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PneumaPilot
March 27th, 2009, 22:01
DriveThruRPG has gotten very popular with the gaming public. It seems like PDFs of role-playing books are here to stay. I, however, hate them. The whole idea of them seems to threaten my wonderful collection of beautiful books. I was just wondering if anyone out there actually liked this trend or if we all hate it and hope it will go away.

I don't want to sound like some old person who just can't change with the times, but I would just MUCH rather have a gorgeous printed book in my hand while I recline on the couch to read.

Valarian
March 27th, 2009, 22:55
I love it, but then I've got a decent laser printer as well. Unfortunately, my collection of RPG books has outgrown the space I've got for them. PDFs allow me to keep fuelling the addiction while keeping my wife happy. I think it's also helping the hobby rather than hindering it. A lot of small publishers can start with PDFs until they get themselves noticed and picked up for print runs by the larger publishers.

Griogre
March 27th, 2009, 23:01
I have mixed feelings. For rulebooks I prefer a real book but for adventures, settings and accessories its a lot easier to get things into VTTs like FG. Even rulebooks in PDF can be a blessing if you are traveling and taking your laptop with you though - not having to lug around a bunch of books can make the differance between playing on the road or not.

Andugus
March 27th, 2009, 23:24
I love actual books but prefer my gaming material be in pdf format use online anyhow.

From a business stand point White Haired Man would not exist if not for electronic distribution. Our first year in business we operated at a loss even on a shoe string budget. Categories are provided below highlighting areas to consider even with a home based desktop publishing business.


Web site hosting
Domain registrations
State Tax Filing fees
Software
Hardware
Consumables
Business trip to Gencon
Marketing
Distribution Costs


POD (print on demand-like Lulu) solutions seem too expensive to make sense to our customers either. Imagine paying 30 dollars for a 64 page color adventure module. I guess it's not far off from reality. A single subscription adventure from the Pathfinder line is just under $20 after shipping. I expect they have save print costs with large runs in the thousands versus a single copy printed and shipped through Lulu.

I have no experience with creating an actual printed book. So I can't comment on what it would take from a business side.

Fortunately, I love what I do and I am optimistic White Haired Man will be known for high quality adventures with whatever distribution method we use.

unerwünscht
March 27th, 2009, 23:25
I like having both. When it comes to reading I am a firm believer of the fact that you should have something that you can feel with your hands, and nothing is better than the smell of a good old book. But the ability to copy/paste a rule from a PDF when needed is also something that I just couldn't live without.

PneumaPilot
March 27th, 2009, 23:30
I only ever printed out one PDF book and it was the old Dragons book for the first edition of Earthdawn. I hated that thing. It was the ugly sore thumb in my collection. I didn't even want to read it once I had printed it out.

I definitely like the way folks like White Wolf make adventures as PDFs. That's pretty cool. But I hate having to rely on PDF for any substantial rule book. I like to read things cover to cover, and that's just not fun with a monitor.

Oberoten
March 27th, 2009, 23:30
To be honest, I prefer a real book when around the table, if nothing else so because the battery in my laptop is such that if power is broken but for an instant it shuts down. When people turn it to see... they often dissconnect the power-plung on our venerable friend.

That and a hardcopy book is a nice feeling of "I bought this in a format I can share with my friends" whereas PDF and other computer formats just becomes another instance of IP that has to be protected. And since I am not really sure that someone borrowing a USB-stick with my copy of Ars Magica 5th edition won't just copy it? I prefer handing them the book.

When GMing on the internet like through FG though I much prefer the PDF alternative.

