ipad for reading (not just golden-age) comics

[Roygbiv666]

Golden Age comics are much larger than modern comics.
I'd like to be able to read GA comics in at least full size.
Bob

Well, perhaps it is a little smaller, but is readable anyway,
and it has something the paper comics don't have: ZOOM.
(And you can carry hundreds of comics with you)

I'm old (60 yo) and can barely read paperbacks with small text in the best of situations.
I can't read most paperbacks at all with my bedside lamp.

Comic book art gets reduced for digest size comics but I generally don't like reading 'em that small.

Perhaps Zoom makes iPad comic book reading marginally doable, but I'm still waiting for a larger, non-proprietary 'epad'.
If it's back-lit, I'll be able to read in bed and maybe not disturb my wife.

My wide-screen laptop gives me full width of the 1600 dpi scans, but not a full page.

Was it Amazon that deleted books from buyers' Amazon reader?
I don't want ANY manufacturer access to any reader I buy.

Bob

Bob 

If zoom isn't an option, then the screen size is the trigger for comic reading - it would have to mimic the dimensions of a comic book PLUS have zoom.

Yes, Amazon deleted some stuff: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html

[Yoc]

If zoom isn't an option, then the screen size is the trigger for comic reading - it would have to mimic the dimensions of a comic book PLUS have zoom.

Exactly what I'd like Roy.
In my letter to Santa I asked for -
10x12, Windows or Linux, CDisplay usable, less than $600 if possible.

-Yoc

[JVJ (RIP)]

I'm old (60 yo) and can barely read paperbacks with small text in the best of situations.
I can't read most paperbacks at all with my bedside lamp.

DITTO! in spades! I just got a couple pair of bi-focals, which I've resisted, well, ever since I've needed them, I guess. Got a pair for general distance and reading and one for computer and reading. I'm 64 and, like you, Bob, I'm only reading a paperback with help.

Perhaps Zoom makes iPad comic book reading marginally doable, but I'm still waiting for a larger, non-proprietary 'epad'.

As with looking at art, seeing a portion of the page zoomed up is NOT the same for me as seeing the whole page larger. I would much rather have a feature like a digital magnifying glass that you can move over various portions of the image to enlarge them. Anyone with Adobe Bridge has seen this feature. They call it a Loupe, but the enlargement factor needs to be adjustable by the user.

If it's back-lit, I'll be able to read in bed and maybe not disturb my wife.

My wide-screen laptop gives me full width of the 1600 dpi scans, but not a full page.

A laptop with a rotatable screen was on the market a while back. Did it not survive? THAT would be a cool solution.

Was it Amazon that deleted books from buyers' Amazon reader?
I don't want ANY manufacturer access to any reader I buy.

Do I EVER agree with you there, Bob! Once I've paid for it, it's MINE. If I have the money, I don't see why I have to "rent" anything and business plans like "cloud computing," where you rent the software and NEVER own it, are rip-offs in my book - just another way to take money from otherwise loyal customers. Given a choice, I buy. Given NO choice other than renting, I walk.

Bob

Bob  

Peace, Jim (|:{>

[GeneYas]

Do I EVER agree with you there, Bob! Once I've paid for it, it's MINE. If I have the money, I don't see why I have to "rent" anything and business plans like "cloud computing," where you rent the software and NEVER own it, are rip-offs in my book - just another way to take money from otherwise loyal customers. Given a choice, I buy. Given NO choice other than renting, I walk.

Agreed.

Gene

[narfstar]

I have a rotateable screen tablet laptop. The problem is it is an older model, slow and heavy. A look on ebay shows that they can be purchased pretty cheaply now. While having some big advantages to the epads they are not as convenient for carrying around. Fujitsu had a smaller version that was very expensive but can be purchased used for a lot less now.

[Roygbiv666]

The great thing about technology is that it progresses.

I would think that a reader using some kind of e-ink or e-paper technology would be easier on the eyes that a backlight type of display.

Just stumbled across this:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/09/e-ink-shows-off-triton-color-epaper-touts-faster-performance-r/
"E Ink shows off Triton color ePaper, touts faster performance, readability in sunlight (video)"

The above sounds like a basic description of the concept, I'm unclear if this is available commercially, but it sounds cool

[Yoc]

Just did a Google for a couple of new iPad alternatives.
I'm still not sold on the screen size or the lack of a usb port with the iPad.
I'm also hearing iPad 2 will have an even smaller 7" screen.  

Names I've heard -
NVIDIA Tegra 2 - http://tinyurl.com/2crlfz9
Motorola Stingray Tablet - http://tinyurl.com/38am6yf
Dell Looking Glass Tablet - http://tinyurl.com/28ul7y2
Samsung Galaxy Tab - http://tinyurl.com/24x3vaj
and one that is for the far east only so far -
Woow Digital The One Tablet - http://tinyurl.com/24phpge

and the ones I found most interesting for their larger screen size (11.6"):
ExoPC Slate - http://tinyurl.com/35bjj48
and
Neofonie and 4tiitoo WeTab - http://tinyurl.com/26qc8f9

-Yoc

[narfstar]

I am waiting for them to sort out to see what shakes out as worthwhile. There is also viewsonic and zenithink

with ten inch versions.

