using a tablet pc for studying

[Junya]

Hi.

I'm considering of buying a tablet pc.
And I want to choose Amazon's Kindle Fire HD, because it's cheap.

I'm using a desktop pc, a very inconvenient thing for studying needing the user hard works of eyes.
So I want a pc that doesn't need much eye works.

Kindle's monitor is very small, so I'm afraid it may not be good for seeing, for example, Google books, Perseus dictionaries.
And I want to input my translations and notes in the pc, and I wonder if a tablet pc is friendly for that purpose.
If there are ones using Kindle, please give me information about these matters.

And, if Kindle is too small for studying, tell me how large a tablet pc should be.

[Nesrad]

A tablet could be useful if it's large enough, at least 10 inches. The Kindle Fire HD strikes me as too small, even the 8.9 inch version. Also, you may need to root it.

If I were you, I'd go with a Samsung, Acer, Asus, whichever has the largest screen for the money. The best Android software for reading pdf is EbookDroid, free on Google Play.

On the other hand, even a tablet will only give you small version of your computer screen, which is not ideal for reading because of the backlight. Personally, I've had mixed experiences with tablets. I'm waiting for screens that will use something like e-ink technology, only bigger and faster. Until then I'll stick to the desktop computer and printed material. Besides, I think that if a book is really worth reading, it's worth having in printed format. Computers are great tools, but so are printed books, post-its, and a pencil and paper.

[adrianus]

Watch out. File transfer to tablet from PC and playback can be an issue, depending on the tablet's OS.

Cave. Ratione systematis interni, non semper facile est scapos ad tabulam ab ordinatro personale movere et operari.

[Junya]

Thanks for the advices, Nesrad and Adrianus.

Maybe to use a tablet pc is not as good as I am imagining.
What is problematic in the desktop pc in studying is that it gives me headaches for a lot of eye-moving and eye-straining (not the "backlight").
Its monitor is of course not portable.
So I can't lift it up to draw near to the eyes, to get an easy sight.
And it's not touch-panel type.
Using the mouse needs harder eye works than the touch-panel.
So I thought maybe tablet pcs are good for me.
And since I don't have much money, small and cheap tablets like Kindle attracted me.
(I searched for Samsung and Acer in Amazon Japan, and I found bigger ones than the 7 inch type were expensive.)

What kind of pcs are best for me ?

[Nesrad]

Believe it or not, the eyestrain is related to the backlight. Why should you get a headache from the monitor but not from a book? It has to do with contrast, and the way monitors are made, using a backlight, means low contrast.

Stay away from the Kindle. You'll be annoyed by the small screen. If you must use an ebook reader, try an Android-based reader like the Sony or Nook, which you can root and use third-party software. The Kindle is much less adaptable. I have had some success using the Sony ebook reader, but it takes a lot of tweaking and only works with certain pdfs that have smaller pages.

[Junya]

Yes, it seems good to avoid Kindle. I give up the idea of buying Kindle.
And, as I get to know of the need for rooting, tablets in general seem incompatible compared to the ordinary pcs. They may not be good for studying through the net.

Maybe a small notebook is good, though it will surely be more expensive than Kindle.
I want a handy-sized pc, to draw the display near to the eyes at will.
I even get headache (and a lot of other problems) with paper books by eye-straining and quick eye-motions.
Checking large dictionaries is a really tough work for me, because they can't be lifted up to draw near to the eyes for their heaviness. If I'm not careful, soon I get some kind of problem like headache, etc..