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I've been considering purchasing a Tablet/eReader/something to bring to my PFS games. Something I can pull up in a hurry without having 2-3 giant books taking up valuable space. Has anyone experimented with different options? I'm ideally looking for something that I can keep multiple tabs from multiple PDFs open at the same time, create bookmarks that are easy to navigate, and something that isn't a beast to carry around (no laptops). Long battery life and limited glare would be nice, too, although since most games are only 4-5 hours I can just bring a charger if need be. I also don't own any Apple products, and I'd prefer not to start, but if there's something out there that fits the bill I can give it a shot.
Thanks in advance!
Asus makes excellent tablets, I own a transformer prime with the keyboard attachment and use the various pathfinder resources on the android market (most of which are free) to manage my characters and dice and keep track of my groups hp and spells and such. Can't speak for any other brands as I got my whole group in on the band wagon, so now they all have transformers, but I can say ive never had any issues with my tablet for the purposes of pathfinder.
Here's a couple with the keyboard docks for pretty cheap.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ASUS-Eee-Pad-Transformer-Prime-32GB-TF201-Plus-Free -docking-station-/130852845346?pt=US_Tablets&hash=item1e776ff722#ht_168 wt_913
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Asus-Transformer-Prime-32-GB-with-keyboard-and-acce ssories-/261172636016?pt=US_Tablets&hash=item3ccf1a2970#ht_178wt_913
Keep in mind, there are newer versions of the transformer line available, but theyre quite a bit more expensive than the prime.
I've always been moderately anti-apple, but my employer has provided me with an ipad and I'm quite fond of it. I use it as a reference at gaming. There is the price tag to consider though.
Kindle Fire is a good inexpensive option, though the screen is a bit small for reading game books. I believe that they've recently come out with a Kindle Fire with a larger screen, however.
I have the 8.7" Kindle Fire, and it works very well. I have not (yet) had any issues with power during our sessions, though it probably helps that I make sure it is charged right before each game.
I use a nexus 7 it doesn't have the price tag of the ipad and battery gets me well through our gaming sessions. I find myself using masterwork tools, I also hop on the srd with it, and have a few PDFs open as well. The PDF navigation will depend heavily on the app you are using I use adobes and another generic free reader if I want to have multiple PDFs opened at the same time and just swap between the two.
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I use a Nook tablet, myself, and, even though it isn't the newer bigger screen one, as long as I turn on rotation, and flip my Nook on its side, I can read the PDFs.
As mine is also rooted, it can run the various Android apps for PFS, including the one that lets you track scenarios and modules played and GMed, along with tracing which PC got the credit. It hand;es my 14 PCs just fine, and has an option for multiple players, in addition to multiple PCs per player.
Spellbook PF is a good app, lets you setup spellbooks individualized for each of your PCs.
And there are various and sundry apps for rolling dice and/or tracking initiative. Some of them can even track buffs & debuffs and such.
A tablet with a larger screen, and a keyboard option, would make a bunch of things easier, but would also be bigger.
My Nook, just like the Kindle, is similar in size to a thin paperback book.
The Nexus 7 is a very high-quality tablet, and also on the less expensive end. I use it all the time to look stuff up on the SRD and there are some other good Pathfinder apps for it.
The laptop is the best option, in my opinion. I have the iPad 3 and it is still too slow for my tastes.
That said, I would suggest a high end tablet if you decide to go that route. If you are a Hero Lab fan, the iOS version is slated for March.
But again, I have used both many times and I always revert to the laptop.
YMMV
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I use both an iPad and the Nexus 7. During a game though I'm far more likely to use the iPod touch to quickly lookup a spell or a status effect. The small size is so much less disruptive if you're at a table with 6 or 7 other people.
The other Kindles with e-ink do open PDF files, but the longer refresh between pages make them hard to use for reference. They are ok if you're reading a new PDF from front to back. Very painful if you're looking for a specific page.
In summary though, you can use a tablet to reference one or two PDFs during a game, but it's always a little rough switching back and forth or finding something that's not on the current page. The most effective use I've seen is for the GM to have the mod or scenario open on one, then have the other references available as physical books. As a player, a lot of the value of tablets comes from the apps available. Quickly finding the right rule or reference (even online) can press the game forward rather than waiting even a few minutes for someone to find a line in a physical book.
I still bring and use the core rule book, but I don't carry around the physical APG, UC, UM, etc.
I've had decent luck with the Toshiba Thrive. I keep my whole PF library on an 8-gig stick, and I can reference the rulebook pdf's with no problem.
I just picked up a 128GP Surface Pro. It'll run anything, including HeroLab (character sheet and combat tracker) and of course several open PDFs for all my rulebooks, and OneNote with the stylus lets you take handwritten notes including dropping in images, hyperlinks, tables, etc. It ain't cheap, but it ain't a toy either.
As an IT professional I would never buy an apple product. They are decent machines but are always ridiculously overpriced for what you get. You can always find another manufacturer that has a product that does the same thing for less money.
just my 2 cents.
In regards to the tablet data plan, bear in mind, so long as you have an android phone you can always use a third party tethering program, (foxfi or pdanet come to mind) tether your tablet to the phone, and run whatever internet-required stuff you have that way. You can also get a dongle or mini-hdmi cord for most modern phones that will connect to your tv and upscale whatever you need that way. (I have a flatscreen in our gameroom that is being used for maps and anything that needs to be blown up to size from my phone)
Personally, I'd recommend the Nexus 10 (which is manufactured by Samsung) as it's comfortable to hold, rugged, and has the best screen resolution of any tablet currently available: 300dpi same as your printer.
The only issue I've found is strictly an app issue and not a hardware issue. Simply put, while there are lots of good Android PDF viewers to be found, I have yet to find one that allows me to keep multiple PDFs open at the same time. Of course, nothing's to stop you from having several different PDF viewers open at the same time — switching between apps on the latest verions of Android is actually easier than doing so in Windows (IMO).