[Q] Nook HD+ for school - Nook HD, HD+ Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I'm sorry if this is a super noob question but please bare with me. I am looking into purchasing a Nook HD+ with the primary intent being use as I finish up undergraduate and (hopefully) enter medical school. Does the 8.9 inch screen allow for adequately viewing textbook PDF pages? I have a Kindle Fire (1st generation) that is ok but the pages display incredibly tiny text and make reading a textbook a pain. Is 8.9 inches big enough for this or is 10.1 the only truly viable option? The last question I have is does the device allow for annotation with a stylus? Additionally, does any tablet (non-iPad/Surface) scream "FOR STUDENTS" that would be a significantly better investment?
A tangential question is will the device do screen capture?
Thank you so much for any replies.

dude101589 said:
I'm sorry if this is a super noob question but please bare with me. I am looking into purchasing a Nook HD+ with the primary intent being use as I finish up undergraduate and (hopefully) enter medical school. Does the 8.9 inch screen allow for adequately viewing textbook PDF pages? I have a Kindle Fire (1st generation) that is ok but the pages display incredibly tiny text and make reading a textbook a pain. Is 8.9 inches big enough for this or is 10.1 the only truly viable option? The last question I have is does the device allow for annotation with a stylus? Additionally, does any tablet (non-iPad/Surface) scream "FOR STUDENTS" that would be a significantly better investment?
A tangential question is will the device do screen capture?
Thank you so much for any replies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will depend on your eyes. I have no trouble reading PDFs on the screen but you may or may not like it. You could buy one they allow you return it for a few days after buying if you don't like it. You can do screenshots but I am not sure how I saw it mentioned it elsewhere but can't find it now.

I can tell you what I know. I have the HD+ and I use it to read my Programming text book. I don't have the greatest eyes, but my PDF of my textbook works out great when I wear my reading glasses. It's very convenient. I wouldn't even think to attempt it on anything smaller.
I had a 10.1 transformer infinity before this and I couldn't tell the difference from the 9 to the 10.1 and vice versa. I think the resolution is the biggest help. Just really clears up those words.
I can't speak for your other questions...

dude101589 said:
... Does the 8.9 inch screen allow for adequately viewing textbook PDF pages? I have a Kindle Fire (1st generation) that is ok but the pages display incredibly tiny text and make reading a textbook a pain. Is 8.9 inches big enough for this or is 10.1 the only truly viable option? The last question I have is does the device allow for annotation with a stylus? Additionally, does any tablet (non-iPad/Surface) scream "FOR STUDENTS" that would be a significantly better investment?
A tangential question is will the device do screen capture?
Thank you so much for any replies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am coming from a Nook Color, still unrooted, running Gingerbread from an SD card. I had this little beauty while working toward my degree in Electrical Engineering. I have also recently purchased a pair of HD+'s for a Fathers day/Mothers day gift. My bride has the Asus T700 10.1 screen.
So, with this background experience, I'll offer my 2c worth.
When the PDF is not flowable, another words if you zoom in you have to scroll back and forth to read it, it can be a serious issue. Unfortunately, most eText books are this way at the moment. I prefer the 9.8 screen. When you are reading a book in a chair or room where you have to hold the reader in your arm, the Asus T700 weighs a ton after 20 minutes.
I've loved my 7" Nook Color, small enough to fit in a backpack with several other books and shtuff, large enough to read most texts without scrolling (only scroll for non-flowable PDF's so far) and light enough to hold for long periods of time.
I love the fact it has an expandable MicroSD card slot. Like I mentioned, I'm running two OS's on it, stock B&N (Which I haven't actually used for almost a year now) and Cyanogen Gingerbread. I have too much information to risk updating the OS and possibly losing something at the moment so I have not upgraded yet.
I bought the HD+'s for $149 and B&N has a two-year full coverage warranty for $60. You get it wet, drop if off the roof of the car, use it to support the leg of the chair you are sitting on, whatever the reason, it's covered.
The Asus T700 was in the $500 range when we bought it, and the HD+'s weight a fraction of what the T700 weighs. There are stylus's you can purchase for roughly $15 that work great, in fact my bride uses one on her T700 constantly. As for screen capture, I've done it with the Gingerbread OS, and my bride has done it with the Asus, but I am not sure about the B&N OS. I would assume so as you now have access to the Google Play with the HD+.
So for a hair less than $250, you get an excellent unit with still top-of-the-line hardware, a two year full coverage warranty, a nice case, screen protector, an expansion slot capable of booting an alternate OS, and some expert coders on XDA that put OS's bootable from an SD here to assist and compliment the HD+. What more can you ask for?

Hangman_ said:
So, with this background experience, I'll offer my 2c worth.
When the PDF is not flowable, another words if you zoom in you have to scroll back and forth to read it, it can be a serious issue. Unfortunately, most eText books are this way at the moment. I prefer the 9.8 screen. When you are reading a book in a chair or room where you have to hold the reader in your arm, the Asus T700 weighs a ton after 20 minutes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel the weight of the Nook HD+ too but I can sustain the weight longer for about 90 minutes...a bit better than tf700. I bought tf700 for $600 as a gift to my dad and he felt it laggy probably due to poor io... I wish Nook HD+ were available back then. I could have saved $300. Reading PDF documents is still very inconvenient so I usually read those on a 23 inch PC screen....epub and mobi work great on the Nook HD+. I hope more books can be available in epub or mobi formats...

