Hi just asking the above question
Hi just asking the above questionI know they work on the Borders "Nook" E-Book reader. As long as it is not an image and an actual created PDF of the book and can search the PDF as normal you should be able to read the Pathfinder PDF's on most ebook readers.
Good luck.
Just to give a slight correction for those who might go seeking a product in the wrong store:
The nook is the Barnes & Noble e-reader. Borders has one as well though, called the Kobo (although it's somewhat lower-end than either the nook or Kindle.)
|
I got this off of Amazon's site on the Kindle page:
Improved, Built-In PDF Reader
Native PDF support allows you to carry and read all of your personal and professional documents on the go. With Amazon's Whispernet service, you can send your documents directly to your Kindle and read them anytime, anywhere. Now you can add notes and highlights, use the dictionary look-up, and read password-protected PDFs. You can also magnify PDFs by viewing them in landscape mode, and zoom into any area of a PDF up to 300% and pan to easily view small print and detailed tables and graphics. You also have the option to have your PDF document converted to the Kindle format so that it reflows. Learn More
It seems to me that the Kindle would be able to handle the Pathfinder PDFs with no problems... anyone with a Kindle here?
While I can't speak to the improved display on the new Kindle DX or Kindle 3, I can answer some questions about using the Kindle 2 with the Pathfinder pdfs.
Here is the basics about using Pathfinder pdfs on any Kindle, make sure the file is by chapter or you'll be waiting a while when you go to the next page. Most of my Pathfinder pdfs come in chapters (except the Companion and Tales; I just subscribed to the Campaign Setting books, so I'll have to wait to see).
The smaller size file also makes it easy to carry just what you want to have. (I used my Kindle to carry stats for my Kingmaker villains. I also had my Kindle read the GameMastery Guide's word list after cutting and pasting it to word.)
Problems do exist on the Kindle 2, the display has difficulty with layers. The Orcs of Golarion, for example, has blocky gray rectangles instead of smooth text. This may be fixed with the Kindle 3's improved reader, but I don't have one to compare it with.
I have purchased a Kindle DX to help with displaying (actual display size, 9.7" vs. 6") pdfs. I like the idea of having my library in one magazine-sized device, even if it's not in pretty color.
I have also made a iPhone movie using the Kindle 2 with Pathfinder pdfs (I used Souls for Smuggler's Shiv as well as the new Player's Guide, so possible spoilers if you can read the text displyed).
Hope that helps.
|
While I can't speak to the improved display on the new Kindle DX or Kindle 3, I can answer some questions about using the Kindle 2 with the Pathfinder pdfs.
Here is the basics about using Pathfinder pdfs on any Kindle, make sure the file is by chapter or you'll be waiting a while when you go to the next page. Most of my Pathfinder pdfs come in chapters (except the Companion and Tales; I just subscribed to the Campaign Setting books, so I'll have to wait to see).
The smaller size file also makes it easy to carry just what you want to have. (I used my Kindle to carry stats for my Kingmaker villains. I also had my Kindle read the GameMastery Guide's word list after cutting and pasting it to word.)
Problems do exist on the Kindle 2, the display has difficulty with layers. The Orcs of Golarion, for example, has blocky gray rectangles instead of smooth text. This may be fixed with the Kindle 3's improved reader, but I don't have one to compare it with.
I have purchased a Kindle DX to help with displaying (actual display size, 9.7" vs. 6") pdfs. I like the idea of having my library in one magazine-sized device, even if it's not in pretty color.
I have also made a iPhone movie using the Kindle 2 with Pathfinder pdfs (I used Souls for Smuggler's Shiv as well as the new Player's Guide, so possible spoilers if you can read the text displyed).
Hope that helps.
For your information, other than th first couple of them, all the Chronicles/Campaign Setting Books come with a file per chapter version.
|
For anybody concerned with the old Kindle's inability to zoom on PDFs (which in turn caused readability issues since some of the books have small font sizes), Amazon has the following in their Kindle 3 copy:
Improved, Native PDF support allows you to carry and read all of your personal and professional documents on the go. With Amazon's Whispernet service, you can send your documents directly to your Kindle and read them anytime, anywhere. Now you can add notes and highlights, use the dictionary look-up, and read password-protected PDFs. You can also magnify PDFs by viewing them in landscape mode, and zoom into any area of a PDF up to 300% and pan to easily view small print and detailed tables and graphics. You also have the option to have your PDF document converted to the Kindle format so that it reflows.
