[semicoln]

I'm a graduate student so I am always needing to search for and read research journal articles accessed as PDFs through the university library databases (IEEE, ACM, etc). Often I would print these articles since reading them on a laptop is cumbersome so I've been excited about the idea of having a tablet to read them on.

First I considered the iPad 1 but thought the size and weight of it would be uncomfortable. Then I looked at the Galaxy Tab but the software had the feel of never being intended for use as a tablet. Knowing that Honeycomb tablets were just around the corner I waited and waited for a tablet running that version of Android that would fit my needs. I was excited when the Xoom came out but when I looked at it in person I was disappointed by the screen and thought it wasn't worth the price. After the Xoom I looked at the iPad 2 and while it solved the weight issue I had with the iPad 1, iOS struck me as being unsophisticated compared to Honeycomb and QNX and the lower pixel density of the screen was noticeable when reading text.

So now I've pre-ordered a PlayBook, sight unseen, thinking that on paper it appears to be everything I want. Overall the software and hardware look like they will be superior to anything else on the market. I know it will have a great PDF reader and the pixel density is very good. I am hoping it has a Kindle app soon but that isn't a deal breaker.

My only concern is the size of the screen being able to view an entire page at a time with somewhat readable text. This may not be a problem if I am at least able to scan the entire page and then zoom in on the area I am wanting to read in more detail.

Sorry for the long post but I was wondering if anyone else is planning to use the PlayBook for a similar task or as an e-reader and what their thoughts on this are.

[anon(728548)]

I'm a graduate student so I am always needing to search for and read research journal articles accessed as PDFs through the university library databases (IEEE, ACM, etc). Often I would print these articles since reading them on a laptop is cumbersome so I've been excited about the idea of having a tablet to read them on.

First I considered the iPad 1 but thought the size and weight of it would be uncomfortable. Then I looked at the Galaxy Tab but the software had the feel of never being intended for use as a tablet. Knowing that Honeycomb tablets were just around the corner I waited and waited for a tablet running that version of Android that would fit my needs. I was excited when the Xoom came out but when I looked at it in person I was disappointed by the screen and thought it wasn't worth the price. After the Xoom I looked at the iPad 2 and while it solved the weight issue I had with the iPad 1, iOS struck me as being unsophisticated compared to Honeycomb and QNX and the lower pixel density of the screen was noticeable when reading text.

So now I've pre-ordered a PlayBook, sight unseen, thinking that on paper it appears to be everything I want. Overall the software and hardware look like they will be superior to anything else on the market. I know it will have a great PDF reader and the pixel density is very good. I am hoping it has a Kindle app soon but that isn't a deal breaker.

My only concern is the size of the screen being able to view an entire page at a time with somewhat readable text. This may not be a problem if I am at least able to scan the entire page and then zoom in on the area I am wanting to read in more detail.

Sorry for the long post but I was wondering if anyone else is planning to use the PlayBook for a similar task or as an e-reader and what their thoughts on this are.

I am going to use it for that reasons, but not primarily for those. I think in portrait mode anything will look great, even landscape you just have to scroll often

Kobo Books and Amazon have confirmed e-readers on their tablets

[Altarocks]

I will hang onto my Nook for reading. Tablets look great, but I find e ink is much easier on the eyes for extended reading and better in direct sunlight. Also, dedicated e-readers have about 10x more battery life.

As for the size, it depends what you will be reading. Pages will reformat to fit the screen. The Nook and Kindle are plenty big for reading plain text. If you want to view photos, charts, etc then you may want something larger.

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[howarmat]

I will hang onto my Nook for reading. Tablets look great, but I find e ink is much easier on the eyes for extended reading and better in direct sunlight. Also, dedicated e-readers have about 10x more battery life.

As for the size, it depends what you will be reading. Pages will reformat to fit the screen. The Nook and Kindle are plenty big for reading plain text. If you want to view photos, charts, etc then you may want something larger.

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exactly, if you really want a ereader i would look exclusively at an ereader, **** kindle is very cheap. you could get one and a PB really

[semicoln]

I have looked at ereaders. I access these PDFs through an (overly complicated) web interface and I don't always know what documents I will need to load ahead of time so I'd like to be able to download them as needed straight to the device. A decent web browser and multitasking that a tablet provides helps here.

Also, e-readers and e-ink devices don't let you scan through a zoomed in page or flip through pages very quickly like a tablet can.

And besides the e-reader function, I'd like to read email and have some fun with it too! PlayBook is going to be very fun.

