Looking for help in finding two mobile devices

Philip36Fld · 09-01-2011, 02:49 PM

I am hoping to find two mobile devices with the features listed below for reading, etc. that I can keep synced with each other. Can my desires be met in the current marketplace? Does anybody here have any recommendations or suggestions? What is not acceptable is a large clumsy laptop and a pda and an ereader restricted to one format and a mobile phone.

Device #1:

a) Will be carried back and forth from home, the office, and school, and will be left there.
b) Must have a full complement of personal management software; calendar, clock, multiple alarms, etc.
c) Must have a color display.
d) Must at a minimum be able to comfortably display a full 8 ½ x 11 page; though a larger size might be nice, say large enough to display the top half of one newspaper page in “landscape” mode.
e) Able to comfortably work with and display graphic and picture heavy technical and reference books, newspapers, magazines, and possibly even blueprints.
f) Must be able to handle multiple standard formats such as EPub, PDF, MOBI, DOC, ODF, and others.
g) Must have internet access and the ability to download media.
h) Must also come with the ability to use removable storage media. --
I want the ability to go in and purchase, say for example the 500 greatest books, on one media device and use it. I want the ability to have two separate libraries on two separate devices, a work/school reference library and a personal recreational library, that I can swap whenever I wish. I want the ability to bring in, on a separate removable storage device, third party (from work or school or wherever) epub, pdf, and other documents and to be able to use them

.
Device #2:

a) Will be carried in and out of the car and out on errands.
b) Must have at least a subset of the personal management software that is on Device #1 consisting of at least calendar and alarms. Data in Device #2 must be able to stay synced with Device #1.
c) Must be able to read comfortable outdoors with it in full sunlight. A black and white screen is acceptable.
d) Must be able to fit comfortably in an oversize pocket.
e) Must be able to display, in full size, standard paperback books.
f) Must be able to handle multiple standard document formats such as EPub, PDF, MOBI, DOC, ODF, and others.
g) Must be able play music and listen to the radio on it.
h) Must be able to use it as a phone (act as the base, not the handset!).

Any ideas, recommendations, or suggestions out there?

susan_cassidy · 09-01-2011, 03:04 PM

The desire for syncing everything seems to point to iOS devices (e.g. iPad and iPod or iPhone). However, they don't have SD cards.

The Motorola Xoom seems to have an SD card, but I don't know about syncing with other Android devices/apps.

I think you'll be hard pressed to find a Device #2 with a radio. Most devices with a radio that I have seen are simple MP3 players. Unless you mean internet radio.

Not sure what you mean by "Must be able to use it as a phone (act as the base, not the handset!)".

There are a few 5" tablets, I think, like the Dell Streak phone, that might be ok for Device #2, other than the comments above.

ilovejedd · 09-01-2011, 04:07 PM

Wait to see what Amazon whips out? Right now, I think they're the best candidate to deliver syncing. Kobo app is available in Amazon's app store so I would think you'd be able to use that for ePub.

Unfortunately, I don't think there are devices out right now that will meet all your needs.

Andrew H. · 09-01-2011, 05:36 PM

I don't think that anything that is comfortable to use in full sunlight (i.e., e-ink) can do what you want for device #2.

I think that most Android tablets would meet need #1. E-books tend to be pretty small, so you can probably fit a school and work and home library on one SD card (around 800 books per GB).

ebusinesstutor · 09-03-2011, 10:42 PM

Device 1. Large android tablet
Device 2. Small android tablet. Not as good for reading outdoors, but will sync with Device #1 flawlessly

Philip36Fld · 09-04-2011, 04:45 PM

The more I read, look, and think, the more my mind turns to a netbook with a 10" screen for device #1 and the use of DropBox for syncing. Maybe an even smaller netbook for device #2?

charmian · 09-04-2011, 09:43 PM

Device #1

A 10.1" screen is not going to give you a full 8.5X11" experience (a piece of paper that size is 14" diagonally). It'll be much better than a 6" screen, though. What about getting an ultralight 13" laptop, a la the 13" Macbook Air? The only tablet that comes near to that size is Asus's windows one, which is 12" diagonally.

Device #2: Except for the read in sunlight part, a 7" tablet would probably suit your needs. E-ink devices don't have productivity software unless rooted.