My interest is now piqued pretty significantly, so if anybody has some hands-on experience, I'm interested to hear about it.
|
For anybody concerned with the old Kindle's inability to zoom on PDFs (which in turn caused readability issues since some of the books have small font sizes), Amazon has the following in their Kindle 3 copy:
Improved, Native PDF support allows you to carry and read all of your personal and professional documents on the go. With Amazon's Whispernet service, you can send your documents directly to your Kindle and read them anytime, anywhere. Now you can add notes and highlights, use the dictionary look-up, and read password-protected PDFs. You can also magnify PDFs by viewing them in landscape mode, and zoom into any area of a PDF up to 300% and pan to easily view small print and detailed tables and graphics. You also have the option to have your PDF document converted to the Kindle format so that it reflows.My interest is now piqued pretty significantly, so if anybody has some hands-on experience, I'm interested to hear about it.
+20... the search for the elusive tester of this new PDF support goes on... :)
the search for the elusive tester of this new PDF support goes on... :)
I downloaded Prince of Wolves, hooked my kindle 2 up to the computer, and copied the file into the 'documents' folder. Once I disconnected the book was listed among my other kindle books. When I opened the book with the kindle, it opened fine and looked good, but the text was very small. After playing with it for a bit, the only 'readable' option for me was to turn the screen sideways (using the aA button which gives that option). Once I did that, it was very readable, but lines that appeared at the top of the '2nd half' of each page would randomly be cut off making that option worthless.
Basically, the only way to read a Pathfinder Tales book on the kindle 2 would be in the original 'extremely small' text (this seems to be the result of very big margins in the PDF or the addition of the watermark text which increases the boundaries of the PDF). It pretty much won't work for me and I'm guessing quite a few other people. I heard the kindle 3 has better PDF support, but I don't have one of those to test the PDF with.
|
iPad handles them very well. The only problem is the font they use for headers drops the letter A. Weird.
The A problem has been long standing issue, it aflicts the OSX, iPad/iPhone native readers, and also the "goodreader" product which comes highly recommended.
As I understand from the tech crew around here it has to do with having a font which may not be 100% kosher with the PDF spec, but some readers handle it and others don't.
|
|
iPad handles them very well. The only problem is the font they use for headers drops the letter A. Weird.The A problem has been long standing issue, it aflicts the OSX, iPad/iPhone native readers, and also the "goodreader" product which comes highly recommended.
As I understand from the tech crew around here it has to do with having a font which may not be 100% kosher with the PDF spec, but some readers handle it and others don't.
Why can't Paizo fix the font so it works with everything? I'll take an "All Arial" PDF over any other fancy font if it means more reliability...
|
|
......I might bite the bullet and take one for the team... I think I'll order K3 with this fancy PDF support and try it out... darn online sales: hopefully it comes with a return policy in case the Paizo PDFs (especially the novels) read like crap... :P
I did a little digging today, and this is apparently an upgrade to the "improved" PDF support offered to Kindle 2 users as a software upgrade earlier this year. They don't have the extra fonts but they did get the zoom ability. Anybody who has a Kindle 2 who can provide some insight?
I'd buy one, but I know 90% of its use would come from gaming, so I want it to be 100% compatible.
|
......I might bite the bullet and take one for the team... I think I'll order K3 with this fancy PDF support and try it out... darn online sales: hopefully it comes with a return policy in case the Paizo PDFs (especially the novels) read like crap... :P
I have a Kindle 2 and PDF display is very small - the whole page in the tiny screen at once. Zoom doesn't work and the only way to read PDFs is sideways and that's not great either. The only way I found PDFs to be palatable was converting them to the mobi format previously. Caliber will do that for you and will also keep your ebook library sorted but not in original pdf format. Same thing goes for novels, I always convert them to prc/mobi to make them readable.
