4 ms·

I want to switch fully to digital magazines (as PDFs or via the publishers apps), but I can't find the right hardware to do this. I've worked out that for almo

I want to switch fully to digital magazines (as PDFs or via the publishers apps), but I can't find the right hardware to do this. I've worked out that for almost 100% scaling of a magazine PDF, I need about a 13" screen, in 4:3 ratio (or thereabouts). 16:9 ratio is just too tall and thin. e-ink devices seem too expensive for this single use-case, as does the iPad Pro, which although ideal is massive overkill. I've even started going down the crazy route of trying to design something with a Raspberry Pi zero, and a HDMI LCD panel, but the power draw seems too prohibitive to make it viable. Does anyone have any other suggestions here?

squarefoot 5y ago
The RPi boards aren't the best choice for low current consumption, even other competing but similar ARM boards are better suited for that use. However, the main processor is just one of the power hungry devices: a LED screen needs its backlight on to be read, while an e-paper screens don't, and their power consumption falls to zero when the user is reading a still image, which also allows the processors to enter in extremely low power sleep modes. Making a reader with LCD/LED displays in my opinion is doable, but tuning the power consumption to save as much power as possible will require a lot of effort, and would never compare to e-readers anyway. However, if one accepts a heavier and more thick device, then yes, it's definitely doable, and could also become a better platform for other uses too.
abawany 5y ago
How about a Chromebook with a detachable screen (e.g. Lenovo Duet, Acer, or the HP X2)? These can run Android apps and thus support most digital magazine apps such as Zinio plus they often cost much less than a comparable ipad.
- mattowen_uk 5y ago
  I didn't realise you could get Chromebooks with detachable screens - I'll look into this - thanks!
dredmorbius 5y ago
For any current publications, you can probably get by with slightly reduced page-size, so a 10" device should still present most current and well-typeset content at full-page width. Most e-book readers have an option to specify in-page navigation of a document, generally into four quadrants, read either in "ᴎ" or "Z" flow (first is "article", second is "comic book" navigation"). This effectively quadruples screen resolution, at the cost of a slight decrease in fidelity to the original experience. Given the cost trade-offs in devices (~$340 for 7.8", $800 for 13.3") this may be acceptable. That said, I splurged on the 13.3" Max Lumi. The first time I was faced with a less-than-perfect scan of a three-column article first published in the 1970s that I could comfortably read at full size (with just a smidge of margin trim), it was worthwhile. If your budget constraint is stronger, you still have options. Most book texts read fine at 8", so the compromise is not something you'll be seeing all the time.

squarefoot 5y ago

The RPi boards aren't the best choice for low current consumption, even other competing but similar ARM boards are better suited for that use. However, the main processor is just one of the power hungry devices: a LED screen needs its backlight on to be read, while an e-paper screens don't, and their power consumption falls to zero when the user is reading a still image, which also allows the processors to enter in extremely low power sleep modes. Making a reader with LCD/LED displays in my opinion is doable, but tuning the power consumption to save as much power as possible will require a lot of effort, and would never compare to e-readers anyway. However, if one accepts a heavier and more thick device, then yes, it's definitely doable, and could also become a better platform for other uses too.

abawany 5y ago

How about a Chromebook with a detachable screen (e.g. Lenovo Duet, Acer, or the HP X2)? These can run Android apps and thus support most digital magazine apps such as Zinio plus they often cost much less than a comparable ipad.

mattowen_uk 5y ago
I didn't realise you could get Chromebooks with detachable screens - I'll look into this - thanks!

dredmorbius 5y ago

For any current publications, you can probably get by with slightly reduced page-size, so a 10" device should still present most current and well-typeset content at full-page width. Most e-book readers have an option to specify in-page navigation of a document, generally into four quadrants, read either in "ᴎ" or "Z" flow (first is "article", second is "comic book" navigation"). This effectively quadruples screen resolution, at the cost of a slight decrease in fidelity to the original experience. Given the cost trade-offs in devices (~$340 for 7.8", $800 for 13.3") this may be acceptable. That said, I splurged on the 13.3" Max Lumi. The first time I was faced with a less-than-perfect scan of a three-column article first published in the 1970s that I could comfortably read at full size (with just a smidge of margin trim), it was worthwhile. If your budget constraint is stronger, you still have options. Most book texts read fine at 8", so the compromise is not something you'll be seeing all the time.