[Altarocks]

I have looked at ereaders. I access these PDFs through an (overly complicated) web interface and I don't always know what documents I will need to load ahead of time so I'd like to be able to download them as needed straight to the device. A decent web browser and multitasking that a tablet provides helps here.

Also, e-readers and e-ink devices don't let you scan through a zoomed in page or flip through pages very quickly like a tablet can.

And besides the e-reader function, I'd like to read email and have some fun with it too! PlayBook is going to be very fun.

Your first and last paragraphs do seem to point to a tablet or a Nook Color (which I think does everything you mention at under $250). But I disagree with your second paragraph. On a Nook at least, you can simply choose another font size for pdf documents. Pages render accordingly, although it may not be quite as polished as a tablet. A larger font simply shows fewer words per page. And turning pages is fast.

edit: I'm not in any way trying to talk you out of a PB. Just trying to address the specific functions you mention.

[mandony]

Semicoln has good points.
Some differences between tablets and readers at this time in history is presently
e-readers use hi-def, slow speed screens, and 'basic' processors that do not use much energy. Prices are relatively low.
Tablets use hi-def high speed screens, and 'real' computer processors that use lots'a energy. Prices are high.

In the future there will be a shake out. The e-readers will get faster and there will be merge between the two. The real shakeout will be when the devices become a 'commodity'; every maker will have them at a low price and relatively the same features. Then, onto the next 'new' device to become our dream. My teenage daughter does not know only a few years ago I logged onto BBS through 9600bps phone modems on a Commodore 64 (bought at ToysR Us). As stated above: 'basic' and 'real' are relative to the times.

[Fr3lncr]

For reading books, an e-reader is the best way to go since, as others have pointed out, they are easier to read and the battery life is better. You can get ones that allow you to scan fast (I have a Kindle but also tried the Sony eReader and the Sony was good at flipping pages fast), but they wont give you all the functionality a tablet will give you obviously.

So, it depends on how much you are reading. If you read a lot, buy an e-reader with e-ink and not a LCD screen since you will get your money's worth out of it and it isn't that big or heavy to drag around. If you ready magazines, textbooks or want a multi-purpose device, then get a tablet.

[mandony]

If you read a lot, buy an e-reader with e-ink and not a LCD screen since you will get your money's worth out of it and it isn't that big or heavy to drag around. If you ready magazines, textbooks or want a multi-purpose device, then get a tablet.

With the only major tablet presently available, points against the iPad is that it has a large screen, low battery life, and weight. With a smaller screen, yet to be seen, the Playbook 'may' be closer to an e-reader in weight and size; the Playbook having more functionality at higher price and less battery life. It is yet to seen how reading books on the Playbook compares with e-ink. One other opportunity for the Playbook over the e-readers will be Playbook's ability to add videos, sound, and animation to written text. This will be especially good for children's books.

[pkcable]

The PlayBook should be an amazing ereader. The size is perfect and it has PLENTY of processing power to speed thru the pages.

[Jean-luc_Picard]

To let you know about the size, if I remember correctly the size of the PlayBook's screen is the same as a standard pocket paperback. As to the display, it's a good display, but I can't tell you if it'll still be good after reading off of it for hours...

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[semicoln]

If this kind of content was like reading a book I would go for a Nook or Kindle but the common two column format, figures, tables, and mathematical notation make integrity of formatting of high importance. More comparable to a magazine I suppose.

Thank you for joining me in this discussion. I think the PlayBook will more than fit my needs and I look forward to getting it. If not, I can just return it and continue waiting for that perfect merge of both types of devices that mandony spoke of.

[Skeevecr]

While I love my kindle for novels, I think that tablets are much better suited to more complex pdfs, especially if you were using a smaller reader where scrolling would be required.

[NO_CARRIER]

Sorry I don't know much about eReaders.

Will an e-reader allow the OP to connect to wifi/internet to access the online library of PDF files he/she requires?

If not, then I think tablet would be their next best choice since they need to find the PDF files / read them on the move. Not pre-load them at home.

[Altarocks]

Sorry I don't know much about eReaders.

Will an e-reader allow the OP to connect to wifi/internet to access the online library of PDF files he/she requires?

If not, then I think tablet would be their next best choice since they need to find the PDF files / read them on the move. Not pre-load them at home.

I don't think dedicated e-readers would do so. The Nook does allow internet access, but it's so cumbersome its more of a gimmick than a useable feature. Nook Color should allow this, but then you lose any battery life benefit over a simple e-reader. Given the way it sounds the OP needs to download documents a tablet is probably the best bet.

edit: Rooting a Nook Color would probably work well at less than 1/2 the price.

