Note 10.3" vs Max2 13" for reading PDFs

Bookchin · 05-06-2018, 11:39 PM

Does anyone have experience reading PDFs with both a 13" and a 10.3" e-reader? Is there much difference in quality or page size? Does a 10.3" size feel cramped compared to a 13"?

I guess my question is essentially about whether a 10.3" is worth getting over a 13", and if there are any disadvantages to a 10.3" in terms of reading experience.

mdp · 05-07-2018, 03:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookchin

Does anyone have experience reading PDFs with both a 13" and a 10.3" e-reader? Is there much difference in quality or page size? Does a 10.3" size feel cramped compared to a 13"?

I guess my question is essentially about whether a 10.3" is worth getting over a 13", and if there are any disadvantages to a 10.3" in terms of reading experience.

Have you checked the material I posted at post #17 of
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...ght=pdf&page=2
?

Question Mark · 05-07-2018, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookchin

I guess my question is essentially about whether a 10.3" is worth getting over a 13", and if there are any disadvantages to a 10.3" in terms of reading experience.

That's a very subjective question which will be influenced by your work needs. What is ideal for one mightn't be for another.

For me, the Note does what I need very well and is more portable than the Max2. I have not really used my Max1 since I received my Note. I have also powered off my KA1 which had been my primary ereader. So my Note has replaced two devices.

However, if portability is not a big concern and if you will be doing plenty of editing/composing on the device, then the larger real estate of the Max2 might make more sense.

In addition to having a look at the files which mdp uploaded, make a cutout of each device to its full dimensions. Some people have been surprised by how big the Max2 is and have sent it back after receiving it.

Randy11 · 05-08-2018, 05:44 AM

The size is not a problem for me.

The benefit to have all my technical books on the screen in one or two pages (with Librera) mode justify the 13.3" screen. For the magazines with a A2 format it's fantastic. I scan A4 paper sheets and I like to have roughly a full scale, without boring to crop the PDF pages.

I have an old M92 (9.7"), for me there is no interest to have a 10.3" screen.

Drew22 · 05-08-2018, 07:14 AM

Personally, I find that the 13,3 inch screen is best suited for PDFs. I had the 9,7 inch M96 and the experience was awful, especially when the document had small letters. Supposedly 10,3 inch is not much different.

The mobility argument is important to some people, but not to me. Actually it is hard to believe that you would read technical or scientific articles during commuting to work simply because you don't have enough time and silence to concentrate on difficult issues.

For sure, the design of Note is superior to Max2, but again Max2 is a tool for work, not something to show off.

Besides, the two pages in one will be the new feature coming in Neo Reader2 with the new Onyx update. That is great for having a better outlook of your text. This feature will not yield much on a 10,3 inch screen though.

The text resolution might be somewhat better by Note (220ppi?) because of the smaller screen, but believe me, 207 ppi is more than enough for crisp letters and images.

The software is almost identical, so here no difficult choice to do

.

Take the advice of @Questionmark, to make a paper or carton cutout of each device to its full dimensions in order to find out which device proportions suit better your subjective preferences. Then think about your objective needs and make a final decision without looking back ever.

Bookchin · 05-08-2018, 12:25 PM

Thanks Drew. That's actually what I did yesterday! (I also made cardboard cut-outs a few years ago when trying to decide between a 24" and 27" monitor). In addition to making carboard cut-outs of the two Onyx sizes, I went to my local Apple store and compared the iPad Pro 10.5" with the 12.9" to get a feel for the image sizes.

What I realized after doing these things was that neither size is ideal. The ideal size would really be around 12".

That said, the 10.3" does seem a little less ideal than the 13.3". The image seems a bit on the smallish side for PDFs. However, I don't like the bulkiness of the 13.3" size. But if I had to pick one or the other, it would reluctantly be the 13.3".

DaleDe · 05-09-2018, 06:54 PM

Amazon is selling the older max and the note for the same price. The max2 is quite a bit higher. Both max and max2 have the same resolution so the screen reading should be approximately the same. There is a significance performance difference and more memory in the max2 but the max can take a memory card. The max 2 runs Android 6 while the max run Android 4.4.

Dale

Question Mark · 05-09-2018, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

The max 2 runs Android 6 while the max run Android 4.4.

My Max1 runs Android 4.0.4, and, unless things have changed, I believe that the Max Carta runs the same straight out of the box.

From what I recall, Booxtor has an optional beta update to take either device to Android 4.4.

However, from what I recall, there were some issues being reported from people who had installed it. (Of course, there are some issues with Android 4.0.4 as well.) Some people seemed to prefer the Android 4.4 update, but others switched back after a while.

Not sure if any of the issues with the update to 4.4 were ever worked out. I never bothered with it.

gimble · 05-10-2018, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookchin

I don't like the bulkiness of the 13.3" size. But if I had to pick one or the other, it would reluctantly be the 13.3".

