Related
I was wondering how would you compare the reading experience on your HD2 vs Kindle/Sony/whatever E-INK Reader.
What do you use more for reading and why ?
If you already have a HD2, would you also buy an ereader on top of it or is the HD2 good enough to read books daily ?
I've got a Nook and use it daily for a few reasons
and there the same reasons people own and e-reader in addition to a laptop.
The e-ink screen is much better for reading than an LCD. I like to go outside on my lunch break and read. In full sun the e-ink screen is actually better than paper in my opinion, and worlds better than my HD2.
The screen size. The HD2 screen is huge for a phone, but it still a little small for a book. I do have both the Kindle and Nook apps on my phone, but rarely use them. You really don't get much text on the screen at a time, and it feels like you are constantly flipping pages. The size of the Nook feels "right" to me. I know that's subjective, but that's how I'd describe it.
battery life. I'm running an Android build and I love it, but I barely make it through a workday on a charge. My Nook lasts at least a week on a charge. I usually plug it in on Friday evening when I go to bed, unplug it in the morning and it's good for another week. that's with about an hours worth of use each day, a few minutes with the wifi on.
I've got the wifi only version of the Nook, and owning the HD2 played a part in that choice too. with the newer Android builds, the built in wifi hotspot works, so if I want to browse the B&N store on the Nook I can do it through my own hotspot.
I hope that helps
Ebook reader 1 Smartphone Nil !
I'm interested then, why did you pick the HD2 as your smartphone ?
I think you are comparing chalk and cheese, (apples and oranges if you will). eBook readers are designed for a single purpose hence they are larger and are optimized for displaying text. Smartphones are, effectively, phones with a small laptop built in and are designed to carry out all kinds of tasks.
If you want to read a lot but an eBook reader of your choice. If you want a really capable smartphone that you can read a book on buy an HD2.
I use microsoft reader which Ive had for several devices. I find reading fine. An obvious comment perhaps, but generally a smart phone is not normally going to compare well to a specialist set-up (ereader, games consule, mp3 player etc) but its an excellent all rounder, and saves having to carry around several devices.
(make that 1-1!)
I've been whole-heartedly reading books on my Hd2 for a year now. I'mm aware it;s probably not great on the eyes but I've not felt any problems from it, and I find AlReader2 the most fantastic reader out there (check it out if you need, it's on this forum somewhere).
However I've been using Android exclusively for the last two weeks and I hate every book app which is on there, they're all clumsy, awkward (e.g. in regards to where they store files), and they're almost exlusively bad at just reading plain text or HTML files. Some of them are good at allowing you to download free books on the go, and I can't help but enjoy the odd page-turning animation, but on th whole they are style over substance, and no match for AlReader.
Reasons why I won't get a Kindle (altho the new one looks great)
1) I think the gadgets are still a little over-priced (although it's come down now)
2) eBooks are definitely overpriced! Anything above £3 is too much, imo
3) Can't read ...in the bath! Big no-no!!
4) DRM
Silencer23 said:
Ebook reader 1 Smartphone Nil !
I'm interested then, why did you pick the HD2 as your smartphone ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
great big gorgeous screen
sleek sexy design
fast processor
gobs of RAM
16GB sd card included
choice of OS
enough reasons?
somebody above said something I agree with as well, about multitasker vs unitasker. My phone does a million things for me all day long and most most of them pretty well, but the best thing is it is pocketable and always with me. It's like a swiss army knife. The phillips head screwdriver in your swiss army knife will get the job done, but the job will go better if you go ahead and get a proper #3 from the tool box. Similiarly, I only need the Nook to do one thing, let me read comfortably for a long time. I read a lot so $149 was OK with me. You'll probably not be surprised to read that I also carry a zune hd 32GB in the opposite pocket from my HD2. I like to have the right tool for the job, plus I love gadgets
I've been reading on various electronic devices for years now. I started on a palm m500, then a Tungsten T3, then a a Tungsten E2. I was a service engineer, so couldn't carry a lot of books with me.
The HD2 is every bit as good as the palms for reading on. Yes, it's not as good as a dedicated book reader, but it fits easily in my pocket, and I have a huge library at my disposal.
I use Freda, & really rate it.
Actually I have a Kindle and a Nook as well as the HD2. Yes the Kindle and Nook are awesome but truth be told I use my HD2 way more. I actually prefer the LCD. It, strangely, seems easier on my eyes and I can read before bed without having a light on. I always have my phone with me which makes it easier to just pick up a book. The reads are too big to carry around with me all the time. I know I am in the minority here but I wanted to throw my 2 cents in
So I was looking for a tablet for me to use as a PDF reader for book and for browsing the web.
The first one that came to mind was the iPad 2 which I know is great at it.
Then I thought of this one, but I remembered reading that because it's shape is a little more rectangular than it feels a bit heavier to hold in portrait mode.