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09-01-2011, 02:49 PM	#1
Philip36Fld Enthusiast Posts: 25 Karma: 20 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: none	Looking for help in finding two mobile devices I am hoping to find two mobile devices with the features listed below for reading, etc. that I can keep synced with each other. Can my desires be met in the current marketplace? Does anybody here have any recommendations or suggestions? What is not acceptable is a large clumsy laptop and a pda and an ereader restricted to one format and a mobile phone. Device #1: a) Will be carried back and forth from home, the office, and school, and will be left there. b) Must have a full complement of personal management software; calendar, clock, multiple alarms, etc. c) Must have a color display. d) Must at a minimum be able to comfortably display a full 8 ½ x 11 page; though a larger size might be nice, say large enough to display the top half of one newspaper page in “landscape” mode. e) Able to comfortably work with and display graphic and picture heavy technical and reference books, newspapers, magazines, and possibly even blueprints. f) Must be able to handle multiple standard formats such as EPub, PDF, MOBI, DOC, ODF, and others. g) Must have internet access and the ability to download media. h) Must also come with the ability to use removable storage media. -- I want the ability to go in and purchase, say for example the 500 greatest books, on one media device and use it. I want the ability to have two separate libraries on two separate devices, a work/school reference library and a personal recreational library, that I can swap whenever I wish. I want the ability to bring in, on a separate removable storage device, third party (from work or school or wherever) epub, pdf, and other documents and to be able to use them . Device #2: a) Will be carried in and out of the car and out on errands. b) Must have at least a subset of the personal management software that is on Device #1 consisting of at least calendar and alarms. Data in Device #2 must be able to stay synced with Device #1. c) Must be able to read comfortable outdoors with it in full sunlight. A black and white screen is acceptable. d) Must be able to fit comfortably in an oversize pocket. e) Must be able to display, in full size, standard paperback books. f) Must be able to handle multiple standard document formats such as EPub, PDF, MOBI, DOC, ODF, and others. g) Must be able play music and listen to the radio on it. h) Must be able to use it as a phone (act as the base, not the handset!). Any ideas, recommendations, or suggestions out there?

09-01-2011, 03:04 PM	#2
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	The desire for syncing everything seems to point to iOS devices (e.g. iPad and iPod or iPhone). However, they don't have SD cards. The Motorola Xoom seems to have an SD card, but I don't know about syncing with other Android devices/apps. I think you'll be hard pressed to find a Device #2 with a radio. Most devices with a radio that I have seen are simple MP3 players. Unless you mean internet radio. Not sure what you mean by "Must be able to use it as a phone (act as the base, not the handset!)". There are a few 5" tablets, I think, like the Dell Streak phone, that might be ok for Device #2, other than the comments above.

09-01-2011, 04:07 PM	#3
ilovejedd hopeless n00b Posts: 5,110 Karma: 19597086 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: in the middle of nowhere Device: PW4, PW3, Libra H2O, iPad 10.5, iPad 11, iPad 12.9	Wait to see what Amazon whips out? Right now, I think they're the best candidate to deliver syncing. Kobo app is available in Amazon's app store so I would think you'd be able to use that for ePub. Unfortunately, I don't think there are devices out right now that will meet all your needs.

09-01-2011, 05:36 PM	#4
Andrew H. Grand Master of Flowers Posts: 2,201 Karma: 8389072 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Naptown Device: Kindle PW, Kindle 3 (aka Keyboard), iPhone, iPad 3 (not for reading)	I don't think that anything that is comfortable to use in full sunlight (i.e., e-ink) can do what you want for device #2. I think that most Android tablets would meet need #1. E-books tend to be pretty small, so you can probably fit a school and work and home library on one SD card (around 800 books per GB).

09-03-2011, 10:42 PM	#5
ebusinesstutor Star Gawker Posts: 526 Karma: 6944314 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Spruce Grove, AB Canada Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Device 1. Large android tablet Device 2. Small android tablet. Not as good for reading outdoors, but will sync with Device #1 flawlessly

09-04-2011, 04:45 PM	#6
Philip36Fld Enthusiast Posts: 25 Karma: 20 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: none	The more I read, look, and think, the more my mind turns to a netbook with a 10" screen for device #1 and the use of DropBox for syncing. Maybe an even smaller netbook for device #2?

09-04-2011, 09:43 PM	#7
charmian Addict Posts: 386 Karma: 1814548 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kindle 3, Kindle PW2	Device #1 A 10.1" screen is not going to give you a full 8.5X11" experience (a piece of paper that size is 14" diagonally). It'll be much better than a 6" screen, though. What about getting an ultralight 13" laptop, a la the 13" Macbook Air? The only tablet that comes near to that size is Asus's windows one, which is 12" diagonally. Device #2: Except for the read in sunlight part, a 7" tablet would probably suit your needs. E-ink devices don't have productivity software unless rooted.

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