Just my experience, I hope it helps.
While not Pazio-specific, the sole complaint that my friend has about it, who otherwise loves her Kindle, is that .PDFs are routinely wonky.
|
|
I have a Kindle 2 and PDF display is very small - the whole page in the tiny screen at once. Zoom doesn't work and the only way to read PDFs is sideways and that's not great either. The only way I found PDFs to be palatable was converting them to the mobi format previously. Caliber will do that for you and will also keep your ebook library sorted but not in original pdf format. Same thing goes for novels, I always convert them to prc/mobi to make them readable.
Just my experience, I hope it helps.
The Kindle 3 has advertised "improved PDF support" which is what I think everybody is curious about. Question for you though, have you applied the PDF patch for the Kindle 2? It was supposed to add the zoom feature. I know the earlier Kindle models had major complaints regarding the lack of zoom, but it's supposedly fixed (for the Kindle 2 now too). That's something we're interested in getting a better feel on regarding its usability.
|
|
Why can't Paizo fix the font so it works with everything? I'll take an "All Arial" PDF over any other fancy font if it means more reliability...iPad handles them very well. The only problem is the font they use for headers drops the letter A. Weird.The A problem has been long standing issue, it aflicts the OSX, iPad/iPhone native readers, and also the "goodreader" product which comes highly recommended.
As I understand from the tech crew around here it has to do with having a font which may not be 100% kosher with the PDF spec, but some readers handle it and others don't.
here here!
Some of the PFS scenarios come with missions written in some crap-ass font that is near impossible to read even printed out! Sure it looks all cool and wavy and such. Just almost completely worthless other than that! The font they used in Prince of Darkness for the flavor text was so bad I still have no idea what it says. Not worth my time to try and decipher stupid fonts.
Seems like they have been playing with horrible fonts more often as of late. I really really hope they get over that phase and get on with honest to goodness real design and layout.
|
sorry if i double post but the boards seem to have eaten my post. I am no longer a board virgin. I have the graphite kindle dx 9.7. I am still loading several books onto it. The books look really good to me at least, crisp although the text might be to small for some eyeballs. There is a zoom, go to page and search. The page turn speed seems to be dependent on size and images, the faction guide varies between 1 and 3 seconds. Prince of Wolves, pretty much instant. I will try to get up a video in the next week after i learn the UI and get some free time(school starts) and a variety of books onto the device.
|
|
sorry if i double post but the boards seem to have eaten my post. I am no longer a board virgin. I have the graphite kindle dx 9.7. I am still loading several books onto it. The books look really good to me at least, crisp although the text might be to small for some eyeballs. There is a zoom, go to page and search. The page turn speed seems to be dependent on size and images, the faction guide varies between 1 and 3 seconds. Prince of Wolves, pretty much instant. I will try to get up a video in the next week after i learn the UI and get some free time(school starts) and a variety of books onto the device.
Awesome. When you do your video can you show a few things including:
1. PDF searching: type "code of conduct" and see how fast it gets there...
2. Font: go to PRPG core book section and show how the feats headers look like, trying to hone in on "As"... "Agile Maneuvre" feat for example has an "A" in the header font...
3. Prince of Wolves: show me how it looks and how fast it flips through! :)
4. Flipping between opened PDFs: I intend to bring my whole Paizo library with me on this thing, and I'd like to see how fast you can switch between two or three books...
That is all! thank you! :)
|
|
You will need a Kindle 2 or Kindle 3, and you'll only get B&W.
Plus, it's not backlit. I've enjoyed my Kindle 2, but PDF docs are not its strongest suit.
The iPad, on the other hand, is ideal.
It's in full color, it's obviously backlit, and there are several apps (iBooks, GoodReader) that allow you flip the pages left to right, as if it were a book.
