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Old 05-26-2011, 06:22 PM   #1
zedmin
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100% downloaded pdf's & djvu's - under $200

I've been looking to get an ereader ever since seeing an e-ink screen for the first time. I have been looking at the kindle 3 because I like it's price and it was the first e-ink screen I saw.

I am not going to be buying any books, just downloaded pfd's and djvu files.

My question is how is the kindle support for pdf's and djvu files. Is it difficult to convert the files on your computer without uploading them to the amazon website?

Am i going to be able to fit the width of a page or am i going to have to times where I have to hit right on the arrow key to read the last word of every sentence?? This is my main concern!! Will the ereader treat the book as an image file or as a text file (ie increasing text size without distortion etc)

Are there any other ereaders I should consider for the under $200 price range


Much thanks guys!
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Old 05-30-2011, 01:39 AM   #2
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Old 05-30-2011, 03:04 AM   #3
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Kindle supports pdf but not djvu files. You would have to convert the djvu files on your own, but I'm not sure how since Calibre doesn't support that file type.

Kindle can handle a simple pdf without any problems. You are only allowed to zoom and not change fonts. And If the pdf has lots of diagrams or charts, it's going to be hard since you will have to zoom and use the arrow keys.

Kindle can treat a pdf as a text file or image file, it depends on how the pdf was created. If the pdf is in text there won't distortion, but if it's an image file then there will be distortion.

I think it would be better if you could buy a larger ereader, because there're pdfs that you can't comfortably read in the kindle.

Last edited by nightfool; 05-30-2011 at 03:11 AM.
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Old 05-30-2011, 03:10 AM   #4
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PDF is not an ebook format - it is a digital representation of a printed page, and can only be sensibly displayed on a screen that is the same size as that page.

If you want to display PDFs, something like an Android tablet or an iPad is a far better choice than an eInk device.
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Old 05-30-2011, 11:40 AM   #5
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Apart from lacking djvu support the Kindle 3 is too small for convenient pdf reading imo. I also don't know of any other e-ink reader under $200 that would suit your needs.

I'd recommend 10" or higher, but they're still quite expensive.
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Old 05-30-2011, 11:58 AM   #6
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The device that I feel comes closest to suiting your needs is the Sony PRS-950, which is selling for $200 at Best Buy right now, but it seems like it might be hard to find one. You would have to convert your djvu files to PDF, however. There aren't many readers that support .djvu to the extent of my knowledge. The PRS-950 has a 7 inch screen, and if you read in landscape mode it will break your PDF page into thirds, so they should be quite readable. You can also zoom in on portions of the page and reflow the text on certain PDFs.
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Old 05-30-2011, 12:54 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zedmin View Post
I've been looking to get an ereader ever since seeing an e-ink screen for the first time. I have been looking at the kindle 3 because I like it's price and it was the first e-ink screen I saw.

I am not going to be buying any books, just downloaded pfd's and djvu files.

My question is how is the kindle support for pdf's and djvu files. Is it difficult to convert the files on your computer without uploading them to the amazon website?

Am i going to be able to fit the width of a page or am i going to have to times where I have to hit right on the arrow key to read the last word of every sentence?? This is my main concern!! Will the ereader treat the book as an image file or as a text file (ie increasing text size without distortion etc)

Are there any other ereaders I should consider for the under $200 price range


Much thanks guys!


Just like you, I don't buy any ebooks and mostly read pdf and djvu formats (sometimes epub and chm). I download books in social science and humanities so don't need extra big screens to display a lot of graphics or table. I would say 6" is big enough for this purpose. In landscape mode you can set the text to 130-140% which is actually larger than texts on paper books. 5" can reach 110% in pdfs (to keep the original layout) - might be small for footnotes. 9" is a bit too heavy to read in bed and too large carry around. 6" gives you the portability and the light weight. Occasionally, if needed, I reflow the pdfs.

