Best tablet for reading (non iOS)?


Recommended Posts

hello

im going to go for the ccna exam (well the first part) and ill have to read some ebooks so im looking for a tablet. not intrested in ereaders as they have no added functionality. i dont want a ipad either.

im looking at either a android device or microsoft's surface. most of you will say the nexus 7 but no sd card and no pen (to hightlight stuff easier for example) is a bit of a turn off.........the htc flyer looked pretty ok but has no support. the galaxy note is weird in the sense it that it doesnt have the size of a phone or a tablet and would be pretty hard to read.

right now the surface is my perfered choice even if it is not on the market.

suggestions?

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1092527-best-tablet-for-reading-non-ios/
Share on other sites

With its retina screen the new iPad is simply going to be the best bet when you're dealing with huge amounts of text, i.e. when reading a lot. iOS handles both PDF and ePub extremely well. Just bringing it to your attention.

With its retina screen the new iPad is simply going to be the best bet when you're dealing with huge amounts of text, i.e. when reading a lot. iOS handles both PDF and ePub extremely well. Just sayin'?

He said non-iOS in the thread title. So that isn't an option.

He said non-iOS in the thread title. So that isn't an option.

He did state some restrictions that I can't even name any tablets except Note and Flyer which comes with

  • Pen
  • SD Card Slot
  • Non-iOS
  • On sale as of right now

The surface will be out in Fall, but it won't be cheap.

  • Like 2

He said non-iOS in the thread title. So that isn't an option.

Hence the "Just bringing it to your attention"-part? I've seen people saying "no" to whatever product before, but sometimes it's simply the best solution available. In this case it's going to be the new iPad, hands down. Otherwise I'd say wait for the Microsoft Surface, but that could take another four months. Possibly even (much) longer if Microsoft isn't going for a worldwide launch. I'd definitely prepare for the latter if you're not an American/Canadian.

Can't beat the Nexus 7 in my book (pun intended)

im looking at either a android device or microsoft's surface. most of you will say the nexus 7 but no sd card and no pen (to hightlight stuff easier for example) is a bit of a turn off.........the htc flyer looked pretty ok but has no support. the galaxy note is weird in the sense it that it doesnt have the size of a phone or a tablet and would be pretty hard to read.

:)

http://www.airstash.com/

&

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC531ZM/A

(FULL control and usage of contents can be achieved via a simple jailbreak & iFile for example)

*cough*

Glassed Silver:mac

FYI, pen functionality is only on the Surface Pro (the x86 variant), which will be near enough a thousand dollars when it comes out. It also isn't likely out until December/January. That's quite a long time to wait, and quite a lot of cheddar for a reading device.

FYI, pen functionality is only on the Surface Pro (the x86 variant), which will be near enough a thousand dollars when it comes out. It also isn't likely out until December/January. That's quite a long time to wait, and quite a lot of cheddar for a reading device.

i really really really doubt its going to be 1000 bucks and afaik the surface pro/rt do not have the pen fucntionality but even if they dont, having a x86 processor is worth it.

He did state some restrictions that I can't even name any tablets except Note and Flyer which comes with

  • Pen
  • SD Card Slot
  • Non-iOS
  • On sale as of right now

The surface will be out in Fall, but it won't be cheap.

I don't think Flyer is on sale anymore. Is it? Only refurbished or second hand units might be available....

But I totally love my Flyer and would totally recommend it if he could get his hands on one. The only issue (not with me though) is that it will never get official ICS (or beyond for that matter).

I don't think Flyer is on sale anymore. Is it? Only refurbished or second hand units might be available....

But I totally love my Flyer and would totally recommend it if he could get his hands on one. The only issue (not with me though) is that it will never get official ICS (or beyond for that matter).

Not sure, but I saw a hot uk deals on the flyer not long ago, not sure if it was new or refurbished, but it was around 150-170.

If you want to use the device exclusively for reading, you are going to regret getting a device with an LCD display. I would highly recommend a device with e-ink, it's so much easier on the eyes. If you want a (multipurpose) tablet, then go for a Nexus 7.

If you want to use the device exclusively for reading, you are going to regret getting a device with an LCD display. I would highly recommend a device with e-ink, it's so much easier on the eyes. If you want a (multipurpose) tablet, then go for a Nexus 7.

the nook tablet i think has ips rite? i dont know any other android with e-ink.

i really really really doubt its going to be 1000 bucks and afaik the surface pro/rt do not have the pen fucntionality but even if they dont, having a x86 processor is worth it.

