What's the best e-reader for me?
March 7, 2013 9:39 AM Subscribe
I know pretty much nothing about the e-reader market right now, but I'm thinking about taking the plunge. Given my particular requirements, what is likely to be the best e-reader for me?
So I've realized that lately I've been doing a lot more onscreen reading than on-paper reading -- mostly on my laptop and my phone. I'm OK with this but neither of them are perfect, and I've been thinking that since this situation seems unlikely to change in the future, it might be time to spring for a dedicated e-reader. Problem is, I don't really know what the landscape looks like for e-readers right now. I do, however, have a good idea of what I am looking for in such a device.
The three main file formats that I read are PDF, ePUB, and TXT in that order, followed by DOC/DOCX. This does not look like it is going to change for me, so I really would like an e-reader that has native support for at least the first three of those formats. I do not buy ebooks from any online markets nor do I have any interest in doing so, but I constantly have to read scientific articles which are typically provided in PDF format, and spend almost as much time reading freely-available fiction which may be presented as a PDF or TXT file but which I prefer to get as ePUB when possible. I also frequently have to read notes, memos, and other emphemeral documents which generally come to me as TXT or DOC/DOCX files. It would be nice to have basic HTML rendering capacity as well but the only truly required formats are PDF, ePUB, and TXT. I could get by with just PDF and ePUB if forced to I suppose, but good native support for at least those two formats is an absolute requirement. Yes, this rules out the Kindle. PDF support should include highlighting and annotation capability.
The other biggest requirement for me is a good screen. The whole point of an e-reader is that you are going to stare at it for long periods of time like you would a book, so I feel like having the best possible screen is kind of a key selling point. I know that I definitely want an e-paper display, that's mandatory. High resolution and high contrast, as well as an excellent backlight, seem like they would be the most important factors here. Also, it would be nice if it were bigger than the 6" size that seems to be standard these days (the PDFs I read are usually two-column documents and rarely reflow well) but that's not a dealbreaker. I think I would prefer a touchscreen interface.
It should also, of course, have reasonable build quality and a thoughtful, responsive UI -- I don't want to spend hours a day gripping something that feels like a piece of trash and is frustrating to actually operate.
I need to be able to keep my documents synced across the various devices that I use: primarily a laptop, phone, and this hypothetical e-reader. Currently I use DropBox for this, but would be willing to deal with another solution as long as it is similarly seamless. I do not require 3G support, WiFi is good enough for me as long as it is easy (ideally automatic) to keep my personal library synced across my computer, phone, and e-reader. I would like to have the option of browsing my library in the filesystem rather than in some custom library app if possible (at least on my laptop, anyway) because I am a cranky old man in that way. I would vastly prefer local storage in addition to or instead of cloud-based storage, rather than cloud-based storage alone, as I need to be able to access documents while offline.
Price is not really the main object, though obviously I do care about value for money. If there is not currently an e-reader that fulfills all of my desires, I am willing to wait -- especially if there is something in the pipeline that seems like it would work better for my needs.
Oh, and whatever it is it has to be readily available in the U.S. as that is where I live. Thanks very much for your recommendations, I really appreciate it!
So I've realized that lately I've been doing a lot more onscreen reading than on-paper reading -- mostly on my laptop and my phone. I'm OK with this but neither of them are perfect, and I've been thinking that since this situation seems unlikely to change in the future, it might be time to spring for a dedicated e-reader. Problem is, I don't really know what the landscape looks like for e-readers right now. I do, however, have a good idea of what I am looking for in such a device.
The three main file formats that I read are PDF, ePUB, and TXT in that order, followed by DOC/DOCX. This does not look like it is going to change for me, so I really would like an e-reader that has native support for at least the first three of those formats. I do not buy ebooks from any online markets nor do I have any interest in doing so, but I constantly have to read scientific articles which are typically provided in PDF format, and spend almost as much time reading freely-available fiction which may be presented as a PDF or TXT file but which I prefer to get as ePUB when possible. I also frequently have to read notes, memos, and other emphemeral documents which generally come to me as TXT or DOC/DOCX files. It would be nice to have basic HTML rendering capacity as well but the only truly required formats are PDF, ePUB, and TXT. I could get by with just PDF and ePUB if forced to I suppose, but good native support for at least those two formats is an absolute requirement. Yes, this rules out the Kindle. PDF support should include highlighting and annotation capability.
