[davidinLA]

I recommend you do some independent research. I bought my brother an Ipad2 for school. It turns out he could not get all the textbooks that he needed. He also mentioned after the money i spent on the Ipad2 he found out it was better to study from an actual paper textbook. Good luck.

[Jamaicangirl81]

Additionally, the "Calibre" ebook software (Windows, Mac and Linux versions ; see calibre - E-book management ) is great for converting e-book formats and uploads e-books to the PlayBook easily. I've converted a ton of kindle formatted books to epubs to use with native epub readers on the PlayBook.

i use Online converter - convert video, images, audio and documents for free to covert my pdfs/mobi and such into epubs. Nothing to download

[Jamaicangirl81]

Hows the quality of text though and do you strain your eyes with the small size of the playbook screen? Does the playbook have support for landscape reading, because i recall a post about that with some one complaining.


Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Crackberry Forum App

i used to hate reading on screens... computers or otherwise. The playbook however is a treat to read on... i dont get the strain on my eyes like i thought i would. i turn the brightness all the way down and change the colour of the paper to sepia.. works great.

i have kindle sideloaded, works pretty well. (though it does freeze on me once in a while) i also have BookReader which is also pretty good with a lot of options to suit your viewing preference.

oh and yes, it works in landscape as well.

[KeiFeR123]

Hi Daniel,

I bought epub reader a while ago but I also found out that Overdrive Media can also open epub and it is free.

Do you have a lot of epub file to read? If yes playepub costs $2 which is what I have. I highly recommend it

Daniel, Toronto

[Laridae]

I also found out that Overdrive Media can also open epub and it is free.

Really? How do you get Overdrive to Import and read ePub's?
I use it all the time but only for books I download from the library.
And when I hit "Get Books" it only offers to take me to a different library, not to Import the ePub files that I already have.

[Droidophobe]

I have both a PB and a Kindle, and have used iPads (1 & 2) and a Kindle Fire, and other tablets and e-books. The Kindle has the best screen for reading books (e-ink causes me the least eye-strain)...

Has anyone used and compared the PB to a Toshiba Thrive 7 as an e-Book reader? I ask because I currently have a Thrive, and its stellar screen resolution make it a great e-Reader, but I hate it for everything else. I bought it because Kindle side-loading wasn't possible on the PB at the time.

[Mr.Willie]

Really people. Come on. Get real. The iPad was recommended because they probably use iBooks textbooks. Have you seen the interactive textbooks available for iBooks 2 ? There is no comparison. Buy a textbook for $14.95 on an iPad, or $80.00 (or whatever) through Kindle. Then when they discuss a reading assignment where there was an imbedded video, Kindle user is lost, because it wasn't available on the ePub version.

Yes the iPad cost a little more, initially. But looking at the big picture (total cost of college) it's just a drop in the bucket. Insignificant. Besides held in the portrait mode (which is what I use for reading), the iPad is wider, more natural.

I have thought about this sometime ago, a tablet that would replace your humongous textbooks. But now, thinking of the increasing rate of teens being mugged due to the Apple devices that seems to attract more low-life thieves.

I mean as a parent, am I endagering more my kids? Putting a magnet on those thieves? I have nothing against apple, but I'm just curious how can they prevent these type of events?

Do you carry your Playbook in your hands for all to see while out and about or do use a messenger bag, backpack, purse, murse ("European Man Bag" ) ? So if a mugger smacks you on the head with a lead pipe or shoots you and steals your bag, he/she is going to return it because you have a PB and not an iPad. (Yes, I remember the stories of the thieves only taking iOS devices). While you're bleeding out in an ER, it reassuring to know that you still have your PB. People have been killed of Air Jordan sneakers.

The OP wants the tablet for school and never mentioned a need for entertainment. Maybe the "lack of apps" (which isn't an issue for many PlayBook owners -myself included) is a good thing. Less Angry Birds -> more studying.

