in general a 6" screen isn't recommended. How bad do the cheap kindle display PDF files? Will converting the files to the kindle format (mobi?) work for me?

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Technical PDf's on Kindle2	Zorz	PDF	4	10-10-2011 09:14 AM
Best Reader for Technical Documents (PDF)	Dave Berk	Which one should I buy?	10	05-26-2010 10:57 AM
Technical books on Amazon and conversion from PDF	inovaovao	Amazon Kindle	3	04-25-2010 11:36 AM
i need an ereader for University technical books in pdf	ziobleed	Which one should I buy?	5	09-07-2008 12:55 AM
Reader Question: How do you read technical books (.pdf/.chm/.html)?	Bob Russell	Which one should I buy?	11	10-05-2007 03:21 PM

06-29-2013, 04:27 AM	#2
rkomar Wizard Posts: 2,985 Karma: 18343081 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Sudbury, ON, Canada Device: PRS-505, PB 902, PRS-T1, PB 623, PB 840, PB 633	For technical books with lots of equations, tables, and source code snippets, reflowing is not an option. You have to see the content laid out in the original format, or it will just be gibberish. I have a 9.7" reader which works adequately for reading A4/letter-sized documents. The Kobo Aura HD has a higher pixel resolution than most of the 9.7" ereaders, so that's probably the one 6" device whose display can properly show the contents. However, I've heard some complaints about the actual PDF-viewing software on that device. So, the answer may be that there aren't any 6" ereaders that are good enough for reading technical PDFs at this time. There may be more high def 6" readers coming out over time, so waiting is probably your best option, if you can do that.

06-29-2013, 06:15 AM	#4
ykg Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2013 Device: Sony PRS 650	If the books that I'm going to read are popular enough so I'll be able to find a .epub/.mobi/.chm version, I mean the book was published originally this format, will it be ok using a 6" reader for reading them? Can I rely on finding the my books in the stated above formats, today, if they are technical and popular enough? I'm new to all this Ebooks thing

06-29-2013, 06:26 AM	#5
Billi Wizard Posts: 3,388 Karma: 14190103 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Berlin Device: Cybook, iRex, PB, Onyx	First, you could do a websearch yourself and look in which formats your books are offered. "Technical" is a broad term, if you mean "computer" or "programming": OReilly offers most of their books in epub/mobi too. But you're right, the predominant format is pdf.

06-29-2013, 06:36 AM	#6
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I would personally recommend a large-screen tablet, such as the iPad (or Android equivalents) for reading PDF documents, especially those which are formatted for an A4/Letter page size. No 6" device will do a good job with these, although some are less bad than others.

06-29-2013, 12:50 PM	#8
rkomar Wizard Posts: 2,985 Karma: 18343081 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Sudbury, ON, Canada Device: PRS-505, PB 902, PRS-T1, PB 623, PB 840, PB 633	I have many O'Reilly books, which I download in both epub and pdf formats. The epubs work surprisingly well, the only problem is that some source code snippets are so long that they wrap around to the next line, and that makes it difficult to follow them. The same sometime happens for tables, as well. Complex diagrams can also be hard to follow, as the details can get lost when the whole figure is squashed into the display. I started out reading the epub versions on my 6" PRS-505 (many years ago), but ended up buying the 9.7" reader for technical reading. epubs have the advantage that the text is well suited to e-ink devices (thicker font strokes and the characters are aligned on pixel boundaries), but the non-text stuff can be a problem. With pdfs, the non-text stuff is laid out as it should be, but the text can be hard to read (the fonts and character kerning are aimed towards ink and paper rather than e-ink). Neither was very satisfactory for me on the 6" device.

07-01-2013, 10:06 AM	#9
Randy11 Wizard Posts: 1,138 Karma: 1577094 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Samsung EB60, Onyx M92, Onyx Max2	I user my Onyx M92 to read technical books (O'Reilly and other), in PDF or EPUB. I like to use EPUB, because I adjust the font size

Advert

Advert