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A few years ago, scientists or simply well-educated people were tied to their voluminous libraries, which stored thousands of volumes of various knowledge and stories. Today, endless racks of texts fit into a modern e-book or tablet.
As a rule, the first acquaintance with the electronic format of a literary text occurs when you are going on a trip. And beginners will think about what is better to choose to get acquainted with a new novel: a specialized «reader» adapted to the perception of a large amount of text, or use a tablet as an e-book. At first glance, the difference is not significant, because both gadgets have a small format and can display a convenient font size on the screen. But each device has its own characteristics, knowing which, you can use the necessary functions without overpaying for fashionable «bells and whistles».
Features of e-books
The basic difference between an e-book and a tablet is the use of a specialized technology for reproducing text on the screen, similar to ink on paper (E—INK). Thanks to «electronic ink», the screen remains matte in any light and does not «glare» in the sun, showing a clear image of all characters.
This method is as close as possible to the effect of reading an ordinary paper book and is the most gentle on the eyes. Also, manufacturers immediately install basic applications for the library in various formats.
The best models of «readers» have built-in Wi-Fi, screen backlighting with a transition from a more intense day mode to a soft night mode, the function of highlighting text fragments and saving them to electronic notes. Some devices provide audio jacks for the ability to switch from visual work to listening to text.
Important! The main limitation is the black and white format (most often 16 shades of grey), which shows magazine images or photos in two colors.
Tablet features
A tablet differs from an e-book in that it is a miniature model of a full-fledged computer with a built-in or plug-in keyboard and a color screen. It is also possible to use a tablet to read e-books. For example, the famous iPad immediately offers Appendix iBook, able to save a library of books. However, when reading such books, the load on vision will be comparable to many hours of working with documents on a computer. Screens based on LCD or TFT technology will produce too high brightness, and your eyes will get tired quickly.
In addition, if at night the light is consistently bright, and the clarity of the text is increased, then during the day you will have to adapt to the sun glare. This fact makes the use of a tablet with an e-book function practically useless on a sunny day.
Otherwise, the functionality of the tablet is wider, especially when you need to surf the Internet, the presence of gaming and office applications.
Comparison by criteria
The difference between a tablet and an e-reader is quite large in terms of the number of possibilities. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the most important parameter — the quality of reading and storing a large number of literary or specialized texts.
The size
The diagonal of the tablet and e-reader can vary from 5 to 10 inches (12 to 25 cm). The “golden” section for the “reader” is considered to be 6”, since such a gadget fits easily in the hand and in a small handbag, resembling an enlarged smartphone. Large size is rarely used, mainly for editing books or writing scientific publications with graphic objects. A standard-sized tablet with a convenient resolution for basic desktop icons will approach 8 inches.
But the decisive factor for choosing a digital library custodian will be weight. If a classic reader weighs about 200 grams, then a tablet of similar dimensions will pull 400 grams or more. Additional heaviness will be given by a more capacious battery, designed for the universal functions of the computer.
Ease of use
In terms of comfort, a tablet for reading e-books is significantly inferior to specialized readers of the new generation. A few years ago, simple reader models were not equipped with backlighting and had the same inconveniences as paper counterparts. Today, a new generation of devices has not only a built-in backlight, but also ability to adjust brightness and color (cold bluish to warm yellow).
Page management on the tablet is touch-only. Many «readers» offer page turning both by touch and physical buttons on the case. This option will be convenient for older people who have difficulty with tactile touch accuracy. It also eliminates the risk of accidentally swiping multiple pages at once.
The vast majority of specialized e-books have built-in dictionaries which are very useful when reading books in a foreign language. If reading is carried out as part of the training, then any unfamiliar word can be highlighted and translated right under the main text without interrupting reading.
Important! Modern readers are adapted to all popular formats in which books are offered by electronic libraries, without requiring additional software firmware.
In terms of font size, both devices easily zoom in and out on a text page. However, an e-book will require you to download the selected text (reading or browsing on the Internet will be slow), while a tablet, like a standard computer, will allow you to read books on online sites.
autonomy
Another characteristic that distinguishes the best e-books. With the same battery capacity on the tablet and the reader, the latter is capable of work without recharging for several weeks. If the power is set at a level greater than 1000 mAh, then with a daily two-hour reading, the e-book will work for about a month.
The tablet, when Internet access is turned on, uses many applications and will give a large amount of energy to the LSD display, respectively, it will require charging after a couple of days of active use.
Price
In terms of cost, a good e-reader is not much inferior to a budget tablet. Its price can reach up to 15,000 rubles. Such books are purchased by professional copywriters (to not only read, but also copy quotes), philologists, and simply fans of good literature who appreciate the quality and large volume of the library on one device. Expensive «readers» often equip waterproof case.
