The Best Tablets for eReading

by Ray Hendon

Today’s eReading public has spoken through their wallets about eReading, and their primary choice o device is on a tablet computer.  Of course, “tablet” covers a lot of ground—anything from a seven inch to a twelve inch screen.  But, in terms of use, it is the seven to eight inch screens that dominate user preferences.

The reasons are simple:  a seven or eight inch screen is the lightest reading platform—usually weighing seven to eleven ounces.  Larger tablets—those with nine to twelve inche screens generally weigh over a pound to a pound and a half—too much weight for comfortable long reading sessions.

Then there is the size factor.  You cannot hold a wide screen tablet in one hand comfortably, and eReading public is quite set on holding their device in one hand.  That was the beauty of the first paperback books.  They could be folded so that when the book was open, they could still be held in one hand.  This freed the other hand for a subway strap, cigarette or, pencil for notes or a can or soda. 

For these reasons only the seven to eight screens are considered appropriate for serious eReading.  Also, only tablets of those sizes and those which run under Adroid, iOS or Windows 8 are considered.  Those shown are, in my view, the best options for eReading, but all of them are also capable tablets in their own rights.

 

Android Tablets

Nexus 7 $199 for 8GB model

• Screen view 7” 1280x800 (216ppi)
• HD IPS
• Dimensions: 198.5 x 120 x 10.45 mm
• Weight: 340g (12oz)--WiFi Only
• Connectivity:
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth
  • NFC (Android Beam)
  • 3G and HSPA+ mobile (costs extra)
• Processor:
  • 16GB or 32GB internal storage (actual formatted capacity will be less)
  • 1 GB RAM
  • NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 quad-core processor
• Operations:
  • Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
  • 4,325 mAh battery
  • Accelerometer
  • GPS
  • Gyroscope
  • Microphone
  • Magnetometer

Assessment:  Generally considered the best build quality and highest performance of all seven inch tablets.  Faults most mentioned:  No SD card slot for expanded memory, no camera, no USB port.  Also consider, a new version of the Nexus 7 will probably be out before the holiday selling season—rumored to correct the faults mentioned plus with a new, faster ARM engine from Qualcomm.  No  pricing information on the new machine.  Sometime before the new machine comes out, I would look for a $179.99 price to clear out the older inventory.

eReading is excellent given the excellent screen resolution and long reader app experience of Android.

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Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD $199—discounted to $169 at some stores.

Dimensions & Weight

• Width5.4 in
• Depth0.4 in
• Height7.6 in
• Weight13.9 oz

Display

• Type7 in,
  IPS
• Display Resolution1280 x 800
• Processor
• Texas Instruments OMAP4460
•  Clock Speed1.2 GHz
• Dual-Core
• Memory 16 GB, Integrated
• Communications
  • Wireless Connectivity: 802.11 a/b/g/n

Expansion and Connectivity

• Interfaces
• USB 2.0
• Micro-HDMI
• Headphones
• HDMI Port Yes

• Battery Run Time11 hour(s)

• Miscellaneous

  • Sensors: Accelerometer,
    Ambient light sensor,
    Gyro sensor
  • Features: Front camera ,
    Micro HDMI ,
    Full USB
• Dimensions & Weight
  • Width5.4 in
  • Depth0.4 in
  • Height7.6 in
  • Weight13.9 oz

Assessment As a pure eReader, the Kindle Fire HD matches or exceeds all seven inch devices, with a few minor dissents.  One dissent is that a Kindle is tied to Amazon’s eBooks inventory and its proprietary AZW format rather than everyone else’s ePub format.  This is not a strong argument since Amazon has by far the largest selection of books, movies, magazine and other electronic media.  One can easily see this as a plus, depending on your relationship with Amazon.

As a pure tablet, it takes its place behind the Nexus 7—the Nexus 7 always has the latest version of Android, while the Kindle Fire HD has Amazon’s tweaking of Android.  In some ways this is better and in some it is not. 

Its weakest part is the TI OMAP processor.  The Tegra 3 of the nexus 7 is far superior, so surfing will be faster and the OS doesn't have any hooks to Amazon’s content. 

One point where the Fire HD excels, besides as an eReader, is in movies.  Amazon has tweaked it to handle video especially well.

It is also likely that the end of the year will see a new Kindle Fire HD, although this is not certain.  The bottom line on the Fire HD is whether you consider its close ties to Amazon as good or bad.  If you like Amazon’s products and are content with their eBook, etc., then it may be your best choice.  If you want a more generic working environment, then the Nexus 7 may bebetter.  You can get the Kindle reader app installed on the Nexus, so you would still have your Kindle content available to you.

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Nook HD $129—$199

• Processor:  Texas Instruments OMAP 1.3 GHz
• Dimensions:
• Weight: 11.1 oz (315 g)
• Height: 7.65" (194.4 mm)
• Width: 5.00" (127.1 mm)
• Depth: 0.43" (11.0 mm)

• Displays
• 720p
• Fully laminated screen with no air gaps reduces glare and provides extra-wide viewing angles
• 1440 x 900 pixel resolution
• 243 PPI (pixels per inch)
• Battery
• Up to 10.5 hours of reading
• Up to 9 hours of video
• Memory
• NOOK HD 8GB: 8GB total memory of which approximately 5GB is available to store user content.
• NOOK HD 16GB: 16GB total memory of which approximately 13GB is available to store user content.
• Communications
• Wireless connectivity via Wi-Fi® (802.11b/g/n)
• FREE Wi-Fi® in all Barnes & Noble stores
• Connections
• Universal 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack
• 30 Pin Port for charging and connecting to a computer (HDMI Compatible)*
• Expandable microSD slot

Assessment The Nook HD is, by some accounts, the best eReading screen of all tablets.  Its fonts were designed with that in mind, and the screen resolution of 1400 X 900 is supreme on a seven inch screen. It has recently been unlocked to the extent that full access to all of Google’s Play Store apps are available on it, so you can, ironically, put Kindle and Sony Reader apps on it if you desire, among seven hundred thousand others.

