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03-25-2020, 12:31 PM   #1
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eReader for photography books?

I'm thinking of getting an e-reader. My work had a kindle about 5 years ago, and I did not enjoy the experience at all. That said, I'm stuck at home and e books are cheap. Any recommendations for/against a particular reader? How good/bad is the experience reading photography books with one? Obviously colour photos will be black and white, but I am more interested in the written content/technique in books so I'm ok that the graphics will be reduced.

03-25-2020, 12:41 PM - 2 Likes   #2
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I have a Kindle paperwhite which I am very happy with,light (weight wise) backlit and readable in bright sunlight which an iPad or other tablet isn’t.
03-25-2020, 01:20 PM   #3
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Nice. Debating between a kindle and a kobo. Tbh, I mostly plan to buy books from Rocky Nook and they offer downloads for both...
03-25-2020, 01:20 PM   #4
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I have a new paperwhite but use the Kindle App on my full size Ipad more to read than the paperwhite. Also Photography books are usually going to be image heavy and the Paperwhite and even the Kindle HDs of 8 inches and smaller handle expanding images fairly poorly in my opinion . For the record, I have had a Kindle HDX (which was the best!) as well as three HD 8 inch Kindles. OK to use, battery life after a year and a half went in the tank. The Paperwhite is not the one for images and the fact it does not rotate to allow the power switch to be on top annoys the heck out of me as I have large hands and turn it off accidentally often when using one hand. If you can find an Ipad from the last model year, go for it as I am a convert when it comes to tablets.

03-25-2020, 01:34 PM   #5
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I use a 7" Android tablet as an e-reader...

I have both the Kindle and the Nook apps on it, plus I use it to surf, etc....
03-25-2020, 01:42 PM - 1 Like   #6
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Another recommendation for using a tablet as an ereader for anything photography related. Both the Windows and Google stores have numerous applications available.
Kindle Fires do not do well with 2-page spreads. It either makes everything too small, or you have to flip back and forth between the pages. I had a photography mag subscription on my fire 8 that about drove me crazy.

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03-25-2020, 03:16 PM - 1 Like   #7
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I have a Kobo Clara HD and am quite fond of it. The price was very reasonable and the screen clarity/resolution is pretty nice as well. Can't say if it does anything better or worse than a Kindle as I haven't had any personal experience with a Kindle, however they do have Kobo's with larger screens with the Forma and Libra and even some water resistance which is odd, but I suppose will complement your Pentax.

03-25-2020, 04:56 PM   #8
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My wife and I have two Kobo at home. Both not up-to-date ones: Clara HD & Aura H2O. They are easy to manage ePub files with. I also had to use their online support (Kobo), were they were very nice. The reader you are looking for should also be based on the file format you are targeting. As, I think, Kindle does not manage ePub (not sure).

Pentax ebooks are great on my Kobo...


Also for everyone who has eReaders: Just make sure all of you have a look at an ebook manager (free / donation, like PF), on windows (not sure if iOS available) named “calibre” that you can use very easily to transfer your books from computer to Kobo, app configuration in multiple languages. This app also manage Kindle files. The app can be personalized and is very well done, with lots of update and fixes.

Happy reading... I have lots more ebooks that I would be able to read in my whole life (assuming : I am mid-fifthy, reading 1 book per day, I’m up to almost 100yo... sorry guys, mostly in French)

Let me know what you think of it.

---------- Post added 2020-03-25 at 19:01 ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by dborked Quote
...and even some water resistance which is odd, but I suppose will complement your Pentax.

Some likes to read in their bath or by (in) the pool. Not for me , but that’s what my Auro H2O does.

Last edited by mhoule418; 03-25-2020 at 05:14 PM.
03-25-2020, 05:22 PM   #9
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The Calibre e book management system is pretty handy and free for most, but the caliber companion on Kindle costs some of those ridiculous Amazon coins. (Usually less than they give you for buying a Kindle HD. But dual page layouts on a kindle HD suck and a paperwhite would be worse. Any tablet with a good screen and connectivity would be the way tp go. Bigger as in 10 inch at least is best.

@crazy4oldcars said it best on magazines and photo spreads with a Kindle. Please take our advice and only buy once!
03-25-2020, 05:30 PM   #10
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Calibre also runs on Macs....
03-25-2020, 05:37 PM - 1 Like   #11
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Just to clarify : I’m reading books (on kobo) not magazines. I have not tried reading magazines
03-26-2020, 04:36 AM   #12
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If part of any page has images, the Kindle comments apply for not being easy to look at. You have closer to an actual page aspect when reading if you go with a larger tablet than a Kindle.I find my full sized Ipad to be miles better reading any books with illustrations or images in comparison.
03-26-2020, 05:03 AM   #13
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My wife had a "nook" from Barnes & Noble, and loved it, so I did some research and got myself an Amazon Kindle "Paperwhite". I was never happy with it, though a good bit of my dissatisfaction was the result of Amazon's business practices. Example, the offer for the "Paperwhite" included the promise of a web browser and free cellular connectivity for life (with the payment of an extra fee up front). After a couple of years, the browser stopped working, and the cellular connectivity only works if you want to buy a book from Amazon.

