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Jack Wallen shares his choice of the five best small footprint PDF viewers that can easily replace Adobe Reader. The Portable Document Format (PDF) is one of the most oft-used document types in.
The Rundown
Our Top PicksMost Popular: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (Previous Generation)
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The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite offers a whopping eight-week battery life on normal use and a reading experience that far exceeds that of a tablet. The latest Kindle Paperwhite matches Amazon’s flagship Kindle Voyage at 300ppi. The black and white screen is noticeably crisper than previous iterations, with a more pronounced contrast, and there’s no glare even under direct sunlight. For late-night reads, turn on the four built-in LED lights.
Best Free Portable Pdf Reader
The new system font Bookerly has been designed from the ground up to reduce eyestrain while allowing for faster reading. This is not merely advertising fodder; the font is legitimately crisp, modern and easy to read. The typesetting engine has also received an update, so there are fewer awkward misplaced letters or words that plagued earlier models.
The relatively plain Kindle Paperwhite can’t compete with the more expensive Kindle Voyage’s design. At nearly half a pound, it is a little on the heavy side, and there’s no microSD slot. However, with 4GB of internal storage there’s enough space to store thousands of books.
The Kindle bookstore is arguably the best online bookstore available, with over four million titles on offer. It’s a little slow to navigate on the Paperwhite itself, but you can always browse the store on a laptop and send the e-book wirelessly to your device. The Kindle Paperwhite, at its lowest price point, has the right to show you advertising for unfettered access to the Amazon network via Wi-Fi. While these ads are unobtrusive, they might deter readers in search of a more traditional experience.
Read more reviews of the best Amazon Kindles available to purchase online.
Best Overall: 2019 Amazon Kindle
4.5
The Amazon Kindle has become a force in the portable electronics space—not because it has the flashiness of an iPad or the versatility of a flagship smartphone. It claims market share because the screen very closely approximates what it’s like to read an actual book. The newest 2019 version brings a lot of specs to the table.
First off, Amazon has included a brand-new front light that allows you to read in the dark, something that was previously only available on the more expensive Kindle Paperwhite. You’ll also get a decently crisp 167 PPI resolution, so not only can you read in the dark, but it’ll look really close to words on an actual page.
There’s 4GB of storage built in which is enough storage for thousands of books. It connects via Wi-Fi and even offers Bluetooth connectivity so you can listen to audiobooks as well as read. The battery is big enough to provide around four weeks of reading time, depending on things like light usage and how long you spend actually reading in a given session. Plus at only 0.34 inches thick, weighing only 6.1 ounces, and for a really affordable price, it is supremely portable, perfect for tossing into your beach or travel bag.
Best Waterproof: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (Newest Generation)
4.5
Ever since Amazon first introduced the Kindle Paperwhite back in 2012, it’s had a special place in our hearts. It radically improved on the original Kindle's readability and versatility with an improved screen and backlighting. The newest Kindle Paperwhite continues in the tradition of the first Paperwhite with another round of updates. This model has a six-inch, glare-free screen with five LED lights behind the screen so you can read it anywhere. It’s also super portable at just 6.4 ounces and (finally) waterproof, with an IPX8 rating. That means you can read on the beach or by the pool without worrying about water damage.
The Kindle Paperwhite comes with a few configuration options. You’ll have to choose either 8GB or 32GB of storage, depending on how many books, magazines, comics, and audiobooks you need to store. Secondly, you’ll have to choose between having just Wi-Fi connectivity or Wi-Fi and free cellular connectivity from AT&T. Most people will be fine with just Wi-Fi, but heavy readers may prefer the ability to get more books while on the go. Lastly, you’ll have to choose whether to receive ads on your device or no ads. (Amazon calls ads “Special Offers.”) If you go ad-free, it will cost you $15 more.
Best for Audiobooks: Amazon Fire HD 8 with Alexa
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If you want the best of the eBook and tablet world, it’s going to be hard to beat the Amazon Fire HD 8. With over millions of eBooks, individual Kindle titles cost as little as $2.99 a month, but you can also sign up for Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited plan for $9.99 a month to read whatever you want for as long as you renew your subscription.