In addition, the Nook HD is now on sale at Walmart and from the Barnes and Noble Website for $129 for the 8GB model—free shipping from B&N.  This makes it a great value for a capable machine.

It doesn’t have the power of a Nexus 7, but it is $70 less expensive, too, and has special display qualities that make it the best in the business for seven inchers.

There are two or three downsides to the Nook HD.  Barnes and Noble is in a weak financial position and struggling to stay relevant in the brick and mortar business as well as the eBook side of the market.  This means you will probably not ever see a change to the current software.  Eventually it will most probably disappear as a product.  Nevertheless, one could expect three or four years of useful life from it as an eReader and general surfing device.

The last weakness is in its core processor.  B&N chose the same CPU that the Kindle Fire HD uses, and it is not a robust chip.  The Texas Instruments OMAP line of chips is, happily disappearing from the menu of future designers.  However, it can handle eReading handily.

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iOS—Apple’s iPad Mini

$329—$529

• Size and Weight
• Height: 7.87 inches (200 mm)
• Width: 5.3 inches (134.7 mm)
• Depth: 0.28 inch (7.2 mm)
• Weight: 0.68 pound (308 g)
• Display
• 7.9-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
• 1024-by-768 resolution at 163 pixels per inch (ppi)
• Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
• Processor: Dual core A5 (Apple’s proprietary implementation of an ARM A9)
• Connectivity
• 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz)
• Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
• Cellular Service 3G & LTE(optional, extra cost per month) from
• AT&T
• Sprint
• Verizon
• Cameras, Video and Photos
• Front (1.2MP) and Rear (5mp)
• 1080p video recording
• Video stabilization and face recognition
• Battery
• Built-in 16.3-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
• Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music
• Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system
• Accessibility
• VoiceOver screen reader
• Guided Access
• Support for playback of closed-captioned content
• AssistiveTouch interface for adaptive accessories

Assessment:  The iPad Mini is, in my view, the preferred as both an eReader and general purpose table.  Its operation is so smooth and capable that it is a steep mountain to climb for any competitor.  Although its screen resolution could be better (who’s couldn’t), it is fully capable in every dimension, except, of course, in ports for expansion and connectivity.

Apple has wisely allowed Kindle apps to be installed, along with every other significant eReading apps, so you are confined to Apple’s general limitations with respect to alien (non-Apple) intrusions.

The chief downside of the iPad Mini is its price.  For the low end model, $329 is its listed price, but Walmart has it on sale now for $300.  It is also expected to be substantially enhanced later this year with improvements expected in thinness, weight, and screen resolution and (probably) speed.

Also, its screen size, at 7.9 inches makes it somewhat less convenient to hold and carry, but its .68lb weight (11 oz, 308 g) )is much easier to hold than the full iPad and not as heavy as the Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD or the Nook HD. 

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Windows 8

Windows 8, at this moment, has one entry in the seven-eight inch derby, the Acer Iconia W3.  But many other models are expected before the end of the year. 

While I have used Windows 8 on my non-touch ultrabook for over a year, I have used a touch system only in demonstration trials.  But I can attest that eReading on Windows 8 is excellent.  Any Windows 7 eReader app will run under Windows 8, but if your favorite reading app has been rewritten for Windows 8, by all means use it.  At this time Kindle, Nook and Kobo, among the majors, have Windows 8 versions of their reader apps available.  I have tested them all, and they are all, in my opinion, better than the Windows 7 versions.

Plus, there are a passel of new reading apps developed for Windows 8 that was not available for Windows 7, and some of them are over the top in capability.  I plan on another article on this subject not far into the future, so I won’t go into them now, but just be assured that Windows 8 is going to be a major player in this space.  Its capabilities are well suited to the task.

Acer Iconia W3 $380

• Dimensions:
• Weight
  1.1 pounds
• Screen Size
  8.1 inches
• Max Screen Resolution
  1280 x 800 pixels
• Processor
  1.5 GHz Atom Z2760
• Wireless Type
  802.11bgn
• One USB 3.o port
• Average Battery Life (in hours)
  8 hours
• Dimensions
• L x W x H
  8.62 x 5.31 x 0.45 inches
• Rear Webcam Resolution
  2 MP
• Processor: Intel

The Acer W3 is the most computer of any tablet covered in this piece.  It is also the largest, at 8.1inches diagonally, and in weight @ 1.1 lb.  It runs full Windows 8, so it has the Office Suite and all other Windows 8 and Windows 7 apps available. 

As an eReader it will be as good as any except for the weight—not a good point, in my view, but it is lighter than the full sized iPad, but only by about 3 ounces.

An assessment can be made on the W3 until about three weeks when it gets to dealer shelves.

Honorable Mention and Low Cost Alternatives

I have about three or four more seven to eight inch models to consider that are low in cost and, for the most part, lower in features.  Nevertheless, there are several you might want to consider if cost is an important factor, and eReading is your primary use. 

I intended to include this group in this article, but I will have it in a separate piece soon.  Stay tuned.