02-14-2009, 06:42 PM | #1 |
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Reading PDFs on the 700
I'm seriously considering buying the PRS-700 in the next couple of months (if I can wait that long!), mostly because I'm running out of space to keep my books. I also travel a lot and am planning a 6-month trip next year so the notion of being able to carry around more than 5 books with me during that time is very appealing. To further reduce the weight in my backpack I was hoping that I could take my guidebooks electronically too. How easy is it to read a two-page spread PDF? Sorry, I don't know what else to call it so here's an example:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/shop_pic...ng-started.pdf |
02-15-2009, 08:33 AM | #2 |
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The answer is: it depends. It depends on how the PDF is made -- if there is a lot of text, you can have the reader (700 or 505) reflow the text, but it will make it out of place compared to accompanying graphics. If you have a PDF editor and the travel books are created in a manner to allow editing, you would be well-advised (in my opinion) to change the travel books into single-column books and if you format the final version to fit the screen size of the 700, it should be easy to read the travel books on the 700.
I would add this caution, though, based on my experience -- there's nothing like being able to flip back and forth really quickly through the pages of a paper book, and even though I love my Sony Readers (I have the 500 and the 700) and do almost all my pleasure reading on them, there are certain books which I don't enjoy reading on them because of the need to quickly go from one page to another back and forth in the book. And travel books are one such book. I can find what I want by knowing where the page is relative to the front or back of the book, and then I can find it by thumbing through the pages at the approximate location. Of course, the bookmarking and annotating capabilities of the 700 make such things possible, usually when looking in a travel book, I'm in a hurry to find the exact information I need and don't want to bother looking at a list of bookmarks or annotations to try to remember where the information is that I want. |
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02-15-2009, 08:54 AM | #3 | |
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02-15-2009, 11:49 AM | #4 | |
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It's a very close approximation to flipping pages and it works very nicely. The 770 has it too and it was always my favorite method of quick navigation |
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02-16-2009, 05:52 AM | #5 |
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I know that about the "flipping pages" technique, but it's still no substitute for knowing that if you open the book to about 1/5th from the back you'll get to the section you're looking for.
Yes, most of what can be done with a paper book can be done with the 700 but there's still something about a reference book I remember the location of things by way tactile memory which can't be replaced by a 700 or any other reader I've tried. |
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02-16-2009, 11:22 AM | #6 | |
Books and more books
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With ebooks I once or twice tried to imagine them as a stack of 700 screens and I still could not remember more than a much rougher approximation, but the good part is that fast flipping with finger scroll + ability to read the page and keep the scroll on, makes it much easier to find the place you want, though again I agree the print book is still easier to navigate. Whatever we say, print books have some very clear advantages over e, while e advantages for now - search, multiple books on one reader and ability to read in the dark are less important |
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02-16-2009, 01:25 PM | #7 |
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I do rely quite a bit on my guidebooks so it's probably better to take the paper versions as you suggest. I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to carry around so many guidebooks but I guess I'll be saving at least a little bit of room by not hauling novels with me everywhere I go. I'm planning on going to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, India, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Israel so that's a whole lot of guidebooks to lug around for 6 months! A friend will be travelling with me though so at least we'll be able to share the burden.
Thanks for all the feedback! |
02-16-2009, 01:28 PM | #8 | |
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