- Obe

PneumaPilot
March 27th, 2009, 23:36
[TOTALLY OFF-TOPIC]
You know, I used to have that same power-cord-short. When I opened up the case (40 something tiny screws later), I saw that the back of the motherboard was breaking off where the power came in. All that pulling in and out just wore it down. It eventually broke off and I just jammed it back in to where it still made a connection. No real long term solution to that problem except a new laptop :(

Valarian
March 28th, 2009, 00:02
I've found that a decent home laser printer (I've got a HP Colour LaserJet 2550) and some ErgoGrip binders do me for the rulebooks I want printed out. Some sturdy 4 D-ring binders are a cheaper alternative storage, but nothing can beat the ErgoGrip ones. They really do hold the pages like a book.

mr_h
March 28th, 2009, 00:56
I love PDF's because I can search through them faster, and if I'm running an online game at the computer, I don't have to have a pile of books around. Plus the PDF's are easier to take to work and not get in trouble ;)

However, I tend to get the paper copies as well, because it's great having one of those around the table. And after having Lasik surgery, my eyes get tired quite quick if I try to read a book constantly on the screen.

PneumaPilot
March 28th, 2009, 02:56
I picked up a couple of PDFs today of rulebooks that I already have. I hate 'em...

Still, I have a friend playing with us who is blind, so I started fooling around with this stuff because of him. I suppose if it's the only way you can get it, it's going to have to do.

Gosh, Valarian, I couldn't do that with the printing and the binding. I am so superficial when it comes to RPGs. I always judge a book by its cover.

Oberoten
March 28th, 2009, 03:35
Of course if you DO print and bind on your own you can get some INTRESTING covers.

Thin metal plates with leater hinges would be pretty simple to make. Hmmm...

https://steampunkworkshop.com/electroetch.shtml HMMMM indeed. I think this'd be a great prop-feel for a rulebook in any steampunk setting?


- Obe

mac40k
March 28th, 2009, 18:29
I can't stand to read a pdf that was formatted for printing on the computer screen since there's too much scrolling involved if I want the text large enough to not be an eye strain and while printer friendly versions are fairly common, landscape versions are not. I have to have a printed copy to read.

I have a color LaserJet and a comb binding machine that will do up to about 100 sheets, so I can print and bind anything up to a 200 page book myself. However, I've done the math and it costs me about $30 to print a 200 page full color pdf. If the book is entirely b&w interior with only color cover, it's closer to $8, with a printer friendly printout of a full color book being somewhere in between. Even if I consider the comb bindings and binding machine sunk costs, it's actually more economical for me to buy a professionally printed and bound book than pay for a pdf and print it myself. Not to mention that professionally printed and bound books look better on the bookshelf.

However, it is convenient to have the ability to copy/paste and print out certain pages for quick reference. It would be nice if more publishers gave us a package deal where we could purchase both a printed version and the pdf at a discount. If I buy a $20 or $25 pdf, I can always break down and print it myself, but I'm less inclined to spend another $20 or $25 for the pdf after I've already spent $40 on a printed book.

PneumaPilot
March 28th, 2009, 19:46
Yeah, it would actually be a good way to cut out the middle man for a publisher to offer their books for a somewhat discounted price (maybe not as much as Amazon, but close) and then bundle with it the free PDF. It doesn't cost them anything to give away one more PDF, they make the sale instead of the huge internet bookstore, keep more profits, and make more people happy.

Wow, Obe, that's going a little far with the plates, eh? While I have to admit it looks cool, I think I'd still like the professionally printed paper rulebook better. I can't tell you how much I love the look and feel of my Changeling the Lost book, or my Hunter the Vigil book. I don't think it would be possible to improve on them.

Rienen
March 31st, 2009, 15:39
My random thoughts...

One of the reasons I went with a Paizo subscription was that they give you the PDF everytime they send you the next adventure.

Personally, like unerwünscht said, I like both as well. As Valarian pointed out, the PDF's keep the wife happy, while allowing me to continue expanding my already rather ponderously large RPG library.

I don't think PDF's will be truely WELCOMED until some hardware manufacturer can make an inexpensive PDF viewer. I use a Fujitsu U820 in tablet mode, and that works well, but $1k is a bit much for a PDF viewer.

On the other hand, I REALLY love the ability to search a PDF, as well as being able to print off ONLY what I actually need. I have an HP 2605dn printer at home (tip to those who want a Color Laser, HP regularly retires models. Keep an eye on their site and several times a year, they'll discount a model or two by over 50% to eliminate their remaining stock. I got this duplexing printer for $220).