I have a Pocketbook 602. I didn't get the Kindle 3 or Sony PRS-650 because 1) the large edges (no keyboard) are much easier to hold in landscape mode than the other two. 2) it supports djvu locally and almost all other formats you can download. No need for third-party firmwares to switch back and forth. 3) it supports Russian dictionary look-up in a book as pop-ups which I need. 4) it has two programs to read pdf files. The pdfviewer displays text-based pdf in a very dark color. The adobeviewer makes the scanned pdfs (usually dark already) look more refined. Make sure you don't use the newest beta 2.1.0 firmware but the 2.0.4. The 2.1.0 now still has bugs so pdfviewer button mapping doesn't work properly yet. 5) it comes with two year warranty. 6) it comes with a nice-looking practical pouch for free.

I think Pocketbook's target market is people like us. But it all depends on your needs at the end rather than other people's reviews or recommendations. I have been looking around at new models of other brands. To be honest, I have never found any that suits all my particular needs as the 602 does. I hate advertising for any companies for free but I see you be on the same reading boat as I am. Unfortunately, the 602 price was raised to 200$ in Jan. I bought it for 180 $ when one website was slow to change the price. Original price was 170$ last Oct. You can look for deals if not in a hurry. Or wait for new 602 with pearl screen. Oh, btw, I compared a friend's Kindle pearl and 602 screens with the same files I usually read and different settings/configurations on 602. I don't think I missed anything.

Good luck.

P.S. If you install alternative firmwares and hacks, Kindle 3 can handle djvu and other formats I heard but not the Russian dictionary. You will need to ask who uses these alternative firmwares if they are stable -- at least the special offer Kindle can't be hacked perfectly and will automatically update and replace your hacks when you switch to the original firmware. So far the new 3.2.1 firmware can't hacked by duokan at all.

Last edited by jshzh; 05-30-2011 at 10:07 PM.
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Old 06-03-2011, 03:25 PM   #8
zedmin
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Thanks for the very informative response jshzh.

What is the battery life like on your unit?

How do you find the screen compares to the kindle screen (is it e-ink)?

thanks - zedmin
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Old 06-04-2011, 05:34 PM   #9
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Pocketbook has an e-ink screen, but the quality of display is not as good as on Kindle 3/DX. I do not advise you to go for Pocketbook before it will get the same new screen as other readers available: Sony x50, Kindle 3/DX, new Nook, new Kobo, Onyx 61s.
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Old 06-04-2011, 05:35 PM   #10
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Kindle 3/DX could read djvu if you install additional software -Duokan.
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Old 06-04-2011, 11:13 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zedmin View Post
Thanks for the very informative response jshzh.

What is the battery life like on your unit?

How do you find the screen compares to the kindle screen (is it e-ink)?

thanks - zedmin

Maybe one week 3 hours a day? Never did a real test. I don't know exactly how many page turns I can do per charge. I read one page back and forth often if the pages contain footnotes and I also use dictionaries. Other PB users reported they had longer battery life. As I understand, no device will reach what the manufacturers claim.

I compared my pocketbook with a friend's kindle 3 for a few minutes. I didn't see much difference but the friend's kindle was displaying a different book. It was a pdf or djvu book on my device. You can go to youtube to see the comparison of the screens of PB, Kindle and Sony. I don't know why in the video the difference is more obvious than what I saw in person. The light condition, camera angle, and the computer screen may all be factors.

Don't get me wrong. It would be certainly a better deal if pocketbook had a pearl screen. I valued the ergomonics, functions, and versatility over the screen when I bought it as the screen result depends on software, fonts and document formats too. You can want for another few months.

I buy paper books from Amazon occasionally. They have good price. But with no apparent advantage in the functions/ergomonics/versatility I need, I'd rather go something alternative. I tend to avoid any hype such as facebook, apple devices, kindle, etc. if possible. Kind of funny if something becomes more than what it is.

Last edited by jshzh; 06-05-2011 at 01:37 AM.
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