best TABLET form factor,and size for reading

[stumped]

background - I already have and intend to keep , a Kindle voyage, and a fire hDX tablet

I am wanting to treat myself to another tablet, for both videos and reading, so I am looking at form factors and sizes.
any links to other discussions will be appreciated.

I only read at home so ease of transport is not a factor.

here's my dilemmas,
1. for movies a 16:10 rectangle is arguably best, like my Fire HDX
but for reading, most? folks assert that 4: 3 is better, like ipads or like my shortlisted samsung galaxy tab 2
On the 16:10 tablets that I already own, i read mostly in landscape, using 2 column layouts
on a 4:3 device I guess i'd read in single column portrait
formats is not an issue - I know how to convert and I can sideload epub readers to amazon tablets as needed

2. then there is 8 inch via 9.7 inch size. I guess smaller = lighter, so easier to hold but text will be smaller

3. and finally there is ppi. I tabulated the ppi for all that i have now + my shortlist, but how much is " enough" i.e. at what number can you not tell the difference for reading ?

My kindle voyage ppi is 300

my shortlist of owned + targetted tablets, sorted on ppi looks like this
Lenovo (owned) 10.1 218 - fonts definitely look rougher on that
samsung galaxy tab s2 9.7 264
nvidia shield K1 8.0 283
samsung galaxy tab s2 8.0 320
fire HDX (owned) 8.9 339 - excellent fonts

( the shortlist is short because netflix in full HD is another requirement and only a few tablets are whitelisted by Netflix for that. )

so I am looking for feedback on ppi, form factors and sizes, for android tablets only please, and not to sidetrack into any e -ink vs tablet or android vs apple territory.
I will probably stick with my of google play copy of Bookari, as the android reader, and make my own pseudo night mode theme colour choices.

A final observation on size: if I hold my largest Lenovo tablet at my normal reading /viewing distance then look only out of each single eye, I note that both eyes do not take in the whole screen. each eye cuts off one bottom corner. that seems to make the case for a smaller screen , where both eyes should take in all of it?

[dwig]

Originally Posted by stumped

...
1. for movies a 16:10 rectangle is arguably best, like my Fire HDX
but for reading, most? folks assert that 4: 3 is better, like ipads or like my shortlisted samsung galaxy tab 2...

I've only ever encountered to pro-4:3 argument in comments on ebook threads, and generally from pundits with no typography background. If you survey print books issued for the last century you'll find that the text block is usually much much more in the range of 10:16 (vertical orientation of 16:10). Page sizes on modern paperbacks all fall between 9.5:16 and 10.5:16.

I've been reading ebooks for over a quarter century and have read on screens with a wide range of aspect ratios. I don't find that I have a particular preference except that I rather dislike horizontal (landscape) screens unless I use them for 2 column display. I'm fine with the more print-like 10:16 as well as with 3:4, but less so with square or 4:3 (my old PalmOS Sony Clies). Horizontal with 2 columns is how I use my 8" Windows tablet (16:10, and yes its more than just an iOS<>Android tablet world out there).

[stumped]

thanks guys - I was thinking of looking up form factors for actual paperbacks/ hardbacks - or measuring any we still have.
I think I am re-listing the galaxy tab s2 due to speaker placement being all wrong for movies - whatever I choose has to be good for books and for videos but I may look at other 4:3 makes
also, I found there's a thing called screen to body ratio, which varies by make, so a bit more math is needed to get from a headline tablet size to an actual visible screen area
estimate.
so instead of 8 inch, 9.7 inch... I am taking tablet's published width x height x screen-to-body % to estimate the actual visible screen area , then solving for estimated visible screen width & height in the correct ratio

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by stumped

thanks guys - I was thinking of looking up form factors for actual paperbacks/ hardbacks - or measuring any we still have.
I think I am re-listing the galaxy tab s2 due to speaker placement being all wrong for movies - whatever I choose has to be good for books and for videos but I may look at other 4:3 makes
also, I found there's a thing called screen to body ratio, which varies by make, so a bit more math is needed to get from a headline tablet size to an actual visible screen area
estimate.
so instead of 8 inch, 9.7 inch... I am taking tablet's published width x height x screen-to-body % to estimate the actual visible screen area , then solving for estimated visible screen width & height in the correct ratio

Check our wiki for Screen sizes which has most or perhaps all of the information you need. I find paperback books are not quite 4:3 but more like 3:2. I think 4:3 is a good compromise for PDF which is usually standard paper ratios and having a reflowable document in ePub with more information on the screen itself.

Dale

[stumped]

Thanks again, I should have been a little more specific, I read almost entirely epub, so pdf handling is not a significant factor. For the few things that are I do keep in pdf,like user manuals, they mostly look pretty good in Adobe Android reader .
My strong preference is to stay with Android, which I like, but Windows tablets are maybe worth a look. I read that Freda is a good free epub app, plus there is the coming soon improved calibre reader..

[barryem]

I have a Windows 10 tablet and I've explored the various ereaders available for it and some aren't bad but there's nothing to compare with the readers available for Android.

If you have a preference for Windows for other reasons you can find a good ereader but if the primary objective is reading Moon+ or it's competitors on Android are much nicer.

Barry

[dwig]

Originally Posted by barryem

...If you have a preference for Windows for other reasons you can find a good ereader but if the primary objective is reading Moon+ or it's competitors on Android are much nicer.

Barry

This is probably true. Freda and Book Bazaar Reader are both nice and quite functional. I currently use Book Bazaar for true "reading".

There are several reasons I chose a Windows tablet, but one big advantage is that I can run calibre and maintain my full library on my portable device. I new and improved ebook-reader in calibre would be welcome.