Oberoten, thanks for the link. My wife says "Thank you" as well, however, that's in an entirely differnent tone of voice... I think it would be a good idea if you two never met. I HAVE created hardcover copies of some books (more projects littering my basement), reduced 1/2 size for convienience. Since I'm running out of ideas for my non-VTT Iron Kingdoms campaign... this may be for us!

The Alchemist
April 6th, 2009, 10:13
Printed vs PDF, to be completely honest, I am relatively neutral. I LOVE a good printed book, and there are a few that I am after. But a PDF is rather a bit more useful to me personally. Since I am always moving and traveling due to a complete and total lack of any kind of security in my life. A PDF doesnt take up any space at all. And I am thankfull for that, if I were to cary my book collection around, I would need a bookmobile. And I can't afford a car/van.

However I think it would be a good idea for RPG book publishers to either pack in a CD with PDF Files along side the books. To me this would b e a highly welcome solution for those of us with n eeds such as travel.

Also a system such as a authentication key with th e book leading to a website where you can submit y our key and get the download.

grider
April 6th, 2009, 17:27
I use both...when I am reading them and learning from them or preparing something, I like to use the books...When I am in game and busily looking up stuff, I find the PDF most useful.

Rienen
April 7th, 2009, 15:48
Aaand in an interesting turn of events, WotC has pulled all PDF sales. Supposedly it's to "Combat Piracy"... which is a bit of a fallacious argument.

"Lets see, I need to keep people from pirating my files,... I KNOW! I'll make it so the only way to acquire said files is through piracy! That'll teach them!"

mr_h
April 7th, 2009, 15:57
I just got notification of that this morning in email (from Paizo publishing). Kinda sucks, its nice having those PDFs :(

Maybe they're planning on doing more with that D&D Insider program or something where you can only get the rules there. I haven't followed it much so I don't know it's current status.

unerwünscht
April 7th, 2009, 16:11
"Lets see, I need to keep people from pirating my files,... I KNOW! I'll make it so the only way to acquire said files is through piracy! That'll teach them!"

LOL.. It's kinda like gun control in America. 'Lets make it so only criminals have guns, that will make things safer!"

Tenian
April 7th, 2009, 16:13
No no they are serious...they filed suit against 8 alleged pirates! WOTC has them on the run now!

unerwünscht
April 7th, 2009, 16:23
The press release went on to say that “Violations of our copyrights and piracy of our products hurt not only Wizards of the Coast’s financial health but also the health of whole gaming community including retailers and players (https://www.examiner.com/x-3487-Seattle-Table-Top-Games-Examiner~y2009m4d7-Wizards-of-the-Coast-ceases-sales-and-downloads-of-digital-media)

Yes, because those of us who hate 4th edition and refuse to upgrade had absolutely nothing to do with the decrease in sales for WotC. It must be piracy, there is no conceivable way that it could be a poor product released.

grider
April 7th, 2009, 16:33
Yes, because those of us who hate 4th edition and refuse to upgrade had absolutely nothing to do with the decrease in sales for WotC. It must be piracy, there is no conceivable way that it could be a poor product released.

I don't think I could have said it better...

PneumaPilot
April 7th, 2009, 19:33
Wow, that's crazy news! Oh well, at least White Wolf still has over a thousand books available at DriveThruRPG. Now there's no greater time to switch to an actual good RPG like Exalted or the World of Darkness... ;)

Rienen
April 7th, 2009, 21:28
Funny you should mention White Wolf... Posted on DrivethruRPG and RPGNow:

To celebrate White Wolf's continuing devotion to PDF products, we'd like to offer all of our fans a one-time 10% discount on their next purchase of any White Wolf PDF titles through RPGNow.com. Simply enter the coupon code wwlovesyou to receive your discount!

PneumaPilot
April 7th, 2009, 21:34
Hehe, awesome! Way to snap it up WW!