Reading PDFs is the main reason why I got the HD+. The main determinant is screen width (since you want to read in portrait to see the whole page). HD+ screen is 4.99" wide. For my eyes, I consider 4.5" and up as minimum acceptable for portrait reading for PDFs, which generally have complex layouts with non-reflowable text (for reflowable-text formats like epubs, it doesn't matter.) What's "acceptable" of course varies depending on your visual acuity.
I've made a list of screen widths for popular devices here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=32118091). You can calculate widths for other devices from here (http://members.ping.de/~sven/dpi.html). iPads, being 4:3, are the best for long-form reading, with the regular having the widest (ergo largest) screen, and the Mini being the most portable while having nearly the same width as the HD+.
Re: Screen capture - Don't know about stock firmware, but CM allows screenshots in Settings > System > Power Menu > Screenshot. There are also apps that do screenshots.
Legibility also depends on the PDF reader, and whether it allows cropping of border to allow for largest possible text. Below are two screen caps from ezPDF of a typical PDF textbook on HD+. The second is after double-tapping to auto-crop. The uncropped is (to me) borderline legible, but with eyestrain; the second is of course very legible.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
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"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

Related

Pocketnow Review

Pocketnow has posted a 11+ minute review on the Nexus 7. Brandon did a pretty good job describing the pros and cons of the device and the tablet received a very good score overall. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jiu7_Auqyg&feature=g-all-u. The negatives were a washed out/dull screen and it takes over 7 hours to charge the device from 0-100%.
I could not stand that guy's voice. That and it looked like he was constantly mashing the screen just for the sake of it.
Personal opinion.
I'm a bit nervous about the washed out screen. Coming from both a Galaxy Nexus and an iPad 3 I felt the Transformer series screens were all lacking in color vibrancy. I guess I'll have to wait and find out!
Strange that his takes 7 hours to charge, other reviews like ubergizmo say 3 hours.
jabsys said:
Strange that his takes 7 hours to charge, other reviews like ubergizmo say 3 hours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
7 hours over USB could be right, but surely not plugged into the mains.
I think the Anandtech mini-review explains the screen issue.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6054/google-nexus-7-mini-review
The big thing is his note that the greens seem undersaturated, which will make it appear dull. Plus comparing it to a phone isn't apples to apples because it is a different type of panel due to the need for greater viewing angles. I'd personally lose a bit of color vibrancy if it meant that I wouldn't have to hold it at a precise angle to be able to read it.
Really? People dislike the screen now? The day it was released at I/O everyone was complimenting it and saying that it looked great. It even looks good in videos.
>I'm a bit nervous about the washed out screen.
The comparison was to an AMOLED screen, which is stupid, since AMOLED is known to be oversaturated and brighter than most LCDs. He's comparing a $500 device (Galaxy Nexus) to a $200 device.
Comparison at 2:50 mark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jiu7_Auqyg&t=170
---------- Post added at 04:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:01 PM ----------
>7 hours over USB could be right, but surely not plugged into the mains.
Given the ill-advised comparison with AMOLED, dude has little credibility.
There are many variables in charging. He's had the unit 3-4 days, and likely has only one full charge for the review. The first charge cycle can be weird.
N7 is very similar to Fire. The Fire has a 4.4Ah batt, and a [email protected] charger. From TomsHardware, Fire has 0-100% recharge time of 2:48. Other sources say as long as 5 hrs.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amazon-kindle-fire-review,3076-14.html
N7 has a slightly smaller batt at 4.3Ah, and a slightly stronger [email protected] charger (same as iPad). Recharge time should be same or slightly less than Fire.
With his competence, dude probably used a standard cellphone (1.0A) charger.
Is it me.. or that video was so choppy that I just couldn't take it seriously
e.mote said:
He's comparing a $500 device (Galaxy Nexus) to a $200 device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Galaxy Nexus is only $350.
My concern at this point is the browser, i want the browser to be smooth and work well on websites like theverge, and in this review he said that it was a bit choppy. I hope my preorder unit will not be choppy in the web browser.
lovenokia said:
My concern at this point is the browser, i want the browser to be smooth and work well on websites like theverge, and in this review he said that it was a bit choppy. I hope my preorder unit will not be choppy in the web browser.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everyone's unit will have a choppy browser unless Google patch through and update for chrome before the n7 is shipped. Think I will just download dolphin browser until its fixed. Oh and I did like this review but I just thought anandtech was better.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
androidkid311 said:
Everyone's unit will have a choppy browser unless Google patch through and update for chrome before the n7 is shipped. Think I will just download dolphin browser until its fixed. Oh and I did like this review but I just thought anandtech was better.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope the dolphin web browser will be ipad smooth, i really need a good browsing device, cause i ruined the processor on my hp touchpad, and sold it to get an n7. Google better update chrome quickly.
I'll chime in here with my own opinion of the "screen vs. AMOLED" thing others have also commented on. I've been trying out a Toshiba Excite 7.7 with AMOLED (same one as on the Galaxy Tab 7.7) and have an iPad 3. Comparing the two side-by-side, I'll say that colors on the Excite 7.7 are definitely bright and more saturated than on the iPad 3. In fact, one might say the iPad 3 colors looked "washed out" compared to those on the Excite 7.7.
However, if you ask me which I prefer when using the two tablets separately, I'd say I prefer colors on the iPad 3. They seem more natural, while colors on the Excite 7.7 seem unnatural and somewhat blown out.
Also, I wouldn't want an AMOLED screen on the Nexus 7 even if colors were so much better, because AMOLED on a 7"-ish screen (at least on the Excite, with a similar battery) absolutely KILLS the battery when backgrounds are white (or generally brighter). For ebook reading, which I prefer black text on a white background, or any app (say, Greader) that uses a light background, battery life is something like 30% less. Switch to a dark background, and battery life is much improved. However, who wants to adjust their tablet usage to avoid lots of white, really?
In fact, there's so much of an impact that Toshiba apparently tuned their AutoBrite feature (adjusting contrast and brightness for screen content) to really kill quality with bright backgrounds. In fact, it changes abruptly when scrolling a Web page that varies from light to dark to light backgrounds. It's distracting and ugly, frankly, but clearly Toshiba saw the need to implement it given the impact on battery life.
The Verge said that, yes, colors are "washed out" compared to AMOLED, but much more in line with the new iPad. I'd say, that's a very good thing overall.
lovenokia said:
My concern at this point is the browser, i want the browser to be smooth and work well on websites like theverge, and in this review he said that it was a bit choppy. I hope my preorder unit will not be choppy in the web browser.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We can't go by software reviews right now. These tablets are all running a developer preview, not the final build. The only thing that won't change is the hardware.
revmra said:
I think the Anandtech mini-review explains the screen issue.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6054/google-nexus-7-mini-review
The big thing is his note that the greens seem undersaturated, which will make it appear dull. Plus comparing it to a phone isn't apples to apples because it is a different type of panel due to the need for greater viewing angles. I'd personally lose a bit of color vibrancy if it meant that I wouldn't have to hold it at a precise angle to be able to read it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I couldnt remember where I saw the color review. That for sure makes more sense.
From Anandtech:
{
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"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
I found the Anandtech review a little concerning because of the temperature thing. I like warmer screens, but 5500K seems a little too warm. Can't seem to get any feedback from anyone who has one on white balance, either.
Sent from my AT270 using Tapatalk 2
calvin4001 said:
We can't go by software reviews right now. These tablets are all running a developer preview, not the final build. The only thing that won't change is the hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So your saying that the web browser may in fact be all finished and smoothed out by the time of the release? than if so i am happy!
Isn't there already a thread for Hands-On reviews? This should probably continue there. Though I really shouldn't pretend to be Step666...
Was this guy smoking something when he said the back was "easy to remove"