The other biggest requirement for me is a good screen. The whole point of an e-reader is that you are going to stare at it for long periods of time like you would a book, so I feel like having the best possible screen is kind of a key selling point. I know that I definitely want an e-paper display, that's mandatory. High resolution and high contrast, as well as an excellent backlight, seem like they would be the most important factors here. Also, it would be nice if it were bigger than the 6" size that seems to be standard these days (the PDFs I read are usually two-column documents and rarely reflow well) but that's not a dealbreaker. I think I would prefer a touchscreen interface.
It should also, of course, have reasonable build quality and a thoughtful, responsive UI -- I don't want to spend hours a day gripping something that feels like a piece of trash and is frustrating to actually operate.
I need to be able to keep my documents synced across the various devices that I use: primarily a laptop, phone, and this hypothetical e-reader. Currently I use DropBox for this, but would be willing to deal with another solution as long as it is similarly seamless. I do not require 3G support, WiFi is good enough for me as long as it is easy (ideally automatic) to keep my personal library synced across my computer, phone, and e-reader. I would like to have the option of browsing my library in the filesystem rather than in some custom library app if possible (at least on my laptop, anyway) because I am a cranky old man in that way. I would vastly prefer local storage in addition to or instead of cloud-based storage, rather than cloud-based storage alone, as I need to be able to access documents while offline.
Price is not really the main object, though obviously I do care about value for money. If there is not currently an e-reader that fulfills all of my desires, I am willing to wait -- especially if there is something in the pipeline that seems like it would work better for my needs.
Oh, and whatever it is it has to be readily available in the U.S. as that is where I live. Thanks very much for your recommendations, I really appreciate it!
Most of the document format issues can be handled with Calibre. I guess it isn't "native" support but since I used the software to put stuff on my reader anyway, it doesn't matter to me.
If this isn't a deal-breaker, you might get an old Kindle DX if you want the bigger screen. Nobody seems to making e-ink readers anymore in that size. I have been happy with mine and in fact recently replaced the battery myself (not meant to be user-serviceable but it only took about five minutes).
posted by exogenous at 9:57 AM on March 7, 2013
If this isn't a deal-breaker, you might get an old Kindle DX if you want the bigger screen. Nobody seems to making e-ink readers anymore in that size. I have been happy with mine and in fact recently replaced the battery myself (not meant to be user-serviceable but it only took about five minutes).
posted by exogenous at 9:57 AM on March 7, 2013
Response by poster: Good question, Greg Nog. Color is not necessary, no. Generally speaking, the figures that are included in scientific papers are intelligible in black & white, and if not then I am OK with using a different device to take a closer look at a figure.
posted by Scientist at 9:58 AM on March 7, 2013
posted by Scientist at 9:58 AM on March 7, 2013
Response by poster: Also, I guess I would consider a Kindle Paperwhite if the conversion from ePUB to Mobi really is seamless and if they are otherwise significantly better for my needs than anything else on the market. I have heard people say that converting from ePUB to Mobi is "trivial", but how trivial is trivial here? How many additional clicks does it actually take to get a batch of ePUBs onto a Kindle in readable format?
posted by Scientist at 10:04 AM on March 7, 2013
posted by Scientist at 10:04 AM on March 7, 2013
I read a fair number of two-column research paper PDFs. I have a first-gen iPad, a 7" Android tablet, and a Kindle 3g. Of these, I prefer the 7" tablet for reading because:
- full size iPad is too heavy; arm gets tired when holding one-handed. Newer iPads might be lighter; try it out at an Apple store?
- e-ink screen of the Kindle 3g is horrible for reading 8x11" PDFs. Screen updates take too long time. Being able to pan and zoom responsively is critical. The e-ink is nice for reading novels, but the 7" tablet is pretty good for that too using the Android Kindle app.
- pan and zoom compensates for not fitting a whole page on-screen. On the 7" tablet, I generally zoom in to the width of one column and then scroll up and down in portrait mode. For two-column figures, I turn the tablet to landscape and zoom to fit.
Dropbox exists for iOS and Android, so your existing scheme should work fine.
I'd like to try reading a paper on a retina iPad or high-res Android tablet, though. High res makes the text look great. Consider a minimum of 1280x800 for a 7" tablet (i.e., Nexus 7), or higher for a 9- or 10".
If you want to annotate with a stylus, do careful research -- not all tablets are equal.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 10:05 AM on March 7, 2013
- full size iPad is too heavy; arm gets tired when holding one-handed. Newer iPads might be lighter; try it out at an Apple store?