Tenian
April 8th, 2009, 00:56
Actually now it reads:

To celebrate White Wolf's continuing devotion to PDF products, we'd like to offer all of our fans a one-time 10% discount on their next purchase of any White Wolf PDF titles through DriveThruRPG.com. Simply enter the coupon code wwlovesyou to receive your discount! Also, White Wolf is offering a FREE download of the Exalted Second Edition rulebook! Both offers expire by midnight (EST) on Sunday, April 12th.

mr_h
April 8th, 2009, 01:06
Man, that makes me wish my roommate had continued his vampire campaign back in college. I'd have a reason to be getting White Wolf books:)

PneumaPilot
April 8th, 2009, 01:07
Wow! I own the paper copy, but I'm going to pick up the PDF anyway!

Oberoten
April 8th, 2009, 02:04
Well that is one CLEVER way to turn the competitions botch into a critical hit for yourself with the customers.

- Obe

PneumaPilot
April 8th, 2009, 02:10
Hehe, yeah, when D&D went to 4th edition, White Wolf was giving away free paper copies of the Exalted book for those who would trade in their 3.5 player's handbooks. They called it "Upgrade Your Game." They know they have an awesome product, but they also know that not many people know that.

grider
April 8th, 2009, 03:02
Well that is one CLEVER way to turn the competitions botch into a critical hit for yourself with the customers.

I LOVE that their competition is doing this. WoTC just can't get it right.

mr_h
April 8th, 2009, 03:16
Looks like Whitewolf weren't the only folks doing this. Email from Paizo:

We at Paizo Publishing understand how important PDFs have become to most roleplaying gamers. We know that PDFs allow you to easily carry around a large library of books on your laptop, PDA, or cell phone. We know that PDFs are great for searching for that piece of obscure information. We know that PDFs are a great way to keep out-of-print products available. And we know that PDFs provide a great way to check out new products.

At paizo.com, most of the roleplaying books we publish are available in both print and PDF editions. We take pride in the high quality of our PDFs and think that they are some of the best in the industry. And we would love to show you how cool they are by allowing you to buy our Pathfinder PDFs for 35% off the regular retail price through the end of April. This offer includes Pathfinder Adventure Path PDFs, Pathfinder Modules PDFs, Pathfinder Chronicles PDFs, Pathfinder Companion PDFs, and Pathfinder Society Scenario PDFs.

Just add the Pathfinder PDFs you would like to buy into your cart, and when you are checking out, type the promotional code "PDFLove" in the appropriate box. The 35% discount will be applied to your Pathfinder PDFs at that point. You can use this code as many times as you like until the end of April, and feel free to share this code with your friends.


I might have to check out this Pathfinder stuff:)

Griogre
April 8th, 2009, 05:46
Yeah I noticed Paizo is jumping in too. I got the same e-mail earlier. That was one of the things I did like about Paizo - if you had their stuff on standing order they would also give you a free PDF too. Getting both was really nice.

Valarian
April 8th, 2009, 10:57
Hehe, yeah, when D&D went to 4th edition, White Wolf was giving away free paper copies of the Exalted book for those who would trade in their 3.5 player's handbooks. They called it "Upgrade Your Game." They know they have an awesome product, but they also know that not many people know that.
They seem to be doing it again with the PDFs on DriveThruRPG at the moment. Exalted is being offered for free until Sunday.

mr_h
April 8th, 2009, 13:36
The whole thing with WOTC actually got my group rethinking what we want to play. We're on the edge of restarting a 4E campaign, but if they're gonna pull crap like this, there's some hesitation in regards to supporting the company (sure, we already have the books, so its more a principal type of thing).

Rienen
April 8th, 2009, 16:00
I might have to check out this Pathfinder stuff:)

I have been purchasing their products since last GenCon, and I couldn't be happier. I started with just PDF purchases (which look great), but the fact that they were giving away the Pathfinder RPG Beta book was what initially drew me in. I would have bought the print version they had at GenCon, but it sold out too quickly. One of the people pointed out they allowed free download of the PDF and I was hooked. I joined the Adventure Path Subscription, and I'm in awe of the production quality. The fact they give you a free copy of the PDF with each book (which is itself at a 30% discount) was just gravy.

Since the PDF's can be copied and pasted out of, it makes translation into FGII easy... I've already done it with a couple adventures, this new AP is the first time I'll be converting an entire campaign.