Please comment on this statement
So my actual question is:
How good is this as a browsing / reading device? (how is the amazon kindle app on it?)
Is it worth getting over an iPad 2 as a reading / browsing device?
Thank you
matanc1 said:
So I was looking for a tablet for me to use as a PDF reader for book and for browsing the web.
The first one that came to mind was the iPad 2 which I know is great at it.
Then I thought of this one, but I remembered reading that because it's shape is a little more rectangular than it feels a bit heavier to hold in portrait mode.
Please comment on this statement
So my actual question is:
How good is this as a browsing / reading device? (how is the amazon kindle app on it?)
Is it worth getting over an iPad 2 as a reading / browsing device?
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How good is it? That's kind of a personal opinion. I'm enjoying it a lot for browsing and reading. Still searching out the best browser, they all have plus/minuses, but the experience itself is fine. Aldiko reader is good, very readable in both orientations. I find portrait has too much text per screen, doesn't quite give you the 'book' feel, but that's a personal quibble.
I'll always say anything is worth getting over an ipad But I definitely think this is worth it. The form factor just seems to make more sense on the tab, plus I can actually hold it with one hand, which I can't with the ipad (for more than a couple minutes anyway).
If you're really just looking for basic reading/surfing, you could consider something like the nook color, just as a though. But I'm really enjoying my tab, and looking forward to seeing what the dev's here can get out of it!
edit: clicked thanks by accident...
I have a kindle for reading, and nothing comes close to it for every day reading, especially sunlight and ease of viewing, battery life, etc. If you want an eReader, get a kindle, lol. If you want a multimedia device that does apps, videos, music, and videos... then a Galaxy tab is the way to go.
iPad is designed for 5 year old or a 95 year old to pick up and figure out. That's great, but the downside is with that comes a dumbed down OS in line with that. People like android because if they want to change the way the icons are laid out on the screen they can.
Check out Google Books and Kindle for Android Tablet, both are great options for someone wanting to use the tablet as a book. However, nothing is going to compare to the pure reading experience of a Kindle....
... but a Galaxy tab is waaaay more fun.
And PS - iPad sux... u can't even view flash, lol... how you going to browse the web without flash? Might as well go back to dialup internet and a VCR. hah
bella92108 said:
I have a kindle for reading, and nothing comes close to it for every day reading, especially sunlight and ease of viewing, battery life, etc. If you want an eReader, get a kindle, lol. If you want a multimedia device that does apps, videos, music, and videos... then a Galaxy tab is the way to go.
iPad is designed for 5 year old or a 95 year old to pick up and figure out. That's great, but the downside is with that comes a dumbed down OS in line with that. People like android because if they want to change the way the icons are laid out on the screen they can.
Check out Google Books and Kindle for Android Tablet, both are great options for someone wanting to use the tablet as a book. However, nothing is going to compare to the pure reading experience of a Kindle....
... but a Galaxy tab is waaaay more fun.
And PS - iPad sux... u can't even view flash, lol... how you going to browse the web without flash? Might as well go back to dialup internet and a VCR. hah
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The flash is the main reason why I'm asking.
But again, I'm looking mainly for PDF files which I want to read(which I've found from using eReaders that they have a problem displaying PDFs with pictures) and for browing (which I think both the android and the iPad will do fine except that the iPad doesn't have flash).
But once again, no one really answered my question about reading on it:
I want to know if it'll be uncomfortable reading on it (if my hand will start hurting after 10 min of holding it).
Another thing, does it get warm?
matanc1 said:
The flash is the main reason why I'm asking.
But again, I'm looking mainly for PDF files which I want to read(which I've found from using eReaders that they have a problem displaying PDFs with pictures) and for browing (which I think both the android and the iPad will do fine except that the iPad doesn't have flash).
But once again, no one really answered my question about reading on it:
I want to know if it'll be uncomfortable reading on it (if my hand will start hurting after 10 min of holding it).
Another thing, does it get warm?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Regarding PDF, you can install native Adobe Acrobat Reader on Android, so you can actually read (and edit even) as indented... so not sure what the remaining concern is. Seems like you're trying to come up with excuses not to get it. Yeah eReaders have issues with PDF, but eReaders don't have Adobe's Acrobat PDF Reader installed, hehe.
Regarding comfort, that's not really a question someone can answer. Many people say getting tattoos aren't uncomfortable, but many would disagree. I think if it hurts to hold a 1 pound object, then you'll have to stick to books under about 300 pages anyhow, so it's somewhat a moot point, hehe.
You can always try, and if you don't like, return or sell online. It's not really something someone can answer for you, since it's a personal issue that varries from person to person. My Kindle weighs about 1.8th of a pound and it is still uncomfortable to hold for extended periods... so I just hold it on the desk or airline tray table, or whatever... it's not a big deal.... with any device.