There are two variants, the Surface, and the Surface Pro. The 'normal' Surface is launching with Windows 8, and is powered by a Tegra 3 ARM processor. It does not have digital ink capability. The Surface Pro, launching a few months behind the Surface, has a ULV Core i5 processor, and the Surface Pro does have digital ink capability (but only on the Surface Pro). The Surface Pro hasn't had its pricing revealed, but it's priced in-line with current ultrabook pricing. A price point of $999 is very likely.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Save up to 87% on ChatPlayground AI lifetime subscriptions by Steven Parker Today's highlighted deal comes via our Apps + Software section of the Neowin Deals store, where for only a limited time, you can save up to 87% on ChatPlayground AI: lifetime subscriptions. ChatPlayground AI puts the world’s top AI models in one powerful interface, letting you enter a single prompt and instantly compare outputs from multiple models to choose the perfect response for your needs. Boost productivity and creativity with access to the latest AI giants like GPT-4o, Claude Sonnet 4, Gemini 1.5 Flash, DeepSeek V3, and dozens more — all in one window. Whether you’re chatting, coding, generating images, or refining prompts, ChatPlayground AI equips you with advanced tools like prompt engineering, image/PDF chat, saved conversations, and AI image creation, plus priority support to keep your workflow seamless. Access the world’s best AI models Side-by-Side Comparisons: Enter one prompt & instantly view results from multiple AI models to find the best output for your needs 40+ AI Models: Includes GPT-4o, Claude Sonnet 4, Gemini 1.5 Flash, DeepSeek V3, Llama, Perplexity, and many more Multi-Function Platform: Access AI for chat, image generation & coding all within a single interface Web Browser Extension: Offers a Chrome extension to seamlessly integrate the platform into your browsing workflow Boost productivity with powerful features ChatPlayground Interface: Designed for seamless AI model comparison in one window Prompt Engineering: Refine & optimize your prompts for better, more accurate responses Chat with Images & PDFs: Upload visuals and documents to get context-aware answers Saved Chat History: Keep track of past conversations for reference & ongoing projects AI Image Generation: Create high-quality visuals powered by top AI image models Priority Customer Support: Get faster assistance whenever you need it What you'll get with the Unlimited Plan Includes unlimited messages/month Built for prompt engineers, startups, and teams who run experiments nonstop Includes priority access to new features and future models Good to know Length of access: lifetime Redemption deadline: redeem your code within 30 days of purchase Access options: Desktop Max number of device(s): Unlimited Available to both NEW & Existing users Updates included A lifetime subscription to ChatPlayground AI (Unlimited Plan) normally costs $619, but you can pick it up for just $79 for a limited time - that represents a saving of $530 (87% off). Click the link below for more details, always check terms and specifications before making a purchase. Get this ChatPlayground AI (Unlimited) for $79 (was $619) There are also two other discounted plans to choose from. Although priced in U.S. dollars, this deal is available for digital purchase worldwide. Support queries If you have queries or need support for any of the Neowin Deals, please use the contact form here. Neowin Deals are managed and sold by StackCommerce who represent Neowin on an affiliate basis. Why we post these deals We post these because we earn commission on each sale so as not to rely solely on advertising, which many of our readers block. It all helps toward paying staff reporters, servers and hosting costs. So for those that keep moaning and complaining, be thankful we're still online for you to even do that. Other ways to support Neowin Whitelist Neowin by not blocking our ads Create a free member account to see fewer ads Make a donation to support our day to day running costs Subscribe to Neowin - for $14 a year, or $28 a year for an ad-free experience Disclosure: Neowin benefits from revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site powered by StackCommerce.
    • I like Tidal, but it still does not control devices from the mobile/app and still no surround support. And yeah re: above comment I still get a lot of network errors and I am on a 4/4 Gbit Fiber connection.
    • Aren`t "security features" and "AI model that can see your screen" a tad diametric!
    • Samsung, Amazon extend 990 PRO 2TB NVMe SSD deal beyond Prime Day 2026 by Sayan Sen Recently, we had Amazon's Prime Day 2026 sales wherein there were several great deals including on SSDs. One of those discounted components was the Samsung 990 PRO SSD as the 2TB variant of it was selling for $370, a very good price after a long time. Although that deal was supposed to expire today, Amazon has now extended that sale further (purchase link under the specs table down below). The 990 PRO is a PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD and still one of the fastest drives available today for under $400. Speaking of fast, sequential reads and writes are rated at 7450 MB/s and 6900 MB/s, respectively. The random throughputs for reads and writes are 1400K IOPS and 1550K IOPS, respectively. The 990 PRO is based on Samsung's 7th Gen V-NAND flash, and it too is TLC. It packs 2 gigs of LPDDR4 DRAM cache, which helps the random performance. The endurance rating for this is 1200 TBW (terabytes written), which should be sufficient for most users. The Samsung 990 PRO is compatible with the PlayStation 5, but if you are going to use the 990 PRO on a PC, check out the Samsung Magician app that lets you track your drive's health, update its firmware, customize various settings, and more. The technical specs of the Samsung 990 PRO 2TB are given in the table below: Specification Value Form Factor M.2 2280 Interface PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 NAND Flash Samsung V-NAND TLC Controller Samsung In-house Controller Cache Memory Samsung 2GB Low Power DDR4 SDRAM Sequential Read Speed Up to 7,450 MB/s Sequential Write Speed Up to 6,900 MB/s Random Read (4KB, QD32) Up to 1,400,000 IOPS Random Write (4KB, QD32) Up to 1,550,000 IOPS Random Read (4KB, QD1) Up to 22,000 IOPS Random Write (4KB, QD1) Up to 80,000 IOPS Operating Temperature 0°C to 70°C Reliability (MTBF) 1.5 Million Hours Endurance 1,200 TBW (Total Bytes Written) Get it at the link below: Samsung 990 PRO SSD 2TB NVMe SSD (MZ-V9P2T0B/AM): $369.99 (Sold and Shipped by Amazon US) Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases
  • Recent Achievements

    • Reacting Well
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      BA the Curmudgeon earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Conversation Starter
      rosiecharles earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • First Post
      KMilenkoski1202 earned a badge
      First Post
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      539
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      266
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      151
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      98
    5. 5
      macoman
      66
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!