Rienen
April 8th, 2009, 19:31
And this site seems to be gathering all the bargains:

https://www.rpgblog2.com/2009/04/in-wake-of-pdfgate-bargains-abound.html

PneumaPilot
April 9th, 2009, 00:06
Hehe, the best part of that site that you mentioned, Rienen, is the christening of this event as 'PDFGate'.

grider
April 9th, 2009, 02:29
I have been purchasing their products since last GenCon, and I couldn't be happier. I started with just PDF purchases (which look great), but the fact that they were giving away the Pathfinder RPG Beta book was what initially drew me in. I would have bought the print version they had at GenCon, but it sold out too quickly. One of the people pointed out they allowed free download of the PDF and I was hooked. I joined the Adventure Path Subscription, and I'm in awe of the production quality. The fact they give you a free copy of the PDF with each book (which is itself at a 30% discount) was just gravy.

Since the PDF's can be copied and pasted out of, it makes translation into FGII easy... I've already done it with a couple adventures, this new AP is the first time I'll be converting an entire campaign.


OK...convinced...downloading PF now...will find a game as soon as I peruse the material...

tenkar
June 11th, 2009, 01:10
Bit of a thread rez, and I apologize for that in advance.

Tomorrow I should be receiving the Amazon Kindle DX as it is (hopefully) shipping as I type this. It's billed as having full PDF support with a large enough screen to actually appreciate the pages.

I tried converting PDFs for use with Kindle 1, and that was a waste of time and storage space... tables caused all types of grief.

I've looked at PDFs on the Sony 505 e-book reader, and if you dont mind jumping back and forth to see the page PDFs are ok, but I do mind so its a PITA.

I'll try and give some first impressions on the DX's use with RPG PDFs when I get my grubby hands on it tomorrow.

grider
June 11th, 2009, 05:19
Please do report back!!!

I am wondering about the Kindle 2 too.

Rienen
June 11th, 2009, 21:44
Tomorrow I should be receiving the Amazon Kindle DX as it is (hopefully) shipping as I type this. It's billed as having full PDF support with a large enough screen to actually appreciate the pages.


JEALOUS!!! I've been keeping an eye open for reviews of how it handles PDF's, but I haven't found anything yet. It wouldn't be the first time I've just blown money on an item that may or may not work the way I want. (Latest was a Fujitsu U820... not bad as a PDF reader, but a bit expensive).

I thought it wasn't due out till Q3... you an early user?

Let us know how it works out.

Tenian
June 11th, 2009, 22:09
Still not color :(

tenkar
June 12th, 2009, 02:12
Ship Date for early pre-orders was June 10th.

This is a copy-n-paste my blog - hoping to have pics and more in depth this weekend:

Wow. I'm actually holding the Kindle DX. It is significantly larger then the kindle but about 1 1/2 inches shorter and 2 1/2 inches narrower then the Castles & Crusades leatherette Players Handbook. It's about as thick as the C&C Players Handbook without the case. With the standard black leather kindle case it is a bit thicker then the C&C Players Handbook but not by much.

First thing I did after plugging it into my PC to charge was to copy over the Labyrinth Lord and OSRIC PDFs. Both look very clear and very readable although the print is relatively small. However, if you turn the Kindle DX in a horizontal orientation, the DX recognizes the change and the PDF displays in landscape, making the print even more readable (it does split the page into top and bottom tho.)

I'm not sure how portable the DX is over all... as in will I use it to go to work with me on a daily basis or will it be used mostly for an at home, in the yard or on vacation method to read PDFs in their native format.

tenkar
June 12th, 2009, 02:31
Still not color :(

Except for a book's cover (I'm talking a paperback novel) how much is in color?

How much do you need color in an RPG book? I find all the flash in many of the newer books (such as WotC) to be distracting anyway.

Now, I haven't yet checked to see if I can use the DX as a comic book reader, and probably won't get around to that for a bit. There I would prefer color, but it is not needed

tenkar
June 12th, 2009, 02:34
Please do report back!!!