No it does not get warm.
I reviewed a bunch of reader apps on the GT10.1. I looked at FBReader, Moon+ reader, Nook, Kindle, Google Books, Alkido and a couple of others.
My favorite is Nook. I base that on:
1) integrated shopping experience. Some of the other readers, like FBReader, and I think Moon+ required to you download a book somehow, then put it on your SD card, etc. Or the shopping experience sucked. Kindle/google/nook all had a good in-app shopping experience
2) The page turn. This might not be your highest priority, but I found the page turn experience to be very important to me. Google books and Nook both have a 3d page turn that I liked. nooks is slightly better because it reacts in a more realistic way.
3) Notes/highlighting/bookmarks. Nook wins out over google books.
bella92108 said:
Regarding PDF, you can install native Adobe Acrobat Reader on Android, so you can actually read (and edit even) as indented... so not sure what the remaining concern is. Seems like you're trying to come up with excuses not to get it. Yeah eReaders have issues with PDF, but eReaders don't have Adobe's Acrobat PDF Reader installed, hehe.
Regarding comfort, that's not really a question someone can answer. Many people say getting tattoos aren't uncomfortable, but many would disagree. I think if it hurts to hold a 1 pound object, then you'll have to stick to books under about 300 pages anyhow, so it's somewhat a moot point, hehe.
You can always try, and if you don't like, return or sell online. It's not really something someone can answer for you, since it's a personal issue that varries from person to person. My Kindle weighs about 1.8th of a pound and it is still uncomfortable to hold for extended periods... so I just hold it on the desk or airline tray table, or whatever... it's not a big deal.... with any device.
No it does not get warm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thing is, I don't live in the U.S. I can't buy it and return it.
So I can either go with the iPad 2 or the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
The software isn't an issue (there are tons of PDF reading / editing apps on the market). I'm just asking for someone to compare it to the iPad 2 from the design point of view (mostly putting the focus on holding it for an extended period of time).
In other words:
Does it do a better job of reading / browsing than the iPad 2 (in the non software sense)
matanc1 said:
Does it do a better job of reading / browsing than the iPad 2 (in the non software sense)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Browsing I think will be a little better on the 10.1 based on the Flash issue. I haven't used an ipad for internet browsing but I would imagine that would get a little annoying.
Reading is six in one hand half dozen in the other. I think the aspect ratio of the ipad was designed with reading in portrait orientation in mind. That being said, you should be able to read text larger on the screen (in portrait orientation) before having to scroll left and right to see the beginning and end of the lines respectively. That's not to say that this is a major issue on the 10.1, but if your eyes require larger text it may be a problem.
Both the iPad2 and 10.1 are incredibly thin, light devices. I don't really think holding one over the other will cause significant arm strain. you could go into a store and try holding each for 10 minutes. Considering you're willing to drop $500 on something, you should definitely be sure.
Tab is lighter, and IMHO, more comfortable to hold than the iPad2 (a few of my co-workers have iPad's)
The screen resolution is higher on the Tab, it is easier on my eyes (your eyes might react differently), and my co-workers agree for the most part.
lqaddict said:
Tab is lighter, and IMHO, more comfortable to hold than the iPad2 (a few of my co-workers have iPad's)
The screen resolution is higher on the Tab, it is easier on my eyes (your eyes might react differently), and my co-workers agree for the most part.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the galaxy screen's width being smaller would be a problem if I wanted to read on it in book like font sizes without having to scroll to the sides all the time?
One more thing: Is it hard reading in landscape mode then?
Do the kindle / nook readers have that option?
matanc1 said:
So the galaxy screen's width being smaller would be a problem if I wanted to read on it in book like font sizes without having to scroll to the sides all the time?
One more thing: Is it hard reading in landscape mode then?
Do the kindle / nook readers have that option?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just looking at one of the default books that comes on it, it looked fine portrait orientation. The text displayed larger than typically print text without having to scroll left and right. Like I said though, its worth a hands on test for yourself.
I'm sure kindle and nook have landscape options, especially on a tablet. I've been reading a technical text book (with exercises to follow along with) in landscape mode for the most part, however, I'm using whatever is the default pdf reader.
nook works in landscape mode, as does aldiko. I've been reading on it the past couple nights in both orientations and it's fine.
The resolution definitely makes a difference reading - on the ipad, text at my preferred size always looked slightly blurry, just enough to be annoying.
matanc1 said:
So the galaxy screen's width being smaller would be a problem if I wanted to read on it in book like font sizes without having to scroll to the sides all the time?
One more thing: Is it hard reading in landscape mode then?
Do the kindle / nook readers have that option?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope you don't need to scroll left/right in portrait mode, it scales the text to fit the screen width.
