Best .PDF Reader available?????

vagabondo · 11-08-2007, 10:48 PM

Hello,

What is the best reader to view .pdf files?

I have heard that there are some issues with the Sony Readers.

Any suggestions?

Is it difficult to view .pdfs on the Sonys?

Thank you for all the help!

Roy White · 11-09-2007, 12:22 AM

vagabondo. The reader displays PDF files very well. The problem is, almost all PDF files are made for full size computer screens so the text shows up way to small to be read on the reader.

If a file has been created using PDF with the reader in mind then it reads very well. ie. the file must be created using huge font sizes.

If you have lots of PDF files and are hoping to be able to read them using the reader then it probably wont work.

However, you can get thousands of books for free at this site and others for the reader. If you are into old books that are in public domain (Almost all the "Classics") The Reader is the device for you.

I use mine constantly.

To answer your first question, which device will work to read PDF files made for a computer size screen?

I dunno.

DaleDe · 11-09-2007, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roy White

vagabondo. The reader displays PDF files very well. The problem is, almost all PDF files are made for full size computer screens so the text shows up way to small to be read on the reader.

If a file has been created using PDF with the reader in mind then it reads very well. ie. the file must be created using huge font sizes.

If you have lots of PDF files and are hoping to be able to read them using the reader then it probably wont work.

However, you can get thousands of books for free at this site and others for the reader. If you are into old books that are in public domain (Almost all the "Classics") The Reader is the device for you.

I use mine constantly.

To answer your first question, which device will work to read PDF files made for a computer size screen?

I dunno.

Actually it is worse than this. PDF's are made for full size pieces of paper on a printer, not for computer screens.. Even many computer screens are too small to show the text without scrolling. So the answer is the biggest screen you can get is the best. Today that would be the iLiad displayed in landscape with two pages per PDF page.

Dale

jbenny · 11-09-2007, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Actually it is worse than this. PDF's are made for full size pieces of paper on a printer, not for computer screens.. Even many computer screens are too small to show the text without scrolling. So the answer is the biggest screen you can get is the best. Today that would be the iLiad displayed in landscape with two pages per PDF page.

Dale

I have a Tablet PC with a 1024x768, 10 inch screen and it is barely large enough for many PDFs without zooming in. As has been mentioned many times here, the typical PDF really sucks if you need to view it on a small screen. PDF just isn't designed for reflowing on different screen sizes. Even using a "tagged" PDF isn't a very good solution. Of course, if you create a PDF specifically for the screen size you are using, the results can be good.

nairbv · 11-22-2007, 02:33 AM

I'm have the same question to some extent, and it's still a valid question even if it's going to be crappy on all of them.

Obviously the biggest screen you can get is better. If he's not commited to eink, then there are lots of bigger options. If he's like me:

I want a small eink screen that I will use for other things, but still question which ones handle PDF best, i.e.:

which ones support landscape mode (which will obviously be significantly better)?

which ones give you flexible zooming? (I've heard some only have fixed width, fixed height, and original size). I've read that some won't even let you pan around, so even if you're just trying to look at a one page document and be able to slowly find all the text on it, it still won't be possible.

Will any automatically zoom through so that the margins are outside of the viewing screen, making the text slightly bigger?

HarryT · 11-22-2007, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nairbv

which ones support landscape mode (which will obviously be significantly better)?

They all do.

Quote:

which ones give you flexible zooming? (I've heard some only have fixed width, fixed height, and original size). I've read that some won't even let you pan around, so even if you're just trying to look at a one page document and be able to slowly find all the text on it, it still won't be possible.

Will any automatically zoom through so that the margins are outside of the viewing screen, making the text slightly bigger?

Only the iLiad (AFAIK) will do any of these things. Both the Sony and the CyBook will only zoom to the width of the screen, no more. The iLiad provides extremely flexible PDF handling.

igorsk · 11-22-2007, 04:53 PM

Kindle can do landscape? I'm quite sure someone said it can't.

HarryT · 11-23-2007, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by igorsk

Kindle can do landscape? I'm quite sure someone said it can't.

I wouldn't know about the Kindle. I'm restricting my discussion to those devices which can be used by anyone (Sony Reader, iRex iLiad, Bookeen CyBook, Hanlin V3, etc), not crippled devices which can only be bought and used in a single country and which are therefore a complete irrelevence to most readers.

vivaldirules · 11-23-2007, 06:30 PM

I use the PDFLRF utility available from this forum on DRM-free PDFs for my Sony Reader. It is very functional and makes PDFs very readable which has saved me since I have many PDFs that were formatted for A4 or letter viewing. It's a step I would prefer not to have to take and it ends up having to cut pages in half for viewing in landscape mode so it is certainly not ideal.

RWood · 11-23-2007, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by igorsk

Kindle can do landscape? I'm quite sure someone said it can't.

Point of reference: Amazon has never said that the Kindle can even do PDF.

wallcraft · 11-25-2007, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vagabondo

What is the best reader to view .pdf files?

Sometimes ".pdf" refers to DRMed Adobe e-books, so for completeness I will reiterate here that no current E-Ink device reads such files. The Sony PRS-505 might do so once it has Adobe Digital Editions, but even that is uncertain.

I have never tried it, but my understanding is that the iLiad will read password protected PDFs, if you have the password.

11-08-2007, 10:48 PM	#1
vagabondo Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Sony 500	Best .PDF Reader available????? Hello, What is the best reader to view .pdf files? I have heard that there are some issues with the Sony Readers. Any suggestions? Is it difficult to view .pdfs on the Sonys? Thank you for all the help!

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11-09-2007, 12:22 AM	#2
Roy White Evangelist Posts: 482 Karma: 7696 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Turner, Oregon Device: Sony Reader	vagabondo. The reader displays PDF files very well. The problem is, almost all PDF files are made for full size computer screens so the text shows up way to small to be read on the reader. If a file has been created using PDF with the reader in mind then it reads very well. ie. the file must be created using huge font sizes. If you have lots of PDF files and are hoping to be able to read them using the reader then it probably wont work. However, you can get thousands of books for free at this site and others for the reader. If you are into old books that are in public domain (Almost all the "Classics") The Reader is the device for you. I use mine constantly. To answer your first question, which device will work to read PDF files made for a computer size screen? I dunno.

11-22-2007, 02:33 AM	#5
nairbv Connoisseur Posts: 88 Karma: 15 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: still looking for an ebook reader device	I'm have the same question to some extent, and it's still a valid question even if it's going to be crappy on all of them. Obviously the biggest screen you can get is better. If he's not commited to eink, then there are lots of bigger options. If he's like me: I want a small eink screen that I will use for other things, but still question which ones handle PDF best, i.e.: which ones support landscape mode (which will obviously be significantly better)? which ones give you flexible zooming? (I've heard some only have fixed width, fixed height, and original size). I've read that some won't even let you pan around, so even if you're just trying to look at a one page document and be able to slowly find all the text on it, it still won't be possible. Will any automatically zoom through so that the margins are outside of the viewing screen, making the text slightly bigger?

11-22-2007, 04:53 PM	#7
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	Kindle can do landscape? I'm quite sure someone said it can't.

11-23-2007, 06:30 PM	#9
vivaldirules When's Doughnut Day? Posts: 10,059 Karma: 13675475 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Houston, TX, US Device: Sony PRS-505, iPad	I use the PDFLRF utility available from this forum on DRM-free PDFs for my Sony Reader. It is very functional and makes PDFs very readable which has saved me since I have many PDFs that were formatted for A4 or letter viewing. It's a step I would prefer not to have to take and it ends up having to cut pages in half for viewing in landscape mode so it is certainly not ideal.

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