Also, the PlayBook is way more portable than an iPad, and seems less fragile. I have both and have taken my PlayBook all over the place without worry about breaking it, but the iPad stays home on the shelf.

And the point about being able to get stuff done over Bridge is good. Unless you're springing for the 3G iPad, or just counting on using wifi where it's available, the PlayBook has an advantage there.

There was a headline here on Crackberry about Angry Birds being available for the PB.

Less apps could also mean more drinking, promiscuous sex, ect. Portability and fragibility is just an opinion, while the iPad doesn't necessarily fit in a winter coat pocket like the PB, what do you do when not wearing a coat ? How many students don't carry a backpack or messenger bag ? (I'll help you out here, it's none.) Wifi is rampant on college campuses and bridging on most carriers in the US (AT&T for one) violates your terms of service. (The contract you signed).


This thread is rampant with bad advice. You wouldn't purchase "Our Great Nation" by John Smith to use in a history class that's using the book "Our Great Heritage" by Robert Smith would you ? Then don't get a PB for college when they say iPad. There is no comparison between textbooks on iBooks2 and Kindle. You are only putting yourself at a disadvantage. (But make sure you still have a PB phone)

[Rooster99]

One thing no one has commented on is battery life. Doesn't matter how large/small the screen is, or anything else if the device is dead and there's no nearby power outlet.

I have to say that after using a Kindle, which goes for days and days and days of heavy reading on a single charge, the Playbook with Kindle app sideloaded is disappointing in this. I suspect the iPad would be as well - perhaps even worse due to the larger screen. Having said that, I love the Playbook with the Kindle app on it. I haven't turned my Kindle on once since I switched - but I'd still take it on a long flight as a backup.

So can anyone comment on relative battery life for iPad vs Playbook/Kindle app in heavy e-book usage environment?

- R.

[dhyde79]

sure, I'll comment on that for you, kindle reader on an ipad will go for days, just like a kindle, it's bigger, and much better quality. As far as the playbook goes, it's a fantastic tablet in its own right, BUT, lets be honest here, spend the money, get an ipad, they're worth the extra money, especially for textbooks and such. For a reader, the playbook has **MANY** shortcomings, the fact that you're sideloading an app made for a different device into the PB means it's going to be less stable, the PDF reader on the PB is **HORRIBLE** and again, you can sideload a good one in but, that's a lot of moderately technical work to make an app that isn't meant for the PB work on the PB, when you can just reach down into your wallet, squeeze a bit, and go get the ipad and have a very well functioning PDF reader, a native Kindle/Nook/etc ereader app, and more book stores that you have access to find those books on, than you can get access to on a playbook.

Don't get me wrong, I love my playbook to death, but, trying to do **textbooks** and such on a playbook is like trying to drive a 6" nail into concrete with a rubber mallet.

[BBplaybookJS]

sure, I'll comment on that for you, kindle reader on an ipad will go for days, just like a kindle, it's bigger, and much better quality. As far as the playbook goes, it's a fantastic tablet in its own right, BUT, lets be honest here, spend the money, get an ipad, they're worth the extra money, especially for textbooks and such. For a reader, the playbook has **MANY** shortcomings, .

I will be honest enough to say that for the purpose I use my Playbook an ipad would be worthless and he extra expense a total waste of money, I do not have to read textbooks so for my purposes the Playbook coupled with Book Reader is much more practical.

[dhyde79]

I will be honest enough to say that for the purpose I use my Playbook an ipad would be worthless and he extra expense a total waste of money, I do not have to read textbooks so for my purposes the Playbook coupled with Book Reader is much more practical.

that's fine, but, the OP was wanting to use it as an E-Reader for text books for college, read the thread as a whole, not just the last post...

[BBplaybookJS]

That does not change the fact that in my opinion, unless someone has a specific need to read textbooks an ipad is, in my opinion not worth the extra expense. Which is exactly what I said in my post.