- e-ink screen of the Kindle 3g is horrible for reading 8x11" PDFs. Screen updates take too long time. Being able to pan and zoom responsively is critical. The e-ink is nice for reading novels, but the 7" tablet is pretty good for that too using the Android Kindle app.
- pan and zoom compensates for not fitting a whole page on-screen. On the 7" tablet, I generally zoom in to the width of one column and then scroll up and down in portrait mode. For two-column figures, I turn the tablet to landscape and zoom to fit.
Dropbox exists for iOS and Android, so your existing scheme should work fine.
I'd like to try reading a paper on a retina iPad or high-res Android tablet, though. High res makes the text look great. Consider a minimum of 1280x800 for a 7" tablet (i.e., Nexus 7), or higher for a 9- or 10".
If you want to annotate with a stylus, do careful research -- not all tablets are equal.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 10:05 AM on March 7, 2013
Also, I guess I would consider a Kindle Paperwhite if the conversion from ePUB to Mobi really is seamless and if they are otherwise significantly better for my needs than anything else on the market. I have heard people say that converting from ePUB to Mobi is "trivial", but how trivial is trivial here? How many additional clicks does it actually take to get a batch of ePUBs onto a Kindle in readable format?
Put epub file into Calibre (two clicks, or drag and drop); click convert, choose MOBI (two clicks); done. It handles batch conversions just fine. Then you can use the send-to-Kindle app from Amazon to get them on your device, or email them, or plug your Kindle in and drag them over.
I love love love my Paperwhite, and I loved by Kindle Touch before it. However! I hate reading pdfs on it. Even single-column pdfs are a pain (to me), and the couple times I tried two-column ones, it was worse. Embiggening the page was jerky and imperfect (little too big....now, a little too small....), and it was just....not a fun read. If you can possibly borrow a friend's Kindle to test a typical pdf on, you can see if it would work for you or not.
posted by rtha at 10:13 AM on March 7, 2013
Put epub file into Calibre (two clicks, or drag and drop); click convert, choose MOBI (two clicks); done. It handles batch conversions just fine. Then you can use the send-to-Kindle app from Amazon to get them on your device, or email them, or plug your Kindle in and drag them over.
I love love love my Paperwhite, and I loved by Kindle Touch before it. However! I hate reading pdfs on it. Even single-column pdfs are a pain (to me), and the couple times I tried two-column ones, it was worse. Embiggening the page was jerky and imperfect (little too big....now, a little too small....), and it was just....not a fun read. If you can possibly borrow a friend's Kindle to test a typical pdf on, you can see if it would work for you or not.
posted by rtha at 10:13 AM on March 7, 2013
Response by poster: Yeah, rtha! sorry to threadsit but I just watched a YouTube review of the Kindle Paperwhite's PDF capabilities, and I was sort of shocked by how bad it was in that area. Definitely not going to be getting one of those. Are there any e-readers out there that have really good PDF support? That may be the biggest differentiator here.
posted by Scientist at 10:20 AM on March 7, 2013
posted by Scientist at 10:20 AM on March 7, 2013
- e-ink screen of the Kindle 3g is horrible for reading 8x11" PDFs. Screen updates take too long time. Being able to pan and zoom responsively is critical. The e-ink is nice for reading novels, but the 7" tablet is pretty good for that too using the Android Kindle app.
I was just coming in to say this. The e-ink Kindles don't format scientific journal pdf articles very well. Figures and nonstandard symbols aren't always well-displayed. And the two column format of many journal articles looks weird on the Kindle, and even if you "reflow" the text, it gets messy. The touchscreen ones (and really, any tablet) have apps that handle pdf's very well. You can even annotate them using a stylus (though if you choose to annotate, some tablets are better than others). Check what screen size you like as well. I don't like reading on a 7" screen; it's too small for me to see figures. 9-10" works better, but YMMV. Just try before you buy.
posted by bluefly at 10:21 AM on March 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
I was just coming in to say this. The e-ink Kindles don't format scientific journal pdf articles very well. Figures and nonstandard symbols aren't always well-displayed. And the two column format of many journal articles looks weird on the Kindle, and even if you "reflow" the text, it gets messy. The touchscreen ones (and really, any tablet) have apps that handle pdf's very well. You can even annotate them using a stylus (though if you choose to annotate, some tablets are better than others). Check what screen size you like as well. I don't like reading on a 7" screen; it's too small for me to see figures. 9-10" works better, but YMMV. Just try before you buy.
posted by bluefly at 10:21 AM on March 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
I am usually a huge Kindle Paperwhite evangelist, but would not suggest it for research papers. The screen is just too small for academic reading, and I find all the left-right scrolling annoying for two columned papers. YMMV, of course, depending on field and layout -- I work in the biosciences. The native support is also laggy, even with fiction novels with your standard one-columned layout. The DX is probably easiest for academic papers, but it is unlikely Amazon will roll out a Paperwhite version. I would avoid the Nook equivalent of the Paperwhite, as there seem to be issues with build quality; I'm not as familiar with other companies, but my impression is that they all have small screens.