According to Apple...

During their announcement today stated that the Nexus 7 "a scaled up phone experience"
(approx 1:58PM - Engadget's live blog)
hmm, never once did I ever feel that with my N7.
I just thought it was an arrogant statement, and kind of pissed me off.
meh, it kinda is. Having a Galaxy Nexus and a Nexus 7, they feel very similar.... mostly because they both use the Phone UI homescreen. FWIW I use Tablet mode on the Nexus 7 simply because it utilizes the larger screen space more efficiently and also lets my mind realize that I'm on a tablet and not my phone.
This is a skillet calling the kettle black, because iOS is EXACTLY the same on iPhones and iPads alike.
This is the same Apple spin that they've always done. "ProductXYZ is so awesome because ProductABC sucks". There is absolutely no credit or specifics given. Hence why we have iSheep... they just simply believe everything they say.
Realistically the iPad is no different then the Nexus 7. They both use the same phone interface but yield a few tablet specific apps. This is the same spin that say their, "Apple Mini is 30% larger then the competition [of other 7" tablets]". Yea but isn't the idea of a "mini" to be "mini". I mean the difference between 7.9" and a 9.7" isn't really that great.
Yeah, The iPad launcher is terrible. That's just a scaled up phone UI.
But quite like the phablet UI on the nexus 7, its more convenient than the tablet UI on a 7in Tablet.
There is starting to be more tablet-optimized apps for android now
Lolwut? He actually said that.. he does realize that the grid size of icons on the iPhone are exactly the same as on the ipad right? And thats something THEY create?... and hes saying the N7 is just a scaled up phone UI... WTF is wrong with this guy.. -_- . Least we have the option to use tablet mode or hybrid or whatever the hell we want...
I'm pretty sure he was referring to apps. Most third party apps on the Nexus 7 are the same as their phone counterparts - just scaled up. In comparison, many of Apple's third party apps are designed differently for the iPhone and the iPad. Unfortunately, at the present moment, he's right about this.
Ipad mini has lower resolution and ppi than our nexus 7.
Tell me something. Ipad mini screen is 7.9in. They claim its over 30% larger screen than our nexus7(7in.). Does a .9 screen increase really translate to it being more than 30% screen size over us?
They do have a rear cam though. So it has us on that. Plus it has same dual core A5 that was in original ipad2. It looks nice but I still love my N7.
You have to admit in the presentation they made the Nexus display to bezel ratio look bad. Makes me kinda jealous of the thin bezel on the mini. Perhaps 4:3 AR is a better fit for small tablets? Note that they didn't mention anything about pixel density, because it doesn't help them. Only saying XGA res is the same as iPad 2 and apps don't have to be rewritten.
I only hope Google will take a hint and perhaps offer hybrid/tablet mode options on stock launcher in the future, as the nav buttons on bottom doesn't make efficient use of screen real estate.
Im suprised there isnt a nexus 7 vs ipad mini thread already. :good:
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2
Well the slides showing the comparison of the mini verses the nexus7 sure gave a lot better view on web pages from the mini.And it has a camera.:laugh:
Considering that Android lacks proper tablet apps, it kinda is a scaled-up phone experience.
While I love my Nexus 7, I really miss iPad's app selection.
TidBit said:
During their announcement today stated that the Nexus 7 "a scaled up phone experience"
(approx 1:58PM - Engadget's live blog)
hmm, never once did I ever feel that with my N7.
I just thought it was an arrogant statement, and kind of pissed me off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe Phil was talking about how the apps were scaled up phone apps
Android = More customizable to make it your own, Not locked into having to use any particular software for transferring media, can have many numerous options for icon layout per device.
Apple = Less customizable, more cloning, Locked into using iTunes to transfer media, uses the exact same icon layout regardless the iDevice
I don't mind Apple Devices, but by Heck their devices are slow - this coming from when I had to use an iPhone 4 when my HTC was being repaired......and also when comparing my Boss' iPad 3 to my Nexus 7....
kwurky said:
You have to admit in the presentation they made the Nexus display to bezel ratio look bad. Makes me kinda jealous of the thin bezel on the mini. Perhaps 4:3 AR is a better fit for small tablets? Note that they didn't mention anything about pixel density, because it doesn't help them. Only saying XGA res is the same as iPad 2 and apps don't have to be rewritten.
I only hope Google will take a hint and perhaps offer hybrid/tablet mode options on stock launcher in the future, as the nav buttons on bottom doesn't make efficient use of screen real estate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I find the bezel on the n7 *almost* too small as it is. I fairly frequently overlap my thumb on the touch screen and I wouldn't say my hands are particularly big!
Any smaller/narrower would be a problem personally...
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Honestly I really wasn't impressed with the iPad mini, seems a bit half assed. It's just an iPad 2 with a slightly smaller screen. The resolution is weak, and a they were bragging about a 4:3 aspect ratio... Ok? Is it the 90s again? The price is great... For an apple fanboy. From my perspective its pretty overpriced for such dated hardware. And with that aspect ratio and screen size is it really even smaller enough to have the convenience factor the nexus 7 has?
Sadly, it'll outsell our tablet just because of that apple logo. But I still can't think "is this the best you got apple?". It was pretty much their ego on display.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Personally I've always wanted the Nexus tablet to have a display somewhere around 8". I've had experience on the Asus eeePC 701, 7" netbook back in 2007 and I've always thought 7" was a bit too small for my taste. Of course this was with running desktop apps. But I just had to own Nexus tablet as it was just so tempting to play with. I'll just have to see what Google has in store for us on Oct. 29.
{
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"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
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"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
:laugh::laugh::laugh:
Cor-master said:
Honestly I really wasn't impressed with the iPad mini, seems a bit half assed. It's just an iPad 2 with a slightly smaller screen. The resolution is weak, and a they were bragging about a 4:3 aspect ratio... Ok? Is it the 90s again? The price is great... For an apple fanboy. From my perspective its pretty overpriced for such dated hardware. And with that aspect ratio and screen size is it really even smaller enough to have the convenience factor the nexus 7 has?
Sadly, it'll outsell our tablet just because of that apple logo. But I still can't think "is this the best you got apple?". It was pretty much their ego on display.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True it will sell cause of the apple logo. Like I told my wife I could put the apple logo on a leapfrog tablet for kids and call it the ipad 4 and dummies would be clamoring all over.
Yeah I figured they'd use retina and at least try to 1up the nexus 7s screen. I'll be fair in saying a 4:3 aspect ratio works in a 9.5 inch size but 16:9 seems perfect for a smaller tab imo. It was laughable that they seriously attacked the nexus 7 for its screen that had "less display area" in portrait mode. Really? Sure it does have less display but with its higher resolution and ppi everything will be clearer in that area.
Steve Jobs is rolling in his grave over this thing. It's so blatantly a "me too" product its pathetic!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Apple market things 10/10 Build Quality 10/10 customer Support 10/10
PROBLEM IS IT'S APPLE.... Locked Down & Very Over Priced.
GOOGLE ANDROID. 11/10
Sent From Nexus 7 XDA Premium HD App
The thing is, I am using my N7 mostly in portrait mode. This way I see more of a website.
I watch movies and play games in landscape mode and again I will see more than on a 4:3 screen.
The media world standard is 16:9 when will Apple learn?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Nook HD+ and large PDF (900 pages+) performance?

