Nook color for PDFs?

[SoftwareSamurai]

So I was thinking today that it would be really nice to collect the hundreds of technical PDFs I've got scattered across several drives and PCs and put them on some portable device. The B&N Nook Color looks interesting, but I'd like to get the opinions/advice from people here.

1. I've read that it does read PDFs, but doesn't have a search feature. True?
2. Any chance I can pop it open and wire in a small USB thumb drive in order to get more storage space? (Like I said, I've got hundreds of PDFs!)
3. Anyone got a better device to suggest?

[Storeinfinity]

1.pdfs, I prefer Kindle as I have a k3 and my roommate has a K4.
in terms of eye fatigue Kindle is comfortable for reading coz ISP color display has a backlight thats tiresome.
in terms of sales in CHina, Nook color sells dozens at one store online per week while kindle over 1,500:
http://translate.google.com.hk/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=http://item.taobao.com/item.htm%3Fid%3D6900159294
http://translate.google.com.hk/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=http://item.taobao.com/item.htm%3Fid%3D8661928478
Nook supports MicroSD (TF) to extend the size.
well since you can't read two books with one device at one time (two kindle DX? wow)
you can all the time update your kindle by sending an email attaching the pdf you want to read to your kindle account: e.g softwaresamurai@kindle.com
If you insist on color display, kindle just released its cheap color version in the states.
 

[alm]

You like the Kindle for complex PDF documents like datasheets? You'd be the first.

[EEVblog]

The new Kindle Fire is pretty good for viewing PDF datasheets. I give a quick demo in my upcoming review.
Quick, zoom works great, and seems to render fine.
No search capability though unfortunately.

Dave.

[SoftwareSamurai]

The new Kindle Fire is pretty good for viewing PDF datasheets. I give a quick demo in my upcoming review.
Quick, zoom works great, and seems to render fine.
No search capability though unfortunately.

Dave.

How does it compare to the Nook Tablet or Nook Color for PDFs?

[PetrosA]

I can't say anything about the Nook or the Kindle. I have an Asus Transformer and what I can say about Android tablets is that different PDF readers will perform differently. Adobe Reader does a good job handling 100MB and larger catalogs that are image intensive, but it can't display pdf output from Quickbooks (my invoice software). So for me, it's important that the reader/tablet platform support software from more than one source. I find the 10" screen just barely comfortable for reading pdfs, and dream of the day that a full A4 or letter sized screen is available.

[NiHaoMike]

The Nook Color has a slot for a microSD card. USB host is possible with an adapter. Whether or not it has the search function depends on which viewer you're using. It's just a regular Android tablet.

There are other tablets that are better value now.

[kaz911]

I use my iPad for PDF's with "GoodReader" PDF reader. That to me is the perfect combo.

I have ALL my eBooks/Manuals/Datasheets on a server. The server syncs the eBooks dir with a free 5GB sugarsync account.

GoodReader then Syncs with SugarSync :-) so I have everything on my iPad. GoodReader is VERY fast - got search - and you can remove "unwanted" parts of pages (like extra large margins in some books) for a whole book for all pages - or separately for ODD/EVEN pages. Removing margins = larger text size..... GoodReader syncs with a lot of different online "clouds" apart from SugarSync. GoodReader has a lot of other features like annotations etc. but i do not use them so much as the "remove margin" part.

I am NOT affiliated with EITHER .. I have tried Kindle DX and Sony eBook readers but they are to slow to my taste for PDF viewing. And I do NOT like Kindle format books or iBooks since the format changes it just "feels wrong" to be on page 1200 of a 5200 page book - when the paper version is only 300 pages. :-) No - a PDF book and GoodReader ANY DAY...  (And if GoodReader was on Android or any other platform that would be fine too..)

/k

[SoftwareSamurai]

There are other tablets that are better value now.

Oh? Do tell! Which Android tablets do you think are a better value?

[sonicj]

i picked up the $99 nook simple touch for this reason last week. haven't had a chance to get to know it too well yet, but im fairly certain its getting rooted if i decide to keep it.
-sj

[EEVblog]

The new Kindle Fire is pretty good for viewing PDF datasheets. I give a quick demo in my upcoming review.
Quick, zoom works great, and seems to render fine.
No search capability though unfortunately.

Dave.

How does it compare to the Nook Tablet or Nook Color for PDFs?

No idea, never used a Nook

Dave.

[Storeinfinity]

At least the price of Kindle Fire is a killer.
Look forward to your quick review then, Dave.
Have a nice day.
It is getting colder and colder in this humid Shanghai city while people in AU are enjoying great summer by the sea side.
Good for you.

[ivan747]

I got a solution: make a laptop stand, so it doesn't get scratched or damaged, something like this:



Voilá, you have just saved $198.50 dollars.

