Database Users

Galaxy Tab 10.1 for Reading & Browing

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
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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)
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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.
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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

Iconia as an eReader

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.
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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...
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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?
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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
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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!
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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

Is GT 10.1 a good replacement for eBook readers?

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.
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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.
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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.

Nexus 7 size right for reading pdf's or should I wait for 10" alternative?

Hello guys, I am very excited about this tablet and didn't believed it was possible to actually offer such great specs at this price point, I take my hat off to google. I am currently looking to buy an android tablet basically for college book reading since most of the books (Science) are sent to us through pdf and reading them with the laptop is very impractical... These books are the typical 7.4" x 9.1" physical book size and my main concern is that the pages will not fit properly on the 7" screen or maybe wont be legible having to use zoom the pages in which is basically what I want to avoid.
So basically do you guys think this tablet could suit me for reading pdf books naturally without having to zoom the pages? or should I wait for the rumored nexus 10 to suit my needs?
Oscar

PDFs are a print format; they look great at 8.5x11.
Every smaller device I have seen has been a compromise; the smaller they get the worse it is.
Pick a commonly available textbook and see how it looks in the Apple store on a 10" IPad. Then drop by Barnes and Nobel and see how it looks on the Nook Tablet at 7". It will look very much the same on the Nexus 7 as on the Nook Tablet.
I won't do PDFs on my readers for that reason; my entire library is EPubs, with changeable font sizes and good text reflow.

It obviously depends on the font size used in the PDFs you intend to view. In general, if you're looking for a reading device, the consensus is that the 7" format is perfect.

I have a number of mags that I use in PDF format. It completely depends on how much text the book/mag printer is trying to squeeze on the page. Some look great, others require a little pinch.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Send us the pdfs (once we get the tablet, of course) and we can try it out for you.

>do you guys think this tablet could suit me for reading pdf books naturally without having to zoom the pages?
This is my main concern as well. Reading PDFs on a Nook is doable, but not optimal. The problem isn't the 7" size so much as the insufficient width of the Nook's 1.7 aspect. I find that if I manually crop the margins (done once per book), then I can read most texts OK in portrait. But it's not comfortable for extended reading. BTW, when reading long-form, the last thing you want to do is zooming in/out per page.
I can of course read in landscape, but again the "widescreen" aspect is suboptimal, necessitating excessive scrolling.
N7 is slightly better with its 1.6 aspect + higher res. Its actual screen is physically about 5mm wider than the Nook's. The higher-res display should improve readability, although I'm not sure how much.
An optimal device for reading PDFs for me would be in 4:3 format. For one-handed use, a 7'ish size is best. The rumored 7.85" mini iPad would be perfect.
If reading PDF textbooks is your main use, the best device is the iPad. It has the optimal 4:3 aspect, and its display is the best hands down. When you're reading books for long periods, the extra space of a 10" is much more important than the portability from a 7". For extended reading, 10" is best used in a stand, though.
>should I wait for the rumored nexus 10
It's futile to chase after gadget rumors. Although I will say that the iPad mini is on my list, if it becomes true.
Edit: I'm looking at the Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 which just hit the retail shelves. Basically a value tab, but it has a 4:3 IPS and good sized battery, important for a reader. SoC is last-gen OMAP4430, same as KF, so not the fastest. But that's good, because it means it'll hit the discount bins sooner than later. Hopefully it'll come up in a BF sale.
http://androidcommunity.com/lenovo-ideatab-s2109-budget-ics-tablet-hands-on-20120702/

There's no doubt that a 10" device is better for viewing most PDFs, but you can get by with a 7", especially if you're able to crop the PDF down before sending it to your device. For a free utility to crop PDFs just search for Briss.
But frankly if you're looking for something to use with textbook PDFs you'll spare yourself a lot of grief if you wait and save up for an iPad2.

Well, after having both 7" (Nexus 7 16GB) and 10" (Ainol Hero 1) - I ended up using almost exclusively the larger one. Its not that neat/cute nor easy to carry every day, but I finally started reading PDF books and PC manuals Ive intended to read for ages ... Debian Handbook for example - great at 10 inches, sucks at 7 inches. Also other stuff like Flipboard is great when using the tablet in vertical position.

I don't know about everyone else but I get a pretty much perfect conversion when I use Adobe Reader, especially in Landscape Mode. The stock reader and a couple of other ones I tried didn't really do it for me

IntelligentAj said:
I don't know about everyone else but I get a pretty much perfect conversion when I use Adobe Reader, especially in Landscape Mode. The stock reader and a couple of other ones I tried didn't really do it for me
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Well, myself, I hate scrolling page when reading. Thats why I love to read it on 10inch tablet in vertical way. I read one page, click right side of the screen, read another page ... etc. ... Using Mantano reader btw.