Hi guys,
I am weighing up the option of buying a Nook HD+, it will be primarily used as a ebook reader, majority of the content is large textbooks in PDF format, some are well in excess of 1000 pages, I was wondering what peoples experience was in such a case? What is performance like, i.e. scrolling?
It was between the Nook and Nexus 10, however N10 has too many issues with back light bleed and multiple RMA's, the screen on the Nook seems better for reading from what little reviews are out there, what you guys think?
Many Thanks
Rav3 said:
Hi guys,
I am weighing up the option of buying a Nook HD+, it will be primarily used as a ebook reader, majority of the content is large textbooks in PDF format, some are well in excess of 1000 pages, I was wondering what peoples experience was in such a case? What is performance like, i.e. scrolling?
It was between the Nook and Nexus 10, however N10 has too many issues with back light bleed and multiple RMA's, the screen on the Nook seems better for reading from what little reviews are out there, what you guys think?
Many Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought the Nook HD+ for the same reason. The N10 screen issues, plus the fact that 7" is a bit too small for PDFs, made it my choice. Uptil now, I have no complaints, it's a great screen to read on. I have a 'matte' screen protector and brightness turned way down, and it really comes close to approximating my old Kindle in terms of lack of eye strain.
With the PDF size, I'm not so sure. I've gone upto 100-200 pages PDF with no issues (although ezPDF, the Android App. has a tendency to crash). Not sure about 1000 pages. One thing you could try is cutting them up into smaller sizes (say 200 pages each) before transfer.
I bought the nook HD+ exactly for this reason i.e. to read large pdfs. Till now I red pdfs with up to 600 pages, using Ezpdf and Mantano and I can confirm that both work fine. The stock reader is also fine albeit with just the basic functionality. One minor problem with Mantano reader is the inability to display the underlying "image" of an ocr'd pdf - it gives just the recognized text which sometimes isn't that accurate.
Thanks both Tarthenal and Tschumi, I appreciate your feedback.
Tarthenal - As for ezPDF crashing, from what I have read is that you can try two things to see if it helps:
1) In ezPDF turn off page turning animations, apparently makes a difference.
2) Enable "Force GPU rendering" to use 2D acceleration, I have this option in CyanogenMod on my Galaxy Note, I'm not sure if it is an option in the Nook HD+?
How are you also installing the third party applications, am I correct in assuming rooting the HD+, install Gaps, then through Google Play?
It sounds like I'll be just fine with the largest of my PDFs, what's it like as a general purpose tablet with something like CyanogenMod? My primary purpose is booking reading, so anything in addition to this will be a bonus.
The screen looks real nice from the pictures and videos I've seen, hopefully it will be just as nice when I receive it, I have not seen it in person.
The screen is superb. One of the best I have seen in a tablet. As for the ezpdf, I always disable the animations, but always feels laggy. You can enable 2d acceleration in the settings of the cm10 rom by verygreen but there's no such option in the stock options.
Rav3 said:
Thanks both Tarthenal and Tschumi, I appreciate your feedback.
Tarthenal - As for ezPDF crashing, from what I have read is that you can try two things to see if it helps:
1) In ezPDF turn off page turning animations, apparently makes a difference.
2) Enable "Force GPU rendering" to use 2D acceleration, I have this option in CyanogenMod on my Galaxy Note, I'm not sure if it is an option in the Nook HD+?
How are you also installing the third party applications, am I correct in assuming rooting the HD+, install Gaps, then through Google Play?
It sounds like I'll be just fine with the largest of my PDFs, what's it like as a general purpose tablet with something like CyanogenMod? My primary purpose is booking reading, so anything in addition to this will be a bonus.
The screen looks real nice from the pictures and videos I've seen, hopefully it will be just as nice when I receive it, I have not seen it in person.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screen really is excellent. I have disabled page turning animations, will try the gpu rendering option, thanks for the tip! I'm running CM10 from the SD card, which is excellent (except for battery, as I mentioned, I get around 30% drain in 3-4 hours reading). But I used Leapinlar's thread to root stock as well. The 'general purpose' tablet is really good, although the lack of camera means you can't video skype (why you would want that on a tablet though, is beyond me ). Overall, I'm VERY satisfied with it. Now, I am just wondering if the bluetooth keyboard will work with CM10.
Since my HD+ is rooted, I've tried a bunch of apps for reading pdfs from every store (just reading--i can't really comment on other pdf features). My favorites are Adobe Reader and the Kindle reader app, both of which work flawlessly on my device. I found that the stock reader works great for text pdfs, but graphics and photos appear noticeably more contrast-y in the stock reader than they do in other apps. I've also had problems with ezpdf crashing and lagging, so I uninstalled that one. i'll try the things the other posters mentioned and see if i have a better time with ezpdf.
