Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Warehouse 23 > Warehouse 23 Digital

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-17-2009, 05:56 PM   #1
furrystarcat
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Default Digital eBook reader devices...

I'm not really sure how deeply electronic book readers like the Kindle and the Sony Reader have penetrated the gamer market...

Out of curiosity, has anyone here tried loading one of the e23 PDFs onto one and seeing how it reads? I know Sony recently added a "reflowing" feature for text-based PDF documents so you don't have to read microscopic text. I haven't tried putting one of my GURPs rulebooks on mine...
furrystarcat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-17-2009, 07:24 PM   #2
Peter Knutsen
Banned
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Europe
Default Re: Digital eBook reader devices...

I just want to say that even though this may look off-topic, I think that discussions about e-book-reading devices are very pertinent to this forum, and I hope the moderators will continue to let such threads live and thrive.

Personally, I have not yet heard of any device that I believe able to satisfactorily display a whole-page A4- or Letter-sized document.


I'd like to get myself an ebook-reader some day, and also a laptop or other portable computer (I hear vague rumours about this thing called fresh air, and I kinda want to see what it is like, eventually), and so I've pretty much made up my mind to go for an expensive middle-ground solution of a netbook PC, a sort of miniature laptop computer.

Not ideal, though, so even after I've bought such a thing, I'll remain very interested in a lightweight device that can display table-heavy RPG documents in a readable fashion without needing to zoom in.
Peter Knutsen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2009, 03:34 AM   #3
mook
 
mook's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Los Angeles
Default Re: Digital eBook reader devices...

The PlasticLogic reader looks promising:

http://www.plasticlogic.com/
__________________
How to Be a GURPS GM, author
Game Geekery, Blog (GURPS combat examples, fillable PDF sheets, rules summaries, campaigns and one-shots, beginners' intro)
GURPS Discord, unofficial hangout and real-time chat
mook is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2009, 06:22 AM   #4
mlangsdorf
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Default Re: Digital eBook reader devices...

Except they delayed it a year, until 2010. On the plus side, that makes it much more likely to be affordable, and it will probably have some great features that aren't available now. On the downside, unless you can time travel, it isn't available until at least 2010.
mlangsdorf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2009, 08:03 AM   #5
The Fox
Not-So-Secret Master /.\
 
The Fox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Default Re: Digital eBook reader devices...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen
I just want to say that even though this may look off-topic, I think that discussions about e-book-reading devices are very pertinent to this forum, and I hope the moderators will continue to let such threads live and thrive.
We've never shut one down before. I don't see any reason to start.
__________________
Fox Barrett
Ogre Correspondent
The Fox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2009, 08:28 AM   #6
Jürgen Hubert
 
Jürgen Hubert's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Oldenburg, Germany
Default Re: Digital eBook reader devices...

It's possible to convert e23 ebooks for the Kindle format (with freely downloadable software), but it's not optimal.

The main issue is that the conversion process hopelessly mangles tables - so I wouldn't recommend using it for books which have a lot of them (for example, GURPS High-Tech and anything else with lots of equipment tables). On the other hand, setting-only books work reasonably well.

The Sony Reader can display PDFs, but its screen is so small that you will have to do a lot of zooming and scrolling. The iLiad should work, but it's still outrageously expensive. Waiting for the Plastic Logic device seems like your best bet - I will probably buy it as well, despite owning a Kindle.
__________________
GURPS Repository Sunken Castles, Evil Poodles - translating German folk tales into English!
Jürgen Hubert is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2009, 08:43 AM   #7
Buzzardo
 
Buzzardo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Austin, TX
Default Re: Digital eBook reader devices...

I'm also waiting for the PlasticLogic reader - it's the only thing on the horizon that'll do justice to 6.5 inch wide table (as in from a GURPS book).
Buzzardo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2009, 02:05 PM   #8
Gaming_Bird
 
Gaming_Bird's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Chicago IL
Default Re: Digital eBook reader devices...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Buzzardo
I'm also waiting for the PlasticLogic reader - it's the only thing on the horizon that'll do justice to 6.5 inch wide table (as in from a GURPS book).
I'm hoping for someone to come up with a color e-reader using flexible-film technology to make a reader with an 11"x17" display that can roll up into a 'scroll tube.'

That way I can have my books in front of me full-size when running a game and not have all the space by the GM screen taken up by my library.
Gaming_Bird is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2009, 02:47 PM   #9
tratclif
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Chillicothe, OH
Default Re: Digital eBook reader devices...

I've converted some GURPS pdfs for my iPod Touch through Stanza. They share the problems that Jürgen had with his Kindle, but they are minimally readable. I've also sent attachments to myself in email, which lets me use the iPod's internal pdf viewer. That means formatting is preserved but I have to do a lot of zooming and moving around to make things readable.
tratclif is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2009, 06:17 PM   #10
Hai-Etlik
 
Hai-Etlik's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
Default Re: Digital eBook reader devices...

I use my Dell Mini 9 Netbook. It's not perfect but it works well enough that I can read SJG PDFs in reasonable comfort.

A reflowable HTML based ebook format would be better of course.
Hai-Etlik is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
ereader, ereaders, pdf

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:38 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.