Database Users

[REQUEST] B&N Nook Simple Touch forum

Would like to request a forum for the Barnes & Nobles Nook Simple Touch. It runs Android 2.1, and has been rooted. It is the first e-Ink reader with a full-fledged OS, and is eminently hackable. Its SoC is the same as the Nook Color, and CM7 will likely be ported to it. It has a 2-month battery life and daylight-readable screen, at a low cost of $139. It is shipping now.
http://barnesandnoble.com/nook/index.asp
Rooting instructions: http://nookdevs.com/NookTouch_Rooting
Reviews: http://barnesandnoble.com/nook/reviews/index.asp

I second this request.

Agreed. I want to see this thing rooted!

It's been rooted! http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1115701
Please add a forum for Nook Simple Touch !!!

Agreed! Already rooted my Touch, but there seem to be no forums dedicated to this thing. This will be the ultimate e-reader when you can put Kindle/Kobo etc. on it!

+1
+1. The device is already rooted,and the forum link above is holding discussions on getting a launcher on there. Roms are soon to follow.

+1
Right now I'm thinking on how to get this nook. It should be very interesting - kind of e-ink tablet

Heh, we're skeptical about adding this. The Nook Color was easy because it's a full color Android tablet, and once rooted, it's a pretty great device. But the new monochrome Nook, even once rooted, can really play back videos, browse the web very well, etc.
But...if there's enough interest, we might have to oblige.

svetius said:
Heh, we're skeptical about adding this. The Nook Color was easy because it's a full color Android tablet, and once rooted, it's a pretty great device. But the new monochrome Nook, even once rooted, can really play back videos, browse the web very well, etc.
But...if there's enough interest, we might have to oblige.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would be great if we could convince you to overcome your skepticism. I have a rooted Nook Color and just got the Simple Touch for my mother. It's a great little ereader, but my idea in getting it for her was to root it and set her up with some basic Android goodies like email, calendar, Facebook, other ereader apps like Kindle and Aldiko. Videos clearly out, but that's fine for this kind of device.
Please chalk me up as interested!

Another vote for a specific Nook Simple Touch forum!
It has been rooted, it is similar under the hood to the Nook Color, and it runs Android. Just because it has an e-ink screen and can't do full motion video doesn't mean the machine isn't capable of being utilized for more than what was intended. The sooner we get a dedicated forum the better. If there isn't one, we are going to end up with a flood of posts in the Nook Color forums where they don't belong.

onlyforandroid said:
It would be great if we could convince you to overcome your skepticism. I have a rooted Nook Color and just got the Simple Touch for my mother. It's a great little ereader, but my idea in getting it for her was to root it and set her up with some basic Android goodies like email, calendar, Facebook, other ereader apps like Kindle and Aldiko. Videos clearly out, but that's fine for this kind of device.
Please chalk me up as interested!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, I don't think anyone is expecting the touch to ever be able to work like a "standard" tablet with angry birds (despite the demo, lol) or video playback. What would be excellent however would be development of a ROM or guides to aide loading that allowed additional apps that increase the usefulness of the nook touch, for example:
Additional ebook readers/distribution services like the kindle app (the lack of access to the kindle bookshop is the main criticism highlighted in reviews)
Word processing/editing applications on the go
Web browsing/social networking like Facebook
Simple gaming, for example chess or draughts or turn based strategy games like uniwar.
Essentially giving you an ereader that can also do a few extra functions when you are out and about

svetius said:
Heh, we're skeptical about adding this. The Nook Color was easy because it's a full color Android tablet, and once rooted, it's a pretty great device. But the new monochrome Nook, even once rooted, can really play back videos, browse the web very well, etc.
But...if there's enough interest, we might have to oblige.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Svetius,
I agree, the Nook Touch has its limitations as compared against conventional tablets. But that is what makes it interesting. As said, it's the only e-Ink product that has full-fledged Android and can be hacked to run regular Android apps. It's not a conventional tablet. It has its drawbacks, but it also has its unique strengths. It's very cheap, very light and compact, its battery lasts forever, and it can be used anywhere, indoors or out.
I've always thought of XDA as a place where we can talk about interesting tech toys, not just toys that are popular, or toys that have to be the same as other toys. Rather than adding yet another me-too Tegra 2 tablet, why not have something different and interesting for a change?
HP

I think that what we're looking at here is not simply an e-ink tablet (write mail, surf,etc), but the "One Ring" of e-ink readers. One e-ink device for all formats. Add my request for a NST forum please.