(That said, as others have pointed out, Calibre epub to mobi conversions are quite simple.)
I use a second generation iPad for my own reading. I've tried the native iOS Papers app, but found the annotation capabilities lacking, so I sync the whole file structure via Dropbox with Goodreader, which I also use for PDF annotations. Everything except the syncing to my laptop is completely local, and thus far it's worked beautifully. My boyfriend reads papers on a retina iPad and the figures look amazing. That said, we both work in fields where color figures are important and obviously you don't get any of the eink eyestrain benefits from the iPad.
posted by angst at 10:27 AM on March 7, 2013
(That said, as others have pointed out, Calibre epub to mobi conversions are quite simple.)
I use a second generation iPad for my own reading. I've tried the native iOS Papers app, but found the annotation capabilities lacking, so I sync the whole file structure via Dropbox with Goodreader, which I also use for PDF annotations. Everything except the syncing to my laptop is completely local, and thus far it's worked beautifully. My boyfriend reads papers on a retina iPad and the figures look amazing. That said, we both work in fields where color figures are important and obviously you don't get any of the eink eyestrain benefits from the iPad.
posted by angst at 10:27 AM on March 7, 2013
Not sure if it's a matter of status or a matter of actual comfort, but all the faculty members I've seen reading PDFs electronically carry iPads. I do know that reading PDFs on an iPad or Nexus is relatively easy and comfortable (although, uh, nothing beats actually holding a piece of paper in your hands). Maybe this comfort is achievable with a cheaper device, maybe not.
posted by Nomyte at 10:38 AM on March 7, 2013
posted by Nomyte at 10:38 AM on March 7, 2013
Retina iPad. The biggest advantage is that there are dozens of reader apps that you can try out and fiddle with until you find a workflow that works for you.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:49 AM on March 7, 2013
posted by Rock Steady at 10:49 AM on March 7, 2013
I'm no Apple fanboy but I can't help but think an iPad or iPad mini (7"screen) would be perfect for your needs. Here's why:
You ask for the following:
posted by Wretch729 at 10:51 AM on March 7, 2013
You ask for the following:
- Must have native support for PDF and ePub - TXT and DOC/DOCX would be nice
- HTML rendering
- Must be able to annotate and highlight PDFs
- Good screen (preferably e-paper) (hi-res, hi-contrast, backlit)
- Touchscreen interface
- Good build quality
- Ability to sync documents, ideally with Dropbox
- Wifi capability
- Ability to browse in filesystem, not custom app
- Local storage capability (for offline work)
- Price not important, but obviously cheaper is better
- Willing to wait
- Available in US
- There are iPad apps that would handle all of those formats. The best PDF viewer has been discussed on the green a lot (1, 2, 3, 4) but GoodReader is the one I hear recommended most frequently.
- There are lots of browsers for the iPad, obviously it handles websurfing fine.
- GoodReader allows annotation. The third thread I linked to explicitly covers handwritten annotation if you prefer that. The 4th covers reading/annotating scientific pdfs.
- While it isn't e-paper, the iPad screen will refresh much more smoothly and the current model has the Retina display Apple markets as having pixels that cannot be distinguished at normal viewing range (10"-15"). The iPad mini is expected to get a retina screen in it's next version, likely in April.
- iPad is touchscreen interface.
- iPad has excellent build quality, like most Apple stuff.
- GoodReader, and many other apps including the default Apple office ones (Papers, etc) happily sync with Dropbox. There's also the iCloud thing if you like.
- Wifi, check. 3/4G an option.
- The inability to easily see the filesystem is one bummer of the iPad, but if you're putting everything in DropBox it will let you see your files. You would also be able to use Dropbox to see your filesystem on your laptop.
- Local storage, check.
- Pricy compared to single-purpose e-readers, but not insanely so.
- The latest versions of the iPad and iPad mini (probably with Retina display) are expected in April/May 2013...
