What tablet is the best to read manga

[kinggg!]

hello world !
im looking to buy a tablet to read manga what tablet should i buy ?
plssss helllppp
cheeerss !
world!

[Agent 9]

More info is needed; things like what kinds of files they are (PDF, ZIP, RAR, CBR, JPG only, and so on), how many you have and how large they are (is it only a series or two that is barely at a few GB, or is it the ultra collection spanning tens to hundreds of GB; or are you mostly reading online -at that my question would be why), are you OK with reading on a small/ tiny screen (I have personally found the XGA 4:3 10.1" screen on my F5 to be too small to comfortably read manga/ comics and I usually opt for my Motion Computing M1400 @ XGA 4:3 12.1", HP 2730p @ WXGA 16:10 12.1"; or my newest T4220 with its SXGA+ screen @ 4:3 12.1"; and when my Toshiba M4 was together the SXGA+ 4:3 14" screen was really easy to read on casually -there really is a large difference between below 10" and 12.1" and above), how long of battery life do you really need, and when at home or such would you line a dock that can hold in in portrait mode (the M1400, LE1600, and LE1700 have these, on my M1400 I find it irreplaceable)

If your only purpose for this device is to read manga then I suggest you take a good look at the Motion Computing M1400 or LE1600 on ebay as you can get them for $100-300 easily for a good one that has some extras; they are right at 3lbs, should get 3+ hrs on a 'new' battery, can have the ram upgraded to 2GB and runs windows 7 pretty well, has amazing pen response (pen only devices, no touch), optional 'flex dock' is a great at-home addition, and most importantly have amazing screens (the M1400 was standard with it, on the LE1600 its called the 'view anywhere' option and its well worth it). The LE1600 is the better of the two options because it has a fan where the M1400 does not (sometimes it can really heat up), and the LE1600 has a better processor and GPU so it should be able to handle stuff a bit better, plus the LE1600 has a SD card slot and a much nicer pen.

[KLF]

My tc4400 12.1" vs. 7" Nook Color (first IPS android I got my hands on). Wide format in portrait works well for comics, very little wasted space. 12.1" can display two pages at once but the laptop is much heavier. For comic reading only, a simple android tablet is very good choise.

...off to my next quest, how to thumbnail images on this new forum...

[Agent 9]

@KLF
Not to be rude, but your comparison is terribly flawed, you really have to put both of those in portrait mode, or both in landscape mode for it to even appear like it would when using either... there is simply no comparison between a 12.1+" in portrait mode to a 10" (let alone 7") in portrait mode, I have the devices in front of me, I've used them for several months, and I spend several hours a week reading comics, manga, books and so on... in actual use screen size is king

[KLF]

Why would I put the laptop in portrait mode, if I'm using it on the desk as any other laptop. That thing weighs 5x more than the nook, it cannot be held on my chest while I lay on sofa (I tried it, once), let alone hold it in my hands like a book and it isn't comfortable enough to keep on my lap while sitting (it has hard edges, after a while it runs at +70C and still weighs a ton). The only real use scenario is sitting at my desk where I have other computers and displays to choose from.

The top picture is actual "what I see is what I get" situation. In the orientation they are actually used. One page zoomed to screen height looks just like that. Of course I have the option to have two pages side by side, like in that first picture actually is. Actual visible comic isn't much more than a 7" provides. Smaller and lighter tablet is also held closer like a an actual paper comic book would be.

Portrait mode would rock, if the laptop itself would be usable.

If only my 2530p was a convertible 16:10 suits great for displaying one page at a time in portrait but in the end I'm using my desktop monitor for most reading.

[e-schreiber]

I read comics regularly on my HP TM2. I truly appreciate its versatility and I use it as my main computer, but when I read comics in it, I wish it was lighter. Don't get me wrong, it's not agonizing, but I don't find it ideal either. If the OP will be using the tablet solely for comics, I'd recommend something dirty cheap like the Onda VI30 Android tablet.

If, however, the tablet will be used primarily for comics but also for work/school, I'd suggest a slate Tablet PC such as the HP Slate 2, Fujitsu Q550 or Dell ST. The choice of going with a new (about $800) or used would depend on his budget. A used Slate 500 can be found for less than $500.

Although bearable, I think 7" is a bit too small for reading comics.... The other thing I'd say is, I'd pick a device with an aspect ratio of 16:10 or 4:3. In my opinion, 16:9 is too narrow for any task.

Which comic book reader do you guys use? I use ComicRack.

[Agent 9]

I have most of mine in zip, rar, cbr, or just pictures in a folder, and I usually use CDisplay when in Windows (the latest 1.8 version, it should be on CNET), for me it works nice because its a easy to use full screen viewer that is resource light, I can just click on the screen with the pen or I can bind tablet keys to act as arrow keys to advance forward or backward [I think you need to check the 'Alternative Arrow Keys for Tablet PCs' box], I also set it to 'fit height' so I'm only panning side to side. In linux the best I've used so far is qComic.

Most of the comics and manga I read are a tad wide for a 16:10 device in portrait and usually need a bit of side to side panning, and most are a bit too narrow to fully fill a 4:3 deice in portrait so there are usually small vertical bars on the sides.


I still think a used Motion computing M1400 or LE1600 is a great option that should be given some serous thought because you get such quality (screen, and build quality) and its a great size/ weight for the price, and they are way more than capable enough to handle this sort of thing. But the LE1600 is overall a better solution IMO.


@KLF
Well, while the TC4400 may run hot and is heavy (it is really quite heavy) it should still be very usable in portrait tablet mode, though you may be more comfortable propping it up on a knee or against something, and with how much easier it is to read a full page it should be worth the trouble (that's subjective, I know). Comparatively the Motion slates I think are the best option are pretty thin at under an inch and right at 3lbs and very conductive to portrait mode use, especially if you put in in the flex dock (it becomes heavier, and takes up a good footprint, but it will hold it very steady without issue on a desk or even on your lap)

[e-schreiber]

I have most of mine in zip, rar, cbr, or just pictures in a folder, and I usually use CDisplay when in Windows (the latest 1.8 version, it should be on CNET),

Mine are all CBR/CBZ. I used to use CDisplay when reading on my TC1100, but I switched to Comical. On my TM2, I prefer to take advantage of the 9 touch "zones" recognized by ComicRack to perform zooms, page flips, page scrolls, fullscreen, etc. It's a pretty heavy program, though.

I still think a used Motion computing M1400 or LE1600 is a great option that should be given some serous thought because you get such quality (screen, and build quality) and its a great size/ weight for the price, and they are way more than capable enough to handle this sort of thing. But the LE1600 is overall a better solution IMO.

I just checked them out. They seem like good options for the price. Very cheap stuff.

[seaturn]

Mine are all CBR/CBZ ....I just checked them out. They seem like good options for the price. Very cheap stuff.

I's a compressed zip/rar format CB. Not tried in Windows but in Linux with Dophin or Nautilus (explorers) the CRR/CBZ files can be exploded inito jpg or png files.

Addition: Old tablets are quite heavy. Not comfortable to hold.