No issues using Google Books or Kindle app in landscape or portrait - I do prefer portrait for reading, but landscape for browsing.
matanc1 said:
Thing is, I don't live in the U.S. I can't buy it and return it.
So I can either go with the iPad 2 or the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
The software isn't an issue (there are tons of PDF reading / editing apps on the market). I'm just asking for someone to compare it to the iPad 2 from the design point of view (mostly putting the focus on holding it for an extended period of time).
In other words:
Does it do a better job of reading / browsing than the iPad 2 (in the non software sense)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've always been down the middle. I suppose I can give honest feedback as I owned iPad 1, and got rid of it because it was too heavy and cumbersome to hold, then I got iPad 2 because in order for iPad 1 to be useful I had to jailbreak it, then on iPad 2 there's no jailbreak available (yet). even so, the screen quality on iPad 2 is so bad... so grainy, you can see every pixel. Then I got the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and it's neat being able to customize, widgets, flash etc. Where it falls short is media.... it's a pain in the ass a) finding a media file that will actually play without having to convert 10x, and b) managing a sync between device and computer... so for me that's where iPad wins... their sync management is just great.
But at the end of the day, Galaxy tab wins by a decent margin because it's open... I can put my icons where I want, customize the hell out of it, and don't have to live within the confines of "take it or leave it" when it comes to the way I use it. It's just so nice to be able to go away for the weekend and just take a tablet knowing it'll handle any website I can throw at it. Ipad I couldn't even use some travel websites because of the flash issue.... that and their multitasking was a joke.
I use tthe GT10.1 and the nook app, I have not tried the ipad but reading on the tab is great in either orientation. With the nook app you can adjust font size easily so should be fine for any age of eyes in any orientation.
Good luck
Hi
I am confused...
I just spent a day with the iPad2 and a Galaxy Tab (the first edition) have to say I was very impressed with reading PDF books from the iPad but not so much from the Galaxy which is running 2.2
I am Android through and through and want to stick with an Android but want the experience I had with the iPad2 when it comes to reading ebooks from it.
I have been looking around and the Asus Transformer looks impressive with a decent price.... I also know it has Honeycomb as I understand its more tailored for tablets than the previous versions and the experience is far better. Much better than what I have used with 2.2. One thing from my research that lets Android down is there are not many apps which are tablet ready but slowly this will come.... That's not too much of an issue for me as my primary use will be ebook reading and internet use.
I dont see the point in buying just an ebook reader, for a few extra hundred I can get something which will offer a lot more and features that I would make use off.
If anyone uses the transformer as a book reader. What are you thoughts?? Is the experience good. I held one the other day in a shop and it felt initially quite bulky but I suppose I could get used to that....
Thanks
I bought the transformer to use it as an ebook reader, and i can tell you its really good.
there are some very nice ebook reading programs like the stock mylibrary which is basically like iBooks, and there is aldiko which i highly reccomand, because you can set text size, color and marging and page color etc. to make the reading comfortable.
i read a few books from it and with the right brightness/color setting it wont hurt your eyes too much or something like this. the text is crisp and nice and reading is in general a pleasant experience from the transformer screen.
I've been using the kindle reader. Great for reading 4 books so far. And quick to get new books. Have it on my desire HD too so I can put the eee pad down go out and read a few pages while out and about.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
I agree im currently writing an ebook and tested out various formats on various apps on the TF overall quite a good experience when reading
I settled on Moon+ reader, so far I have had no issues.
If you want to read e-books, then do not buy this product. IPS panel is not intended for reading but the comic is a nice read. If you want to read, then buy an electronic book reader.
Try for example, to read for several hours on a computer screen. It is not easy (eyes will to hurt).
It's definitely nice as a book reader. I finished the entire Storm of Swords book on this one,so I can vouch for its useability
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
Truthfully it is not a great ereader. The form factor is good for magazine and PDF but not for books. Also very reflective in bright light and not dim enough in darkness.
What was wrong with original galaxy tab?
My nook color is my default reader over my transformer as its screen while same tech has higher contrast less glare and can get it darker for night reading.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
Count me in the group confirming that it's great for eBooks. I use Google's own Books app, and am currently reading my fourth entire novel on the Transformer. The screen dims enough to be comfortable for me even with white pages in a completely dark room, but is bright enough to read basically anywhere I'd be comfortable trying to read in the first place. No, it's not *quite* as easy on the eye as a dedicated reader, but it also does a whole hell of a lot more, and frankly the page-turning motion in Google's app makes it feel more like a book than the dedicated readers do to me.
Just so you know I've got enough experience to know what I'm talking about, here's what I've read on the Transformer, in order. They're all paperback versions, based on the ISBN numbers. All of these were read for the first time, so I didn't skim them, I read them properly:
* Terry Jones: Douglas Adams' Starship Titanic (257 pages, I'm an old-school Douglas Adams fan who finally decided I should give the novelization of his game a try.)
