best 200$ - tablet for reading

[incineratorz]

Hi fellow readers, I'm looking for a tablet in 200$ and under range for reading.

I have a couple books on kobo, many pdf books along with some free epubs.

I was looking at the kobo arc 32gb (130$)
kindle fire 8gb ( 125$)
samsung galaxy tab 8gb ( 170$)
Asus memo pad HD 7 16gb ( 170$)

I'm really noobish in eReading tablets department so I'm looking for advices.

Any suggestions appreciated or reviews or personal experience.

Thank you guys

[soondai]

I think your best bet might be an iPad mini (1st generation). On sale from Best Buy for 200 right now. 4x3 ratio. 8 inches. It would make a big difference on PDFs in particular. These are tough to read on a skinnier 7 inch Android table.

I'm no apple fanboy, by the way. I have an old iPad 1 we use for videos. I read on a Nexus 7. Works fine for ePubs/kindle, but a little skinny for me. Does not work well for PDFs.

There are also 4x3 android tablets in the price range, just not big name ones.
Looks like the Acer Iconia 8 inch with the same dimensions runs $140 on Amazon with pretty good reviews.

[Anthem]

Well, using an LCD for reading purposes means you want to get the highest quality display that you can for your money. My primary focus would be screen resolution and reputation of the manufacturer regarding screen quality. For reading purposes, you probably want 1280x800 as an absolute minimum(in a 7" tablet, higher in a 9" or 10"), sight unseen. If you can look at the display with a book pulled up on it, that would be ideal.

When I went from my excellent Nexus 7 (2012) 1280x800 resolution screen to my Kindle Fire HDX 1920x1200 resolution screen, I was blown away. The Nexus 7 screen was already great for reading, but the HDX screen was obviously far superior. The new(er) Nexus 7 also has a great display.

Also, I would recommend 16GB as a minimum storage capacity. You MIGHT be able to get away with 8GB, and books will be the least of your problems in keeping some space available, but apps will sap away at what you have left. If you will be doing anything other than reading, you'll probably want to get 16GB or more storage space.

Another thing to consider: weight of the device. The heavier the device the more fatiguing it will generally be when you are holding it and reading it. General ergonomics is a concern as well. You just want to make sure that the device is at least somewhat comfortable to hold, which I know is a lot to ask from a device that is essentially a plastic slab with glass on the front. Still, do your best.

Battery life is also useful to think about. The Amazon devices have a special mode that they go in to when you are reading on it, that helps increase the battery life. The reading time you get out of the Nexus 7 is generally excellent. Samsung usually puts a good battery in their devices.

Also to consider: do you want access to many e-book stores? Amazon devices generally only have access to the Kindle store. The Nexus and the Samsung devices will have access to most any bookstore.

You may wish to consider the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook edition that Barnes & Noble is selling now. It is basically a regular old Tab 4, but has some special BN software on it, but nothing that would lock you out of the Play Store. $179 and free shipping right now.

Anyway, maybe go to Best Buy and have a look at them? That helped me choose the Kindle Fire HDX. The screen and feel of the device was just way too good for me to pass up, and I don't really purchase books from anyone other than Amazon. Other than that, I use my superb local library system which operates through Amazon and Overdrive.

Sorry, I know this really doesn't help all that much.

Also, maybe think about the Kobo ARC 7 HD. It is $199.99, has a decent HD+ screen, and access to the Play Store ecosystem. Not the greatest processor, but definitely OK for reading purposes and general tablet tasks.

[susan_cassidy]

The Amazon Fire can sideload many reading applications, like the Nook app, and you can read whatever you want.

[dwig]

Originally Posted by incineratorz

Hi fellow readers, I'm looking for a tablet in 200$ and under range for reading.

I have a couple books on kobo, many pdf books along with some free epubs. ...

Many PDF books = problems when using a small screen device since many (most?) are created for printing on standard letter size paper or printing as a standard size book. This is a particular problem with textbooks where the page is relatively large in the printed version and the text is laid out in two or more columns.

I would suggest adding some of the 8" Windows 8.1 tablets to those under consideration. These give you access to a wide range of PDF viewers along with the usual eBook reader apps. Several are currently in "closeout" at around $200USD and there is a new generation being released and/or announced this month by most manufacturers.

I'm currently using a Dell Venue 8 Pro (8" Win 8.1) which sports a 1280x800 screen with excellent image quality.

[Stunatra]

Originally Posted by incineratorz

Hi fellow readers, I'm looking for a tablet in 200$ and under range for reading.

I have a couple books on kobo, many pdf books along with some free epubs.

I was looking at the kobo arc 32gb (130$)
kindle fire 8gb ( 125$)
samsung galaxy tab 8gb ( 170$)
Asus memo pad HD 7 16gb ( 170$)

I'm really noobish in eReading tablets department so I'm looking for advices.

Any suggestions appreciated or reviews or personal experience.

Thank you guys

I wouldn't buy a tablet for reading. The glare is awful. If you want eyestrain I guess. Maybe if you can find a nice matte screen protector. I know it's awful for PDFs, but the Paperwhite is ideal for reading.

[markom]

Originally Posted by dwig

Many PDF books = problems when using a small screen device since many (most?) are created for printing on standard letter size paper or printing as a standard size book. This is a particular problem with textbooks where the page is relatively large in the printed version and the text is laid out in two or more columns.

....

On the contrary, two-column A4/letter sized pdf (for both scanned or vectorized text) is usually easier to read on small screen devices because such device usually features 2-column or multi-column zooming mode, and single column fits 6" portraite screen nicely (takes 4 screens per page).

A4 pdf without columns is a lot bigger problem, because if it is scan without OCR layer its letters shall be too small on 120 mm landscape 6" screen for any pleasant reading, or if it has OCR layer or is textual pdf, then using reader's own pdf reflow mode (if existed) shall result in deleted pictures, lost layout, probably slower page flipping and OCR errors (because readers usually show reflowed ocr layer not reflowed scanned picture itself).

Luckily there is a good solution for reading A4 scans or pdf vectors on any 6" or 7" e-ink or lcd reader and it's called k2pdfopt app.

http://www.willus.com/k2pdfopt/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcm5...4GtE5XPpWS5rOP

It reflows scanned picture itself (not just the ocr layer behind it), retains pictures and tables minimally changing pdf layout, allows for different size of letters, and last but not least, pdf flipping shall not be slower but a lot faster because reader doesn't have to compute anything but just to show perfectly tailored pdf pages for its size, resolution and orientation.

[rdjack21]

Personally I have the LG GPad 8.3 its a little over a year old but still a very nice device. 1080p 8" screen 16GB and can be had for right at $200 on Ebay new. Then add a mate screen protector to it to get rid of the glossy screen and you will be good to go.

Ebay Search for device

I read on mine quite a bit mostly because it is just so convient to do so and my NST is getting a little long in the tooth (it is starting to have issues). I really wish I could find a good eink reader in the 8 inch form factor because it is really good for reading. The only problem of course is that it does have LCD screen which means it will drain the battery during long binge reading sessoins but still I get a good amount of time with out needing power so really has not been an issue but would still prefer to not have to worry about it.