Large color readers?

rschauer · 06-27-2011, 03:41 AM

I've been loving my Kindle to death, but as well as it renders PDF files, many of the ones I have (tech books and such) are difficult to read. So, I've come up with a list of what I'd like in a second reader that I feel would make it more suitable for PDFs (I use them a lot at work, so it would be extremely handy there).

So, I've been researching, considering, keeping my eyes on a few different devices. I'd like to know if anyone here can recommend, from experience, something like what I'm describing below.

1) At least 9" screen size. I have experimented with a couple of PDFs, resizing them on-screen (on a PC) to various sizes, and I don't think I can settle for smaller than that. On most of my PDFs, less than a 9" page size makes the text far too small, and zooming/panning is just no way to read anything.

2) Color display. I can usually live without color images, but sometimes it's important. If I'm going to spend the money on a second device, I might as well get one that handle color. I could change my mind about this, considering how much I enjoy the E-ink screens.

3) Matte finish screen. If I get a color device, I would really rather not have a screen with a glossy finish. I find the amount of glare on an LCD to be inversely proportional to the amount of time I can spend reading from it. I know there are screen protectors out there that will reduce glare as well; has anyone used one of these that doesn't distort the display too much?

4) Cost. Always the kicker. I'd like to get out of this for well under $200 if possible.

5) Other. WiFi is a must. 3G/4G unimportant; I won't use it for this. A standard (not Micro) SD/SDHC card slot would be nice. On a tablet, Bluetooth would be a nice bonus, for connecting a wireless keyboard. Availability of accessories isn't too important to me either, other than a decent case, perhaps.

What I've found so far is that a number of Android-based tablets might fit the bill. There are lots of sub-$100 models, but the screen size is always 7" or less. I have found a few 10" ones in the area of $170. They are generally generic or off-brands, which is OK with me, but I'd really like to get some opinions on various units first. I can try to list the specific tablets I've looked at if someone would like. They're all fairly basic ~1GHz tablets. And I'd very much like to hear about any other devices I haven't thought of! If there's another type of reader that will do what I need, please enlighten me!

Questions I might have about a particular unit:

- Durability - does it feel cheap? E.g., any "loose" bezel pieces?

- Battery life - obviously an LCD will kill a cell faster than e-Ink, I don't expect miracles. But I would like it to at least last through my 11-hour work day.

- File formats - if not an Android tablet (which I should be able to install support for just about anything on), PDF is the main necessity, but ePub and Mobi support would be nice.

- Root access - if an Android tablet; I'm big on customising and tinkering. I'd like it to do what I need out of the box, but if I should choose to mess with custom ROMs and such, are they available for this device? Has it been made possible at all to gain root access? This is much less important, so if you don't know what I'm talking about, just ignore.

That's about all I've got right now. Please let me know if I've been too specific (or not enough); I know I might be asking a bit much. Thanks in advance!

artifact · 06-27-2011, 09:32 PM

I've been pondering a Pandigitial R90L200 'Multimedia' 9" this week for my PDFs and color books. They are around the $180 range now.

1) At least 9" screen size.
Yep

2) Color display.
Yep. Though the resolution has me wondering.

3) Matte finish screen.
I think its glossy.

4) Cost.
$180ish. Barnes and Noble had the cheapest I could find.

Anyone with one of these? The threads about it are old from when it was twice the price. Maybe its a steal now

.

5) Other.
Android OS.
Hackable (though they don't seem to have done much of it over on slatedroid.)
Wifi.
SD slot.
Questionable company and support?
Rumors of a new model coming out (which explains the price cut.)

rschauer · 06-27-2011, 10:25 PM

Thanks for that! That looks like the kind of thing I'm after. I'm not opposed to finding a better deal online (eBay, etc.), but the fact that B&N carries it might mean I can check it out in person first, which is a big plus.

Does anyone have one of those?

I'm also looking at the following devices. They unfortunately only have MicroSD slots, but I can live with that. The Arnova ones don't list CPU or RAM specs on the web sites, which are things I need to consider before getting an Android device, but they should be suitable for my purposes (it doesn't take much to view PDFs, after all):

http://arnovatech.com/products/arn_8...try=us&lang=en
http://arnovatech.com/products/arn_8...try=us&lang=en
http://arnovatech.com/products/arn_1...try=us&lang=en

http://www.amazon.com/Superpad-Table...ata/B004HIXDEQ

Anyone have experience with any of these?

rschauer · 06-27-2011, 10:32 PM

Also...

