Kindle or e-reader work for 4e pdfs?

[Tiny Little Raven]

Kindle uses a proprietary file format that requires us to have an agreement with Amazon to have distribution on, so the answer is no.

I think this is the same for Sony's E-reader.

Neither platform can handle color or images

Actually there is a way around this. Copy the text from the PDFs to a word document format (MS Word or other) and send it through their email system. They'll send a file a file back to you that is Kindle friendly.

 

[Seravin]

As an owner of an iphone and a Kindle, who ran into the same issues...

As noted the Kindle doesn't support .pdf's natively; however Amazon offers up a conversion service - the downside is that most of the WoTC pdf files purchased through DriveThru are waaaaay bigger than the maximum file size Amazon will consider.

There is software out there that will convert .pdf files into other formats, however the one I tried killed the formatting and the Table of Contents which would have required me to complete rebuild it - I was too lazy to go that far.

(on a side note the Kindle will support other file types and it handles several images just fine - the lack of color wasn't an issue as I wanted the rules references).

I think the Sony eReader does support .pdf files. Something I found out after I bought my Kindle.

The iPhone can reader .pdf files, but the one pdf file I copied over choked the phone when I tried to open it and forced me to reset it.

 

[Whimsical]

Kindle's document conversion process can convert most PDFs so that they can be read on Kindle, but they will not convert PDFs that are protected by DRM. You can find the details here:

Amazon.com: Help > Digital Products Help > Amazon Kindle Wireless Reading Device > How to Use Your Kindle > Reading Personal Documents on Your Kindle

If you want to be able to read D&D books on your Kindle, then let WotC know. Send them a message that you want to be able to order their books in Kindle format.

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page

Any publisher can make their books available for Kindle by following this process:

Amazon.com: Help > Digital Products Help > Amazon Kindle Wireless Reading Device > Frequently Asked Questions about Amazon Kindle

 

[evilgenius8000]

Phones with Windows Mobile 6.1 with a PDF reader installed can view pdf files. My HTC Touch Diamond is pretty good at displaying pdfs... I was able to transfer some of the DDI articles to it through ActiveSync and read them on the train (Trying to download them from WotC's site was a no-go, though... Turned out to be a little too complex for Opera Mobile. Wish there was a Mobile-friendly version of the site.)

 

[pedr]

I'm holding out for the (as yet unnamed) device from Plastic Logic.

8.5 x 11 plastic (unbreakable?) screen with liquid ink. Running (I think) Windows Mobile, with a primary market of business document users, so with built-in support for MS Office and pdf files.

Due Q2 09, apparently. Plastic Logic Home

 

[Darkwolf71]

But as has been mentioned earlier neither does color (the generation 2 Kindle will).

Are they finally talking about gen 2? I've been holding off on buying one.

 

[darjr]

The iPhone can reader .pdf files, but the one pdf file I copied over choked the phone when I tried to open it and forced me to reset it.

Did I hear that right? Copied over a PDF? How? Or did you unlock your phone? Please let me know!

 

[jdrakeh]

Readers are overpriced for what they do. For an additional $50 (or sometimes, for the same price) you can snag a netbook, which is basically a fully functional laptop minus the onboard optical drive. I just bought an Aspire One with an eye toward using it primarily for reading PDFs and editing HTML. Seems as though it will work like a champ for those things, with the WiFi, integrated webcam, and such being added bonuses. Final cost (after taxes)? $370.

 

[pedr]

Readers are overpriced for what they do. For an additional $50 (or sometimes, for the same price) you can snag a netbook, which is basically a fully functional laptop minus the onboard optical drive. I just bought an Aspire One with an eye toward using it primarily for reading PDFs and editing HTML. Seems as though it will work like a champ for those things, with the WiFi, integrated webcam, and such being added bonuses. Final cost (after taxes)? $370.

The trouble with netbooks - apart from the battery life - is that the screen size/resolution doesn't suit pdfs at all well. I can't stand having to scroll left to right to read pdfs!

 

[Calico_Jack73]

I've got a Palm TX and it can read PDFs. I've never tried something the size of the PHB though. Since it is using Adobe Acrobat I can't see why it couldn't though. It can also read/edit Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files which makes it nice to keep a list of Character powers so I don't have to flip through the books to look them up.

I also ride the bus and subway into work in the mornings... I might have to give this a shot in the near future.