- ...and will obviously be available in the US.
posted by Wretch729 at 10:51 AM on March 7, 2013
I use the Kindle DX with the open source Kindlepdfviewer software installed. It has a million options, is easy to install, and works alongside the standard Kindle software. If you can find a used Kindle DX Graphite somewhere, it's highly recommended. However, it's not great for annotations (you'll have to carry around some paper to take notes...) although you can highlight, and if you care enough about annotation you can advocate for it to the software's developers.
posted by iamscott at 11:08 AM on March 7, 2013
posted by iamscott at 11:08 AM on March 7, 2013
Per the above post, if you want a screen that is easy to stare at and a device that is comfortable to hold, I can't imagine a worse device than an iPad. The reason e-readers are nice is that you aren't essentially staring into a light bulb, which is what staring at a tablet is. iPads are also heavier, bulkier and more slippery than popular e-readers and frankly, more so than many popular competing tablets. If you want to use a cloud storage service, that's fine, but Apple doesn't have any slots or ports for pocket media like flash drives and SD cards. If you were considering a tablet, I'd go with an Android. You have your choice of specs, size, design, etc., which is more than I can say for Apple. But I think Apple products are generally overpriced and overly restrictive, so I am not a fan. I'd recommend saving a few hundred dollars and getting an actual e-reader that you will enjoy reading on.
I have a Nook Simple Touch and I really enjoy reading on e-ink and it's very light and comfortable to hold. But some aspects of the software have frustrated me. (i.e. I loaded a PDF and the page numbers didn't convert to the text size I had, so every 4 page-turns would be 1 page.) I've never tried a Kindle, but if I got another e-reader, I'd seriously consider switching to it. Seems to get very good reviews and allows more freedom and flexibility than the Nook. I'd add, I like that when I read the Nook, I am not getting email notifications or the temptation to check Tumblr or Twitter isn't there. It's a dedicated reading device, which means when I bring it on the train with me, I end up reading and not dicking around.
posted by AppleTurnover at 11:12 AM on March 7, 2013
I have a Nook Simple Touch and I really enjoy reading on e-ink and it's very light and comfortable to hold. But some aspects of the software have frustrated me. (i.e. I loaded a PDF and the page numbers didn't convert to the text size I had, so every 4 page-turns would be 1 page.) I've never tried a Kindle, but if I got another e-reader, I'd seriously consider switching to it. Seems to get very good reviews and allows more freedom and flexibility than the Nook. I'd add, I like that when I read the Nook, I am not getting email notifications or the temptation to check Tumblr or Twitter isn't there. It's a dedicated reading device, which means when I bring it on the train with me, I end up reading and not dicking around.
posted by AppleTurnover at 11:12 AM on March 7, 2013
My Dad reads a lot of scientific papers. He got a 1st gen iPad at a conference (apparently it was cheaper just to get a bunch of old models than print up all the convention docs) and had me install Goodreader on it. Within a month of using it to read PDFs, he went out and got a latest gen model.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:24 AM on March 7, 2013
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:24 AM on March 7, 2013
AppleTurnover: Per the above post, if you want a screen that is easy to stare at and a device that is comfortable to hold, I can't imagine a worse device than an iPad.
I read for extended periods on my iPad all the time. It causes no more eyestrain than reading on paper, and I have much less trouble holding the heaviest iPad than I do holding a large hardcover book.
I would not recommend the iPad mini, only because PDF reading on the full size version is such a breeze. As long as the document is set in a reasonably sized font, you can easily read a full page without any sort of scrolling or zooming.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:36 AM on March 7, 2013
I read for extended periods on my iPad all the time. It causes no more eyestrain than reading on paper, and I have much less trouble holding the heaviest iPad than I do holding a large hardcover book.
I would not recommend the iPad mini, only because PDF reading on the full size version is such a breeze. As long as the document is set in a reasonably sized font, you can easily read a full page without any sort of scrolling or zooming.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:36 AM on March 7, 2013
I definitely prefer reading text on e-ink displays over LCD, and either wins over paper when you're the one who'd have to do the printing.
None of the e-ink readers really do a great job with resizing PDFs, so for scientific papers you're probably going to want one of the large-format devices. Here is a list of large-format e-ink devices.
I'm no Kindle fan, but the DX is probably the most readily available of the large-format readers in the US, and converting from ePub to mobi is trivial. That said, it's not your only option, so investigate the others, too.
posted by asperity at 11:56 AM on March 7, 2013
None of the e-ink readers really do a great job with resizing PDFs, so for scientific papers you're probably going to want one of the large-format devices. Here is a list of large-format e-ink devices.
