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Need a PDA to read PDFs/e-books - suggestions?

R

rj2828

Member
After doing a bunch of searching, I can't seem to find anyone who uses their PDA the way I need to. I currently have a Handspring Treo 180 (old, and I'd like to go to the 600 but I think I'm abandoning the Smartphone concept for awhile).

My problem - I have a long commute, and a lot of the work I do involves reading PDF e-books. I can do that in the Treo, but it's incredibly painful, and don't even think of viewing any images. I'd think the ideal gadget would be a Tablet PC, but it's outside of my budget (I'd like to spend $500 or less, but can inch up a bit if necessary). Lugging around a full-sized laptop would be painful, since my commute has a number of legs and takes a lot of walking (in the sun and summer, not so bad; in the winter, especially with the snow - ugh!).

What I'd like to find - a PDA-type device with a bigger screen. If not 8.5x11 (or similar to a laptop/tablet sized screen), something that would be at least 8.5" in width, so I can fit the width of a page on it. Target OS isn't that important - I just need to be able to use Adobe Acrobat Reader, and to take CF or SD media, so I can store all of these books.

Any thoughts? Am I asking for something that hasn't been developed?
 
GottaDeal.com just had a link to a closeout HP "handheld PC" with a big display. HPC is and older cousing to MS Pocket PCs.

I've read a couple of ebooks on my axim x30, it works fine for text, very legible.

There is one $500 toshiba? pocket PC with a 640x480 display, but the display size isn't much larger than the size of the normal 320x240 pocket pc displays.

I'm still waiting for that thin, cheap 9x6 tablet PC with 10-hour battery myself, but it will probably be a few years (and will be some "portable media PC" that also plays movies and music)
 
Thanks Dave - that's one of the ones I was considering (the Jornada). Seems like a good 'disposable' at this point, until someone comes up with the cheapo 9x6 tablet that we're both waiting for 😉

640x240 sounds like a decent concession. My problem isn't really text - even on my teeny-tiny Treo, reading text is OK (of course, the delay while waiting for the thing to scroll is unbearable, but it's a phone and a PDA, I can't have it all). It's the images that are killing me - and I need something color, and bigger, in order to get them to a point where they're usable.
 
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