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| Thread ID: 99903 | 2009-05-18 22:58:00 | Convenient reading of pdfs | PerrottK (14858) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 775039 | 2009-05-18 22:58:00 | I'm looking for ideas about how to read pdfs - documents, books - conveniently. Obviously an ebook reader might be best - but not available here. PDAs and similar seem too small for me (or at least for my eyes). Reading off a normal monitor is really not suitable for long docs and books. What other devices are available? Would a small laptop or netbook be convenient? |
PerrottK (14858) | ||
| 775040 | 2009-05-18 23:36:00 | Just to add - I realise I could purchase an ebook reader from overseas - but don't know how well these operate with pdfs. Does anyone have experience of pdfs on an ebook readers/ |
PerrottK (14858) | ||
| 775041 | 2009-05-19 00:00:00 | I have a Sony PRS-505 ebook reader. It can display PDF, but can really only handle text based PDF files "properly". If the PDF has a lot of images/tables/charts etc, it will have real trouble 'reflowing' the pdf. The reader can display letter/A4 sized PDF's as a single page, but you'd generally need a microscope to be able to read anything :p. Zooming in will engage a "reflow" mode that enables you to read PDF's comfortably without panning around the document, however this comes at the price of loosing most of the formatting a PDF might have, and some PDF's work better than others... If the PDF is something like a textbook or technical document then the reader isn't very usable. It is therefore generally best to avoid using PDF on 6" ebook readers for the reasons stafed above. I got my Sony PRS-505 while I was in the states, but you can also order them from B&H Photo (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/). Erayd can probably give more information about ordering from them if he's willing. EDIT: If you want to see exactly how a PDF will look on the Sony PRS-505/700, download the sony ebook library (ebookstore.sony.com) software (free) and open your PDF's in there. The software emulates a 505/700, and so what you see in the software is exactly what you will see on the devices themselves, as far as layout and presentation goes. |
Sherman (9181) | ||
| 775042 | 2009-05-21 01:33:00 | Maybe consider PDF Action Reader (www.softpedia.com) or the Mobipocket (digitalinspiration.com) apps with the Blackberry... | kahawai chaser (3545) | ||
| 775043 | 2009-05-21 03:19:00 | Just to add - I realise I could purchase an ebook reader from overseas - but don't know how well these operate with pdfs. Does anyone have experience of pdfs on an ebook readers/ If you're in the Wellington area, you're welcome to have a play with mine (Sony PRS-505) so you can see what it actually looks like. Feel free to bring an SD card with your own PDFs on it if you want to test specific files. |
Erayd (23) | ||
| 775044 | 2009-05-21 04:24:00 | Thanks Erayd. Unfortunately I'm in Hamilton. I guess I should research the alternatives like Sony PRS-505 and Kindle. It's just a pity there is nothing like this in NZ to get a hands-on feel for what they are like. I don't currently have a laptop or netbook and wonder if reading a book in pdf format of their screen might be easier than an ordinary monitor. Perhaps I should try that first. |
PerrottK (14858) | ||
| 775045 | 2009-05-21 06:07:00 | I don't currently have a laptop or netbook and wonder if reading a book in pdf format of their screen might be easier than an ordinary monitor. Perhaps I should try that first. It can make it harder if you haven't got the laptop sitting on a table. Reading with it on your lap gives you a bit of a stiff neck after a while. Otherwise there is not much difference between an LCD screen on a desktop PC and a laptop screen. |
FoxyMX (5) | ||
| 775046 | 2009-05-21 07:53:00 | Maybe something like the eee 701 with this? vk.edward.li.googlepages.com Blam |
Blam (54) | ||
| 775047 | 2009-05-21 22:49:00 | If you want to read eBooks and are not absolutely set of PDF as the format, you might want to look at Palm devices. The Palm's have a PDB format and you buy your eBooks from eReader.com - huge range of titles, relatively cheap (if you don't want current bestsellers) - and a number of free titles as well. The eReader software also has a version for iPhone/iTouch, Blackberry, Symbian, Windows and Windows Mobile (let's not go there! :eek:). The font size on the Palm (and I assume on the others) is resizeable (4 sizes) - I run it at Large and can read a book easily. PDF is not the best format for eBooks on a handheld device. Depending on what was used to create the PDF, there may be no option to resize the font, and the only option may be to zoom - but then you would most likely have to scroll horizontally to read the page as well as vertically. |
johcar (6283) | ||
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