For my simple reading (fiction read for pleasure with no need to sync multiple devices or take notes...). Book Bazaar or Freda are all I need with calibre there for library management. I only put 2-3 book in Book Bazaar at a time and delete them when read. I export new ones from calibre as needed.

[stumped]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Check our wiki for Screen sizes which has most or perhaps all of the information you need. ...

Dale

i may be being little OCD but I did not see anything there on screen to body ratios.
on my Kindle voyage, there is very little "bordering" for example, but some tablets have (relatively) large borders so that the pixel area may occupy only 2/3rds of the headline device dimensions

I read also that if you choose a white tablet - you get the zebra effect of white screen with black borders, in a white frame... that may be more annoying for videos than for books but still... my fire HDX is black edged so I don't see that effect, but I do see that the lit screen area is smaller that you might expect, if given only the tablet dimensions.

[HarryT]

I definitely prefer a 4:3 aspect ratio for reading. The big advantage of a 10" reader over an 8" is for PDFs, where a smaller screen will necessitate constant scrolling. A 10" screen can readably display an A4/Letter page if margins are appropriately cropped.

[stumped]

i am sure that is true for PDFs, but if you were choosing only to read epubs, would you still go for 10 rather than 8 ?

the trade is weight and 1 handed comfort vs sceeen area ?

I make such little use of PDF that I'd rather tleave that out of my decision process. I don't read comics, or manga or "graphic novels" / "big screen" stuff either, just epub fiction

[HarryT]

If I were reading only fiction, I wouldn't even go for an 8" device. A 6" reader is far more portable and lightweight. The reader you always have with you is better than the big heavy one that's left at home.

[stumped]

Originally Posted by HarryT

If I were reading only fiction, I wouldn't even go for an 8" device. A 6" reader is far more portable and lightweight. The reader you always have with you is better than the big heavy one that's left at home.

Well I have a 6 inch voyage already !
but I do strangely prefer a larger, on-tablet read, maybe because larger screen = less page turns. But also because the voyage frustrates as I cannot reprogram it for single left handed use, as I don't enjoy using the actual page turn buttons. With Moon, Bookari I can customise the tap/ swipe stuff. and I can customise colours to get a night time experince that is not full-on solid black, but is still light text on dark background. And I get the convenience of calibre companion for browsing & adding my existing books.

Backing up a little - as I am choosing for a combo of better HD netflix AND reading, i want 8" or larger. & I don't leave home, except for local shops, so travel size is not a factor either- though I admit that the Voyage is ideal for any sitting around in doctor/ dentist... waiting rooms

I am also now looking at the old Galaxy Pro S 8.4 or 9.7 , which are 16:10 Kitkat tablets but it's an expensive buy for what would be a used tablet with an older android, & out of warranty. I could auction off the voyage, but I can't sell it on Amazon market place, and Amazon take a huge cut, 45% I think on any marketplace sales of amazon gear that they do allow, like Kindle covers

[church mouse]

Originally Posted by HarryT

If I were reading only fiction, I wouldn't even go for an 8" device. A 6" reader is far more portable and lightweight. The reader you always have with you is better than the big heavy one that's left at home.

I agree entirely with this.

However, OP says it is only for home use. If the tablet is for movies and reading epubs, then, personally, the important issue would be good for movies, in which case get as big a screen as possible. Movies are invariably made for a big screen, whereas fiction books are pretty agnostic.

Sent from my YOGA Tablet 2-830F using Tapatalk

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by stumped

Well I have a 6 inch voyage already !
but I do strangely prefer a larger, on-tablet read, maybe because larger screen = less page turns. But also because the voyage frustrates as I cannot reprogram it for single left handed use, as I don't enjoy using the actual page turn buttons. With Moon, Bookari I can customise the tap/ swipe stuff. and I can customise colours to get a night time experince that is not full-on solid black, but is still light text on dark background. And I get the convenience of calibre companion for browsing & adding my existing books.

Backing up a little - as I am choosing for a combo of better HD netflix AND reading, i want 8" or larger. & I don't leave home, except for local shops, so travel size is not a factor either- though I admit that the Voyage is ideal for any sitting around in doctor/ dentist... waiting rooms

I am also now looking at the old Galaxy Pro S 8.4 or 9.7 , which are 16:10 Kitkat tablets but it's an expensive buy for what would be a used tablet with an older android, & out of warranty. I could auction off the voyage, but I can't sell it on Amazon market place, and Amazon take a huge cut, 45% I think on any marketplace sales of amazon gear that they do allow, like Kindle covers

I went from a 7.9" iPad Mini to a 9.7" iPad Air 2 (I know you don't want an Apple device - I'm just using it as an example) and for me the difference was enormous. The 9.7" screen makes so many things much easier to read, and I can make the text larger with the same amount of content on the page, which makes it more comfortable for me. And of course, much better for video. The opposite side of the coin is of course that the 9.7" device is significantly heavier.

Do you have any friends with tablets that you could perhaps try for yourself and see which you prefer? At the end of the day it's very much a personal decision.

[stumped]

that is the sort of useful feedback I was hoping for thanks. but i don't know anyone with 9.7" tablets, unfortunately.
I have made some cardboard cutouts for various devices but that's not the same experience
so when you went 7.9 -> 9.7 do you now have more words/lines on screen or did you opt to keep that constant and simply have larger text- or did you never notice

out of interest, what is the Kindle Voyage screen ratio - Is it actually 4:3 or a tad narrower 1430/ 1080 is 4/3 but subjectively it seems a tad narrower - maybe an optical illusion because there's more black plastic at top & bottom ?

An issue with ipad, apart from device cost, its that I'd have to re-buy all my apps,or learn how to sideload my existing epubs into ibooks & I don't think that Bookari, Moon+, CC even run on apple ?