When it comes to reading on the Fire HD 8, Amazon has done its best to create a comfortable screen experience. The tablet has a specialized Blue Shade feature for backlight optimization that allows for a pleasing nighttime reading experience that doesn’t fatigue the eyes. And when you’re tired of reading, you can instantly switch over to listening mode. Just ask Alexa to read aloud and it’ll take over. With dual stereo mode speakers powered by Dolby Atmos, books sound loud and clear.
When you’re done with books altogether, there’s so much more the Fire HD 8 can do. Stream millions of TV shows or movies with Netflix, HBO, or other favorite services. The Amazon app store offers hundreds of thousands of apps including sports, news, games, weather, and productivity for any kind of content you want.
Best Splurge: Amazon Kindle Oasis 2019
The Amazon Kindle Oasis 2019 aims to be the most advanced 'dumb' electronic you can find. Rather than trying to compete in a crowded field of multitasking smart devices, it instead helps you disconnect from tech by providing access to millions of books in an amazingly book-like package.
Continuing the same trend Kindles have been following for a while, the 2019 Oasis, with storage of either 8GB or 32GB, aims to recreate the feeling of reading a physical text with a comfortable, ergonomic design, page turn buttons, and new e-ink technology. The 7-inch, 300 PPI Paperwhite display’s shade is adjustable for all lighting conditions. Night mode automatically tints the screen amber for midnight reading. Its waterproof IPX8 rating means it can survive a spill in the tub or pool, and you can enjoy Audible books by streaming through Bluetooth-enabled devices.
Best Budget: Barnes and Noble Nook 7'
While the Barnes and Noble Nook may not have the prominence of the Amazon Kindle in the e-reading world, it’s worthy of consideration because of two major factors: low prices and many in-store locations in the U.S. where you can get real-life support. The newest Nook 7-inch tablet costs about half the price of a Kindle and offers an extensive ebook library with more than one million titles that cost $5 or less. This base model has 16GB of internal storage, but you can add up to 128GB in additional storage with a microSD card. The Nook also comes pre-installed with the Barnes and Noble Browsery app, where you can discuss your favorite books with their online community and get recommendations for titles you might like. For those that need to take a break from books now and again, you can also access the Google Play store on your Nook and download apps, games, movies, and more. If you prefer a larger screen, Barnes and Noble also offers a 10.1-inch Nook tablet (although that model is more expensive).
Best Amazon Tablet: Amazon Fire 7 Tablet
Amazon’s Fire 7 is so much more than just an e-reader – it’s also a full-fledged tablet equipped with Alexa. While you might not need all of its bells and whistles, there are plenty of features that make this device attractive to avid readers.
First off, its gorgeous seven-inch, 1024 x 600 IPS display has high contrast, vivid colors and sharp text to make reading for hours on end comfortable and enjoyable. Secondly, it boasts eight hours of battery life, so you won’t need to charge up between chapters. Thirdly, the Fire OS has an exclusive Blue Shade feature that automatically optimizes backlight for a better reading experience in dim lighting. And last but not least, Family Library links your Amazon account to that of your relatives to let you conveniently share books.
If you’re an on-the-go reader who doesn’t hesitate to toss your e-reader in your tote, you’ll also love the fact that the Fire 7 is highly durable. (It was rated as twice as durable than the iPad mini 4, not to mention, it’s cheaper, too!) For $30 more you can upgrade to the eight-inch Fire tablet, which will score you a larger reading screen and four more hours of battery life, but we find this seven-incher to be a good balance between function and portability.
Best Apple Tablet: Apple iPad
Apple’s iPad has been a great choice for e-reading for a long time due to its large display and incredible versatility. We've picked the newest version of the iPad with a 9.7-inch screen as the best option. While this is definitely a more expensive option in the e-reader space, you’re getting a full-featured tablet on top of the reading functionalities. The iPad allows you to browse the web, work on projects on the go, draw with the Apple Pencil, play games, and use millions of apps from the App Store. The iPad is also uniquely suited for reading magazines, comic books, and regular books that are full of color (most designated e-readers are black and white). One other reason the iPad is great for e-reading is that you can use various apps for e-reading including Apple Books, Kindle, Bookari, Scribd, Google Play Books, and more, so no matter where you like buying ebooks, you can read them.