[masqueofhastur]

For PDFs it beats a dedicated E-Reader, but for E-Pubs with reflowable text, I'd take a dedicated E-Reader.

[Angus_CB]

Bull. Mine is a year old this month and the battery holds a charge the as it did a year ago.

[Kwela123]

Additionally, the "Calibre" ebook software (Windows, Mac and Linux versions ; see calibre - E-book management ) is great for converting e-book formats and uploads e-books to the PlayBook easily. I've converted a ton of kindle formatted books to epubs to use with native epub readers on the PlayBook.

Isn't it illegal to convert kindle books to epub? Or can you do that without removing the DRM?

I can see the PB being on small side for some text books. But if OP also has a laptop or PC, presumably he would only use PB perhaps when in class or temporarily away from home base.

[notfanboy]

There's one aspect of reading that hasn't been mentioned yet, and that's text to speech (TTS) technology.

Once you use it, it is a extremely valuable feature. You can be reading your PDF in your room, put on your bluetooth headphones, switch on TTS and continue learning while you're in the car or bus. You could be listening to your books while working out at the gym, while doing groceries, while doing house chores, while running or biking. Because of TTS, I get an extra two hours of extra reading every day that I otherwise wouldn't have. A side benefit is that it makes those other activities less boring.

Imagine how what an extra free hour every day of studying can benefit you. The old Kindle reader has this feature but the TTS voice was so awful that I couldn't use it. However on Android phones and tablets, there are three apps in particular that I use.

iVona voice - a replacement for the stock voice, a remarkably human sounding voice
ezPDF reader - In addition to having TTS, this is one of the best PDF readers out there. You can annotate your textbooks.
Pocket - You can take any web page and save it for offline reading and TTS. This lets me cut into my backlog of articles to read.

At the beginning of the video below, it shows a PDF being received by email, and being read aloud by ezPDF. Pocket also makes an appearance later in the video.

[Max741]

As an update to you guys, I'd just want everyone to know that I did buy a Playbook and a Laptop before I started this semester in College and I don't REGRET it. I bought the playbook a little while after I made this post back in about May or June so I had the entire summer to fool around the Playbook in an out to find out which apps work and which ones don't, I've been on the 2.1 Beta from August and many Android apps I had problems with prior to that started to work great. I found an e-reader app called "Moon Reader +" that app alone inspired me to start reading again, I read 2 books in 3 days with the Playbook, its so small and portable I had it with me everywhere I went, standing in line at McDonald's reading away ......Interms of school and note taking, I found smart office 2 which is a phenomenal app for taking notes; I used my 9900's keyboard over bridge to take notes until I got a PB keyboard which took some getting use to but is now 100x better. I recently found out about this "Print to Go" app but I always thought it was rubbish, since most of my notes on my laptop is in "OneNote" using print to go from the laptop to the Playbook is EXTREMELY efficient, I can punch out papers straight from my laptop, PRINT it to my Playbook and Im off to give a presentation with my Playbook alone . Just as an added bonus, there are some dead zones on Campus for the wifi and when my friends have no internet on their iPads and laptops, I just tether away with my 9900's H+ connection YIPPEE!.........I can only see the Playbook getting better with BB10 *I Hope* *crosses fingers*

BTW I do have an iPad, I hated it at first but now I gave it a chance so I only use it for Fruit Ninja
Playbook all the Way

[squished18]

Just one more note that doesn't seem to have been mentioned yet already. The Kindle Cloud Reader also works on PlayBook. While a lot of people are comfortable sideloading the Kindle app, sometimes it's easier to just fire up the browser and go to https://read.amazon.com.

[Chrysalis1156]

Thanks for the update and I'm so happy for you. Sounds like you found the right tab for you and that's all that matters. I bridge with my 9930 when out of wifi range and think it's the best thing since sliced bread. I read every day on my pb and have put my Kindle away. I wish you the best of luck with your schooling and your Playbook!