The stand should raise the laptop to a considerable height, while keeping the keyboard at a good angle for basic searching, so the laptop takes less space on the bench. I wouldn't suggest putting a $2000 aluminium laptop on a cardboard stand, so look for a resistant solution.

Otherwise, will a 7" screen do the job? I would prefer e-ink since I already have a laptop with an LCD on it and it doesn't even come close to the sharpness and legibility of laser-printed paper.
Here are some Kindle models I researched because I want one:

• Kindle Fire: (no comment, Dave is going to upload a review
• Kindle Touch: it's nice to have touch controls but it doesn't support landscape mode, a must for techical books since they are quite big and scrolling sideways is annoying.
• Kindle [4th gen.]: supports landscape mode but you can only zoom in 50% increments. No keyboard can be a really bad thing if you write lots of notes. On the plus side it is ridiculously cheap, in fact an e-ink display with half the size will cost $30 dollars more than the Kindle if you get it for prototyping.

Take a look at this video on reading PDF's on the Kindles:

On the regular Kindle:


On the Kindle Fire:


On the Kindle Touch:



Ivan

[sonicj]

I got a solution: make a laptop stand, so it doesn't get scratched or damaged, something like this:...

Voilá, you have just saved $198.50 dollars.

The stand should raise the laptop to a considerable height, while keeping the keyboard at a good angle for basic searching, so the laptop takes less space on the bench. I wouldn't suggest putting a $2000 aluminium laptop on a cardboard stand, so look for a resistant solution.

i had a Ergotron LX arm for my laptop at my previous job.  i could grab it, & with little effort, move my laptop exactly where i wanted it and it would stay put; freeing up my entire work surface.

Otherwise, will a 7" screen do the job? I would prefer e-ink since I already have a laptop with an LCD on it and it doesn't even come close to the sharpness and legibility of laser-printed paper.

thats kinda where im at with it... the text on the nook ST looks fantastic, but im not sure that fitting 8.5x11" data sheets & service manuals on a 7" screen is really what im after.   
-sj

[johnboxall]

So I was thinking today that it would be really nice to collect the hundreds of technical PDFs I've got scattered across several drives and PCs and put them on some portable device.
3. Anyone got a better device to suggest?

I use a Motorola Xoom 3G. It rockets through large .pdf files and can search through them if the original file was published to allow it, has a greater screen resolution than an iPad, supports microSD cards for content transfer, and runs Tesla Droid circuit simulation And of course it has all the usual tablet computer features - internet, watch video, documents, etc. You can get a wifi-only version for less than $400. Have seen a Samsung Galaxy 10" tablet which is much nicer, but a little trickier to source.

[BravoV]

Currently I'm using ipad 1, bought used but at mint condition from an apple loyal fanatic when ipad 2 was released while ago for less than $100, I'd say its quite a bang for the bucks. Mainly used for reading pdf and light casual browsing at home and in bed.

This reminds me to stalk these bunch of freaks again when apple going to release ipad 3 maybe ? 

I found out these loyal apple cult followers usually will just blindly buy what ever apple throw at them and a lots of them will sell their previous version at crazy cheap price.

[johnboxall]

I found out these royal apple cult followers usually will just blindly buy what ever apple throw at them and a lot of them will sell their previous version at crazy cheap price.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple

[BravoV]

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple

Ha.ha.. thats exactly what I'm talking about !

[DrGeoff]

I use my iPad for PDF's with "GoodReader" PDF reader. That to me is the perfect combo.

Agreed. I haven't seen anything else that even comes close to this.
Wandered around the house during construction with all plans and schematics on the ipad and was able to zoom and show tradies the detail they needed to understand what had to be done.
Datasheets, manuals schematics are all on here too.

[amspire]

I use my iPad for PDF's with "GoodReader" PDF reader. That to me is the perfect combo.

Agreed. I haven't seen anything else that even comes close to this.
Wandered around the house during construction with all plans and schematics on the ipad and was able to zoom and show tradies the detail they needed to understand what had to be done.
Datasheets, manuals schematics are all on here too.

Sounds like what any Android device should be able to do. I have a choice of at least 3 PDF readers or editors on my phone, and I can search, zoom in, pan, and fast scroll through the pages very easily. So any Android tablet should be able to do the same. I have some HP and Fluke manuals on the phone, and scrolling through a 150 page manual and then panning and zooming in the schematics is no problem.

The Kindle Fire PDF reader looks very sluggish to me. I wonder if they somehow force you to only use the Amazon Kindle PDF reader? Does the Nook also limit you to a lame reader?

Looking forward for Dave's review to see what he thinks.

Richard

[SoftwareSamurai]

FYI: I just found B&N selling the Nook Color (refurb'ed) on eBay for $120 USD, in case anyone's interested.

[NiHaoMike]

Does the Nook also limit you to a lame reader?

The old one sortof did, but the color one is just a regular Android tablet that runs regular Android apps.