* Tom Clancy: The Hunt for Red October (499 pages, been meaning to read Clancy for years and never got around to it. Was happy with my first eBook experience, so gave it a try.)
* Tom Clancy: Red Storm Rising (637 pages, liked my first Clancy experience, so stuck with it.)
* Tom Clancy: Patriot Games (518 pages, I'm currently about 200 pages in, accounting for the differences in page numbering because the books reflow to fit the screen orientation / selected font size and spacing.)
So in total, I've read almost 1,600 paperback pages on the Transformer since May 4th -- and all of the Clancy was within the last month (I was on an overseas vacation for the Jones book, so read it much more slowly.) That means I average about 50 paperback pages per day on the Transformer since returning from my trip, which I couldn't do if it wasn't comfortable.
I thought it may help what my usage will be for reading books on a Transformer.
I am an IT professional and do a lot of self training reading IT reference books (majority in PDF form) and I use a my PC to actually do the tasks mentioned in the book.
if you can imagine I will have the transformer on stand of some sort and will referring back and forth to the transformer for reading the book or notes....
Does that make sense??
I don't intend to be reading novels but mainly for research and training guides..and this won't be on a daily basis either..
Thanks
PatrikSelin said:
If you want to read e-books, then do not buy this product. IPS panel is not intended for reading but the comic is a nice read. If you want to read, then buy an electronic book reader.
Try for example, to read for several hours on a computer screen. It is not easy (eyes will to hurt).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this is a bit misleading. ANY device with any kind of LCD panel won't be as comfortable for longer reading sessions as an e-Ink reader. It also won't be as good in direct sunlight. That's not an indictment of the TF itself, which is excellent as an ebook reader compared with other tablets of similar size (and the few ounces difference of, say, the iPad 2 or GT 10.1 won't stop one from wanting to prop it on something after awhile).
I have a Nook 3G reader, and I do prefer to read on it for longer sessions and when I have sufficient light (because of course it has no backlighting). I also use the Nook for reading late at night, because theory says it's best to avoid emissive screens like tablets, notebooks, TVs, etc. right before going to sleep.
Another good use for the TF is if you're reading books that you need to annotate. Works great in the Nook app (and Kindle, for that matter), and notes and highlights sync to other devices.
So, in short, the TF's as good as any other 10.1" or so tablet, and better than a few because the IPS screen allows for more flexible viewing angles.
ranjb said:
if you can imagine I will have the transformer on stand of some sort and will referring back and forth to the transformer for reading the book or notes....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah! Pretty much the perfect way to use the TF as an ereader. I wanted to point out what size of books you would be holding with different devices, but if the plan isn't to actually hold the TF.... well, awesome
Still, I took a picture:
http://i54.tinypic.com/210f4hu.jpg
Those are a 2nd generation Kindle, a 7" Galaxy Tab, and obviously a Transformer. The books behind have (roughly) the same weight as the device in front of them. There is an audio cd to compare size. The Kindle is 294 grams, the Galaxy Tab 382 and the Asus 695.
That said, the Kindle sucks for anything that isn't an ebook, especially PDFs
For novels eink readers are your best bet. For graphic novels or textbook you can't go wrong with a tablet. It should be worth noting eink readers of 5in and bigger can be used to read black and white comic by using epubbuilder and importing each image as a standalone chapter in epub format.
Sent from my Transformer TF101
frosty5689 said:
It should be worth noting eink readers of 5in and bigger can be used to read black and white comic by using epubbuilder and importing each image as a standalone chapter in epub format.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't know that. However, this is what i know http://foosoft.net/mangle/ the Kindle can read images and that software is made for the exact purpose of optimizing them so to read manga/comics very easily.
Still, the Kindle is a trainwreck with PDFs that aren't just an image or just text, so it dosen't really help the OP.
I spent about six hours yesterday reading a book using the kindle app and I was pretty pleased with it.
Canadoc said:
not dim enough in darkness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Screen Filter to make my screen dimmer when reading in darkness.
ranjb said:
I am an IT professional and do a lot of self training reading IT reference books (majority in PDF form) and I use a my PC to actually do the tasks mentioned in the book.
if you can imagine I will have the transformer on stand of some sort and will referring back and forth to the transformer for reading the book or notes...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say it'd be great for that. Adobe's PDF viewer is free and fast / stable for me, if you're working on a PC LCD then having a similar tech on the tablet would be a positive advantage (set similar brightness and your eyes don't need to adjust looking back and forth, unlike an eReader screen). Only potential issue is reflections from bright office lights, depending on the environment where you're planning to use it, although if you have a good adjustable stand you can affix the tab to, that's easily solved (and if I can use the tab outdoors in bright ambient light, which I can, I'm sure anything indoors is workable.)
It's great for reading books, Kindle app is the same as on iPad. Brightness can be dim enough to not affect wife sleeping next to me, especially on Sepia background.
