external hard drive usage

Banshee5000 · 05-08-2011, 05:32 AM

I'm looking for an E reader to replace my laptop and I require one that can have an external hard drive to be connected. I have a large collection of pdf files on an external hard drive already and want a reader I can view them on. I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in swapping the files out as needed and do not wish to hear that as an option.

HarryT · 05-08-2011, 05:36 AM

I'm not aware of any dedicated ebook reader that can act as a USB host. There are certainly tablets that can do it - that might be worth investigating.

You're really going to need something like a tablet if PDFs are your main requirement - no 6" screen device is really satisfactory for this purpose.

Perhaps something like the Motorola Xoom might suit.

HarryT · 05-08-2011, 05:44 AM

An additional comment: you say that you have "absolutely no interest in swapping files out". Does that mean that you plan to read with an external hard disk actually attached to the device? That doesn't sound like a very practical proposition.

CRussel · 05-08-2011, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

An additional comment: you say that you have "absolutely no interest in swapping files out". Does that mean that you plan to read with an external hard disk actually attached to the device? That doesn't sound like a very practical proposition.

I agree, Harry, it won't be an optimal solution at all.
A better solution, I think, might be a tablet plus a wireless USB router. D-Link, and others, make these. The hard disk could be connected to the router, and the PDFs are available over the network as needed/desired.

But I also question why an external HD at all? How many GB of data are we talking about, here? Wouldn't choosing a tablet with a larger internal HD be a better solution? Certainly that would be my first choice.

Banshee5000 · 05-08-2011, 03:01 PM

Yeah, I plan to read directly from the hard drive when it's connected to the reader. Routers, etc are out as I'm planning to be able to use this anywhere and I have over 100gb of files.

HarryT · 05-08-2011, 03:27 PM

OK. Well, as I say, I think you need to be looking at tablet devices - either Android or Windows. There's no eInk device which will do this, to the best of my knowledge. What I'd honestly suggest doing myself, though, is getting a couple of 32GB SD cards and putting your files on those. You could then use eInk readers.

Patricia1066 · 05-16-2011, 12:49 PM

I have both Sony prs300 and a Kindle 3, neither device has an SD slot, but from what I have read, access times using SD are inferior to the main drive. There may be better hardware out there now, but its worth checking how accessible your library is in practice if using an ereader.

Once I became familiar with Calibre (on my PC) I didn't want to access by means of the reader hardware, I just plug in the USB cable and all my books and research notes are immediately accessible, searchable and easy to tag.

gtriever · 05-16-2011, 12:59 PM

Agree with Harry, there's no ereader that I know of with a USB Host port. However, the new Acer Iconia Tab A500 tablet does have that hardware.

abookreader · 05-16-2011, 01:22 PM

Yeah, I agree with everybody else.

USB requirement + PDF viewers are almost certainly a tablet or smaller netbook.

05-08-2011, 05:32 AM	#1
Banshee5000 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2011 Device: none	external hard drive usage I'm looking for an E reader to replace my laptop and I require one that can have an external hard drive to be connected. I have a large collection of pdf files on an external hard drive already and want a reader I can view them on. I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in swapping the files out as needed and do not wish to hear that as an option.

05-08-2011, 05:36 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I'm not aware of any dedicated ebook reader that can act as a USB host. There are certainly tablets that can do it - that might be worth investigating. You're really going to need something like a tablet if PDFs are your main requirement - no 6" screen device is really satisfactory for this purpose. Perhaps something like the Motorola Xoom might suit. Last edited by HarryT; 05-08-2011 at 05:38 AM.

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05-08-2011, 05:44 AM	#3
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	An additional comment: you say that you have "absolutely no interest in swapping files out". Does that mean that you plan to read with an external hard disk actually attached to the device? That doesn't sound like a very practical proposition.

05-08-2011, 03:01 PM	#5
Banshee5000 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2011 Device: none	Yeah, I plan to read directly from the hard drive when it's connected to the reader. Routers, etc are out as I'm planning to be able to use this anywhere and I have over 100gb of files.

05-08-2011, 03:27 PM	#6
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	OK. Well, as I say, I think you need to be looking at tablet devices - either Android or Windows. There's no eInk device which will do this, to the best of my knowledge. What I'd honestly suggest doing myself, though, is getting a couple of 32GB SD cards and putting your files on those. You could then use eInk readers.

05-16-2011, 12:49 PM	#7
Patricia1066 Zealot Posts: 134 Karma: 19894 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Bromley, UK Device: Kindle 11th gen, Kindle KB 3rd gen	I have both Sony prs300 and a Kindle 3, neither device has an SD slot, but from what I have read, access times using SD are inferior to the main drive. There may be better hardware out there now, but its worth checking how accessible your library is in practice if using an ereader. Once I became familiar with Calibre (on my PC) I didn't want to access by means of the reader hardware, I just plug in the USB cable and all my books and research notes are immediately accessible, searchable and easy to tag.

05-16-2011, 12:59 PM	#8
gtriever Addict Posts: 282 Karma: 2125576 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kobo Forma	Agree with Harry, there's no ereader that I know of with a USB Host port. However, the new Acer Iconia Tab A500 tablet does have that hardware.

05-16-2011, 01:22 PM	#9
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	Yeah, I agree with everybody else. USB requirement + PDF viewers are almost certainly a tablet or smaller netbook.

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