I'm no Kindle fan, but the DX is probably the most readily available of the large-format readers in the US, and converting from ePub to mobi is trivial. That said, it's not your only option, so investigate the others, too.
posted by asperity at 11:56 AM on March 7, 2013
It seems to me the eyestrain and form factor complaints AppleTurnover raises depends on one's individual preferences. I love the iPad and don't experience any eyestrain (though I almost always set things to white text on black, and turn the brightness low) but I know other people who say it really bothers them, even with the brightness turned down. If you can borrow one for a couple hours of reading you'll probably quickly decide whether you love or hate it.
PS: You can go into settings and set the iPad to toggle white on black when you triple press the home button. This lets you quickly turn black text on white background to something more readable.
PPS: AppleTurnover is eponysterical
posted by Wretch729 at 12:03 PM on March 7, 2013
PS: You can go into settings and set the iPad to toggle white on black when you triple press the home button. This lets you quickly turn black text on white background to something more readable.
PPS: AppleTurnover is eponysterical
posted by Wretch729 at 12:03 PM on March 7, 2013
That said AppleTurnover et al are right that the single-purpose e-readers are getting amazingly light, even compared to the iPad mini. The latest Nook is what, 7 ounces or something? Crazy.
posted by Wretch729 at 12:06 PM on March 7, 2013
posted by Wretch729 at 12:06 PM on March 7, 2013
I found the new full-size iPads too big and especially too heavy for reading for long periods of time when I was considering my e-Reader options. I ended up getting a basic Kindle and am very happy with it - including conversion from different filetypes, which was a worry - but it sucks for PDFs. I think it weighs around the same as an iPad mini; I'd opt to use even my iPhone for PDFs over my Kindle, which says something.
posted by urbanlenny at 12:12 PM on March 7, 2013
posted by urbanlenny at 12:12 PM on March 7, 2013
I just got a nexus 7 for reading PDFs of geoscience course texts and research papers on the go and so far it's a joy. I originally planned for a Kindle Fire but was annoyed by the Amazon tie in and not that impressed with its PDF handling. The size and weight of the nexus is perfect for reading and the native PDF viewer handles resizing brilliantly, especially for detailed diagrams. Haven't tried annotating yet though.
posted by freya_lamb at 12:26 PM on March 7, 2013
posted by freya_lamb at 12:26 PM on March 7, 2013
If you don't care to drink the kool-- er, to join the iPad masses, I would recommend the entry-level Tablet (Nexus 7 or Samsung Galaxy Tab in the 7" range). If you want to go big, but not go Apple, Samsung Note 2 will be released in Q2 of this year, will have an 8" screen, and should be cost-competitive with the iPad 7"-er.
I had a Kindle 3, aka Kindle Keyboard, for the 2 years the battery lasted and was very happy with it. I didn't use the keyboard, but was glad of the hardware buttons. It didn't have backlighting, which meant I had to bring my own illumination from time to time. I'm shooting for the aforementioned Note 2 for the future, but if that wasn't around, I'd consider Kindle Paperwhite. That's even considering the Nook, because breaking my library out of the Kindle ecosystem wouldn't be difficult with Calibre and some plugins. But it's lousy with PDFs-- they don't render well on the screen, and don't convert worth a damn.
Final advice: Get a sturdy case for whatever you get.
posted by Sunburnt at 2:39 PM on March 7, 2013
I had a Kindle 3, aka Kindle Keyboard, for the 2 years the battery lasted and was very happy with it. I didn't use the keyboard, but was glad of the hardware buttons. It didn't have backlighting, which meant I had to bring my own illumination from time to time. I'm shooting for the aforementioned Note 2 for the future, but if that wasn't around, I'd consider Kindle Paperwhite. That's even considering the Nook, because breaking my library out of the Kindle ecosystem wouldn't be difficult with Calibre and some plugins. But it's lousy with PDFs-- they don't render well on the screen, and don't convert worth a damn.
Final advice: Get a sturdy case for whatever you get.
posted by Sunburnt at 2:39 PM on March 7, 2013
I use a Nook Simple Touch Glowlight that also runs a full version of Android. I use the Android side quite a bit since there are great apps for reading PDFs, better epub reader apps, and the Android Kindle app lets me read the .mobi files that I purchased back when I had a Kindle. Switching between the stock Nook firmware and Android is extremely simple and doesn't require a reboot. It's a process to set it up, but not one that I'd call difficult. This video shows the process.
posted by eunoia at 4:31 PM on March 7, 2013
posted by eunoia at 4:31 PM on March 7, 2013
There is really nothing out there that satisfies your requirements.