maxspr1 said:
Since my HD+ is rooted, I've tried a bunch of apps for reading pdfs from every store (just reading--i can't really comment on other pdf features). My favorites are Adobe Reader and the Kindle reader app, both of which work flawlessly on my device. I found that the stock reader works great for text pdfs, but graphics and photos appear noticeably more contrast-y in the stock reader than they do in other apps. I've also had problems with ezpdf crashing and lagging, so I uninstalled that one. i'll try the things the other posters mentioned and see if i have a better time with ezpdf.
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Hmmm. That sounds interesting. Do you know if you can highlight/annotate with the Kindle reader app?
Many thanks for your additional comments guys, I've gone ahead and ordered the Nook HD+ 32 GB, it should arrive next week, will share my thoughts, your inputs helped me reach a decision
As far as I can tell, the Kindle app can only be used to read pdfs--the pdfs look great, especially any graphics, but you really can't do much else with them.
Sent from my BNTV600 using XDA Premium HD app
From my case I can confirm two things.
1/ It read ebook <1500p ok (the number of page of my current reading book)
2/ the screen quality is much better than that of the first gen KF (I didn't feel pain in my eye when reading with the nook hd+)
Compare to N7 FHD
So, bumping an old thread as the 2013 FHD also has the same resolution.
How does 1920*1200 compare with the Nexus 7" to the HD+ 9"? Is it more comfortable? Or was the 1200*800 the bigger difference on the 7" ( or some current 10.1" devices?) because of the need to zoom and pan.
Basically, 7" & 9" @ 1920/1200, do you still zoom and pan?
vis1-0n said:
So, bumping an old thread as the 2013 FHD also has the same resolution.
How does 1920*1200 compare with the Nexus 7" to the HD+ 9"? Is it more comfortable? Or was the 1200*800 the bigger difference on the 7" ( or some current 10.1" devices?) because of the need to zoom and pan.
Basically, 7" & 9" @ 1920/1200, do you still zoom and pan?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess it may be too subjective to give an universal answer. For me, the Nexus 7 is too small regardless of resolution to read complex PDFs on it comfortably. I use Mantano Reader's crop feature to read on my Nook and that way I can read most of them in portrait mode and without the need to do any zooming at all. I wouldn't be able to do that on the Nexus 7.
It's definitely subjective as it depends on your eyesight!
However I find it easy to read standard pdf documentation without zooming on the Nook hd+, can't do so on any smaller screen or resolution devices at all.
If the margins on the pdf doc are large I do have to zoom a little on occasion, but only to offset the margin distance, so only once per page, & not on many documents at all.
Incidentally I read tonnes of comics, the resolution & screen size is perfect for that, it's pretty much a ready made comic book reader in the respect.
I'm running CM 10.1.3 on my HD+ and the screen is brilliant. Also, with Force GPU Rendering turned on, and using Adobe Reader, I've had no lag whatsoever on books upto ~4000+ pages (these things are like 500mb PDFs). Haven't tested on bigger PDFs (don't suppose anyone would ever even have to). Great tablet.
prabhjan said:
I'm running CM 10.1.3 on my HD+ and the screen is brilliant. Also, with Force GPU Rendering turned on, and using Adobe Reader, I've had no lag whatsoever on books upto ~4000+ pages (these things are like 500mb PDFs). Haven't tested on bigger PDFs (don't suppose anyone would ever even have to). Great tablet.
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Click to collapse
500MB pdf sounds like a scanned document. Is that correct?
I hope there is a decent Black Friday deal with international shipping. Ebay has refurbished models that are cheap but when I consider the international shipping spending a little more would give me the N7 FHD.
vis1-0n said:
500MB pdf sounds like a scanned document. Is that correct?
I hope there is a decent Black Friday deal with international shipping. Ebay has refurbished models that are cheap but when I consider the international shipping spending a little more would give me the N7 FHD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep. Scanned. Although, let me give you a word of caution if you want to buy one. For some reason, the base UI, on all the ROMs out there is lagparadise. Incredibly poor performance there, but in-app performance is stunning. This thing scored about 17000 on Antutu 4.1.1 as opposed to the 14000 score I was able to achieve on my Galaxy Nexus OC to 1.5GHz (they has the same CPU, but lots of difference). Although, my Gnex's UI never lags. I believe it's that the Nook HD+ has ****ty flash mem. Transfer rates are also terribly slow on internal memory (works as it should on my class 10 mSD though, so it's got to be it.)
I have both a nexus 7 2013 and a nook hd+ and prefer the nook hd+ due to not having to zoom in. Don't get me wrong you can read detailed pdf's without zooming in on the nexus 7 2013 but it's much better with the 8.9" display on the nook. Also I wasn't happy with the pdf performance of the nook hd+ until I install smartq reader which renders pdf's so much faster than any other app and I've tried them all. At one point I was about to buy a ipad just for pdf's until I found smartq reader.