All ebook readers on the iPad are available for Andriod, just pick one you like. Due to competing formats, you may end up with three ore more, depending where you buy books or download epubs/pdfs.
The only thing I would ever replace this with is a Kindle DX, but who wants to pay that much for a tech toy that does only one thing? For the same price, I have a full blown tablet running Andriod OS.
It of course will not be as easy on the eyes as e-ink technology, nor look good in bright sunlight. Then again, who reads in bright sun? That's why we have trees!
Anyone here use the Iconia as an eReader (among other things)? I was thinking of getting the Nook Color since I need a reader, but since with the Target deal this is only 50 dollars more expensive, the Iconia suddenly became tempting. I'm worried about the size and weight though. Is it easy to read for 1-2 hours straight? I tried one at BB and after 15-20 minutes it was still OK, but I wonder if it isn't too heavy/awkward to read on.
Please post your experiences about using eReaders on the Iconia
I've read a couple of books on mine, they were purchased through google market and read with google books. I enjoyed using it this way and will do so in the future. As far as weight goes, the tab isn't any heavier than a good sized hard back book. I use the acer cover which has a built in stand so that helps with the weight as well.
The big question is how your eyes hold up to the lcd screen. The eink displays cause much less eye strain and are fully viewable in sunlight, the tabs screen will definitely give some eye strain if used for hours on end, and will be less visible in sun light.
Edit: the nook color is an lcd screen as well.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
harveydent said:
Anyone here use the Iconia as an eReader (among other things)? I was thinking of getting the Nook Color since I need a reader, but since with the Target deal this is only 50 dollars more expensive, the Iconia suddenly became tempting. I'm worried about the size and weight though. Is it easy to read for 1-2 hours straight? I tried one at BB and after 15-20 minutes it was still OK, but I wonder if it isn't too heavy/awkward to read on.
Please post your experiences about using eReaders on the Iconia
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's WHOLLY dependant on personal taste. I do not find it too heavy even for 4-5 hour reading session, I often have such streaks when I'm reading stuff, but I also know many other people who would find to bit too heavy.
One thing that would make it better as primarily an eReader though would be non-slippery back, like for example gluing a really thin sheet of porous gum on it. It might not look as fancy, but it would be much easier to hold even with one hand.
Dusto79 said:
and will be less visible in sun light.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From my experience it's wholly unusable in sun light.
Thanks for the replies!
The sunlight glare isn't a concern since ALL LCD tablets have that problem, to varying degrees.
How does it handle pdfs? And any good ereader apps aside from the Amazon/Nook/Google apps?
harveydent said:
How does it handle pdfs? And any good ereader apps aside from the Amazon/Nook/Google apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's plenty of software for reading PDFs, just try them all and choose the one you like the best
Can't help you with ereader apps though, I don't use those. I am 100% PDF.
It really depends on what you are planing on reading. If it's mostly text based stuff (novels, etc.), an eInk display is the hands down winner. Once you start tossing PDFs and CBRs into the mix then a color LCD tablet becomes a better option.
I have both so I'll chime in.
If you're purchasing a LED Ebook reader then go for Iconia.
But if you're looking for an eInk display then go for it. The battery on Iconia is awsome but even a great battery can't compare to an eInk display.
The other thing is reading in sunlight and eye strain. I love both my ebook and Iconia but I mostly read books on ebook.
Edit: I forgot to mention. If you're into comics or anything that has lots of pictures than stick to a tablet.
I sold my Nook color after I got the a500. I find reading on either to be about the same - however web browsing is much better on the Acer. At first I didn't know if I would like the side by side view while holding the Acer in landscape but it quickly grew on me. I agree if you are considering LCD get the Acer - if you like eink don't consider the Acer.
I have an Iconia and a Kindle3.
While I can read on my tab, the kindle provides a much better reading experience for me. I do get eye strain from my tab in about an hours time- I read on the eink display without any strain at all for hours. The difference is all about the lcd vs. eink. I personally, never considered the weight of either an issue. I must be the only one that rests their book/tab/reader on something while they read our use it. If I read in bed I stand the reader upon my chest. If I'm surfing the internet I rest the tab up on my lap while on the sofa or on the table while sitting. Weight is not an issue for me either way. Ultimately I use the tab for recreational purposes (email, internet, games) and the reader to read. I wouldn't want to give either up.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
I've been using mine to read books on Nook and also Moon+ Reader. It works pretty well, just a tad on the heavy side for me.
Google jetbook lite if you want something portable and 100% readable under full sunlight. I've been using this for years. Works great. The best part of this is it reads just about every ebook format under the sun. Even the highly priced kindle can't do this.