I am wondering about the Kindle 2 too.

Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 use the same formats - both require you to convert the PDF. Kindle 2 and the DX both have text to speech, which is kinda cool if you want to read while driving and not crash ;)

Need to test the DX to see if text to speech works on PDFs...

grider
June 16th, 2009, 05:31
Please keep us informed on your impressions. I am seriously thinking of getting one myself.

tenkar
June 16th, 2009, 13:18
I started reviewing how well different PDFs display on the DX on my blog. I'll try and copy the latest to this thread tonight when I get home. In the meantime you can always read it at my blog below.

Tenian
June 16th, 2009, 13:27
I enjoy the color artwork. Over the years, I've had more adventure ideas from the artwork of RPG books than from the actual background/flavor text.
I find the color coding on 4E's powers to be quite useful.

Right now it's the lack of a color display that keeps me from even considering the Kindle. I feel one of the big advantages of digital publishing is it allows for more color without the expensive printing costs, and the kindle not displaying color is a huge negative. Others may not share my opinion.

Glad you seem to be enjoying your purchase!

tenkar
June 16th, 2009, 14:10
I'm actually enjoying the gray scale translation of the artwork. Most of it translates very well (some have muddied up pretty badly tho). For those that want color an LCD based Internet tablet like the Nokia 810 might be the better option. I just saw the 810 for sale on buy.com for 179, much less then the 299 I paid last year. PDF reading will entail some back and forth scrolling on the page as the screen is smaller then the DX.

Lithl
June 16th, 2009, 18:11
I enjoy the color artwork. Over the years, I've had more adventure ideas from the artwork of RPG books than from the actual background/flavor text.
I find the color coding on 4E's powers to be quite useful.

Right now it's the lack of a color display that keeps me from even considering the Kindle. I feel one of the big advantages of digital publishing is it allows for more color without the expensive printing costs, and the kindle not displaying color is a huge negative. Others may not share my opinion.

Glad you seem to be enjoying your purchase!
I think it's the price tag that's stopping me. But as we go forward, technology only gets better and cheaper, so I think I can wait :)

tenkar
June 16th, 2009, 19:37
I'm buying my toys now so they can be grandfathered in for the future ;)

The DX is expensive, no doubt about it, especially when you can get a basic ebook reader for as low as 169 for the Jetbook on Newegg. It handles PDFs, but the screen is smaller. Basically you would have to read each page in sections, which is awkward for multi-column pages.

tenkar
June 17th, 2009, 01:13
(borrowed from my blog... i'll hits more pdfs when i get the chance)

I've dumped a bazzilion PDFs on my Kindle DX at this point. Ok, maybe closer to 2 dozen, but have a bazzilion on my hard drive that have yet to make the transition. So, how do they look so far? Here's my totally nonscientific opinions on a scale of 1 to 5.

Elric - Runequest/Mongoose Edition - While readable, the font is small (even horizontally)and and the background clutter isn't helpful. 2

OSRIC 2.0 - Clear, uncluttered pages. This is what a PDF should look like on the Kindle DX. I can read it without turning it horizontally. Could have been made for the DX. 5

HARP Lite - Clear pages with no distracting background behind the letters. Artwork in the margins converts well. This and its sibling Rolemaster are table intensive and they look perfect. 5

True20 Quick Start Rules - Clean and uncluttered. Font seems a bit smaller then others, but looks very nice when viewed horizontally. 4

Kobold Quarterly #8 - This PDF converts exceptionally well. I may no longer need to subscribe to both print and PDF anymore ;) 5

Points of Light Campaign Setting - Goodman Games - I'm not sure if its the light watermark art behind each page or if the font is smaller or both, but it isnt as easy to read as it could be. Held horizontal it looks much nicer. 3

tenkar
June 20th, 2009, 22:32
Two more updates with 7 more PDFs tested since my last post. Hopefully some find them useful.

Rienen
July 1st, 2009, 16:51
I ended up picking up the Sony PRS-505 (blue). I'll upload pictures when I get around to taking them.