Quote:

Originally Posted by artifact

I've been pondering a Pandigitial R90L200
3) Matte finish screen.
I think its glossy.
[...]
Questionable company and support?

Yeah, I think the tablets are all glossy; I haven't seen one yet that isn't. That's OK, I'll either live with that or try to find a dull finish screen protector.

As for the company, I haven't heard anything bad about Pandigital. They do come of to me as something of a budget brand, but I don't think there's anything wrong with them. If I'm not too much mistaken, they've been making digital photo frames for some time now, so they're not just some upstart cheap tablet producer.

rschauer · 06-28-2011, 01:31 AM

Minor update:

Reviews at Amazon and other merchants for the devices that have been listed are not promising. Perhaps I need to reconsider my desire for color and restrict my searches to e-readers (E-ink style), and not bother with tablets unless I want to expand my price range. Thoughts?

rschauer · 07-01-2011, 04:41 AM

OK, I guess I have narrowed down my options, after some further research and hands-on browsing.

I learned that the Kindle DX does not run the newest firmware; it runs the version the Kindle 2 runs. Therefore, PDF support is not as robust as the Kindle 3. So while I'd be seeing them in a readable size, there are likely to be problems rendering some files. Also, unless I bought one used (which I'm not keen on), I wouldn't be saving much compared to buying a full-featured tablet.

So, I started looking at tablets. I found that the majority of new (Android OS 3) tablets are widescreen. This didn't bother me at first, but after playing around with an iPad (4:3 ratio), I found it much better suited to the dimensions of a typical book ("tech" type books, which will be mostly what I read on the device, tend to be around 9x7" or so, pretty close to 4:3). I also found the iPad 2 much more responsive than the Galaxy/Xoom/Iconia/etc., and much more comfortable than all but the Galaxy.

Therefore, I'm leaning toward biting the bullet and picking up an iPad, in the hope that I will use it for more than just reading books at work (otherwise, it's not worth $600 to me). I'm still keeping my eyes open for a suitable device that would be easier on the wallet; it might be some time before I can convince myself to triple my original budget.

I'll check out the iPad-related boards here for further info. If anyone still has advice about other types of tablets/readers that I haven't mentioned yet, I'm still open to it!

DCam · 07-01-2011, 05:59 AM

I did a bit of research into Android and I'm pretty sure you need at least version 2.2 to get the full flash support needed for youTube and a lot of other websites use flash also. A lot of the website based games use Flash as well. Not sure if you are after this or not, but its something I'll be looking for to make sure I get full compatibility when viewing websites.

rschauer · 07-01-2011, 06:50 AM

Yeah, I've had an Android phone for some time. You do need 2.2 for "full, official" Flash support. The iPad doesn't officially support Flash either, but there are alternative browsers that can handle it.

The only reason I was really looking into Android tabs is because I found some relatively cheap ones. But if they're garbage as the reviews seem to indicate, I'm not interested in wasting my money. If I'm going to end up spending $500 for a decent Android tab, I'd rather just get the iPad.

Thanks for the input though; that is a good point for anyone looking into similar devices.

FWIW, if I were to get an Android tab, I'd probably go with the new 10.1" Samsung Galaxy. The Xoom would probably be my second choice, but I haven't given that much thought.

jbcohen · 07-01-2011, 07:50 AM

I would like to warn against the Pandigital Novel. I had a white one for a few months before it got stollen. It never worked right and I had to reset it once every fifteen minutes to keep it working and it took approximatly a half hour to reboot, in other words it spent 98% of its time rebooting and performance was extreemly slow and uplaoding books was a real challenge.

TedJ · 07-01-2011, 08:16 AM

My personal preference for Android tablets at the moment is the Asus Transformer. That being said, unless the screen is too small the Nook Colour (once rooted) has a price/performance ratio that's hard to beat.

rschauer · 07-01-2011, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TedJ

My personal preference for Android tablets at the moment is the Asus Transformer. That being said, unless the screen is too small the Nook Colour (once rooted) has a price/performance ratio that's hard to beat.

The Nook is a nice-looking device, but it would be too small, being only just bigger than the Kindle. I did check one out in person. Performance and price were definitely reasonable, but the main thing I'm looking for is the 9"+ screen size.