Of course, $500 - $800 is a *lot* of cash to shell out for a PDF reader.
|
|
4. Flipping between opened PDFs: I intend to bring my whole Paizo library with me on this thing, and I'd like to see how fast you can switch between two or three books...That is all! thank you! :)
Actually this raised an interesting thought for me, does the kindle keep bookmarks external to the pdfs, like is there a list of all your bookmarks allowing you to jump from that menu directly into a book, or do you have to open a book first and then get the book marks.
|
|
You will need a Kindle 2 or Kindle 3, and you'll only get B&W.
Plus, it's not backlit. I've enjoyed my Kindle 2, but PDF docs are not its strongest suit.
The iPad, on the other hand, is ideal.
It's in full color, it's obviously backlit, and there are several apps (iBooks, GoodReader) that allow you flip the pages left to right, as if it were a book.Of course, $500 - $800 is a *lot* of cash to shell out for a PDF reader.
And it would mean giving money to the evil empire. ;-)
In seriousness, the Kindle is a favorable product because it's e-ink based and as a result has a battery life that borders on insanity. It's also currently the platform with the most books available. There are a lot of very good reasons to go Kindle over iPad, and cost is only one of them.
You will need a Kindle 2 or Kindle 3, and you'll only get B&W.
Plus, it's not backlit. I've enjoyed my Kindle 2, but PDF docs are not its strongest suit.
The iPad, on the other hand, is ideal.
It's in full color, it's obviously backlit, and there are several apps (iBooks, GoodReader) that allow you flip the pages left to right, as if it were a book.Of course, $500 - $800 is a *lot* of cash to shell out for a PDF reader.
And it would mean giving money to the evil empire. ;-)
In seriousness, the Kindle is a favorable product because it's e-ink based and as a result has a battery life that borders on insanity. It's also currently the platform with the most books available. There are a lot of very good reasons to go Kindle over iPad, and cost is only one of them.
I use the best of both worlds. The Kindle app on my ipad. And with Hero Labs coming down the pike, and multi-tasking in the next update, I think it's the ideal machine for gaming. Full color pdf's look great, and I use sound clips (Through speakers), and can google pictures when I want the players to see what something looks like.
PS: I agree about the evil empire comment, but they just make such cool stuff they're hard to ignore ;).
|
|
the core book seems to go real slow :( The bestiary does not do too bad, it varies 1 ta 3. I will check on the bookmarks. I am gonna try to figure out a way to speed up the corebook by changing its format.
What is your satisfaction overall? how good is this thing purely as a gaming aid? (i.e. to carry all your Paizo PDFs...) Any problem memory-limit-wise?
|
|
You will need a Kindle 2 or Kindle 3, and you'll only get B&W.
Plus, it's not backlit. I've enjoyed my Kindle 2, but PDF docs are not its strongest suit.
The iPad, on the other hand, is ideal.
It's in full color, it's obviously backlit, and there are several apps (iBooks, GoodReader) that allow you flip the pages left to right, as if it were a book.Of course, $500 - $800 is a *lot* of cash to shell out for a PDF reader.
And it would mean giving money to the evil empire. ;-)
In seriousness, the Kindle is a favorable product because it's e-ink based and as a result has a battery life that borders on insanity. It's also currently the platform with the most books available. There are a lot of very good reasons to go Kindle over iPad, and cost is only one of them.
I Own a iPad, and it wins as a DMing aid, between Pages where I keep my notes/npcs/advanced monsters, PFR which is a search-able PRD, and all the PDFs. Still if I wanted to read novels I would prefer a kindle for the eInk. really two devices two purposes, if you can only afford one, you have to decide on your purpose. I really want an iPad with a kindle glued to the back :)
|
|
PS: I agree about the evil empire comment, but they just make such cool stuff they're hard to ignore ;).
How is Apple worse then Microsoft?
Amazon was the company who reached out and took books that people have purchased off their Kindles through the ether. All the more ironic is the book that big brother deleted was 1984.
All three of these companies work first for their shareholders and then for you the customer, none of them are evil. Just profit driven, and there is nothing implicitly wrong in that.
PS: I agree about the evil empire comment, but they just make such cool stuff they're hard to ignore ;).How is Apple worse then Microsoft?
Amazon was the company who reached out and took books that people have purchased off their Kindles through the ether. All the more ironic is the book that big brother deleted was 1984.