[aparlett]

So I was thinking today that it would be really nice to collect the hundreds of technical PDFs I've got scattered across several drives and PCs and put them on some portable device.
3. Anyone got a better device to suggest?

I use a Motorola Xoom 3G. It rockets through large .pdf files and can search through them if the original file was published to allow it, has a greater screen resolution than an iPad, supports microSD cards for content transfer, and runs Tesla Droid circuit simulation And of course it has all the usual tablet computer features - internet, watch video, documents, etc. You can get a wifi-only version for less than $400. Have seen a Samsung Galaxy 10" tablet which is much nicer, but a little trickier to source.

thanks for the tip I will be looking into that.
Was thinking of I pad as well.
A dedicated tablet would be ok but cost is a big thing for me. so that rules that out

[johnboxall]

So I was thinking today that it would be really nice to collect the hundreds of technical PDFs I've got scattered across several drives and PCs and put them on some portable device.
3. Anyone got a better device to suggest?

I use a Motorola Xoom 3G. It rockets through large .pdf files and can search through them if the original file was published to allow it, has a greater screen resolution than an iPad, supports microSD cards for content transfer, and runs Tesla Droid circuit simulation And of course it has all the usual tablet computer features - internet, watch video, documents, etc. You can get a wifi-only version for less than $400. Have seen a Samsung Galaxy 10" tablet which is much nicer, but a little trickier to source.

thanks for the tip I will be looking into that.
Was thinking of I pad as well.
A dedicated tablet would be ok but cost is a big thing for me. so that rules that out

Ruslan has a 10" tablet for $299 and some cheap Xooms. http://www.kogan.com.au/shop/category/android-tablets/
You can always return it in 7 days for a refund if you don't like it

[aparlett]

So I was thinking today that it would be really nice to collect the hundreds of technical PDFs I've got scattered across several drives and PCs and put them on some portable device.
3. Anyone got a better device to suggest?

I use a Motorola Xoom 3G. It rockets through large .pdf files and can search through them if the original file was published to allow it, has a greater screen resolution than an iPad, supports microSD cards for content transfer, and runs Tesla Droid circuit simulation And of course it has all the usual tablet computer features - internet, watch video, documents, etc. You can get a wifi-only version for less than $400. Have seen a Samsung Galaxy 10" tablet which is much nicer, but a little trickier to source.

thanks for the tip I will be looking into that.
Was thinking of I pad as well.
A dedicated tablet would be ok but cost is a big thing for me. so that rules that out

Ruslan has a 10" tablet for $299 and some cheap Xooms. http://www.kogan.com.au/shop/category/android-tablets/
You can always return it in 7 days for a refund if you don't like it

that looks quite good.

How would you rate android apps for reading PDF's
I want to be able to use the bookmarks in PDFs as alot of them are over 1000 pages and also search, how did you find your experience?
Need one bad my back is going from carrying around massive text books.

[johnboxall]

So I was thinking today that it would be really nice to collect the hundreds of technical PDFs I've got scattered across several drives and PCs and put them on some portable device.
3. Anyone got a better device to suggest?

I use a Motorola Xoom 3G. It rockets through large .pdf files and can search through them if the original file was published to allow it, has a greater screen resolution than an iPad, supports microSD cards for content transfer, and runs Tesla Droid circuit simulation And of course it has all the usual tablet computer features - internet, watch video, documents, etc. You can get a wifi-only version for less than $400. Have seen a Samsung Galaxy 10" tablet which is much nicer, but a little trickier to source.

thanks for the tip I will be looking into that.
Was thinking of I pad as well.
A dedicated tablet would be ok but cost is a big thing for me. so that rules that out

Ruslan has a 10" tablet for $299 and some cheap Xooms. http://www.kogan.com.au/shop/category/android-tablets/
You can always return it in 7 days for a refund if you don't like it

that looks quite good.

How would you rate android apps for reading PDF's
I want to be able to use the bookmarks in PDFs as alot of them are over 1000 pages and also search, how did you find your experience?
Need one bad my back is going from carrying around massive text books.

The standard Adobe pdf reader is fine, and free - but no bookmarking. "RepliGo Reader" is great, $5, you can bookmark and annotate etc.
Just reviewed that Kogan 10" tablet - it is only running Android 2.2, best avoided.

[aparlett]

RepliGo Reader looks awesome, I think I might go for that I I get an android.
windows would be great but its not worth the money atm

[johnboxall]

RepliGo Reader looks awesome, I think I might go for that I I get an android.
windows would be great but its not worth the money atm

Windows and tablets should be mutually exclusive.

[ivan747]

RepliGo Reader looks awesome, I think I might go for that I I get an android.
windows would be great but its not worth the money atm

Windows and tablets should be mutually exclusive.

I just hope Windows 8 fixes that. I have been downloading the beta version and the videos look promising. I just hope they don't mess it up like they did with that active desktop thing they had on Windows 98 and XP that crashed every 5 microseconds.