I haven't seen a Transformer in person yet, but that one is also on my list. I just haven't been terribly impressed with any of the Android tabs thus far, unfortunately.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcohen

I would like to warn against the Pandigital Novel. I had a white one for a few months before it got stollen. It never worked right and I had to reset it once every fifteen minutes to keep it working and it took approximatly a half hour to reboot, in other words it spent 98% of its time rebooting and performance was extreemly slow and uplaoding books was a real challenge.

Thanks, good to know. That isn't one of the particular ones I was looking at, but it definitely gives an impression concerning the larger model that was mentioned earlier.

rschauer · 07-08-2011, 07:52 AM

I broke down and bought an iPad. After a few days I decided I still hate Apple, so I returned it.

Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful device. Well-made, fairly comfortable, lightweight, and aesthetically pleasing. The software works very well with the device. I just can't cope with Apple's closed-source mindset (yeah, I'm one of those nerds), or the apparent blind stupidity of the majority of the community (no offense to any owners). I'd go into more detail, but it's not really important for this discussion. If you want it solely as a reader, it will definitely do the job for you. I found it surprisingly less of a strain on the eyes than I expected, and iBooks is a pleasure to use (it's nearly identical to Aldiko on Android, which I had previously used on my phone).

So, since the first Android tab on my list (Asus' lovely and low-priced Transformer) isn't available for me to see in person anywhere, I decided to try the Xoom tablet. I'm liking it so far. Best Buy (and numerous other outlets) had marked it down from $600 to $500 literally hours before I made my decision, so that helped. While there does seem to be that screen rotation delay I've seen on all the Android tabs, this is the only instance I've seen of its performance not matching the iPad. I lost the 4:3 screen ratio of the iPad as well, but I loaded up some PDFs in Aldiko and found the default size in portrait mode to be adequate. I also lost a little of the comfort factor; the Xoom is very noticeably thicker and heavier, though it's still not bad, being only 1/4 lb. heavier. Also, it could be my brain playing tricks on me after using the white iPad, but I seem to get a bit more screen glare on the black-bordered Xoom. Despite those losses, I feel better with this one. All the software I want is readily available (and usually free), I have a microSD slot, I can multitask properly, and there's no more proprietary connector. Bonus: it was $100 cheaper.

I'm giving this one some thought. I have two weeks to return it again, and I sort of wanted to give Samsung's newest Galaxy Tab a try. However, I'm not considering that one until I'm satisfied that they're going to start shipping that USB Host adapter they announced. Failing that, I'd like to take a look at the new Toshiba Thrive that's coming out (within the week?)...that's not going to do anything for me in terms of thickness/weight, though.

I know I'm just babbling here, and I might be more at home if I just go back to one of the Android forums. But it's my thread, after all.

Please, if anyone has any other thoughts to add here, or questions about the devices I've used, post more! I'll probably add my own further opinions as I approach the final decision on my device.

aceflor · 07-08-2011, 08:00 AM

Have a look at both the asus transformer and the acer iconia tablets. You might like the specs.

rschauer · 07-08-2011, 08:14 AM

Thanks for your thoughts...

As I said, I was considering the Transformer. But I have to insist on at least seeing the device with my own eyes (preferably using it to some extent) before buying one, and on getting it locally so that I know I can return it if I hate it. I have nowhere locally that carries the Transformer in-store.

As for the Iconia, I did look at it. It's OK, but I wasn't impressed. Also, I recently got an Acer laptop, and I was disgusted by their piss-poor customer service.

rschauer · 07-26-2011, 02:06 PM

So, I never did come back here with the story's resolution. :-)

I spoke too soon regarding the Asus Transformer. Best Buy got it in stock one week after I picked up the Xoom. Since I had wanted to try the TF in the first place but really had to insist on seeing it in person first, I decided to make an exchange one last time. I'm very glad I did.

The TF is at least as good for reading as the Xoom (it's a hair lighter, which helps noticeably). As a tablet in other respects, it's nearly identical in physical specs, but boasts software supported by Asus rather than by Google, which means (for one thing) that SD card and USB host support were working out-of-box for the TF (because they don't have to wait for Google to release the official fixes). The included software is also superior, and the ability to purchase the keyboard dock knocks it out of the park. If you want to do without the dock, you'll spend $100 less than the Xoom.