All three of these companies work first for their shareholders and then for you the customer, none of them are evil. Just profit driven, and there is nothing implicitly wrong in that.
I don't respect any company that takes choice out of the consumers hands, and decides that it knows what is best for you. "The one button mouse", because you don't need another one, it will confuse you...The App store...We're here to protect you from buying bad stuff...By golly! I'm an American I want the right to buy bad stuff if I want too. Flash...No it's bad we're not going to let you use it on our phones...not to mention if you've ever tried to resolve anything on tech support you're treated like crap. this while maybe not strictly evil...and that was really just a play on words is socialistic, and even totalitarianism.
I actually once spoke to a woman in tech support for my stolen I phone and was getting nowhere so I asked her to speak to a supervisor. She then informed me she didn't have a supervisor, at which point I asked her if she was Steve Jobs, to which she replied, as far as you're concerned I am.
|
|
I don't respect any company that takes choice out of the consumers hands, and decides that it knows what is best for you. "The one button mouse", because you don't need another one, it will confuse you..
One, they don't not allow you to have a multibutton mouse, it just isn't what ships with the computer. The current line of touch bad lapstops and apple mice all support multi button as is, you just need to turn it on through the painfully obvious options screen. Or you can just plug in any other mouse.
The App store...We're here to protect you from buying bad stuff...By golly! I'm an American I want the right to buy bad stuff if I want too. Flash...
Can't disagree with the app store, but they aren't far off on the flash thing, but you can ask the android users about [urhttp://www.electronista.com/articles/10/08/19/flash.on.android.seen.too.slow.and.unoptimized/]that[/url]
No it's bad we're not going to let you use it on our phones...not to mention if you've ever tried to resolve anything on tech support you're treated like crap. this while maybe not strictly evil...and that was really just a play on words is socialistic, and even totalitarianism.I actually once spoke to a woman in tech support for my stolen I phone and was getting nowhere so I asked her to speak to a supervisor. She then informed me she didn't have a supervisor, at which point I asked her if she was Steve Jobs, to which she replied, as far as you're concerned I am.
I've only had positive tech support calls, but customer support is people and mileage will vary. There is of course almost no other source of tech support that actually supports a windows computer, software companies point to microsoft, who point you back at your clone dealer, or OEM store, who just shrug. I've once been told by a maker of an MP3 player whose drivers smoked my windows machine that it couldn't be there product because it was "hot in the market" seriously, popularity protects one from writing bad software.
Apple represents a small fraction of the market, and isn't manipulating the market to make everyone do it there way. It is a totally opt in experience, and your entitled to your opinion.
Amazon is currently sold out on them. I'll be getting on of the new kindles are the 10th of September. Part of that was for all my Paizo PDF's. So, I'll see then how good the Improved PDF reader really is.
I'm in the same boat as you. My laptop's practically dead, so I needed something for reading the multitude of PDFs granted by my classes without the potential of getting distracted by website browsing. Space at the gaming table also seems to always be at a premium, no matter what, so I'm hoping to condense my spot a bit as well.
Can't wait for the video, Mr. Hedges.
I'm also still holding out hope that Paizo will eventually release trimmed down PDFs aimed at eReaders or anyone who isn't won over by the graphical prettiness.
|
|
the core book seems to go real slow :( The bestiary does not do too bad, it varies 1 ta 3. I will check on the bookmarks. I am gonna try to figure out a way to speed up the corebook by changing its format.What is your satisfaction overall? how good is this thing purely as a gaming aid? (i.e. to carry all your Paizo PDFs...) Any problem memory-limit-wise?
I am satisfied with it as an e reader, very much so. As a pure gaming aid I am still figuring it out. As a dm if you need to flip fast, the pdf's are too variable to be reliable. You can do bookmarks, and that does seem to go faster. Also the basic web browser would give you access to the PRD or any site you wanted to bookmark. The 9.7 is 3g so it is always connected for free. As for the Ipad i do not like LCD screens for reading as they are difficult for me to retain and hurt my eyes. School just started this week so i hope to get some time with it this weekend. Our game is on monday nights I will try to use it and see how it goes.
