Lysando Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 My ideal electronic book reader continues to revolve slowly in Platonic ideal-space, but the Kindle comes close-ish, sort of... What I REALLY want is something portable I can use to read PDFs, not just the HERO pdfs I have but many others. I think that the true answer to this desire of mine is called "laptop" but I don't have the bread for that now. So...what I'm asking is...has anyone had experience reading the HERO pdfs on Kindle? I know the PDF support on Kindle is "beta"-ish, so I'm just wondering how "beta-ish"...? ntb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle Considering the Kindle runs $400 and you can get low-end laptops for about the same amount (which would be much more all-arouns capable), I'm not sure the Kindle is the answer. If Amazon halves the price of the Kindle, I'd look real seriously at buying one myself. EDIT: Beautiful cat in your avatar. What's her name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teflon Billy Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle I've already got half a ton of books in paper I haven't read, why would I want to buy them again or in an aphemeral electronic format that could be obsolete in less than a decade? When publishers automatically include a free electronic download with every hardcopy purchase, then I'll consider electronic books. TB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyGuardian Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle My ideal electronic book reader continues to revolve slowly in Platonic ideal-space, but the Kindle comes close-ish, sort of... What I REALLY want is something portable I can use to read PDFs, not just the HERO pdfs I have but many others. I think that the true answer to this desire of mine is called "laptop" but I don't have the bread for that now. So...what I'm asking is...has anyone had experience reading the HERO pdfs on Kindle? I know the PDF support on Kindle is "beta"-ish, so I'm just wondering how "beta-ish"...? ntb Go to engadget - seek Asus EEE PC (or something like that) 7" or 9" screen runs linux or win xp and costs about $400. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karmakaze Posted March 5, 2008 Report Share Posted March 5, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle Considering the Kindle runs $400 and you can get low-end laptops for about the same amount (which would be much more all-arouns capable)' date=' I'm not sure the Kindle is the answer.[/quote'] From what I hear, Kindle almost is a low-end laptop, just with a lot of features crippled because Amazon doesn't want the support headache. My ideal electronic book reader continues to revolve slowly in Platonic ideal-space, but the Kindle comes close-ish, sort of... ... So...what I'm asking is...has anyone had experience reading the HERO pdfs on Kindle? I know the PDF support on Kindle is "beta"-ish, so I'm just wondering how "beta-ish"...? I just got a Kindle[1]. And I think I bought the sidekick PDF a little while back. When I get some time, I'll check it out. [1] My housemate totaled her car last month, so I drove her to work and errands for three or so weeks. Her boyfriend bought me a Kindle as a thank-you. It wasn't necessary, but hey, a new toy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle From what I hear' date=' Kindle almost is a low-end laptop, just with a lot of features crippled because Amazon doesn't want the support headache.[/quote']The one feature I really like about the Kindle is the zero-power screen that is readable in bright light. Other than that it's a strange device which can't even play videos, browse the web, manage e-mail, or word process. Unless it costs much less than a cheap laptop, the laptop will always be more versatile for the bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karmakaze Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle I just tried Sidekick on the Kindle. It needs to be converted first (I suppose the problem is the screen size). The result is...usable. But not great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maur Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle Kindle and the Sony Reader are interesting devices that utilize Eink technologies to cut power requirements to the device to just when you are changing pages, so battery life is measured in page turns. Reading a normal novel on a plane is perfect for these devices, but not for things like gaming where you are wanting several open and searchable and might be constantly flipping randomly back and forth. Also, as Karmakaze noted, you have to convert the PDF to make it usable on the screen real estate provided by the device which isn't sized for an 8.5"x11" document, but for something between a paperback and trade paper sized book. Formatting gets screwed because machines don't read a PDF like a person does. So they don't know that a section of the text is a sidebar vs part of the normal flow of the document. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karmakaze Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle The one feature I really like about the Kindle is the zero-power screen that is readable in bright light. Other than that it's a strange device which can't even play videos' date=' browse the web, manage e-mail, or word process. Unless it costs much less than a cheap laptop, the laptop will always be more versatile for the bucks.[/quote'] Oh, as it turns out, you can surf the web using the thing. I've checked my gmail on it a couple of times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lysando Posted March 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle Thanks for all the responses. I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and get a low-end laptop. I just hate laptops with their dinky little screens and dinky little keyboards, stupid little touchscreens or nipple-whatchamacalitts and battery management fusiness and all the cables and other crap that come with them. It doesn't help that in the most horrible job I ever had I had to carry one of them back and forth to work every day, set the damn thing up every morning and undo everything when I left in the evening... Anyways, thanks again for your responses and for listening to my whining. :-) ntb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle Thanks for all the responses. I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and get a low-end laptop. I just hate laptops with their dinky little screens and dinky little keyboards, stupid little touchscreens or nipple-whatchamacalitts and battery management fusiness and all the cables and other crap that come with them. It doesn't help that in the most horrible job I ever had I had to carry one of them back and forth to work every day, set the damn thing up every morning and undo everything when I left in the evening... Anyways, thanks again for your responses and for listening to my whining. :-) ntb One suggestion I will make since I got my own laptop recently: Get a wireless mouse. A mouse is so much easier to use than the little touchpad. The small keyboard takes a bit of getting used to; but with a little practice I can now type about as well as I could on a full sized keyboard (which is nothing to brag about). And if you're getting a wireless mouse, a full sized wireless keyboard seems like a self-evident addition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archermoo Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle One suggestion I will make since I got my own laptop recently: Get a wireless mouse. A mouse is so much easier to use than the little touchpad. The small keyboard takes a bit of getting used to; but with a little practice I can now type about as well as I could on a full sized keyboard (which is nothing to brag about). And if you're getting a wireless mouse, a full sized wireless keyboard seems like a self-evident addition. Just to add my $.02: I've found that the situations where I can easily use an external mouse with my laptop are FAR more numerous than the situations that I can easily use an external keyboard. But then again I am pretty good at using the little pointer sticks/touchpads that laptops come with, so I frequently don't use either. Unless I'm setting it up at a desk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gojira Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle Eee PC link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_PC The cheapest one runs $299, about $100 less than the Kindle. Better or not? I'm not sure, but also kind of cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Goodwin Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle The cost of the Kindle is equal to about 50 paperback novels, or about ~13 Hero System supplements. How much can it hold? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamo Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle The Kindle can hold hundred of books at a time. Hero PDFs tailored for the Kindle would definitely tip the final scales both on getting a Kindle and going all electronic for my Champions collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamo Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle But then again I am pretty good at using the little pointer sticks/touchpads that laptops come with' date=' so I frequently don't use either.[/quote']I'm also very comfortable with my touchpad, but it still sucks for precision work (like Flash CS3 which I run on my laptop) so I use a cordless mouse for that. The mouse is pretty nice, and works well using my thigh for a mousepad. I'm still searching for the perfect eBook reader, something I can use mostly one handed, standing or sitting or lounging or walking, easy to read, color display, flexible file handling. The Kindle falls down on those last two, unfortunately, but it's the closest I've encountered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karmakaze Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle The Kindle can hold hundred of books at a time. Hero PDFs tailored for the Kindle would definitely tip the final scales both on getting a Kindle and going all electronic for my Champions collection. I wouldn't be surprised that Kindle ever gets to the sort of marketshare where it's cost effective for DoJ to tweak their products, the developers at Amazon will have fixed the PDF issues by then. I'm still searching for the perfect eBook reader' date=' something I can use mostly one handed, standing or sitting or lounging or walking, easy to read, color display, flexible file handling. The Kindle falls down on those last two, unfortunately, but it's the closest I've encountered.[/quote'] They definitely paid for battery life and reduced eyestrain with display flexibility. If all you're looking for is an ebook reader, that's a reasonable choice. Unfortunately, that tradeoff doesn't lend itself to additional functions. My only real complaint with it for it's core function is that they made the next page button so easy to press that you can't fit the Kindle into its case without turning the page. It needs just a little more neutral grip space. It's first generation product, though (as proven by the price tag), so there's hope for improvement as the developers get more feedback from heavy real-world usage. As with the iPhone, it's not bad as is, but I'd probably recommend most users should wait for the next version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gojira Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle Hero PDFs tailored for the Kindle would definitely tip the final scales both on getting a Kindle and going all electronic for my Champions collection. Ugh. Do PDFs need to be tailored for the Kindle? It doesn't display 8.5"x11" well? That's a big downer right there. A full version of Adobe Acrobat Reader might be a big win for viewing most PDFs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karmakaze Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle Ugh. Do PDFs need to be tailored for the Kindle? It doesn't display 8.5"x11" well? That's a big downer right there. A full version of Adobe Acrobat Reader might be a big win for viewing most PDFs. Technically, the Kindle doesn't support PDFs. You either use Mobipocket to convert the PDF to an eBook or use amazon's email conversion service. I think the issue is not that the Kindle could not run a pdf reader (I think it's based off a light version of Linux, which should be flexible enough to handle that). It's that pdf's are pretty much optimized for an 8"x11" piece of paper and don't shrink down to a smaller screen very well. It's a place where pdf's pixel control hurts it, because there's no standard way of handling alternate text flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maur Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle If DoJ put out a PDF that was flowed for the size of a paperback book, then they would work just fine on a Kindle or the Sony Reader (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Reader) when reformatted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archermoo Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle If DoJ put out a PDF that was flowed for the size of a paperback book' date=' then they would work just fine on a Kindle or the Sony Reader (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Reader) when reformatted.[/quote'] That would however require a lot of extra work. Currently they just need to make minor modifications to the file that they send to the printer to make it usable as a PDF. To reflow it for a paperback would require re-laying out the entire book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maur Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle Well, that is the same effort that is being asked of the software that converts the PDFs in the first place, heheh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamo Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle That would however require a lot of extra work. Currently they just need to make minor modifications to the file that they send to the printer to make it usable as a PDF. To reflow it for a paperback would require re-laying out the entire book.It's not that much more work. Adobe publishes a how-to document (as a PDF of course) that covers the internal tagging necessary to allow a document to be reflowed by the reader to "accessible" layouts as well as easier use by text readers for the visually impaired, etc... There really isn't much excuse not to do the work as the document is being created. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamo Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle They definitely paid for battery life and reduced eyestrain with display flexibility. If all you're looking for is an ebook reader' date=' that's a reasonable choice. Unfortunately, that tradeoff doesn't lend itself to additional functions.[/quote']Yeah, that's too bad. If I could load the Kindle myself via USB with .txt, .pdf, .html, and .rtf files, I'd already have one, B&W display or no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karmakaze Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Re: PDFs on Kindle Yeah' date=' that's too bad. If I could load the Kindle myself via USB with .txt, .pdf, .html, and .rtf files, I'd already have one, B&W display or no.[/quote'] You can do all of those except .pdf, actually. (And you can convert some pdfs. Mostly pdfs fall apart when they have nonstandard character encoding or a lot of sidebars and pullouts, because then the automatic reflow algorithms get confused). Apparently they've also got some kind of program to help people format documents into their kindle format here - http://forums.digitaltextplatform.com/ (or http://dtp.amazon.com/ ) I haven't much explored that aspect, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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