Picked one up at the bricks&mortar store tonight... It definitely has potential!!
Haven't had a chance to root it yet, but managed to load all of the Adobe Digital Editions books that I had collected on my 1st gen s-l-o-w kobo... (from several different bookstores) The browser needs work (I could see my gmail messages, but attempting to reply shut down the browser) There is no zoom or rotation for pdfs yet, and some obvious file formats (.jpg, .png ??) don't seem to be recognized consistently... but the screen isn't bad and it's relatively snappy. It's light, and really small... wifi works flawlessly, kb is pretty good.
Would love to see what can be done with it.

iam interested too!!
eink tablet would be awesome
thinking of text based services/apps like ssh, icq, irc, twitter, email, electrodroid, wikipedia...
e.mote said:
I've always thought of XDA as a place where we can talk about interesting tech toys, not just toys that are popular, or toys that have to be the same as other toys. Rather than adding yet another me-too Tegra 2 tablet, why not have something different and interesting for a change?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My thoughts exactly!

another one requesting this forum !
At the moment little bits of information are being scattered here and there, would be great to have them all in one place!

Another vote for a Nook Simple Touch forum!
I picked mine up yesterday and it's a fun little device. I'll be rooting it soon, and this thing definitely has lots of potential with a good community of developers!
For instance, how to unlock that gig of storage space that's reserved for bought B&N books... hehe

svetius said:
Heh, we're skeptical about adding this. The Nook Color was easy because it's a full color Android tablet, and once rooted, it's a pretty great device. But the new monochrome Nook, even once rooted, can really play back videos, browse the web very well, etc.
But...if there's enough interest, we might have to oblige.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Come on! Get moving on a forum for the Nook Touch!
I just got ADW and K9 e-mail running on this thing! Reading e-mail is beautiful on this thing!!! We need a proper Android distribution that gets around the menu and launcher navigation issues.

Maybe rename the Nook Color main section to be 'Nook devices' and drop this underneath as a sub-forum?
But aye, looks hackable, is a /really/ neat device. Deserves one forum hopefully, not sure (for now) needs the usual 'general/qa/dev/accesories' splitting.

So from the various threads that are around in the Nook Color thread, so far people have managed to
- root the nook touch,
- access superuser permissions,
- Work out there is 728mb usable ram and 228mb program memory,
- Install and run ADWLauncher and LauncherPro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4dMZvff9qg- Install and run FBReader
- Install and run the Kindle app http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4MJungKIxY
- Suggest that the CPU is the same as the Nook Color?!?
- Suggest that the Nook Touch has Bluetooth but it is disabled
- Suggest that devs will start work on a CM7 port
Some excellent developments already and an exciting future for the device, please may we have a forum/sub-forum now? Pretty please with sugar and cherries ontop?

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
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

[Q] Experience of reading books on transformer

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...
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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!

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
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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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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?
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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

[Q] eTextbooks

How functional is viewing eTextbooks on the Nook Simple Touch if rooted?
I haven't rooted my Touch yet, but I was hoping for the ability to read my college textbooks on my touch.
I downloaded some books for my classes next semester and put them on the touch yesterday. However, the formatting is pretty awful, lol.
Does rooting help solve this problem?
It would be awesome to be able to read all my textbooks at little to no cost and the portability of the nook touch.

If your textbooks are in PDF, rooting may improve reading a little bit, as you'd be able to use apps such as ezpdf (it was 0.10 USD yesterday), which allows you to read pdf files in landscape mode, which improve reading quite a bit, and you can also highlight and add notes to your text.
If you use epub books, I guess original nook reader is quite good, but you can also profit from rooting, by using other readers, such as fbreader or coolreader.

pdf was never intended for what it is used for now which is why its such a pain in the ass on smaller screens.
there's quite a few pdf readers to choose from and they work pretty good.
still, its better to republish in an electronic format because pdf is meant to be an electronic approximation of the printed word. republishing from electronic to electronic such as html allows for reading on different screens

I've rooted mine and with the use of ezpdf have used it for reading for school.

apeine said:
If your textbooks are in PDF, rooting may improve reading a little bit, as you'd be able to use apps such as ezpdf (it was 0.10 USD yesterday), which allows you to read pdf files in landscape mode, which improve reading quite a bit, and you can also highlight and add notes to your text.
If you use epub books, I guess original nook reader is quite good, but you can also profit from rooting, by using other readers, such as fbreader or coolreader.
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GabrialDestruir said:
I've rooted mine and with the use of ezpdf have used it for reading for school.
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Thanks, I will have to give ezpdf a try.