As an aside: the PDFs work flawlessly on a modded PSP in the PSP Ebook Reader Homebrew Software.
I've heard the IPad handles them okay as well.
re: PSP are you referring to Bookr?
Zo
A friend of mine got an eReader for testing purposes at the University I go to and also DMs at a couple games. He was somewhat dissapointed in its performance (especially for the Paizo .pdfs - The Core rulebook and a few others are loaded with bookmarks and links which apparently make the device chug a ton) and the inability to quickly 'flip' to the book and page he needed, then over to another book. He claimed it was more or less a fancy but less efficient means of obtaining the information he needed when he needed it.
He's since just used a laptop for everything, including the Adventure Paths. Multiple tabs for different PDFs, the ability to quickly copy-paste text whenever it's necessary, and at the same time refer to any online topics or site makes it a much better tool in the long run.
Edit: I should probably note the eReader was an Amazon product.
DigMarx: PSP = Playstation Portable
|
|
The iPad so far is great with the Core rule book. Granted it is a little slow some times but it is because of all those book marks.
For just going to a specific page or table of contents then going whet needed it's fine.
Other PDFs work flawlessly. In fact I wonder how hard it would be to drop the extra book marks in the core book. I suspect the search would be much faster like the other PDFs.
Sean
Got my Kindle. Put APG (chapter by chapter not the hole book in one) on it, firstly it takes about 20 Seconds to load a chapter onto the screen then there is a lag of about 8-10 second per page change. I then asked amazon to convert the file to the kindle format (free service), now no lag on loading a chapter or page changes but as a example chapter 3 feats now take 12 page changes to get to the first bit of "rule" text (its only 3 pags in on the PDF)
So please Pazio release a Kindle version of all your rule books
|
|
So please Pazio release a Kindle version of all your rule books
Or in lieu of this, please release a "lite" version of your PDFs. Between the inability to read them on things like the Kindle (or the slower speed of the iPad), and the fact that printing anything takes a year and a day on older printers, I would hope we could get some kind of fix for this.
|
|
So please Pazio release a Kindle version of all your rule booksOr in lieu of this, please release a "lite" version of your PDFs. Between the inability to read them on things like the Kindle (or the slower speed of the iPad), and the fact that printing anything takes a year and a day on older printers, I would hope we could get some kind of fix for this.
My iPad sure doesn't take 8 to 10 seconds to bring up a page. So slower, I would get your iPad checked out if it's taking that long because something isn't operating right.
I am now using the iBook PDF feature and it is smooth. It even has an option to see like 9 pages of the book at once which is great to check out the art work.
Sean
Hey guys. I just got my hands on a Kindle 3, WiFi only version. I tried putting on the individual chapters of the Core Rulebook and Advanced Player's Guide on the Kindle to read. It's horribly slow when looking at both feat chapters. The only difference is that the APG Feat chapter actually caused the Kindle to give up and boot me back to the home page.
I'm going to try copying text into .doc files and converting them through Amazon for Kindle use, since I was really wanting to use it when gaming.
Please, please, please, please Paizo, make stripped-down eReader-friendly PDFs! We would love you very much for it!
I have sented my kindle back due to it needing to be reset to factory settings twice because the wi-fi stopped working (and that i wanted something that could be used as a gaming aid, kindle to slow.
But as a book reader i could not fault it and if was not for the fact that i want a PDF reader (which i was hopping the kindle would do at a decent speed) i would still have and be using my kindle.
I am now looking at the handheld andriod systems at about 7" screen (for PDF's) any feed back on them then please reply to this post
|
|
Can any of the iPad users please let me know which app they are using to view the PDF.
I have just purchased the core rule book and when I view it using good reader ALL headings and sub headings are a garbled mush (it starts off with missing As but gets progressively worse as you go along).
As things stand the PDF is unusable.
Any advice would be really appreciated.
Speedwise I have no issues.
I use both good reader, and the built in books apps, both have the PDF issues.
So I tend to stick with PFR which is a PRD app that is search-able.
I've been using a few initiatives apps, I don't love any of them.