Nexus 7 is very cool phablet for reading docs...
But you need to zoom a bit on any 7` tablet...
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

michalurban said:
Well, myself, I hate scrolling page when reading. Thats why I love to read it on 10inch tablet in vertical way. I read one page, click right side of the screen, read another page ... etc. ... Using Mantano reader btw.
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I actually don't mind the scrolling too much which is funny since I came over from a Kindle Touch. I'll try that app though. Do you have to zoom or does it do a good job of re-sizing the PDF?

IntelligentAj said:
I actually don't mind the scrolling too much which is funny since I came over from a Kindle Touch. I'll try that app though. Do you have to zoom or does it do a good job of re-sizing the PDF?
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Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesnt. Dont know what it depends on. But on the 10-inch I dont zoom at all ...

michalurban said:
Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesnt. Dont know what it depends on. But on the 10-inch I dont zoom at all ...
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Alright I'll give it a try on my Nexus 7. I just don't want to deal with the hassle of converting my PDF files. My ebooks I use the kindle app and it works great

IntelligentAj said:
Alright I'll give it a try on my Nexus 7. I just don't want to deal with the hassle of converting my PDF files. My ebooks I use the kindle app and it works great
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Yes, me too. I managed to buy some books for Google Books even in my unsupported country, but now they really shut the access down for us so I moved to Amazon Kindle and its great.

HELP! What do you use your tablet for?

Besides the obvious uses for the note tablet, what do you use yours for? I'm a freelance illustrator and the wacom digitizer and s-pen are what initially attracted me to the note phone, and now the note tablet, both allowing me to sketch on the go and minimizing the amount of time sitting in front of my desktop. Honestly even though I'm a huge tech person and love gadgets such as phones, i was never really into the tablet craze, especially after having a phone with a huge screen, i used a buddies iPad a few years back and didn't understand the buzz (with any apple product actually) but i started eyeballing the old note tablet as a new toy and tool for drawing and days later watched the IFA live on the computer and was sold on the Note 2014 edition, aesthetically it's great looking and has nice specs where I wouldn't have to worry about bogging it down. I love to game, avid xBoxer (when time allows) so the tablet would also serve as a good way to game while watching TV or laying in the couch without burning my phone battery up, and the drawing is awesome, but being drawing, gaming and browsing the internet, I don't know what else to use this thing for ... After dropping $600 + $60 for a 64GB sdcard and another $30+ in cases and accessories, I'm wondering if I just bought another really over priced laptop lol like I'm missing why people really enjoy the tablet, don't get me wrong I love it and refuse to give it up, I'm just looking for tips or advice on how to unlock the true potential of a tablet, like I said this is my first tablet, so any good apps? Games? Tricks? Tips? What role does your tablet serve in your life? Anything I guess that I might be missing, I've been rooting my phones for years and def plan to root this thing, and fully understand what a root can do to a device as far as unlocking extra potential, but beyond that just looking to see if I'm overlooking something awesome about tablets I could start using this for and really getting my moneys worth. Any advice is really appreciated! please excuse any typos lol I'm typing this using Swype on my note phone, and the auto correct has a mind of it's own.
Thanks.

Personally I use my pad as a more mobile laptop. I read on it, code on it, write on it... mostly read though. And games of course, can't forget about the games. Well, i guess i actually do everything on my pad, starting to get all itchy now since i broke the tf700t and am eagerly awaiting the new note. But hey, i guess you could produce some music on them as well... nothing a-grade but some snippets and loops here and there while waiting for whatever.

Mainly for communications, the rest for testing applications and gamea
Sent from my ME371MG using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

When home i use it as most probably do, Web browsing, forum reading through tapatalk, some games, social media etc. Basically a laptop replacement.
Its main purpose though is for use for college.
I use Lecture Notes extensively for note taking as well as all audios of lectures.
I found Class Buddy Pro to be great for scheduling all my classes when papers are do, when exams are etc (great app which syncs with any of your calendars) you can even attach files to the class itself (like a syllabus) and papers for assignments can be attached to the event you create for the assignment so you don't lose them (I use the paper the professors pop up on our internal web site so they are always available with me in an easy to find spot)
I use ezPDF Reader Pro for simple PDF annotations.
Mantano Reader Premium is by far the best PDF ePub textbook reading app out there. I need something which supports Adobe DRM and having tried every single app on the Play Store, I was blown away when I finally got to this one. While the interface is not as flashy as some of them, the nuts and bolts (reading, highlighting, annotating, bookmarking etc) cannot be beat.
This is my 5th tablet. I love my original Note 10.1 so much I bought this one the day a 32GB black one became available (I wanted / needed the higher resolution for anatomy books, really anything with pictures in them). Incredible piece of technology.
Since you like Wacom Digitizers, Google using the Note series as a Wacom Digitizer for a PC.