If you don't mind reading in landscape mode, then Note 10.3 can handle pretty much any pdf document without requiring resizing/navigating around zoom. The only issue will be documents with multiple columns since the whole page wont be seen in this mode.

mdp · 05-10-2018, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew22

I had the 9,7 inch M96 and the experience was awful, especially when the document had small letters. Supposedly 10,3 inch is not much different

Totally different outside the inches: you cannot compare a 1200x825 display with a 1872x1404 one. It's over two-and-a-half the information.
Number of dots wise, the M96 is 37% the Note and 27% the Max2. Not to mention the visual effect of 150 DPI.

Karluzz · 03-24-2021, 08:28 AM

Does anyone have experience with two-column papers on 10.3" display? I was thinking about buying a Boox Note Air, but I was not sure about the readability of such PDFs.

Marinolino · 03-24-2021, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karluzz

Does anyone have experience with two-column papers on 10.3" display? I was thinking about buying a Boox Note Air, but I was not sure about the readability of such PDFs.

" PDF reading size vs. actual book & Single-handed use test (Onyx Boox Note 3/Note Air/Max 3/iPad Pro) "

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyRfbEBGnkk

Reading academic papers with Onyx Boox Note Air [Part I]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5HE01amvdc

Reading three-column papers with navigation mode (ft. Onyx Boox Note Air)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kuoo__RYbsU

05-08-2018, 07:14 AM	#5
Drew22 Connoisseur Posts: 56 Karma: 78912 Join Date: May 2016 Device: Onyx Boox MAX	Go for what you really need Personally, I find that the 13,3 inch screen is best suited for PDFs. I had the 9,7 inch M96 and the experience was awful, especially when the document had small letters. Supposedly 10,3 inch is not much different. The mobility argument is important to some people, but not to me. Actually it is hard to believe that you would read technical or scientific articles during commuting to work simply because you don't have enough time and silence to concentrate on difficult issues. For sure, the design of Note is superior to Max2, but again Max2 is a tool for work, not something to show off. Besides, the two pages in one will be the new feature coming in Neo Reader2 with the new Onyx update. That is great for having a better outlook of your text. This feature will not yield much on a 10,3 inch screen though. The text resolution might be somewhat better by Note (220ppi?) because of the smaller screen, but believe me, 207 ppi is more than enough for crisp letters and images. The software is almost identical, so here no difficult choice to do . Take the advice of @Questionmark, to make a paper or carton cutout of each device to its full dimensions in order to find out which device proportions suit better your subjective preferences. Then think about your objective needs and make a final decision without looking back ever.

05-08-2018, 12:25 PM	#6
Bookchin Connoisseur Posts: 72 Karma: 2076068 Join Date: Apr 2017 Device: none	Thanks Drew. That's actually what I did yesterday! (I also made cardboard cut-outs a few years ago when trying to decide between a 24" and 27" monitor). In addition to making carboard cut-outs of the two Onyx sizes, I went to my local Apple store and compared the iPad Pro 10.5" with the 12.9" to get a feel for the image sizes. What I realized after doing these things was that neither size is ideal. The ideal size would really be around 12". That said, the 10.3" does seem a little less ideal than the 13.3". The image seems a bit on the smallish side for PDFs. However, I don't like the bulkiness of the 13.3" size. But if I had to pick one or the other, it would reluctantly be the 13.3". Last edited by Bookchin; 05-08-2018 at 12:29 PM.

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05-06-2018, 11:39 PM	#1
Bookchin Connoisseur Posts: 72 Karma: 2076068 Join Date: Apr 2017 Device: none	Note 10.3" vs Max2 13" for reading PDFs Does anyone have experience reading PDFs with both a 13" and a 10.3" e-reader? Is there much difference in quality or page size? Does a 10.3" size feel cramped compared to a 13"? I guess my question is essentially about whether a 10.3" is worth getting over a 13", and if there are any disadvantages to a 10.3" in terms of reading experience.

05-08-2018, 05:44 AM	#4
Randy11 Wizard Posts: 1,138 Karma: 1577094 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Samsung EB60, Onyx M92, Onyx Max2	The size is not a problem for me. The benefit to have all my technical books on the screen in one or two pages (with Librera) mode justify the 13.3" screen. For the magazines with a A2 format it's fantastic. I scan A4 paper sheets and I like to have roughly a full scale, without boring to crop the PDF pages. I have an old M92 (9.7"), for me there is no interest to have a 10.3" screen.

05-09-2018, 06:54 PM	#7
DaleDe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,470 Karma: 13095790 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Grass Valley, CA Device: EB 1150, EZ Reader, Literati, iPad 2 & Air 2, iPhone 7	Amazon is selling the older max and the note for the same price. The max2 is quite a bit higher. Both max and max2 have the same resolution so the screen reading should be approximately the same. There is a significance performance difference and more memory in the max2 but the max can take a memory card. The max 2 runs Android 6 while the max run Android 4.4. Dale

03-24-2021, 08:28 AM	#11
Karluzz Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2021 Device: Kindle PW2	Does anyone have experience with two-column papers on 10.3" display? I was thinking about buying a Boox Note Air, but I was not sure about the readability of such PDFs.

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