[sf49ers]

here's another ereader app for the Playbook.

Read ePub Books on Your BlackBerry with the Free OverDrive Media Console App - BerryReview

[pkcable]

OD Rules!!!!! That's what my local library uses!!!!!

[manofice1]

so how can i drop epub books from my pc to my playbook and be able to read them? when I dropped the epub books into the "books" folder after wifi sharing, I don't see it anywhere in any app??

[mahen915]

If any of you have a TON of epub drm-free files like I do, you can use Calibre to format them for any e-reader. I already began transferring my library over to Kobo.

calibre - E-book management

[manofice1]

sweet, i'll start doing that. thx

edit: what output format is kobo?

[Darlaten]

I'm a graduate student so I am always needing to search for and read research journal articles accessed as PDFs through the university library databases (IEEE, ACM, etc). Often I would print these articles since reading them on a laptop is cumbersome so I've been excited about the idea of having a tablet to read them on.

I can't comment about other Ebooks but I can tell you that I will be using, and have tested it already, the device to do what you are doing. So far, I have been able to log onto PsycINFO (Psychology database) on the Ebsco Host platform where I teach. The browser, although a little cramped, was usable to search for articles as you would do on any computer. I wouldnt want to search for articles for a long period of time using the Playbook however.

As for reading, it pulls up the pdf articles fine using the Adobe Reader that is preinstalled. It is a basic reader - so dont expect any ability to highlight the articles or input your own notes into it as you are reading. There is also no text-to-speech option on this version. Some of my students have the computer read the article to them if they are visually impaired.

As for displaying the articles, the articles display nicely although you will be zooming into them depending on the orientation of the Playbook. Graphs with numbers look fine and are very readable - again if you zoom in on them.

I have spent an hour reading on the Playbook and my eyes feel fine. The only thing that is sore is my hand. I usually hold the Playbook with one hand and scroll with the other. The hand doing the holding feels sore due to the weight of the device after an hour. I'm not sure I would want to hold it and read articles for longer than that at any one time.

All in all, the Playbook will do what you want it to do. Oh, you may want to know in advance that you can not open a pdf article directly from the web browser nor does clicking on the pdf article open the Adobe Reader directly. Instead, you will have to save the pdf article; then open the Reader; and then open the article you just saved. It's not that big of a deal but it is tedious depending on the amount of pdf articles you want to read. Hope that helps.

[socalpimp]

so what format does this KOBO use?

[manofice1]

it looks like it supports epub, but I dropped a epub book into the "books" folder on the device and can't see it in kobo

[rjl2001]

I'm also interested in how well the Playbook can fill the role of an ebook reader. I'm a college student also, and while not an engineering student, still access some databases off my school's library website regularly to keep up to date with my field. So an e-ink reader wouldn't be an effective option. Currently, I'm using a Barnes And Noble Nook Color that has really impressed me for its $250 price tag. After a few weeks I wound up 'rooting' the device, and it is awesome. I'm not too savvy with computer stuff, but managed to 'root' it and keep it running pretty stable. However, there have been a few bugs or issues that have required attention to fix on occasion. For me the size, weight, and screen are its biggest strengths. Easy to hold and read at night, as well as outside in the sun at the screen's full brightness adjustment.

Some reasons I'm looking into the Playbook are having Flash, and using it as a companion to my Blackberry Bold. I wind up doing a lot of web browsing on my Nook Color and do miss having Flash support. Also, multitasking is another weakness of the Nook Color. The last couple years I switched to Blackberry smartphones from the competition, and really do see myself staying with RIM phone products for a while.

That being said I will be interested to hear others reports of using their Playbook as an e-reader. What is the battery life like? How easy is the screen to read indoors or outdoors? Will more applications like Kindle reader or Nook reader be available for the Playbook? Will there be a more powerful Adobe .pdf viewer that allows annotations, highlighting, etc.? At least I won't have to worry about making any decisions too soon as my spending money is mostly spent. Plus, I think I would benefit more from a lightweight, portable laptop in the near term than a tablet.

[mahen915]

it looks like it supports epub, but I dropped a epub book into the "books" folder on the device and can't see it in kobo

This is mostly an update to my previous post. Somehow, Kobo doesn't read from the Books folder, even though I converted my epubs to kobo. Kobo uses epub as it's format also, but wraps it in DRM of some kind, so that's probably why it won't recognize anything in the books folder