Porno and drawing porno.

if i had one of these and internet while i was going through puberty...
when i was a young chap we had to look at porn or video cassettes, uphill, both ways!

madsquabbles said:
if i had one of these and internet while i was going through puberty...
when i was a young chap we had to look at porn or video cassettes, uphill, both ways!
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If I had one going through puberty I would have been locked in my room for ages never once looking outside.
That reminds me, is Reagan still President?
Sent from my Galaxy Note 10.1 via Tapatalk.

I use the 2014 Note 10.1 mainly for movie watching at the moment. Also owning an iPad 4 I use that for most anything else. Email reading and email management I do mostly on my Note 3, with its indicator light and easy deletion options (the iPad wants you to Archive in stead of delete).
I'm actively looking at other uses for the 2014 Note 10.1 though. Areas of interest include: drawing, decent internet browsing, HD games, reading, and music/audio playback. This could be a great device given the right software. It already is top of the heap in some areas.
Usage of my 2014 Note 10.1 is currently hindered somewhat by the lack of a proper (slim, light weight) smartcover. Right now I'm using an iPad 1 or 2 Belkin "woolen" type sleeve (great fit), but I'm hoping for something more like my beautiful/handy Decoded iPad smartcover.

Op, its really up to what kind of illustrating you are up to do.
As of now, painting and drawing loose is more easier to do, and the results will come out quite clean. However that's the extent of Sketchbook that comes with the note10.1 itself. Generally you'd want to go beyond that for reproduction pipeline, as well as refining for details in cases of print work. HOWEVER. I consider that actual painting beyond the tablet's ability.
Note 10.1 is GREAT for sketching. I feel like it gets the idea down fast, and the first 2 or 3 stages of an illustration is completed just using the tablet - such as the grey value drawing, the base color palette, and general composition. I've yet to find an app that goes to 4K resolution and comes with a decent set of tools. Someone at XDA might point me out on this, but for my own use, I bounce back to my usual pipeline on the PC after my sketch is completed.
Things the Note is also good at, is the beautiful display. Max your colors out and brightness, and you get a 2nd monitor. There are plenty of apps that turns your PC / Laptop into a 2nd screen. Generally for viewing purposes and color / value checking. More things you can do: Use the screen as color reference, use the note as photo ref when drawing, use it as a scanner! 8MP is decent if you snap a pencil drawing and then paint on top of it, as an artist my self, I find this thing similar to be a Swiss army knife, it use it for literally everything.
On another note! Pun not intended, the note is not yet capable of doing any adobe illustrator. It's a horrible set back if you're a vector artist - or a graphic designer that intend to pump out quick samples. I feel that the apps available right now are inadequate. It's quite a shame. my current work around is using splash top and connect it to my home computer.

Previously i was a Tab 7.7 user.
Main use was surfing, and reading books and scanned manga's. I got tons of those digitally and in paper form, same with European comic books. Now the later are usually printed in a A4 format, so it all got a bit to small on the screen. And next to that PDF manuals, big fast high resolution tablets make them better to watch :victory:
So when i went looking for a new tablet, one of the things, i wanted was a bigger screen, a higher resolution, and some decent processor power. I had been eying the Nexus 10, and the LG G Pad 8.3 that was coming. Nexus 10 like all nexus lacking and SD slot, and from what i later heard also did not work with a OTG + USB drive right out the box, was not an option. The G Pad 8.3 looked nice, but i felt it might still be to small a screen for the bigger books to displace well, and readable. So when the Note 10.1 2014 came and i read the specs, and saw the price tag, i though, it might be a bit pricy but it can do everything i want it to do and more. I must say im not disappointed by it yet
So the note safes me from having the lug kilo's of paper books around, they can stay in on my shelves now

OP, since you are looking at sketching etc, check out this article. It's in French but Google translate should help, and even if it doesn't the sketches speak for themselves.
http://goo.gl/Rm7jhO
The drawings were made with Sketchbook Pro which is included on the new Notes.

My original Transformer Prime became a laptop replacement for anything that didn't involve heavy lifting (development work, etc). Once I find a decent bluetooth keyboard I expect I'll be doing the same thing with this.
My primary reason for upgrading to this particular tablet is the screen as I will be using it for photography. I pull the pics off the camera via wi-fi and then I can preview/edit them on the tablet.

I just use my table for viewing movies while traveling.