What is the best choice for reading books
This question has a simple answer that depends on the amount of text. Indeed, in the case of reading for two or three hours a day, headaches may begin after a while. This problem will not be associated with a large amount of information received after reading. It directly depends on screen qualityto be looked at. If you try to make an e-book from a tablet with an LSD screen, you will have to stare at the tiny glowing light bulbs that make up the display for several hours. Your eyes will start to get tired and your vision will deteriorate.
When reading on a journey the reader’s charge will be spent sparingly and will not require you to carry a Powerbank (backup energy storage) with you or look for an outlet.
When commuting to work The Reader will always display clear text even when sitting by a window: Eink’s electrophoresis-based technology mimics the effect of ink on paper. The tablet in sunlight will simply go blind and make you dodge in search of a shaded corner.
Thus, for regular reading of e-books, it is better to buy a special reader, especially when it comes to a gift for elderly parents.
Best eBooks
Let’s take a look at some examples of the best e-books on the market.
DIGMA E654
A classic electronic gadget with a battery capacity of 1500 mAh, an optimal screen size of 6 inches, E-ink technology, Garta. Display resolution 800X600, 167 ppi.
The built-in memory is rated at 4096 MB, there are also slots for additional memory cards and a USB input that can be used to connect to a computer, flash card or for charging. The length and width, respectively, are 11 and 16 cm, the thickness is 8 mm. The device is very light (only 160 gr). Management built into buttons on the case. Works with 8 most popular text formats (additional 4 graphics).
Important! There is no backlighting and flipping of the screen, and there is also no audio output.
Advantages:
- screen technology safe for long time reading;
- a light weight;
- low cost.
Flaws:
- no screen backlight
- no touch control;
- no audio output and WiFi.
Prices on DIGMA E654 on Yandex Market:
Amazon Kindle PaperWhite 2018 8Gb
American Amazon has released the fourth generation of its Kindle readers. The gadget has a high cost (about 10,000 rubles), but it is equipped with improved functionality. The classic 6 inch e-ink screen and body are waterproof. Full touch control, account support on the manufacturer’s website, which can convert formats that are not included in the settings. The screen resolution with 20 backlight options is 1440×1080, 300 ppi. Supports several formats, but the main one is Mobi, there is also audio for headphones and popular graphic formats. There are no additional memory cards, but the main volume exceeds 8 MB. Weight — 180 gr, dimensions: 116/162/8.
Advantages:
- excellent assembly, the screen and the case are in the same plane, there are no gaps;
- updating pages with swipes is fast;
- good autonomy, with active use for several hours, it lasts for 2 weeks;
- conversion to the preferred format through the manufacturer’s corporate account.
Flaws:
- high price;
- moisture resistance does not protect against hot steam in the bathroom;
- to save battery, you need to switch to flight mode;
- does not support all formats.
Prices on Amazon Kindle PaperWhite 2018 8Gb on Yandex Market:
ONYXBOOX Monte Cristo 4
A metal e-book with a protective glass from a Hong Kong manufacturer is made very well and costs even more than its American counterpart (more than 10 thousand rubles). In delivery is eco leather case, cables. Compared to earlier versions, the performance supported by the quad-core processor has been improved. The screen with 16 shades of gray has 1073X1478 pixels, 300 ppi. 8 GB memory, expandable up to 32 GB with a card. 3000 mAh battery.
Advantages:
- backlight adjustment in two tones (warm/cold), high brightness;
- high quality protective glass (similar to GorillaGlass for expensive smartphones);
- control of touch buttons (similar to a smartphone on Android);
- Wi-Fi gives access to electronic libraries;
- works with a large number of text and graphic formats;
- has not only a built-in dictionary, but also a translator.
Flaws:
- the premium segment gadget does not have a universal USB-C connector;
- The interface is not intuitive, you have to figure it out.
Prices on ONYXBOOX Monte Cristo 4 on Yandex Market:
PocketBook 740
The oldest manufacturer of readers with Ukrainian roots and sales around the world offers an increased screen size of 7.8”, while the body of the reader is as thin as possible (weight 210 g). Excellent screen resolution of 1871×1414, 300 ppi with built-in backlight and the ability to rotate the image with «electronic ink» 360 degrees. It has a large list of supported formats. The main feature is downloading books from mail or through wifi/dropbox.
Users complain about the poor quality of the case and the lack of a bumper or case at the initial purchase. 1400 mAh battery.
Advantages:
- large screen with good resolution;
- a combination of buttons and sensors;
- convenient loading procedure;
- long battery life.
Flaws:
- The software does not always work without errors;
- «Flimsy» case requires protection.
Prices on PocketBook 740 on Yandex Market:
How to make an e-book from a tablet
If there is a need to read books from a tablet, then first of all it is worth checking apps installed by the developer (such as the iBook on Apple, which allows you to download books in EPUB format).
If the computer is developed on Android, then the GoodlePlay basic application with popular services will come to the rescue. MoonReader or CoolReader (the most common formats are TXT and fb2).
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