Kindle & RPG PDFs

[mr_h]

I've been contemplating picking up a Kindle. I figured it'd be easier on my small storage space when I keep reading all these books :)

However, as I have lots of PDFs for RPG books, I want to make sure I can use those on an Ereader as well.

Does anyone out there have experience using RPG PDFs in the new Kindles? I use a lot of Savage Worlds and Gurps books in pdf format and I want to make sure they'd come through 'clean'. I'm aware that it'd be in all black and white, which isn't a problem, but I don't know how the graphics would come out (if at all).

Any tips/suggestions/etc would be greatly appreciated. Thanks:)

H

PS I know that the Nook has color, but sadly that's out of my price range, as is the IPad.

[Valarian]

I find that most are fine when displayed on the Kindle. A few RPG books don't show properly, but they are rare - usually the more graphics intensive and multi-layered ones. There again, I've got a Kindle DX, with the 9.7" screen. I'd imagine that on the smaller 6" screen, most books would be unreadable in portrait mode. In landscape mode, you'd have to keep doing Page-Forward, Page-Back, in order to read the columns.

The 3rd generation Kindles should display a lot clearer than the 2nd generation one I have as the e-ink contrast is better.

Have a look here: https://rpg.brouhaha.us/?p=2269

[mr_h]

Hadn't thought about the screen size. The DX is out of my price range ($250 for the wifi if I remember right).

But good info nonetheless. Thanks

[drahkar]

I have the 6" 3rd generation and its usable but can be harder to read at times. Its not impossible, but you have to be prepared to deal with the smaller fonts. Its not the smoothness of the characters, the text is actually quite crisp. Just small.

[Valarian]

Drakhar, is that in portrait or landscape mode? If in landscape, how annoying is having to go back and forth to read the columns (landscape mode will only show half a PDF page for those without a Kindle).

Even on my 9.7" screen, some of the text in a PDF can be small. Readable but small (possibly an 8pt equivalent).

[kairos]

I have the Kindle 3. Reading pdfs portrait works, but you're better off flipping it landscape unless the pdf is laid out for such screens (the Strands of Fate printer friendly pdf works like a dream), which most aren't.

I've read BRP mongraphs, the Dresden Files RPG, Mongoose Vikings and MRQ2 all without problems. Some of the Chaosium BRP books don't work so well (slow, crash).

My advice is to get the Kindle if you want a great ebook reader that also does PDFs. If you want a portable PDF reader, I might have you investigate an iPad or Nook first before deciding on the Kindle primarily for reading PDFs.

[drahkar]

I haven't tried in landscape. I'll have to load one of my books onto it today and take a look to see what I think.

[Rienen]

I have the Kindle 3. Reading pdfs portrait works, but you're better off flipping it landscape unless the pdf is laid out for such screens (the Strands of Fate printer friendly pdf works like a dream), which most aren't.

I've read BRP mongraphs, the Dresden Files RPG, Mongoose Vikings and MRQ2 all without problems. Some of the Chaosium BRP books don't work so well (slow, crash).

My advice is to get the Kindle if you want a great ebook reader that also does PDFs. If you want a portable PDF reader, I might have you investigate an iPad or Nook first before deciding on the Kindle primarily for reading PDFs.

I'll have to give a thumbs up to the Nook Color. Love mine and I have almost 4 GB of various RPG PDF's on it.

[kairos]

Here's a Nook Color review for RPG PDF reading:

https://youtu.be/Mby-W5KNayE

[Griogre]

I have a Kindle 3 and while PDFs in landscape are readable it is awkward to read columned text, because you have to navagate down the left column than move the viewing area back up the top to read the right column of the page. I don't think the 6 inch screen is big enough to be that usable. You could use it in an emergency but its really a book reader not a PDF reader and I couldn't recommend getting a Kindle 3 to read columned PDF's on.

[Valarian]

That's what I thought having the larger Kindle DX. PDFs are fine on that size screen, but I thought they'd be too small on the 6" screen. There are still some RPG PDFs that don't work, but most are okay.

[kairos]

I have a Kindle 3 and while PDFs in landscape are readable it is awkward to read columned text, because you have to navagate down the left column than move the viewing area back up the top to read the right column of the page. I don't think the 6 inch screen is big enough to be that usable. You could use it in an emergency but its really a book reader not a PDF reader and I couldn't recommend getting a Kindle 3 to read columned PDF's on.

Agreed. Until game publishers start formatting PDFs for the ebook reader market, it's going to be hit or miss. I've read columned pdfs successfully (set up the zoom, then read it in quadrants), but then again I have a high tolerance for fiddly tedium, and have an unhealthy compulsion to get square pegs into round holes (where tech is concerned).

It's also good to note that the Kindle design has a laser-like focus on being an electronic book device. The Nook, by contrast, seems to be going towards the mini-tablet market (with an app store, touch screen, etc) and a more generalist design.