All told, I spent $50 less than I originally had on the iPad ($400 for the TF and $150 for the keyboard dock), and am much happier with the device I have.

Oh, and the "MyLibrary" app that comes with the TF is quite adequate for my purposes. The default settings are good enough for me, for now. But it doesn't look like there is much that can be customized, so I might go back to Aldiko or Cool Reader if I find myself reading ePUB a lot.

06-27-2011, 03:41 AM	#1
rschauer Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 40 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Iowa Device: Kindle 3	Large color readers? I've been loving my Kindle to death, but as well as it renders PDF files, many of the ones I have (tech books and such) are difficult to read. So, I've come up with a list of what I'd like in a second reader that I feel would make it more suitable for PDFs (I use them a lot at work, so it would be extremely handy there). So, I've been researching, considering, keeping my eyes on a few different devices. I'd like to know if anyone here can recommend, from experience, something like what I'm describing below. 1) At least 9" screen size. I have experimented with a couple of PDFs, resizing them on-screen (on a PC) to various sizes, and I don't think I can settle for smaller than that. On most of my PDFs, less than a 9" page size makes the text far too small, and zooming/panning is just no way to read anything. 2) Color display. I can usually live without color images, but sometimes it's important. If I'm going to spend the money on a second device, I might as well get one that handle color. I could change my mind about this, considering how much I enjoy the E-ink screens. 3) Matte finish screen. If I get a color device, I would really rather not have a screen with a glossy finish. I find the amount of glare on an LCD to be inversely proportional to the amount of time I can spend reading from it. I know there are screen protectors out there that will reduce glare as well; has anyone used one of these that doesn't distort the display too much? 4) Cost. Always the kicker. I'd like to get out of this for well under $200 if possible. 5) Other. WiFi is a must. 3G/4G unimportant; I won't use it for this. A standard (not Micro) SD/SDHC card slot would be nice. On a tablet, Bluetooth would be a nice bonus, for connecting a wireless keyboard. Availability of accessories isn't too important to me either, other than a decent case, perhaps. What I've found so far is that a number of Android-based tablets might fit the bill. There are lots of sub-$100 models, but the screen size is always 7" or less. I have found a few 10" ones in the area of $170. They are generally generic or off-brands, which is OK with me, but I'd really like to get some opinions on various units first. I can try to list the specific tablets I've looked at if someone would like. They're all fairly basic ~1GHz tablets. And I'd very much like to hear about any other devices I haven't thought of! If there's another type of reader that will do what I need, please enlighten me! Questions I might have about a particular unit: - Durability - does it feel cheap? E.g., any "loose" bezel pieces? - Battery life - obviously an LCD will kill a cell faster than e-Ink, I don't expect miracles. But I would like it to at least last through my 11-hour work day. - File formats - if not an Android tablet (which I should be able to install support for just about anything on), PDF is the main necessity, but ePub and Mobi support would be nice. - Root access - if an Android tablet; I'm big on customising and tinkering. I'd like it to do what I need out of the box, but if I should choose to mess with custom ROMs and such, are they available for this device? Has it been made possible at all to gain root access? This is much less important, so if you don't know what I'm talking about, just ignore. That's about all I've got right now. Please let me know if I've been too specific (or not enough); I know I might be asking a bit much. Thanks in advance!

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06-27-2011, 09:32 PM	#2
artifact Addict Posts: 276 Karma: 3569616 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: jetBook (RIP), Kobo Touch	I've been pondering a Pandigitial R90L200 'Multimedia' 9" this week for my PDFs and color books. They are around the $180 range now. 1) At least 9" screen size. Yep 2) Color display. Yep. Though the resolution has me wondering. 3) Matte finish screen. I think its glossy. 4) Cost. $180ish. Barnes and Noble had the cheapest I could find. Anyone with one of these? The threads about it are old from when it was twice the price. Maybe its a steal now . 5) Other. Android OS. Hackable (though they don't seem to have done much of it over on slatedroid.) Wifi. SD slot. Questionable company and support? Rumors of a new model coming out (which explains the price cut.)