[Snard]

Just did a Google for a couple of new iPad alternatives.
I'm still not sold on the screen size or the lack of a usb port with the iPad.
I'm also hearing iPad 2 will have an even smaller 7" screen.   

Names I've heard -
NVIDIA Tegra 2 - http://tinyurl.com/2crlfz9
Motorola Stingray Tablet - http://tinyurl.com/38am6yf
Dell Looking Glass Tablet - http://tinyurl.com/28ul7y2
Samsung Galaxy Tab - http://tinyurl.com/24x3vaj
and one that is for the far east only so far -
Woow Digital The One Tablet - http://tinyurl.com/24phpge

and the ones I found most interesting for their larger screen size (11.6"):
ExoPC Slate - http://tinyurl.com/35bjj48
and
Neofonie and 4tiitoo WeTab - http://tinyurl.com/26qc8f9

-Yoc

I know a number of people have already stated that a 7" screen is too small for their tastes, but I wanted to mention that I recently purchased a Nook Color for my wife (and she's letting me use it too). It has a 7" IPS (wide viewing angle) capacitive touch screen, with a resolution of 1024x600 (better than the 800x480 screens on many other 7" devices, and almost the same as the 10" iPad's 1024x768), and besides its ebook capabilities, it has wifi and a web browser. I've found comics to be very readable in my tests so far, using the "Preview" on DCM. If I turn the tablet sideways while previewing, the screen "auto-zooms" to show a single panel of the page at a time in greater detail.

I didn't buy this for comic viewing, and I too am intrigued by some of the 10" to 11" units that are coming out soon, but I wanted to share my positive experience.
(Edit: I should also mention that at US$249, this unit is very affordable compared to its competition)

[Yoc]

Thanks for sharing Snard.
I like the sound of Nook and would love to try a test drive but the idea of reading a comic panel by panel without enjoying the entire layout just sounds wrong to me.

Time will tell if any of these make it to market and get the needed marketing and software support to make a go of it.

-Yoc

[narfstar]

With the majority being google powered and with all the google aps I think they will make a good go. Just a shaking out of which brands make it with price and quality. I believe the viewsonic 10in is to be google and windows dual boot. My son has a druid and it has an app that runs like office. I would like to have a carry along spreadsheet in the classroom to keep track of things on the fly.

[John C]

I like the sound of Nook and would love to try a test drive

I didn't bother to do so and so don't know if they'll let you surf to your heart's content, but I did some last-minute shopping at Barnes and Noble on my way home, the other night (guiltily, as there's a huge independent shop a few blocks from my house, though lacking the enormous remaindered section), and right inside the entrance was a Nook kiosk.  Or a nook nook, if you prefer.

It looked like a typical sales counter, so they presumably let you play.

[Geo (RIP)]

I like the sound of Nook and would love to try a test drive

I didn't bother to do so and so don't know if they'll let you surf to your heart's content, but I did some last-minute shopping at Barnes and Noble on my way home, the other night (guiltily, as there's a huge independent shop a few blocks from my house, though lacking the enormous remaindered section), and right inside the entrance was a Nook kiosk.  Or a nook nook, if you prefer.

It looked like a typical sales counter, so they presumably let you play.

Yep, we have one here too John. From what I've seen, (haven't done it myself), they do let you "test drive" the Nook. For myself it's a bit on the small size, I would want a larger size screen, (my eyes aren't the best anymore, that's why I have a 17 inch laptop now).

Geo

[Cliffy]

A couple comments:

The tablet laptops are still around. They were never super popular bc the cost was significantly more than a comparable laptop w/o a swivel screen. I recently have seen ads for one where the screen rotates in a frame instead of around an axis which seems cool. I have no idea if it is cost effective. You gotta figure with the pads and netbooks out now that it could only survive if competitively priced.

I read comics on my iPod Touch and it works reSonBly well. The viewer I use is ComicZeal and it allows you to zoom as much as you want. Same thing with the preview comics on DCM thru the web browser. My eyes arent quite that bad but they ain't good. Obv you give up seeing the page all at once but you can look at it in whole then zoom in on dialogue as needed.

[Poztron]

Judging from a Fox golden age comic and a ruler I just used, the requirement for reading a GA comic full-size would be a 7" x 10" screen (which comes in at about 12" diagonally). To my mind, the question that then comes to mind is: if it takes nearly a laptop size screen to comfortably read a comic, would a tablet at that size have much advantage over a laptop, aside from being lighter and half as thick?

I do most of my vintage comic reading late in the evening at home on my computer (new Mac Mini, yay!) w/ monitor (Dell 19" flat panel - _very_ nice screen image) and that will just have to suffice for the time being.

I do dream about a perfect tablet, but wonder if I would really use it that much. The iPad still doesn't quite make sense to me: a crippled kinda computer which doesn't accommodate Flash, has no ports, has seemingly slow WiFi and doesn't run a full OS. I guess it does have the nifty touchscreen features of an iPhone, but those will probably soon be ubiquitous across the industry. (I've been an Apple user since 1984 and support their quality-driven approach. I just don't think that the iPad has quite reached where it needs to go. It needs to be a touchscreen full-powered computer in tablet format.) Or so it seems to me...