Eye Strain
I can tolerate reading on my Iconia, but I do not like the glare from room lights when I read at night. Weight is not an issue. E books are great. I may eventually buy a Nook or kindle with e ink. However, tablets can do so much more than e readers. I have no regrets about my Iconia purchase.
I have used this, a nook color and a sony reader (eink). I prefer this to the other two. I do a lot for my reading in low light situations, so the eink is kind of a pain in this situation since it needs an external light. The nook color is nice for reading, but I don't like it as much for web and tablet functions. The only reason I still keep the nc around is android can't support nook kids books yet.
I usually use the nook app to read books and get them from barnes and noble. Bn gives away a free book every Friday. And I've been reading a lot of them.
The weight has not been a big issue for me.
Hope this helped
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
harveydent said:
Thanks for the replies!
And any good ereader apps aside from the Amazon/Nook/Google apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FBReader is my personal fav + Calibre on the PC to do conversions to epub.
I have an original nook (eink, preiously had a sony ebook) and an iconia. I find the eink displays superior to the iconia for reading ebook formatted files made to reflow, and makes for easier reading in general. The tablet is superior for most pdfs, largely owing t the screen size (as most pdfs as formatted for 8.5"x11").
I had question regarding this actually. I'm trying to collate all the ebooks ive downloaded from various sources into one app I can use for reading (i was thinking lumiread). I was wondering if there is a way to do this for books downloaded from the borders australia android app. specifically, in which directory would the books be located so I can read them in lumiread
holdup said:
I had question regarding this actually. I'm trying to collate all the ebooks ive downloaded from various sources into one app I can use for reading (i was thinking lumiread). I was wondering if there is a way to do this for books downloaded from the borders australia android app. specifically, in which directory would the books be located so I can read them in lumiread
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe lumiread is one of the readers that lets you go into settings and choose what folders to scan for ebooks, AND you can exclude folders, which is really nice.
In terms of features and how they perform, Lumiread is one of my favorite readers.
Nook would be #2 and Kindle #3.
They all are similar. Lumiread has the eye candy presentation of your "books" on shelves like the ipad, but that's all personal taste of course.
To answer the ops question, its a great ereader. Eink is still better for strictly reading ebooks at long sessions, but the iconia is a great option if you are looking for an LCD device. I find the trade off between weight a very viable option because of everything else it can do.
Acer is coming out with a 7" tablet soon, so if weight is a HUGE factor for you, you could go for that. If you go with a Kindle, you are stuck with Amazon books only tho, you can't sideload books yourself.
There are also some great news reader apps on Android and they make magazines and newspapers unbelievably AWESOME if you are looking for other things to read.
Hope all this helps. I have about 200 books on mine.
It sounds like a plan, but if you are a hard core reader its not a good one
Yes of course there are some fantastic apps out there for reading via the iconia, and they look (and sound) fantastic, but at the end of the day the iconia or any other tablet is NOT an ereader.
As for the nook, again it is abit in-between, with that colour screen etc.
In short, I have a kindle. It looks rubbish, is grey scale and can do nothin but show text!
But thers's the trick. Read inside or outside, it is light, you can put your own downloaded books on to it, there is a hack to put your own cover/screen/personalise it. It is very light, can play mp3 externally or via headphones while you read and off-course last but not least - 30 days of CONTINUOUS READING without recharge!!! Now that is an ereader right there.
A kindle and a samsung galacy 10.1 (or an iconia wearing galaxy brains rom) and you are good to go.
Now you can show your missus this post and you will have a good excuse to let her know that you actually need both
Enjoy
MJ-12
MJ-12 said:
and can do nothin but show text!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's something why I could never use one of those devices: I read a lot of technical books that require the ability to show images. Oh, and yes, I do read comics and manga too
Are you an eBook reader user? Did you find GT 10.1 a good replacement to your eBook reader? Thanks in advance!
It's good for reading with all lights off. But it won't last as long and hurts your eyes (so you won't read too long). If you're reading outside, forget about it. eInk devices still beats any other display technology for outside reading.
The Kindle app and MoonReader+ have both been great. I have read about 15 books on my Galaxy tab in the last few months. I've never used a Kindle or eInk reader, so I can't compare -- but I know that the Galaxy tab works pretty well for my reading habits, and I've never had a problem with eyestrain. I have my MoonReader+ pretty well tweaked so that it's comfortable for long periods of reading without trouble.
I use RepliGo Reader for Android and I'm quite happy. I have a big collection of pdf files and I can easily annotate them, add boomarks etc. In fact that's why I bought galaxy tab!
I have a kindle 3g reader and it is wayyyyyy better reader than a tablet. Especially outdoors, it works perfectly. Any tablet including my 10.1 is not a replacement for a dedicated e-reader.