Best for Kids: Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition
In the realm of e-readers specifically meant for children, there isn't much to choose from — designated e-readers are generally made with adult audiences in mind. Fortunately, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition is technically a tablet, but it's so versatile that it also makes a great e-reader for kids.
At its core, the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition is a basic Fire HD tablet with an eight-inch display, 32GB of internal storage, a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, and 1.5GB of RAM. It has up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge, so it can get through a whole day (or two!) without being plugged in. But this model adds a few features specifically for kids, including a blue or pink “kid-proof” case that protects it from drops and a two-year guarantee that it will survive whatever your kids to do it. This tablet also comes with one free year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, which gives you access to thousands of kid-friendly books, movies, and TV shows through Amazon. FreeTime Unlimited also gives kids the ability to listen to Audible audiobooks like Beauty and the Beast, The Snow Queen, Peter Pan, and more.
Best for Work: Sony DPT-RP1/B Digital Paper
If you’re looking for an e-reader that is more suited for work tasks — including reading documents, drawing, or taking notes — you need to take a look at the Sony DPT-RP1/B Digital Paper. This device is one of the most interesting products on this list because it is so clearly meant for a future-facing work environment where you read and mark up documents on a single touch-screen reader (and it isn't an Apple, Google, or Amazon product). First and foremost, the Digital Paper is thin and claims to be “as thin as 30 sheets of paper,” so it’s easy to carry around to all your important meetings. The touchscreen, which can be either 10 inches or 13 inches in size, has high contrast and no glare, which means it's easy to read even in direct sunlight. When you pull up documents on the Digital Paper, you can highlight, annotate, or erase on them just like you’d do with physical pen and paper. To transfer documents, you can do so via USB, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth. In terms of battery life, it can last up to three weeks on a single charge.
Tested byHow We Tested
We bought five top-rated e-readers that our reviewers tested for more than 130 hours. We asked our testers to consider the most important features when using these e-readers, from their screen size to their durability. We’ve outlined the key takeaways here so that you, too, know what to look for when shopping.
What to Look for in an E-Reader
Screen type -Many e-readers, including Amazon’s Kindles, use a technology called E-Ink Carta to mimic paper and not harm your eyes in the same way an LED or LCD display does. For avid readers, it’s definitely the way to go. If you’ll be reading in short spurts, though, an IPS display (which is common on most tablets) is another option. Just be sure to turn on the Blue Shade feature that optimizes backlight for a better reading experience in dim lighting.
Battery life -In general, e-readers have stellar battery lives. Because the screens take up dramatically less power than smartphones or tablets, they can go days or even weeks without a charge. Some Kindles claim a whopping eight weeks of reading time (on 30 minutes of reading per day), so if you’re forgetful when it comes to charging, you’ll be set.
Durability -Planning to read at the beach? You’ll want an e-reader that can survive high tide. Some devices are designed to be waterproof and rated at IPX8, which means they can swim in depths of up to one meter for up to 60 minutes.
Test Results: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (Previous Generation) (Most Popular)
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What We Like
What We Don't Like
“The battery life, screen, touchscreen interactions, store, Goodreads integration, etc., all make it the best possible Kindle experience,” one of our testers raved about the Previous Generation Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. Our reviewers also liked how lightweight and portable it is, making it ideal for travel. On the other hand, one of our testers felt it was an awkward size: “It's not really necessary to hold in two hands, but it's also not comfortable to hold in just one,” he explained. One of our reviewers also wished for more storage space. Still, according to one of our testers, “it's worth buying, especially for the price.”
Test Results: 2019 Amazon Kindle (Best Overall)
4.5
What We Like
What We Don't Like
'This product is worth buying if you need a simple e-reader,' said our tester. It was also very portable: 'The 10th Generation knocked down the size slightly from the previous generation,' she explained, 'making it easier to tuck into a purse or bag on the go.' Other highlights were its long battery life and its 'useful' LED screen. On the other hand, she felt that its grip was 'a little too small for the average person.' She also thought that its pixel density was too low: 'The 167 PPI was a huge letdown since the previous generation boasted 300 PPI,' she said, 'and it's blatant when using the device.'