First impressions: I dumped a couple of Paizo's PDF's to the device, it does a great job rendering the page in Portrait (if the text IS a bit small). Rotated to Landscape increases the readability, but it still suffers from delay in changing pages. Larger PDF files are slower than the 1-3MB range, but not intolerably (about 3 sec for a 2.3 Mb PDF, about 5-13 sec for a graphics-heavy 5Mb, and 5-9 sec on a 23 Mb ). The magnify button works great, and enlarges the 2 column text to a single column. However, it seems to screw up the order of the columns, so that it doesn't follow correctly. I had to do a little paging around to find what I was looking for.

I'll post pictures and look at other PDF files as I get a chance.

Overall, very satisfied, I couldn't bring myself to spend nearly $500 on the DX.

tenkar
July 3rd, 2009, 03:34
Yeah, the Sony 505 and the Jetbook do an okay job with most PDFs if you don't mind reading the pages in quarters or such. The Sony is under 300 and the Jetbook can be found for under 200 at times. They are attractive options at those prices.

grider
July 9th, 2009, 16:28
So, tenkar,
How are you liking the DX? Is it everything you wished? Likes and dislikes changed?

Is it something you can now recommend to others?

tenkar
July 11th, 2009, 18:57
Overall I like it alot. That being said it is far from perfect.

Cons:

No zoom - best you can do is switch the the horizontal orientation. Admittedly, this is effectively a zoom, but I prefer to have more control over it.
No Hyperlinks - this is a basic PDF reader, so no bells and whistles
Some PDFs load realllly sllllowwwwllyy - no sure what the publsiher / authors of such did in their PDFS, but some loads take about 10 seconds a page or so on certain PDFs

Pros
It reads PDFs in their native format - what more could be asked for of a PDF reader when the user has tons of charts to be read?
No PDF Flow - since there is no zoom, there is also no PDF flow / resizing to screw up the charts
Most (not all) PDFs look comfortable to my eyes in the vertical orientation - those that dont i can read in the horizontal orientation and that generally sorts it out.

As I said, overall it is getting alot of use from me. The price point is still very high, so unless you are an RPGNow addict and have tons of independent games sitting in PDF format on your hard drive it might not make sense for a purchase. I have yet to attempt to use it as a reference book at the gaming table. I've used it more as a reading / reference book in bed, at the lake, in the back yard, etc.

Some PDFs are just annoying to read, either on the DX or on the computer screen. Those cluttered with background watermarks and attempting to look like old time-worn pages won't print well and look like crap on screen. But that's another rant for another time ;)

Lithl
July 13th, 2009, 17:22
Well, if the news is worth anythign, I just got an email from Amazon today saying the price of the Kindle (not DX) went down to $299

tenkar
July 13th, 2009, 23:51
yeah, the price on the Kindle 2 dropped by 60 bucks last week. I was credited a $60 dollar refund for the one i bought my g/f for her birthday. I bought it 29 days before the price chance, cut off for the price adjustment was 30 days

tenkar
August 11th, 2009, 03:29
Looks like there is some possibly completion in the ebook reader race. The new Sony basic reader will hit a price point of $199. It has PDF with reflow, so it might make a serviceable reader for RPGs - depends on how the reflow is and the set up of the PDF in question. It will hold 250 ebooks in its built in storage - do maybe 25-40 RPG PDFs?

More interesting IMHO is the Astak Pocket Pro (https://www.engadget.com/2009/08/07/astaks-199-ez-reader-pocket-pro-wants-to-give-kindle-a-run-fo/) also at $199. Unlike the Sony this is expandable up to 16 gigs with and SD card. It also has PDF reflow AND it includes a text to speech feature much like the new Kindles. If it reads PDFs I could go to sleep with RPG bedtime stories ;) The Pocket Pro also handles more ebook formats then the Sony.

Should be interesting. Competition should bring prices down and newer and better features.

As an aside I'm not a big fan of PDF flow, but for under 200 bucks you get a reader that gives you access to your gaming PDFs. Probably not a perfect way to view it, but better then no way to view in a portable fashion. Oh, and a price less then half the Kindle DX.

How's that for a thread rez? ;)