Forum Posts Feed
Sightly OT: e-readers
< Next Topic | Back to topic list | Previous Topic >
Posted by dan7000
Jan 25, 2011 at 12:32 AM
Dr Andus wrote:
>dan7000 wrote:
> I’m wondering if anyone here has experience and
>>suggestions about
>whether I should consider an e-reader other than Kindle.
>
>I recommend you take a look
>at the “iPad” and “Beyond the PDF” threads on this forum a few days ago, as there’s been a
>bit of discussion on there about e-readers and PDFs. I’m also shopping for an e-reader
>solution, specifically to be able to read and annotate PDFs. I’ve done a bit of
>research and I’ve concluded that none of the dedicated e-readers on the market are up
>to the task. So the next best thing seem to be to use a tablet PC with a PDF annotating
>software. Then the next question is which device and which operating system. What
>I’ve heard is that the current Android OS (2.1, 2.2) have been designed for phones not
>for tablets, so they’re not as smooth as iPad’s OS is. Also, I couldn’t find any Android
>software for reading and annotating PDF that could match the sophistication of
>GoodReader or PDF Expert on iPad (check out the reviews on Youtube for these). Then
>there are Windows 7 tablets. However, Win 7 was also not designed for tablets, so what I
>hear is that it is sluggish, takes up most of the memory, and is not so
>tablet-user-friendly. Though some of the higher end ones seem decent, but they’re
>twice the price of the cheapest iPad.
>
>So far I’m drawn to iPad + PDF Expert
>combination. I suspect the price of iPad 1 will fall dramatically once the 80 or so
>different tablets that were announced for this year start gradually appearing the
>market (and once iPad 2 comes out in April).
For me, the problem with iPad is that it doesn’t match up to the kindle on battery life and size. I might as well use my notebook or a netbook instead of the iPad, because then I get a keyboard. The key thing I like about kindle is that I can literally use it for a week without remembering to charge it, I can comfortably hold it up for long periods, and it fits in the inside pocket of my overcoat.
Posted by dan7000
Jan 25, 2011 at 12:34 AM
quant wrote:
>one thing I forgot to mention, viliv s5 (and probably most of the tablets/ipad/...) is
>very hard to read on sunny day, that means I have to go for a seat that’s in shade in
>tube/train ;-)
>
>
Ah, yes. That’s one thing I forgot to mention: one reason that I don’t just use my laptop for reading on the weekends is that I can’t see it outside, and I like to sit in the park or the back porch or on the beach to do my reading on weekends.
Posted by dan7000
Jan 25, 2011 at 12:35 AM
quant wrote:
>For what it’s worth, I’m using viliv s5 at the moment (last half a year), it’s a PC in the
>pocket (new 340 pounds off ebay).
>It doesn’t have multitouch bla bla bla, ... but I can
>have all the same soft that I have on my standard PC, that means for example, proper PDF
>annotation software (pdf-xchange), proper indexing software (archivarius) and my
>knowledge base (UR).
>
>It’s kind of amusing to read some comments that Win 7 or XP is
>sluggish on tablets when in comparison sth like ipad only just recently discovered
>what multitasking is.
>
>Anyway, ebook
>reading:
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygsmU154P_o
>
>
>
>
Thanks all! I’ll check out the viliv. How’s the battery life?
Posted by Dr Andus
Jan 25, 2011 at 12:39 AM
quant wrote:
>It’s kind of amusing to read some comments that Win 7 or XP is
>sluggish on tablets when in comparison sth like ipad only just recently discovered
>what multitasking is.
OK, maybe it wasn’t fair to generalise to all Win 7 devices, and new ones are coming out every day, after all. Specifically I looked at Dell Inspiron Duo and Viewsonic Viewpad (http://amzn.to/eMxq7Y) where this criticism came up.
I should mention that my reading needs are somewhat specific as well. As I need to read scientific papers and books, I really need to remember spatially where a specific argument occurred within a 30-page document, in order to be able to follow it. Therefore the larger the screen and higher the resolution, the better for me. Hence reading on iPod Touch or viliv s5 or even 7” devices probably won’t be satisfactory. Actually a dual-screen device might be the best, like the Kno (http://bit.ly/bfN0hp) but unfortunately it’s not available in the UK yet and costs quite a bit more.
Posted by JohnK
Jan 25, 2011 at 12:59 AM
dan7000 - Any advice would really depend on your specific usage pattern. You say you read books on your e-reader - I cannot begin to imagine reading a full-length novel on the iPad or any other LCD screen. The screen on the iPad is absolutely superb. It doesn’t get any better in the LCD world. But it’s still an LCD screen, and if I read for more than half an hour straight on any LCD screen, my eyeballs start to ache and I tire rapidly.
It’s not the same as general browsing/research, where you can happily stare at an LCD screen for hours, grazing your way around. Novel-reading is an entirely different discipline, and I strongly urge you to borrow someone’s iPad and read a novel on it before you consider buying one (or any tablet). I would happily use an iPad for many things, but not reading long texts. I don’t think there is any real alternative at the moment to e-readers (e-ink products) for long reads. And at the moment, I think the Kindle is still the best of them. It’s far from perfect, but I’m still very glad to have one. My eyes are very grateful.