IME, reading PDFs on anything less than 10" is just an exercise in frustration, expecially two column PDFs.
The only thing remotely close is the Kindle DX, but that has been discountinued for a long time and doesn't have touch or a backlight.
I would say get iPad for PDFs and a Kindle paperwhite for the books.
posted by wongcorgi at 4:37 PM on March 7, 2013
IME, reading PDFs on anything less than 10" is just an exercise in frustration, expecially two column PDFs.
The only thing remotely close is the Kindle DX, but that has been discountinued for a long time and doesn't have touch or a backlight.
I would say get iPad for PDFs and a Kindle paperwhite for the books.
posted by wongcorgi at 4:37 PM on March 7, 2013
If PDFs are your primary driver, a Retina iPad is definitely the way to go. But it's a bit on the heavy side.
You will probably be fine with a (non-Retina) iPad Mini, but try it out at a store or from a friend before taking that jump.
If rumors are to be believed, there's an iPad refresh coming in April (although not a Retina Mini yet).
posted by RedOrGreen at 6:52 PM on March 7, 2013
You will probably be fine with a (non-Retina) iPad Mini, but try it out at a store or from a friend before taking that jump.
If rumors are to be believed, there's an iPad refresh coming in April (although not a Retina Mini yet).
posted by RedOrGreen at 6:52 PM on March 7, 2013
Response by poster: I think I'm just going to wait on this one until the technology comes along some. I get why people are recommending tablets, but that's really not what I want. And it does seem like there isn't really an e-ink device that does what I want very well. So I'm just going to stay out of the pool for a couple more years I guess, until something that suits me comes onto the market. E-ink seems like a technology that is just going to keep improving.
Thanks for the perspective and for bringing me up to speed on my options!
posted by Scientist at 9:02 PM on March 7, 2013
Thanks for the perspective and for bringing me up to speed on my options!
posted by Scientist at 9:02 PM on March 7, 2013
That's probably a good decision, given your requirements. Before I got the Kindle (a thank-you from our credit union for joining), I did most of my reading on my phone and laptop, and didn't notice any eye strain...but e-ink is amazing. Amazing. And, honestly, having a paperwhite with its abysmal browser really just keeps temptation (i.e. mefi) away and ups my non-internet reading time remarkably. But yes, the pdf experience is painful. (You might want to take note of how much time you spend reading docs that can be easily converted to epub or mobi format and how much time you spend reading pdfs. If the epub/doc/mobi-format reading is significant (your definition here), it really might be worth considering an additional device.)
posted by rtha at 9:35 PM on March 7, 2013
posted by rtha at 9:35 PM on March 7, 2013
So I'm just going to stay out of the pool for a couple more years I guess, until something that suits me comes onto the market.
I've been waiting for the device you're describing for the past two years, and the market really hasn't moved in this direction at all. Everything I learned about e-readers and tablets two years ago matches exactly the comments you've gotten so far (right down to the recommendation to get a Kindle DX).
I actually just ordered a Nexus 10 with pretty much your reading habits in mind. I can try to report back with my impressions.
posted by Nomyte at 10:42 AM on March 8, 2013
I've been waiting for the device you're describing for the past two years, and the market really hasn't moved in this direction at all. Everything I learned about e-readers and tablets two years ago matches exactly the comments you've gotten so far (right down to the recommendation to get a Kindle DX).
I actually just ordered a Nexus 10 with pretty much your reading habits in mind. I can try to report back with my impressions.
posted by Nomyte at 10:42 AM on March 8, 2013
Response by poster: Report back if you like for the benefit of posterity Nomyte, but I personally will not be buying a tablet anytime soon. I know I said that price was not a major concern, but that really only applies for me inside the e-reader market, not the considerably more expensive tablet market. And I really am looking for an e-ink device, not an LCD device. Tablets work well for a lot of people, but that's not the solution that I'm looking for. Perhaps in a few years, if nothing e-ink based has come along, but not right now.
posted by Scientist at 12:04 PM on March 8, 2013
posted by Scientist at 12:04 PM on March 8, 2013
I'd also been looking for an e-reader to read journal articles since they sucked on my regular Kindle. In my search, the only e-ink devices that are somewhat decent for pdfs (but still slow) are more expensive than a Kindle. I'm not sure what you consider pricewise to be the "e-reader market." The Onyx Boox M92 (video of someone reading a PNAS article)/Icarus Excel is supposed to be good.
