PDF rules and ereaders

[thebinmann]

Hi

Given that now nearly all rules are available as PDFs I wondered if they can be read on all ereaders/tablets. As I look to get one it might make the choice easier, I was thinking about Kindle in particular to have access to all the books too - though I suppose you might be able to read kindle on other pads (like ipad for exapmle....?).

Anyway will I be able to read pdfs on kindles etc?

Thanks

[Emir of Askaristan]

Hi,
I've got an iPad mini and use it for both reading ebooks (via the kindle app) and several sets of PDF wargames rules (Lasalle and Naval Thunder for example) as well as my digital subscription to Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy.  The rules and magazine downloads are accessed via iBooks - which is a PDF reader. I also get a car magazine which is interactive and opens as an app. 90% of my time online is accessed via the iPad and I've only very seldomly had any issues with sites (except those with flash and there are ways round that too).

I've used the iPad just like any other rule book when playing Lasalle and naval thunder and had no problems. The kindle app works fine but it's worth nothing that some books are just not set up for e publishing - the osprey campaign titles in particular suffer from having maps which are broken up over pages and are very poor. It's cheaper buying a second hand copy from amazon resellers!

Other than that, everything is good!

Hope that helped a little. Sorry I can't speak to the kindle - but if you get one with we access you should be able to open and read PDFs too. Check online and see.

[matakishi]

Kindles can read pdfs but unless you get a Kindle Fire or better they'll be in black and white.
There is a Kindle app for Apple devices and Android devices for the books and all of them can read pdfs too.

[Lowtardog]

Kindles can read pdfs but unless you get a Kindle Fire or better they'll be in black and white.
There is a Kindle app for Apple devices and Android devices for the books and all of them can read pdfs too.

Yup I e-mail pdfs to my Kindle, however you will find some unless they are formatted for Kindle may not give you as good a read as a hard copy set of rules e.g. tables will be over a number of pages etc.

I still print them off but use the kindle to have a shufty through when travelling etc. As said in black and white unless a fire etc

[Momotaro]

The Kindle is fine for image-light PDFs, or those with large text on the page.  Otherwise you can end up zooming in and scrolling around the page a lot just to read things, and files with lots of big colour pictures take ages to turn the pages.  For big RPG books, a tablet makes a lot of sense, although a number of games on DriveThruRPG now offer books in Kindle format, which "flows" the text on the screen.  Look for the .mobi files.

You'll also want to use a free e-reader library manager called Calibre, which is amazingly useful.  It can also convert PDFs to MOBI files, although it doesn't do a fantastic job.

EZPDFReader on Android has handled everything I've thrown at it on my Transformer tablet.  It handles 100MB+ image-heavy files that have caused every other apps to grind to a halt (including my Kindle, the Kindle app and the official Adobe Reader app for Android).  It also allows you to annotate and bookmark pages in the file.

The default library reader on my wife's iPad is also pretty decent, although I've heard good things about the GoodReader app too.

[Too Bo Coo]

I've got a ton of rulesets on my iPad, it's fantastic. I can also use it to take photos for AAR's and even look up info on the fly.  I also have my entire collection of KODT on the pad, so if you like comics and such, it's great for that as well...

[Westfalia Chris]

I've got an Android Samsung Galaxy Tablet and use it quite extensively for storing and accessing PDFs of various kinds. Proper text PDFs are best, scanned image PDFs depend strongly on the quality of the scan as I found out with some Judge Dredd collections (all quite decent, but some were rough if you zoomed in.

I use the Adobe PDF app and the pre-installed Polaris office software to open the PDFs, as the Adobe app doesn't work properly with some PDFs. Both give good service, but for some PDFs, the processing power is not fully up to scratch - the Mongoose Judge Dredd rules, for example, seem to be very pic-heavy and take quite a long time to load pages.

Best use I've found so far is for full rulebooks. For reference sheets or army lists, I've found it more practical and quicker to have a printout handy, but for the books, the automated search function (in text PDFs) is incredibly useful; also, you don't have to lug around all that much stuff.

Personally, I would go for a tablet as it has more additional functionalities compared to an e-reader. But if you don't plan on using these functions, the cheaper reader (if it does PDF) might be the better solution; personally, I am not too fond of the Kindle's content policy (in that you only purchase a "license" to read an e-book, and Amazon can pull it from your account and, the next time you synch your Kindle, from the reader too at their discretion), and prefer the PDF approach. Not everybody does that, though.

As for actual rules, I got the Force on Force rules plus the Bush Wars supplement, the aforementioned Judge Dredd rules, and a lot of Forgeworld PDFs from when they were available to download on their site, plus the stat cards for Dystopian Wars (useful to have all factions handy).

[thebinmann]

Hi

Wow, what amazing and extensive answers!

Thanks for all that, I guess now i know you can get a kibdle app for ipad I shuld go for ipad. But given prices it might have to be a mini

Cheers

Adam

[pauld]

I have a generic 10" android 4 tablet (my wife has one too)

I read rulebooks for fun   much as you would read novels and have many megabytes worth on the pad

EBookDroid is a great free program for PDF files and you can make your own bookmarks, pinch to zoom on the photos and scroll to wherever you want.  Full colour and fast too

Moon+ reader also handles pdfs very well along with standard epub and other formats

Great for learning rules and can also be taken to the table but I prefer to print out a QRS for actual play

a Kindle app handles my "normal" reading and a few strategy games ensure the tablet is used for at least an hour a day

the wife reads a lot of novels on hers and plays hours of match 3 games


Although I still love books and have a large library of reference books I find it unnatural  to read from a real book nowadays  

Tablets for wargamers = highly recommended.

[thebinmann]

Thanks

I do love a good book, but I think in the long run ereaders save space, time and money...

[Emir of Askaristan]

We aim to please!

The good thing about Apple is you can wander into a store and get them to give you  the low down and get your hands on and play. Check the refurbished link online for discounted iPads - you might score there !

If you have a local Waterstones (not sure where you're based..) you may get your mitts on a kindle fire too.

Ask a mate - someone you know is bound to have one or the other.

[Westfalia Chris]

Thanks

I do love a good book, but I think in the long run ereaders save space, time and money...

I hear you! I probably wouldn't have purchased the Dredd Complete Case Files in physical form, as I have faaaar too many books already, but in PDF form and at the reduced sales price I got them for I decided I'd go for it, and it was quite a revelation.

[thebinmann]

I hear you! I probably wouldn't have purchased the Dredd Complete Case Files in physical form, as I have faaaar too many books already, but in PDF form and at the reduced sales price I got them for I decided I'd go for it, and it was quite a revelation.

Haha, that is the series that is pushing me over the ereader. Though those bookers are lovely! How much are the kindles?

[Westfalia Chris]

Haha, that is the series that is pushing me over the ereader. Though those bookers are lovely! How much are the kindles?

Cannot comment on that - I got watermarked PDF versions from drivethrustuff.com which were on sale and went for 10-15$ each (so between 8-12 Euros apiece). They only have the Case Files 1-6, but those (IMHO) contain some of the best stuff, anyway.

[thebinmann]

cheers

Eyes open for the next sale