What's the Xperia Z like as an eReader

Hi everyone,
I'm looking at returning my Nexus 7 (bought it a week ago) and getting the Xperia Z. Overall not happy with the Nexus 7 (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=40300045#post40300045).
I only really use my Nexus as an eReader, and my iPhone 3GS is on the way out (and Im converted to android!).
So what's the Xperia like for reading on? I would want to use it a lot as an eReader
I use my ZL for reading but still orefer the Nexus 7 when reading for a couple hours like when I am on a flight. It is a matter of preferences.
Sendt fra min ZL 6506
Q.Entity said:
I use my ZL for reading but still orefer the Nexus 7 when reading for a couple hours like when I am on a flight. It is a matter of preferences.
Sendt fra min ZL 6506
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay thanks. So it's not a dramatic difference though? How about battery drain whilst eReading?
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
I love reading on my xperia z, for me it's better than all my other previous devices, including the nexus 7 and note 2. The screen is large enough coupled with the 1080p display the text is very comfortable reading small text size just like in a real book.
bucho2004 said:
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
I love reading on my xperia z, for me it's better than all my other previous devices, including the nexus 7 and note 2. The screen is large enough coupled with the 1080p display the text is very comfortable reading small text size just like in a real book.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds good. Do you find you need to turn pages more frequently? Significantly quicker battery decline when you use it for reading?
What are your reasons not to buy a dedicated e-reader with e-ink? I have experience with big screen smartphones, tablets and also e-readers and reading is way better on an e-reader. The e-ink screen reads way different and a full battery works for months.
As for E-reader, I more likely want the Kindle Fire with the large numbers of ebooks at Amazon.com. Xperia Z should be good to be a ereader, but not perfect.
Dannyada1988 said:
As for E-reader, I more likely want the Kindle Fire with the large numbers of ebooks at Amazon.com. Xperia Z should be good to be a ereader, but not perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kindle Fire is a tablet not an e-reader. It doesn't have an e-ink display so battery life will be nowhere near as long as proper Kindle e-readers.
As for the Xperia Z, I find that using white text on a black background make it a nice reader for when I'm commuting on the underground. Has the advantage of being able to listen to music on Spotify while reading and minimises the number of devices I need. I read about 1.5-2 hours total daily and the phone lasts throughout the day until I get home to charge it. The big display is nicer to read on than my Galaxy S 2 was.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium
It's a great reading device as it has a great screen (very sharp) so it feels more realistic than e.g. qHD screens.
It's size is big as well, but not as big as a tablet or e-reader which imo is good if you are commuting and looking for privacy.
The drawbacks are the battery drain (the Zet's screen does drain a lot compared to low res displays) and the sunlight. However this screen (LCD) does a better sunlight job than other smartphone display technologies.
Obviously what you want is proper ebooks, preferably .epub files and a good reader, e.g. moonreader+.
Sent from an Xperia Z
The Z's lowest brightness is still very bright, if you're going to read in dark environments you won't like it.
I'd just get a real e-reader with an e-ink display. Just a regular Kindle or a Kindle Paperwhite. They're pretty nice. Or one of Sony's e-readers, they actually run Android (which can be fun if you root them and use the Kindle app)!
Ambroos said:
The Z's lowest brightness is still very bright, if you're going to read in dark environments you won't like it.
I'd just get a real e-reader with an e-ink display. Just a regular Kindle or a Kindle Paperwhite. They're pretty nice. Or one of Sony's e-readers, they actually run Android (which can be fun if you root them and use the Kindle app)!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using the XZ as an eReader with the Kindel app, and I'm very satisfied with the experience. To get full control over the back light, install Lux Pro from Google Play. Then you can lower the back light below the "stock" minimum level.
coming from the note 2 i'm not very happy with it as a reader as i read mainly in low light and the note had advantages of bigger screen, LED display which is much better with a black background (even at lowest brightness the XZ is pretty hard on the eyes), and battery life obviously (though thats a no-brainer when comparing to the note2 or a nexus7)
reading while in a bright enviorment is pretty good, but i don't see myself using this device as a reader outside the house with it's battery being a normal phones battery, especially since it's an lcd device and you can't minimize drain with a dark theme.
the difference between 720p and 1080p as a reader is pretty redundant on a 5inch screen IMO.
_JT said:
What are your reasons not to buy a dedicated e-reader with e-ink? I have experience with big screen smart phones, tablets and also e-readers and reading is way better on an e-reader. The e-ink screen reads way different and a full battery works for months.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well convenience mainly- I prefer to travel light and I feel I would probably benefit from it being waterproof (pools etc.). Also, don't want another device to keep track of.
Even though I've only had my Nexus a couple weeks, many time's I've left it at home thinking "I might not have time to read" or "i'd rather not leave it somewhere to get stolen" etc. Or just had to wait for something- got some random free time etc. You catch my drift I'm sure
ycon said:
Hi everyone,
I'm looking at returning my Nexus 7 (bought it a week ago) and getting the Xperia Z. Overall not happy with the Nexus 7 (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=40300045#post40300045).
I only really use my Nexus as an eReader, and my iPhone 3GS is on the way out (and Im converted to android!).
So what's the Xperia like for reading on? I would want to use it a lot as an eReader
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got all the GoT books and Harry Potter books in ePub format with the reader Aldiko. I can turn the brightness down on the XZ itself, then on the app too. The screen is incredibly crisp, text looks amazing, even at night with the Night mode on, and easy on the eyes too. Battery drain is minimal, I could easily use it for a journey from London to NY, and it's the right size screen.
Then I can use the volume buttons to move backwards and forwards. Really love that.
Like the person above, I use Aldiko as well and it is good.
Also I use the comic rack to read comic books and I found that reading comics with the phone in a horizontal position is very comfortable. I can even read it with only one hand and use my thumb to swipe or touch the bottom right to change the page.
I would guess you can get 4-5 hours of reading time with the phone.
I really love the z as a e-reader don't use my e-ink device or my tab any more. For best reading experience set your app to "dark" so black page with white letters. Even in a darkened room it is not to bright to read and very comfortable (low auto brightness).
Today i read a pdf about Social Marketing. Moon+ said 1h. On my last hollydays i've read a lot books on my Sony Xperia X10i (ca..850x480) and Galagy Note 10.1" (1280x720). Has been too long ^^ Can't say i didn't like reading on my old device! But for a proper comparission i'de have to use both at the same time.
btw: Homepage:
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Ambroos said:
The Z's lowest brightness is still very bright, if you're going to read in dark environments you won't like it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...ch_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5oYXhvciJd ?
Well I'm convinced them- so much so that I've just sold my Nexus 7.
I'll see how it fit's in my pocket, then look to buy it pretty soon.
Cheers for all the advice everyone.
ebook format for xperia z
hey everyone, i just bought the xperia z and was wondering what type of format i need to have my ebooks in so that i can read them. also, what's the app or program on the xperia z that i would use to read them? thanks for your help!
jmixer said:
hey everyone, i just bought the xperia z and was wondering what type of format i need to have my ebooks in so that i can read them. also, what's the app or program on the xperia z that i would use to read them? thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aldiko's pretty good. Additionally, if you're rooted, another developer released an ago that syncs Aldiko to dropbox (books as well as page history).
Another option is to just upload all your pdfs and epubs to Google Play Books via the web. They just enabled this functionality a couple days ago.
Sent from my C6603 using XDA Premium HD app

Anyone Else Disappointed with Gear Image Quality?