06-27-2011, 10:25 PM	#3
rschauer Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 40 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Iowa Device: Kindle 3	Thanks for that! That looks like the kind of thing I'm after. I'm not opposed to finding a better deal online (eBay, etc.), but the fact that B&N carries it might mean I can check it out in person first, which is a big plus. Does anyone have one of those? I'm also looking at the following devices. They unfortunately only have MicroSD slots, but I can live with that. The Arnova ones don't list CPU or RAM specs on the web sites, which are things I need to consider before getting an Android device, but they should be suitable for my purposes (it doesn't take much to view PDFs, after all): http://arnovatech.com/products/arn_8...try=us&lang=en http://arnovatech.com/products/arn_8...try=us&lang=en http://arnovatech.com/products/arn_1...try=us&lang=en http://www.amazon.com/Superpad-Table...ata/B004HIXDEQ Anyone have experience with any of these?

06-28-2011, 01:31 AM	#5
rschauer Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 40 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Iowa Device: Kindle 3	Minor update: Reviews at Amazon and other merchants for the devices that have been listed are not promising. Perhaps I need to reconsider my desire for color and restrict my searches to e-readers (E-ink style), and not bother with tablets unless I want to expand my price range. Thoughts?

07-01-2011, 04:41 AM	#6
rschauer Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 40 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Iowa Device: Kindle 3	OK, I guess I have narrowed down my options, after some further research and hands-on browsing. I learned that the Kindle DX does not run the newest firmware; it runs the version the Kindle 2 runs. Therefore, PDF support is not as robust as the Kindle 3. So while I'd be seeing them in a readable size, there are likely to be problems rendering some files. Also, unless I bought one used (which I'm not keen on), I wouldn't be saving much compared to buying a full-featured tablet. So, I started looking at tablets. I found that the majority of new (Android OS 3) tablets are widescreen. This didn't bother me at first, but after playing around with an iPad (4:3 ratio), I found it much better suited to the dimensions of a typical book ("tech" type books, which will be mostly what I read on the device, tend to be around 9x7" or so, pretty close to 4:3). I also found the iPad 2 much more responsive than the Galaxy/Xoom/Iconia/etc., and much more comfortable than all but the Galaxy. Therefore, I'm leaning toward biting the bullet and picking up an iPad, in the hope that I will use it for more than just reading books at work (otherwise, it's not worth $600 to me). I'm still keeping my eyes open for a suitable device that would be easier on the wallet; it might be some time before I can convince myself to triple my original budget. I'll check out the iPad-related boards here for further info. If anyone still has advice about other types of tablets/readers that I haven't mentioned yet, I'm still open to it!

07-01-2011, 05:59 AM	#7
DCam Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: iRiver	I did a bit of research into Android and I'm pretty sure you need at least version 2.2 to get the full flash support needed for youTube and a lot of other websites use flash also. A lot of the website based games use Flash as well. Not sure if you are after this or not, but its something I'll be looking for to make sure I get full compatibility when viewing websites.

07-01-2011, 06:50 AM	#8
rschauer Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 40 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Iowa Device: Kindle 3	Yeah, I've had an Android phone for some time. You do need 2.2 for "full, official" Flash support. The iPad doesn't officially support Flash either, but there are alternative browsers that can handle it. The only reason I was really looking into Android tabs is because I found some relatively cheap ones. But if they're garbage as the reviews seem to indicate, I'm not interested in wasting my money. If I'm going to end up spending $500 for a decent Android tab, I'd rather just get the iPad. Thanks for the input though; that is a good point for anyone looking into similar devices. FWIW, if I were to get an Android tab, I'd probably go with the new 10.1" Samsung Galaxy. The Xoom would probably be my second choice, but I haven't given that much thought.

07-01-2011, 07:50 AM	#9
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,025 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Piper College Device: Samsung A21	I would like to warn against the Pandigital Novel. I had a white one for a few months before it got stollen. It never worked right and I had to reset it once every fifteen minutes to keep it working and it took approximatly a half hour to reboot, in other words it spent 98% of its time rebooting and performance was extreemly slow and uplaoding books was a real challenge.

07-01-2011, 08:16 AM	#10
TedJ Groupie Posts: 189 Karma: 86778 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Brisbane, Australia Device: Kobo Touch	My personal preference for Android tablets at the moment is the Asus Transformer. That being said, unless the screen is too small the Nook Colour (once rooted) has a price/performance ratio that's hard to beat.