For my purposes (reading in bed after my wife has gone to sleep) it's been awesome. I can prop it up on the bedstand and read for as long as I want and it works great (turn it to the lowest brightness and make it white type on black background). I think a kindle would be nicer during the day, but if you want to read without a light on it can't be beat. One other thing to consider: if your thumb is on the screen while you're reading you need to move it before you change the page. That gets annoying; not sure if any of the touchscreen readers can do better. Kind of shocking they didn't work that into the kindle app....
I would consider, though, getting a smaller and lighter 7" if reading would be your primary use. The 10" screen is good for a lot of stuff but holding it up can get a bit uncomfortable after a bit. But don't even think of any of the other 10" android tablets. They're all too heavy with sharp edges to be comfortable to hold (sharp edges is why I'm not going to get the transformer prime).
slack04 said:
I would consider, though, getting a smaller and lighter 7" if reading would be your primary use. The 10" screen is good for a lot of stuff but holding it up can get a bit uncomfortable after a bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely agree with this. I had the 10.1 for months and rarely read on it because it's just too big for that purpose. I read less and less with each passing day/week, so I ultimately just sold it and bought the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus when it came out. now I'm back to reading all the time because the 7" size is just much more convenient and comfortable to use when reading. The LCD doesn't bother me at all...so the eInk isn't that desirable to me (wife has a Nook touch so I've seen it in action).
If you want to read any kind of science textbook, the Tab 10.1 wins hands down.
I've got a Kindle WiFi (sometimes called a Kindle 3) that I bought in 2010 on launch day. Haven't used it since September of last year, after I bought my original 7" Galaxy Tab, and then my 10.1.
I really don't like e-ink anywhere but outdoors, and even then, the refresh rate is problematic for me, as is the very limited functionality of dedicated e-book readers. The only thing I truly appreciated about the Kindle 3 was the battery life.
I have the Nook Simple Touch and read all my books on it. I have the Nook software on my GT 10.1 and have never read a book with it. I can read using my Nook for hours. No way could I even think about that with the GT 10.1...
FBreader on night mode works great for all my epubs. I've probably read fifty books on my 10.1 in the six months I've owned it. Totally amazing for reading. The only downside is that the gumdrop case I use for ruggedness does make it about as heavy as a Xoom. Also, Perfect Viewer and Manga Watch cover my comic needs.
I don't think the 10.1 is a good size for ebooks, unless you plan to read full-sized PDF documents (textbook, magazines, and reference material). That said, ereader apps like Kindle, Moon+ Reader, Aldiko, etc. help a lot because you can adjust background colors and fonts to suit your needs. I personally prefer using my 7 inch tablet for ereading due to its lighter weight. Another thing you should consider is screen glare - tablets, unlike ereaders, generally have reflective glass surfaces that causes eyestrain. I minimize this by adjusting screen angles and background color (sepia/brownish backgrounds help a lot in this regard). Hope this helps.
giltwist said:
FBreader on night mode works great for all my epubs. I've probably read fifty books on my 10.1 in the six months I've owned it. Totally amazing for reading. The only downside is that the gumdrop case I use for ruggedness does make it about as heavy as a Xoom. Also, Perfect Viewer and Manga Watch cover my comic needs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are the best!
As many of us, I was very interesting on this thread due to Alterbridge trouble to include into Overcome.
I've tried moon+ and aldico, but I wasn't 100% satisfied!
FBreader is exacly what I was looking for!
Thank you.
If you read in a normally lit area with not too much glare, and turn the brightness down a bit you can probably read for a pretty long time. Keep in mind that the tab is not meant to be an e-reader, it's more of an all-round entertainment solution.
I acually started reading again. I had a Nook Color but only used it as a cheap tablet. Now I own a galaxy tab 8.9 (which i think it's much better than the 10.1 for books and magazines) and I'm using it to read in the subway. I like the form factor, the screen is great and I can read full colored comics and magazines.
Basically if I was you I would think like this:
If you're a heavy book reader go for a dedicated device (like the nook touch or the kindle touch). The screens on those devices are great and battery lasts for at least a month.
If you don't read as many books (like I do) but also enjoy comics, magazines, videos, internet and games then go for a tablet, a real one, not the half baked kindle fire or nook tablet.
alot of my friends ask this... if you only intend to read books then go w/ a kindle... its easy on the eyes, battery life is superb, cheap, very light.
but if you plan to do anything else or see yourself doing something else, go w/ a tablet. then you have the questions of what size and what not...
There r no apps that satisfied me more than samsung default eBook
I know it's not quite an ebook, but Droid Comic Viewer works great on the tab for reading graphic novels!
The size and aspect ratio in portrait orientation are perfect!
I have tried a lot of different ereader apps, and my favourite is the Mantano reader free (available in the market ). The UI is optimized for tablets as well as supporting adobe drm, epub and PDF.
my only problem with GT 10.1 is the battery life and finger print. its a good ebook reader as it is. Default app... have read 15+ books after 2 mths of owning the tab.