Test Results: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (Newest Generation) (Best Waterproof)
4.5
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Our testers loved the improved 8 GB storage space and sleek, modern design of the Newest Generation Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. “It's compact, which means it's easy to take on vacations, and the waterproof feature is a perk,” reported one of our reviewers. On the other hand, our testers felt there was too much glare on the screen and weren’t fans of the experimental browser. One of our reviewers also wished you could read files from local libraries instead of being limited to the Kindle store. Still, our testers felt it was a worthwhile purchase, particularly because of all the extra storage space.
Test Results: Amazon Fire HD 8 with Alexa (Best for Audiobooks)
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What We Like
What We Don't Like
Our testers loved the Alexa voice integration of the Amazon Fire HD 8. “Hands-free Alexa is truly holistic, and the tablet can be mostly controlled with your voice,” one of our reviewers remarked. Our testers also thought it was super durable and kid-friendly. “It’s a great price for a multimedia streaming tablet,” one of our testers raved. On the other hand, our reviewers didn’t find the audio to be high-quality and found it was best used with headphones. Overall? “The tablet itself is seriously unremarkable due to its specifications, but if you’re not naive to that, this is easily one of the cheapest options on the market for a useful slate that will let you browse social media and stream content regularly,” declared one of our testers.
I am looking for an e-reader for technical papers. These are usually only available in fixed, non-reflowable, PDF format and sized for printing on A4 paper. They cannot be read on a typical e-reader such as a Kindle because the text is too small. I don’t need the fancy note-taking capabilities of options such as the Remarkable PDF reader. Can you recommend something that doesn’t cost as much as a decent laptop? Thomas
The main attraction of Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF) is that people can read the files on almost any kind of device. The corollary is that almost any device will work as a PDF reader, including smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops running almost any operating system. Indeed, so many people need to read PDF files for business and educational research purposes, there are e-readers designed for the task.
Your challenge is to balance things like text clarity, screen size, portability, battery life, ease of use, versatility and price to arrive at the best choice for your personal needs.
Most of us prefer versatility. A smartphone is not the best camera, notebook, word processor, audio recorder, radio, MP3 player, map reader, pedometer and so on, but it is good enough replace numerous separate devices for most people most of the time. In this case, you seem to want a dedicated device, where the extra features of, say, convertibles running Microsoft Windows 10 are more of a drawback than a benefit.
However, dedicated devices need to outperform general-purpose devices to find a market, and they will still sell in much lower volumes. As a result, they will be relatively expensive.
If you are buying something for business purposes, reconsider your approach to pricing. I calculate the number of hours of use per week, and the number of years of use, to get a cost-per-hour. I compare this against the cost of labour (salary plus overheads), and calculate benefits such as time savings and the ability to work when it would otherwise be impossible.
When people are earning £25,000 to £250,000 a year, it’s generally easy to demonstrate the economic value of expensive devices. Even if you’re a student and not earning anything, you can still value your time.
Screen matters
Mass market e-readers such as Amazon Kindles are designed to replace printed books, so they tend to be around the size of a novel, only thinner. They have E-Ink screens that – unlike laptop screens – are readable outside. They don’t require much battery power, so they can run for many hours between charges. They are exactly what you want, except for their screen sizes.
For your purposes, the best screen size would be 210 x 297mm, which is the same as A4 paper. This has a diagonal of 14.3in, so a 14in screen would be closest to life size. However, a 12.3in to 13.3in screen should be perfectly acceptable.
The other key point is the aspect ratio of 1:1.414. Since you can’t get A4, the best match would be a device with a 3:2 screen, such as a Microsoft Surface Book or a Google Pixelbook. These screens have an aspect ratio of 1:1.5.
The next best would be either 4:3 (1:1.333), which was used by traditional TV sets, or 16:10 (1:1.6), as used by, for example, Apple’s MacBook Pro. The 4:3 format lives on in screen resolutions from 640 x 480 (VGA) to 1440 x 1080 and 1920 x 1440, while 16:10 resolutions include 1440 x 900, 1920 x 1200 and 2560 x 1600.