07-08-2011, 07:52 AM	#12
rschauer Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 40 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Iowa Device: Kindle 3	I broke down and bought an iPad. After a few days I decided I still hate Apple, so I returned it. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful device. Well-made, fairly comfortable, lightweight, and aesthetically pleasing. The software works very well with the device. I just can't cope with Apple's closed-source mindset (yeah, I'm one of those nerds), or the apparent blind stupidity of the majority of the community (no offense to any owners). I'd go into more detail, but it's not really important for this discussion. If you want it solely as a reader, it will definitely do the job for you. I found it surprisingly less of a strain on the eyes than I expected, and iBooks is a pleasure to use (it's nearly identical to Aldiko on Android, which I had previously used on my phone). So, since the first Android tab on my list (Asus' lovely and low-priced Transformer) isn't available for me to see in person anywhere, I decided to try the Xoom tablet. I'm liking it so far. Best Buy (and numerous other outlets) had marked it down from $600 to $500 literally hours before I made my decision, so that helped. While there does seem to be that screen rotation delay I've seen on all the Android tabs, this is the only instance I've seen of its performance not matching the iPad. I lost the 4:3 screen ratio of the iPad as well, but I loaded up some PDFs in Aldiko and found the default size in portrait mode to be adequate. I also lost a little of the comfort factor; the Xoom is very noticeably thicker and heavier, though it's still not bad, being only 1/4 lb. heavier. Also, it could be my brain playing tricks on me after using the white iPad, but I seem to get a bit more screen glare on the black-bordered Xoom. Despite those losses, I feel better with this one. All the software I want is readily available (and usually free), I have a microSD slot, I can multitask properly, and there's no more proprietary connector. Bonus: it was $100 cheaper. I'm giving this one some thought. I have two weeks to return it again, and I sort of wanted to give Samsung's newest Galaxy Tab a try. However, I'm not considering that one until I'm satisfied that they're going to start shipping that USB Host adapter they announced. Failing that, I'd like to take a look at the new Toshiba Thrive that's coming out (within the week?)...that's not going to do anything for me in terms of thickness/weight, though. I know I'm just babbling here, and I might be more at home if I just go back to one of the Android forums. But it's my thread, after all. Please, if anyone has any other thoughts to add here, or questions about the devices I've used, post more! I'll probably add my own further opinions as I approach the final decision on my device.

07-08-2011, 08:00 AM	#13
aceflor Wizard Posts: 3,470 Karma: 48036360 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: where the sun lives, or so they say Device: Pocketbook Era, Pocketbook Inkpad 4, Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Scribe	Have a look at both the asus transformer and the acer iconia tablets. You might like the specs.

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07-08-2011, 08:14 AM	#14
rschauer Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 40 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Iowa Device: Kindle 3	Thanks for your thoughts... As I said, I was considering the Transformer. But I have to insist on at least seeing the device with my own eyes (preferably using it to some extent) before buying one, and on getting it locally so that I know I can return it if I hate it. I have nowhere locally that carries the Transformer in-store. As for the Iconia, I did look at it. It's OK, but I wasn't impressed. Also, I recently got an Acer laptop, and I was disgusted by their piss-poor customer service.

07-26-2011, 02:06 PM	#15
rschauer Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 40 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Iowa Device: Kindle 3	So, I never did come back here with the story's resolution. :-) I spoke too soon regarding the Asus Transformer. Best Buy got it in stock one week after I picked up the Xoom. Since I had wanted to try the TF in the first place but really had to insist on seeing it in person first, I decided to make an exchange one last time. I'm very glad I did. The TF is at least as good for reading as the Xoom (it's a hair lighter, which helps noticeably). As a tablet in other respects, it's nearly identical in physical specs, but boasts software supported by Asus rather than by Google, which means (for one thing) that SD card and USB host support were working out-of-box for the TF (because they don't have to wait for Google to release the official fixes). The included software is also superior, and the ability to purchase the keyboard dock knocks it out of the park. If you want to do without the dock, you'll spend $100 less than the Xoom. All told, I spent $50 less than I originally had on the iPad ($400 for the TF and $150 for the keyboard dock), and am much happier with the device I have. Oh, and the "MyLibrary" app that comes with the TF is quite adequate for my purposes. The default settings are good enough for me, for now. But it doesn't look like there is much that can be customized, so I might go back to Aldiko or Cool Reader if I find myself reading ePUB a lot.