Tablet for eBook reading?

[Marita40]

To answer a question above: the Ipad Mini is not tied to Apple books. I have a Kindle app on it as well as a library app (Libby) and can read any book uploaded from them. I just love Libby in particular! It replaced Overdrive a year ago or so and is MUCH more efficient and user friendly with many more books available.

 

[braumeister]

Some books give the % at the bottom, but some do not.

If the book allows it, you can often just tap on that spot to toggle between page number, percentage read, location, and nothing. Some books let you do this, others don't. It's a limitation of the book, not the Kindle.

 

[statsman]

I tried my wife's older 7" Kindle, and I can tell it's not close to big enough for me. I doubt her Fire 8 HD will make enough difference. Based on zooming the eBooks and approximating the enlarged size, I figure a 9" screen would work, and something close to 10" might be better.

That said, placing the Kindle on the desk and reading from it appears to be easier for my eyes (notwithstanding the backlighting and the small size) than trying to read a fiction novel on my computer monitor.

 

[Morricol61]

I bought an 8" tablet, one of the cheapest I could find to see whether I would like reading e-books. I am very happy with it. It doesn't have a SIM but connects wirelessly to my home internet or I can hot spot to my phone when I want to download a new book. After the book or books are downloaded there is no need for the internet to be connected.

I was considering buying a KOBO or a KINDLE but saved hundreds of $s by buying an inexpensive tablet. The 8" tablet is very lightweight and you can adjust the text size to whatever you prefer.

 

[mpeirce]

My DS really likes the Kobo readers. He has a smaller one, but they do have a 10.3” model with a pretty large screen.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095RLTZ9M

 

[statsman]

I was at Costco today for my monthly shopping there, and I had the opportunity to view in person Apple's various iPads (mini, regular, air - skipped the expensive pro models). It was nice that they were linked to Apple Store so that I could bring up any of the free novels there.

While I think the iPad mini (8.3") has a better quality screen than the iPad (10.2"), having 50% more screen real estate was a big plus for me with the iPad. The display on the iPad Air (10.9") is wonderful, but at almost twice the price of the iPad, I would hope it would be. I didn't check whether customers had played with any of the various settings that might tweak the displays, so I need to take that into account. Definite oversight on my part.

What the exercise did prove to me is I would be better off with as large of a display as I can afford and handle. Anything beyond 11" would be cumbersome, along with being much more expensive. It was very easy to read off of all the iPads. I liked that the larger screens allowed for more words per line and more lines per page at a font size I found comfortable, resulting in less swiping while reading.

I need to check out other tablets, but I think that's the direction I am going. Thank you for all of your feedback so far.

 

[Jerry1]

lresulting in less swiping while reading.

With an iPad and the Kindle app, you can set the book to scroll. I find this much better for reading. I hold the iPad and use my thumb to move the lines up while I keep my focus in basically the same spot (near the top of the screen). Doing this seems to allow for a more fluid reading experience. I think you would like it instead of swiping.

 

[Luvtoride]

I agree with all who mentioned the iPad as the best e-reader. I have at least 5 or 6 different book apps on it so I can download books from various platforms to read including many free books.

Another benefit, which I don't think was mentioned above is being able to convert ANY long articles from emails, web pages or any source into "book pdf" documents for later reading. I have done this with technical materials from investment reports, medical records/ articles, tour/ travel books, instruction manuals and all sorts of guides, etc. I find that Apple's own "Books" app is extremely versatile for this and love the convenience of always being able to go back later and "search" my library to find the document. Most of these could be saved in the Kindle app as well.

 

[Jerry1]

being able to convert ANY long articles from emails, web pages or any source into "book pdf" documents for later reading.

That sounds cool. How do you do that?

 

[braumeister]

They don't have to be pdf.

Friendly File Formats for Your Kindle Paperwhite

There are several good (free) format converters as well.

 

[Luvtoride]

That sounds cool. How do you do that?

Jerry, very easy to do. When you're on a web page or have an article or manual open, hit the "document send" icon (the "page" icon with the arrow pointed straight up) usually near the upper right of the screen. Scroll across and you will see various actions such as Airdrop, Messages, Mail, Kindle, Notes, Books etc. If you hit Books, it will say "creating PDF" and then your document is saved as a PDF in books. You can then rename the document with an appropriate title.

 

[kevink]

A basic 10.2 inch 64 GB iPad can be bought for $280 at Costco. You can then download the excellent Kindle app and as others have pointed out also have access to ebooks through Apple's Books app, Overdrive for Library ebooks, etc. You can also download Amazon's Send to Kindle app, which allows you to both send PDF's to your Kindle library and any device with the Kindle app on it AND to convert PDF's to Kindle format.

For any book with graphic content (cookbooks for example but also finance books full of charts and graphs) it's a far superior experience to any Kindle device. If you're a magazine reader that experience on the iPad could quite possibly justify the purchase in and of itself. Pay up for the Apple smart cover not only because it's by far the lightest, but because it allows you to read books in landscape mode hands-free. I have numerous cookbooks on mine and it's awesome for travel. Oh - and when you're not reading ebooks you can watch movies on it and do all the other things an iPad can do that a Kindle can't. Far better value for money IMHO and if you play around with fonts and screen brightness it's just fine for extended reading, albeit not as comfortable for hours on end compared to e-ink.