I ended up capitulating and getting a cheap tablet (which I totally realize is not the same as what you want -- but I lack your patience).
posted by bluefly at 5:30 PM on March 8, 2013
I ended up capitulating and getting a cheap tablet (which I totally realize is not the same as what you want -- but I lack your patience).
posted by bluefly at 5:30 PM on March 8, 2013
Like you, I wanted an e-ink, not LCD device and I needed to read academic pdfs. I ended up buying a basic Kobo eReader, converting PDFs to EPUB before reading and being fairly satisfied, but our needs differ in a number of ways:
FWIW, this is the process that results in a high-quality EPUB version of a PDF for me:
posted by Busy Old Fool at 2:07 AM on March 9, 2013
- Tables don't survive the conversion, but PDFs in my field don't have many and so I can live with assuming the occasional table is as described in the text and, if necessary, checking it later on a desktop computer.
- The page-numbering is messed-up, which is probably the biggest irritant for me, but one I can live with.
- The PDFs I need to read are typically very long (I'll be spending days with each one) and so I'm OK with spending a bit of time on the reformatting processs before putting them on to the eReader.
FWIW, this is the process that results in a high-quality EPUB version of a PDF for me:
- Open the PDF in Acrobat (not Reader) and perform OCR in case it's not already recognised. In Acrobat X that's Tools | Recognize Text | In This File.
- Export from Acrobat in RTF format. (HTML is occasionally worth trying as an alternative with a document that's heavy on tables)
- In Calibre, convert from RTF to EPUB.
posted by Busy Old Fool at 2:07 AM on March 9, 2013
Sony have just announced an A4 e-ink reader intended for students to read and mark up PDFs. (See this video from 1.25 on). Not out yet, but something to watch for later this year.
posted by rollick at 11:13 AM on May 18, 2013
posted by rollick at 11:13 AM on May 18, 2013
Whoops, meant to link the press release:
Sony has developed an A4 sized equivalent 13.3" digital paper notepad.posted by rollick at 11:16 AM on May 18, 2013
The display is the first in the world to use E Ink Mobius, a new flexible electronic paper display technology developed by E Ink in collaboration with Sony. Technology developed by Sony for forming high precision thin film transistors on plastic instead of glass has been used, making the display flexible and light. It is scheduled for mass production this year.
"We've succeeded in mass-producing these large flexible panels, by combining E-Ink's flexible paper technology and Sony's mass-production technology."
"Usually, devices are made by sandwiching TFTs between glass sheets. But these panels use plastic instead of glass, so they're much lighter. Another feature is that, unlike glass, these panels are very durable."
This prototype digital notepad weighs 358 g and is 6.8mm thick, with the 1200x1600 pixel display itself weighing around 60g, 50% less than if glass was used. The prototype also features a battery life of approximately three weeks.
"This is a PDF document. You can page through it with your finger. Of course, you can also write comments and draw lines in the PDF document. Also, if you choose the marker, and move your finger over text, you can highlight text like this."
"This is still at the prototype stage. But we're designing it to work smoothly. Also, with paper, you can rest your hand on it while you write, but with a tablet, you can't always do that. This digital paper makes it possible to write while resting your hand on the panel."
"We'd especially like this to be used in universities. From the second half of this year, we're planning to do trials with Waseda, Hosei, and Ritsumeikan Universities. We also plan to release a commercial version during this year."
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1) Conversion from ePub to Mobi format is trivial and leaves formatting intact. If you're crafty you can set up an automated method for conversion from any of those formats to Mobi (Kindle native format) or PDF (which Kindle handles well)
2) Kindles have the best build and screen quality of any device out there. The Paperwhite is particularly good.
3) Kindle would meet your sync requirement, through it's own inbuilt system. As long as you email it to your Kindle address it's accessible through the Kindle app on all of your devices.
4) Kindles are heavily subsidized because Amazon thinks you'll buy a lot of books from them. But if you don't, it's your win.
The Kobo line might also be a good fit. Not sure about sync capability, but it'll read EPUB and PDF natively. You can just use print to PDF or save as RTF to bring your DOC[X] files over.
posted by iamscott at 9:55 AM on March 7, 2013 [1 favorite]