Unfortunately, the cheapest screens are 16:9 widescreens, which is partly why they are used in cheap laptops. Their 1:1.778 aspect ratio is not a good fit for A4’s 1:1.414. You could try viewing some PDF files on a 1920 x 1080 aka Full HD screen to see if it meets your needs. If it does, cheap convertibles like the Linx 12X64 (£256.98) might be worth considering.
However, E-Ink screens are much easier on the eyes.
Dedicated e-readers
The reMarkable PDF reader is really targeted at the digital writing market, rather than the digital reading market, though most serious e-readers support pens for annotations and signatures. Instead, consider the Onyx Boox range, which includes seven e-readers with larger screens. The top models – the Max 2 ($749) and Max 2 Pro ($849) – would be best for your purposes, because they have 13.3in screens. King kong video game. The 10.3in Note Pro ($599), Gulliver Note ($449) and 9.7in Euclid ($319) are cheaper but smaller options. As you know, reducing the size of PDF images makes them harder to read.
Of course, Sony is the big name in serious e-readers, and it’s Japanese rather than Russian. Alas, Sony’s 12.3in DPT-RP1 would set you back £699, which is about the same as a decent laptop. But according to A L Blair’s most helpful Amazon review, the DPT-RP1 lasts a couple of days per charge, which is more than you’d get from a conventional tablet or laptop.
Best Portable Pdf Reader Device
Boyue’s 10.3in Likebook Mimas is a cheaper but somewhat small option. Its Chinese manufacturer sells it online for €462.91 (£414.26), while Amazon.co.uk is selling it for £415.85. It might sometimes be cheaper on AliExpress. If shopping around, this year’s Mimas has an RK3368 chipset and a Type-C port, while the Likebook Note is an older model.
According to the the-ebook-reader.com website, Boyue is about to launch a Likebook Alita which “looks strikingly similar to the Onyx Boox Note Pro. Their shameless copying of Onyx is starting to get kind of creepy. Half their software features were taken from Onyx’s software and now their hardware is a near replica too.” Judging by comments, Boyue has some software problems, too…
The Onyx Boox and Likebook ranges are based on Android 6.0.1, and therefore might be able to run alternative PDF readers from the Google Play store. Check first if you intend to try this. However, most Android apps are not designed to run on high-resolution e-ink screens.
Alternative devices
As mentioned, you could buy a more versatile device such as an Apple, Android or Windows tablet. These have more features than e-readers, but they don’t havee-ink screens or such good battery life. Worse, if you buy one with decent screen resolution, you may not save any money over an e-reader.
The Apple iPad is a terrific tablet for reading PDF files, but the model with the biggest screen, the 12.9in iPad Pro, starts at a ridiculous £969. The 10.5in iPad Air (from £479) and the 9.7in iPad (from £319) are more reasonably priced, but cost about the same as Onyx Boox e-readers with similar-sized screens.
Android tablets are cheaper, and worse, but you could buy a 10.6in Huawei MediaPad M5 for £299. Its 2560 x 1600-pixel Quad HD screen – which has a 16:10 aspect ratio – might make this the best, cheap PDF reader without an e-ink screen.
Obviously there are much cheaper Android tablets with 10.1in screens, such as the Lenovo Smart Tab P10 (£199) and the Acer Iconia One (£129). However, you pay the price in terms of lower screen resolution. Lenovo’s P10 has a 1920 x 1200 screen, while Acer’s Iconia is down to 1280 x 800 pixels. Both of these are 16:10 ratio screens.
Google’s 12.3in Pixel Slate offers 3000 x 2000 pixels, which is nice, for £749, which is not. No wonder Google is getting out of the tablet business.
Adobe Pdf Reader Portable
Finally, Microsoft’s Surface Pro machines make excellent PDF readers and editors, as well as doing much more besides. You could get the latest Surface Pro 6 with an Intel Core i5 for £774.99 (tablet only); its 2736 x 1824-pixel screen has a 1:1.5 ratio. A refurbished earlier model from the Pro 3 onwards might be an option, but I’d worry about the state of the battery. Otherwise, some regular readers are more familiar with Chuwi-type Chinese versions of the Surface Pro range than I am …
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