 

[statsman]

A basic 10.2 inch 64 GB iPad can be bought for $280 at Costco. You can then download the excellent Kindle app and as others have pointed out also have access to ebooks through Apple's Books app, Overdrive for Library ebooks, etc.

I saw it this morning on my trip to Costco (mentioned above). The screen size and dimensions I like a lot. Screen dimensions just a bit over 8"x6", which would size many fiction eBooks similar to paperback sizes. Even standing up in Costco reading a free eBook from the Apple Store on it, it was very easy to read (I suspect the e-ink readers are a different matter).

I kind of wish I hadn't seen the 10.9" iPad Air though. There was a difference, although as I indicated, I am not sure if any of the display settings (if they exist) had been tinkered with. But at twice the price right now, it truly seems like overkill. For some, the basic iPad is probably overkill.

 

[Qs Laptop]

A basic 10.2 inch 64 GB iPad can be bought for $280 at Costco. You can then download the excellent Kindle app and as others have pointed out also have access to ebooks through Apple's Books app, Overdrive for Library ebooks, etc. You can also download Amazon's Send to Kindle app, which allows you to both send PDF's to your Kindle library and any device with the Kindle app on it AND to convert PDF's to Kindle format.

The OP has stated he wants an e-reader for (primarily) reading books. Why pay $280 for an iPod and then load the Kindle app on it and then download and use the Send to Kindle app when you could simply buy an Amazon HD Fire 10.1 tablet with all this stuff natively installed for $149?

 

[tulak]

The OP has stated he wants an e-reader for (primarily) reading books. Why pay $280 for an iPod and then load the Kindle app on it and then download and use the Send to Kindle app when you could simply buy an Amazon HD Fire 10.1 tablet with all this stuff natively installed for $149?

Because the iPad is a nicer device?

It might also have better app support, in case he needs/wants something besides the Kindle app.

 

[target2019]

Consider one of the Lenovo duets. Two sizes to choose from with detachable keyboards. I recently replaced an older 13 inch Chromebook laptop and got the original Duet 3 half off at Bestbuy for 149.00. Works great for just about anything. I use it mostly as a tablet and love the size. Its not as light as a Kindle but for two hands it works well. You can make it lighter by removing the back kickstand.
Bonus you can surf the web and watch videos. Down load apps like earlyretirement.org and chat on it too. I think it's the best of both worlds. Like an XL cell phone.
It works well in both portrait and tablet mode.

https://youtu.be/imnTHlGtf40
View attachment 43431

That is the direction I've been going for a few years. It was the best $179 spent. Mine is a Duet 2, and I really love it. It's on my desk attached to large screen, and I watch hulu tv there some days.

Then we get to travel with it, and have a full-featured browser, etc.

If I e-read, I detach the keyboard and sit in my comfy chair with it.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Because the iPad is a nicer device?

It might also have better app support, in case he needs/wants something besides the Kindle app.

Yes, it is a better device. And he could easily read EPUB formatted books on it. Personally I'd prefer the iPad to the Fire Tablet precisely because it can do more, but the OP said he was looking for a tablet to read e-books and not much else. Therefore, I recommended the Fire Tablet.

 

[tulak]

Yes, it is a better device. And he could easily read EPUB formatted books on it. Personally I'd prefer the iPad to the Fire Tablet precisely because it can do more, but the OP said he was looking for a tablet to read e-books and not much else. Therefore, I recommended the Fire Tablet.

I would go with the device that has the best display. I’m all for saving money, but I’ve always been willing to spend more for a better display.

As for display, look at PPI and resolution. Higher is better, especially for PPI. You don’t want to see pixels.

 

[statsman]

Just to clarify, my primary interest is for a tablet that will make reading eBooks easier than viewing them on my PC monitor or 15" laptop. If it can't do that, then I really don't care what else it is capable of doing.

That said, I may find myself using a tablet to watch videos or browse rather than with the laptop. I will agree with the comment of looking for the best display, particularly if I decide not to choose an e-ink reader.

I should note that I do not have a Kindle account, nor do I intend to. Most of the eBooks I have were purchased on Smashwords, Kobo, or a few places no longer in existence. A vast majority are in EPUB format.

 

[Qs Laptop]

I should note that I do not have a Kindle account, nor do I intend to. Most of the eBooks I have were purchased on Smashwords, Kobo, or a few places no longer in existence. A vast majority are in EPUB format.

If you are going to continue to shun Amazon books and ONLY read books in EPUB then I agree with Tulak and get the iPod.

Also, most libraries have books in EPUB format but Kindle format (MOBI or AZW) is usually available as well.

Also, be aware that you can get freeware called Calibre that will convert books from one format to another.

I'm kind of wondering why you would not want to get Kindle books since Amazon is the world's largest bookstore?

 

[tulak]

Apple’s Books app natively supports EPUBs (no DRM), no conversions required. Not sure it matters, but figured it was worth mentioning.

 

[Cobra59]

The answer is an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite reader.

They have a "Signature" edition that is pretty sweet. Backlit. Adjustable font. Easy tap page forward/back. Screen is easy on the eyes.

I agree. I read hundreds of books per year on my Kindle Paperwhite. It is just like reading a paper book, not affected by sunlight (if you read outside, at the beach, etc., many tablets are difficult to see in the sunlight), and light weight.

Also, if you want some low cost and even free Kindle books, check out Bookbub - they send an email of books every day and some of the books are free, others are deeply discounted to $0.99