Best ebook reader for PDF datasheets
Anton Erasmus
Subject says it all:
What ebook reader do people consider the best for reading PDF data
sheets ?
I see most, if not all ebook readers claim to support PDF, but how
well for reading the diagrams and tables in a typical data sheet ?
The 9" kindle looks like it might be able to do this, but I have
nowhere to actually look at a kindle, and the typical reviews uses
novels and magazine type documents to check the functionality.
I put my data sheets on a WiFi accessible server, so being able to
access these documents directly over WiFi would be great.
Any opinions regarding which devices I should consider, and which
devices I should avoid would be greatly appreciated.
Regards
Anton Erasmus
1 Lucky Texan
I'd think a netbook might be more versatile and maybe no more
expensive.
And if you don't already use Foxit reader, you should check it out for
reading .pdf files.
larwe
> What ebook reader do people consider the best for reading PDF data
> sheets ?
I have not found any of them to be particularly good. Datasheets are
often printed in multiple columns, and usually have high resolution
pictures in them. If you are anything like me you will find it very,
very irksome to futz about with a slow-refresh screen trying to get
the text/picture of interest into view, zoomed to a readable level.
For a similar reason the really cheap ($99-$130) Android tablets are
not good, due to the slow screen refresh and annoying resistive
screens. To avoid hair-pulling you really need a tablet (LCD, not e-
ink) that has a frisky processor (fast responsiveness and scrolling),
and capacitive touch, not joysticks/keyboards/etc. iPad or Android
with a minimum 700MHz processor. DON'T BE FOOLED BY SHANZAI PLACES
CLAIMING THEIR PROCESSORS ARE "xxxMHz"!!! Only believe speed numbers
from reputable names (Creative, Archos, etc).
Personally, I use a netbook. If I had an iPad, I would probably use
that - but since this is the ONLY use I would EVER have for an iPad, I
refuse to buy one :)
Rich Webb
Things that I'd consider (which I haven't found yet)
- Is there an option to reflow text to fit the reading area of the ebook
reader in addition to the usual zoom in/out of the original PDF page?
- Can I create my own bookmarks that are then saved with the PDF?
- Can I mark-up pages with highlighting, margin notes, etc.? Even if the
PDF is "secured"?
It would be nice to have my whole datasheet collection on a ebook reader
but only if they're as useful as sheets of paper...
--
Rich Webb Norfolk, VA
Tim Wescott
> On Mar 1, 2:37 pm, Anton Erasmus<nob...@spam.prevent.net> wrote:
>
>> What ebook reader do people consider the best for reading PDF data
>> sheets ?
>
> I have not found any of them to be particularly good. Datasheets are
>
> not good, due to the slow screen refresh and annoying resistive
> (fast responsiveness and scrolling) and capacitive touch
What's the user-POV difference between capacitive and resistive touch?
--
Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com
Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" was written for you.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html
Paul E. Bennett
> On Mar 1, 2:37 pm, Anton Erasmus <nob...@spam.prevent.net> wrote:
>
>> What ebook reader do people consider the best for reading PDF data
>> sheets ?
Having recently changed phones, my HTC Desire HD seems to do a very good job
of this. Quite fast adjustments to reading resolution and skip-over speed.
--
********************************************************************
Paul E. Bennett...............<email://Paul_E....@topmail.co.uk>
Forth based HIDECS Consultancy
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jay
I've had the sony 700,900, kindle 2, and iPad. If you want as close to a
paper experience as possible, the kindle was best. However, it's software
for a PDF reader leaves much to be desired.
The major downside of the epaper displays is the refresh rate. It is very
frustrating to search for a page that may be 10 back.
I currently have the iPad, and although it is not necessarily an ereader,
it is the best electronic PDF reader I have used.
Jon Kirwan
<nob...@spam.prevent.net> wrote:
I use the $139 Kindle and it has, right now, the complete set
of Feynmann's Lectures (which, given their fantastic clarity
and quality clearly were NOT written by him without a lot of
help), and hundreds of datasheets, along with astronomical
papers, mathematical papers, programming documentation, and
papers on microbiology. It's easy to carry around and refer
to.
It is hard to read with the small display, saved but still
not so convenient with the zoom features. But it is worth
the small price, easily.
Jon
Roberto Waltman
> What's the user-POV difference between capacitive and resistive touch?
There is a nice summary here:
http://www.kickerstudio.com/blog/2010/10/resistive-vs-capacitive-touchscreen-interaction-design/
--
Roberto Waltman
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Mark Moulding
> It is hard to read with the small display, saved but still
> not so convenient with the zoom features. But it is worth
> the small price, easily.
The price is not as small, but I use my Kindle DX (the large-format one) to
read 8.5"x11"-formatted PDFs all the time - works great, and my eyes are 51
years old. The e-Ink is slow, but for actual reading, the page turn time
isn't bad - about the same as a regular book. Searching (flipping through
the pages) is a bit tedious.
Having a battery life that's measured in weeks instead of hours is great,
and the clarity of the display is also very good, in virtually any light no
darkness, of course).
--
Mark Moulding
Jon Kirwan
I completely agree about the large display. But I cannot
justify the extra cost, despite what I expect to enjoy from
it. There is a risk of losing it (I can afford to lose
$139.) There is a risk of breaking it (again...) But the DX
is very attractive. Not at the price, to me, yet.
I'm 55, so I'm with you regarding eyes. And yes, I love the
long battery life of the $139 kindle version. It's almost
impossible to notice the battery draining and I NEVER worry
about it, at all. It's a great relief.
I recently (two weeks ago) had my kindle broken by a Costco
employee (pushed it off the table and onto the floor.) Costco
wrote me a check after checking with the top brass about it.
So I'm back in the market and so far as I can tell right now,
there is no equivalent and I may very well just rebuy it.
Still, if I can hold out (and it is hard to do so, I admit) I
am considering a look at the new color eInk displays coming
out in a few months.
Jon
1 Lucky Texan
just bumping for something I saw recently;
http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/559/move-over-apple-my-tablet-cost-200/
zmc...@gmail.com
On computer, personally, I use Foxite PDF Reader.
Hey, one more idea, you can transfer PDF to flipbook and then view them on computer, mobile devices, or iPad etc. http://www.kvisoft.com/flipbook-maker-pro/
Winston
tap the screen. Click on the button that appears in the
top right corner:
"Open in iBooks"
The PDF will appear as a selection in a separate
iBooks collection called 'PDFs'. Be patient, larger
PDFs take a few seconds to load.
Don't Panic! Your main iBooks collection is still there.
Just tap 'Library' then 'Collections' in the top left
corner to select your regular iBooks or your new
collection of PDFs.
Suddenly you can search within the PDF!
Tap on your PDF and use the 'magnifying glass' tool
in the top right corner.
I use it during library component creation.
It works 'way better than hardcopy.
--Winston
zmc...@gmail.com
You can also convert PDF to flipping ebook by flip page software (http://www.kvisoft.com/flipbook-maker-pro/ ), or by free tools like Codebox and Flipsnack.