Having spent way too many hours trying to perfect my own DIY HMD, I thought I'd found the solution: I could just buy a Note 4, buy a Gear, and be done with it ( at least until the Rift is released).
Got my Gear today, and ... I can't get over how poor the image quality is. It's not the Note 4 screen, which is fine, it's the lenses on the Gear. When I look at a screen capture on my HMD (using the Note 4 as a screen), and then look at it on the Gear, the same image seems drastically different: zoomed in, with pixels the size of baseballs drowning out all sense of immersion. I tried a 1080p video on the Oculus Theater ... it was so pixelated it reminded me of watching videos on my old psp ...
In every other respect the Gear beats my DIY HMD hands down, but in this one--I would argue very important area--it absolutely does not.
Am I the only one who had this experience?
I agree with you that the image quality is still not good enough to replace mediums like a TV or monitor. This is for sure one reason why it will not find mass adoption right now. You must understand that this are really early days of consumer VR now and until today there is no "real" consumer ready HMD on the market.
ad. Gear VR lenses:
They really could have used better optics but then the price would be not "consumer friendly" then - also the DK2 lenses are crap in my opinion but it seems the market for good vr optics also just have been awaken.
I remember my first VR experience was with a homemade cardboard-design HMD using good lenses from high grade binoculars. They were heavy (as glass made) and the achieved FOV was not really great but it was crystal clear and nearly zero SDE. When i got my DK2 i was really disappointed to see this big pixel party! But realizing what a great FOV and the right software can achieve (a kind of presence) i knew we have to go for great FOV if VR should be a new medium and not only a image/movie viewer.
Thanks for the detailed response!
I think Samsung/Oculus tipped the balance WAY too far toward FOV at the expense of SDE.
Haints said:
Thanks for the detailed response!
I think Samsung/Oculus tipped the balance WAY too far toward FOV at the expense of SDE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally I prefer a larger FOV, and think you get the best experience with the foams removed (only have some on my nose). Would never choose a smaller FOV just for slightly less of a SDE as that would totally kill the immersion for me. Hoping for 4K full RGB screens in two years time.
Agree with you
I for one absolutely agree with you. got mine 2 days ago and yeah the experience is nice but the image quality is fuzzy or blurry, it would be nice if someone can mod a lens on to the Gear VR to sharpen the quality.
my question: is this issue addressed in the upcoming drift in 2016?
Haints said:
Having spent way too many hours trying to perfect my own DIY HMD, I thought I'd found the solution: I could just buy a Note 4, buy a Gear, and be done with it ( at least until the Rift is released).
Got my Gear today, and ... I can't get over how poor the image quality is. It's not the Note 4 screen, which is fine, it's the lenses on the Gear. When I look at a screen capture on my HMD (using the Note 4 as a screen), and then look at it on the Gear, the same image seems drastically different: zoomed in, with pixels the size of baseballs drowning out all sense of immersion. I tried a 1080p video on the Oculus Theater ... it was so pixelated it reminded me of watching videos on my old psp ...
In every other respect the Gear beats my DIY HMD hands down, but in this one--I would argue very important area--it absolutely does not.
Am I the only one who had this experience?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be very very honest, Im not disappointed about it at all. The tech is really young, the Note4 was only compatible with the innovator and development editions of the hardware. I cant comment on the quality improvement between the devices. But with a Note5 and a consumer version, Im getting exactly what I thought id be getting. Very bleeding edge technology that hasn't even gotten off the runway but is far ahead than anything else on the consumer market today.
Remember this: 100$ ..................... if you want something better, the next step is 600$ and only in march.
Also, this is technically not even an official 1st gen device. It's a slightly better draft than the slightly better draft of the previous editions. I think oculus and samsung partnered to use Galaxy users as a sort of Beta test. This technology obviously is the future, but as of now, its still a foetus. I have a Note 5, one of the most powerful smartphones in the world, and yet, the VR uses 98% of the phones performance. The battery drains within 1h practically and it generates so much heat it would probably keep your coffee warm in winter.
I bought one of the best rated VR headsets on amazon as a gift for my nephew, it cost me half of what my GearVR cost me, and it doesnt even come close to offer what Samsung does. The ONLY thing it does better, it it has almost no light leak. Thats also the only thing i can ***** about the GearVR, i would have liked a black background around lenses and thicker padding around face, or at least, an extra strip of padding we can patch the light leaks (also a carrying bag would have been nice even if it was cheap).
This GearVR sould have been called the "Early Bird Edition". We all are early adopters, I can tell you one thing, for 100$, I have impressed 100% of the people that put the headset on, and not only impressed, amazed. And 3 weeks later, i'm still being impressed by the new thing I find I can do, explore or play.
As for the pixels, it would take an 8K screen 3 inches from our face to not see them. I didnt know this until recently when the app froze on me but out the the entire screen realestate, only a very small portion is used for a majority of content. So yeah, that 1080p content you are watching, not exactly trueHD
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I might have made it a bit small, but not by much.
P.S. Not a big fan of the super mega studio adult films, but they have actually some of the highest quality videos out there, there are some samples floating around, its quite impressive.
Over the moon with mine, can watch full length movies with ease Tonto being one of them, battery no problem here with an s6 edge plus, but use mine on wifi only usually, and I have facebook blather and g+ disabled, and nothing polling ,email etc. all on manual , usually use unit at 4 to 5 on its brightness slide ,not aware of any light leak in my experience.
Everyone without exception who has tried it is blown away, I own my favourite phone anyway and then this appears, an accessory for $99 with this level of experience, if you are fortunate to be able to afford it without neglecting your life and dependants needs.......who wouldn't . If apple had released this exact same item with their logo ,the media would have eaten it alive with cream and the public would too, and, when they do, they will, we all
know this is in its infancy, but its a great place to be, the next advance in screen resolution will nail it, when your looking at a 25 foot screen with the clarity of a samsung big tv quality ,you, entertainment wise, have arrived.
plus, keep em like new guys, when it comes time to upgrade, this will practically sell your phone for you...maybe. lol.
Love mine too. Have had it since the day after Thanksgiving, and still using it a lot daily. There is a "screen door effect" to it, but the resolution is still clear and bright on movies. I put on some 3D movies last week, and they look great, and are easy to watch. Games like Herobound and Gunjack are also stunning and extremely fun with a controller to play. Samsung Internet browser is great, but don't count on all content to be great quality. There are some good 3D video samples on Youtube through the browser though. Also just looked through some Experiences in the Oculus Video app tonight, like going to the Electric Daisy Carnival. Again, quality of that video not great, but still a fun experience to see what it would be like to be there.
SDE is overpowering and both sides of the screen out of focus - in my experience. Its a cool toy but nothing I would use for any length of time. This is with the Note 5.
That being said, the tech should probably be good in a year or so.

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