Amazon still provides a free kindle analogue that runs on a regular computer. I'll bet, though I haven't checked, that there are "apps" for Android or IPad to handle the proprietary formats, as well as all the free-distribution formats.

So it appears B&N no longer sells "e-readers", and my wife's "nook" died, so I gave her the "Paperwhite". About the same time, I decided to get a "smartphone" (handheld computerette) to make it easier to communicate with my kids (who don't seem to know how to use telephones anymore). On that thing, I've got a file manager called "MiX" which includes readers for lots of document formats, and I use "Overdrive" and "Libby" to check out and read "books" from the libraries in which I have borrowing privileges. Lots of universities have scanned in a lot of their books and make them available by download.

Other than that, I use the browser on my real computer to look at documents on the InterNet, and in particular, lots of photographic topics on YouTube. Gotta be selective and have a good "crap detector", as with anything off the "World Wide Web".
03-26-2020, 05:15 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by dlh Quote
My wife had a "nook" from Barnes & Noble, and loved it, so I did some research and got myself an Amazon Kindle "Paperwhite". I was never happy with it, though a good bit of my dissatisfaction was the result of Amazon's business practices. Example, the offer for the "Paperwhite" included the promise of a web browser and free cellular connectivity for life (with the payment of an extra fee up front). After a couple of years, the browser stopped working, and the cellular connectivity only works if you want to buy a book from Amazon.

Amazon still provides a free kindle analogue that runs on a regular computer. I'll bet, though I haven't checked, that there are "apps" for Android or IPad to handle the proprietary formats, as well as all the free-distribution formats.

So it appears B&N no longer sells "e-readers", and my wife's "nook" died, so I gave her the "Paperwhite". About the same time, I decided to get a "smartphone" (handheld computerette) to make it easier to communicate with my kids (who don't seem to know how to use telephones anymore). On that thing, I've got a file manager called "MiX" which includes readers for lots of document formats, and I use "Overdrive" and "Libby" to check out and read "books" from the libraries in which I have borrowing privileges. Lots of universities have scanned in a lot of their books and make them available by download.

Other than that, I use the browser on my real computer to look at documents on the InterNet, and in particular, lots of photographic topics on YouTube. Gotta be selective and have a good "crap detector", as with anything off the "World Wide Web".
I think you have to accept that a Kindle Paperwhite is no substitute for a tablet for web browsing etc and really just meant for loading with books ,a portable library.The reading function is as close to a "proper" book as you're likely to get.

The browsing function was always described as "experimental" and I found it best used as an emergency way to check emails,vastly surpassed now by a smartphone for any of these functions.
03-26-2020, 06:49 AM - 1 Like   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by dlh Quote
My wife had a "nook" from Barnes & Noble, and loved it, so I did some research and got myself an Amazon Kindle "Paperwhite". I was never happy with it, though a good bit of my dissatisfaction was the result of Amazon's business practices. Example, the offer for the "Paperwhite" included the promise of a web browser and free cellular connectivity for life (with the payment of an extra fee up front). After a couple of years, the browser stopped working, and the cellular connectivity only works if you want to buy a book from Amazon.

Amazon still provides a free kindle analogue that runs on a regular computer. I'll bet, though I haven't checked, that there are "apps" for Android or IPad to handle the proprietary formats, as well as all the free-distribution formats.

So it appears B&N no longer sells "e-readers", and my wife's "nook" died, so I gave her the "Paperwhite". About the same time, I decided to get a "smartphone" (handheld computerette) to make it easier to communicate with my kids (who don't seem to know how to use telephones anymore). On that thing, I've got a file manager called "MiX" which includes readers for lots of document formats, and I use "Overdrive" and "Libby" to check out and read "books" from the libraries in which I have borrowing privileges. Lots of universities have scanned in a lot of their books and make them available by download.

Other than that, I use the browser on my real computer to look at documents on the InterNet, and in particular, lots of photographic topics on YouTube. Gotta be selective and have a good "crap detector", as with anything off the "World Wide Web".
I believe the desktop kindle app is discontinued, you have to read them in an in browser viewer.

This has been really interesting. I've definitely considered a tablet, but I'm a computer programmer, and I was actively more interested in an eReader for the lack of maintenance and their simplicity. Still.. my previous experience with an e reader was really not great, I love a physical book in my hand. I actually have a cheap acer tablet, but it is so cheap, it takes about 30-60 seconds to respond to touch. I like the e-ink for late night reading too... Hrm, tough call, as the reading experience for photography would be much better...
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