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I am considering buying either an e-book reader or a full tablet. My main motivation is to read books and scientific papers and I really don't need all the extra stuff tablets can give me.
My only concerns are
Do you have any thoughts and (more preferably) experience about this?
No. Not sufficient. Kindle DX, an almost full-sized page, was not big enough. Refresh rates are not fast enough for flipping back and forth. Zooming interface is terrible. E readers are good for simple flow text, one page after the next. That is not how I read papers. Tablets do much better.
Although my experience in this field is limited, here are a few points I learnt :
The mode of learning should be active. You should scribble, underline, highlight, gnaw or circle or whatever to make sure you understand each and every point the author makes. One can't read papers like a fiction novel. It's not a spectator sport.
Any device which allows you to do the above is good.
On PC you can use xournal. It works really well on Linux flavours. On tablets, you have many options for markup. A somewhat related question regarding the review of papers was asked and gathered some interesting answers: Useful software resources for reviewing papers
Either way the point is to get involved. Personally, my productivity is highest on dead tree version but if that's not possible. I strongly prefer my tablet over the computer since distractions are lower. On my computer, any "instant glorification" distraction is one alt+tab away
I started reading scientific papers on my iPad and now I hardly print any papers at all. I use an application called PDF reader, which also allows one to annotate the pdfs, which is really useful for commenting on student papers. One can make comments using a pen or type them in. Apart from saving trees, it is very handy for collecting and carrying around hundreds of papers (that I'll never have time to read).
While I still prefer to have a printed copy, I find that my Kindle Fire (which I bought for this particular purpose) works wonderfully. It's a little pricier than a standard kindle, but the touch screen allows you to zoom and scan on pdf pages with ease. It's far superior to reading the same paper on a laptop or desktop monitor.
It's also nice to be able to carry around so many papers without additional weight or bulk!
To answer the specific questions in the OP for the Kindle DX.
For some caveats:
I would go with iPad too. My experience with trying to use an ereader was horrible. The page turns are far too slow for flipping backwards and forwards, but mainly the claimed advantage of eInk - it doesn't glow - became a problem when trying to research in the evening.
That, plus the iPad's ability to access Google or JSTOR or whatever on the same device, means that I now use the iPad exclusively. The Kindle might get dragged out to read a novel now and then, which is what it is designed for, but for documents? Never.
I use a PocketBook 912 Pro (which is an ebook reader). The display is almost 10" and that is large enough (even too large for, e.g., SIAM papers, but zooming in persistent). Reading is great, reading outside in the sun is even better. The battery is great; I use it for more than a month now and I did not need to charge it (the small time I connected it by USB to upload paper was enough). The stylus allows you to highlight and scribble on papers. DJVU is supported.
Downsides: Paper turning is indeed slow (for me this is not too bad, it slows me down and helps to read more carefully). Taking notes is sometimes slow, erasing notes is very slow. Hyperlinks do not work in pdf documents as well as the table of contents (this is a software issue and I hope, it will be fixed some day).
My conclusion is that if you need a device for traveling which allows you to read something when you only have a few minutes (at a bus stop or so) but also to read a little longer, than an ebook reader is a good option. I use it both to read papers and books and found is especially convenient to referee papers.
The nook doesn't allow you to highlight things, make notes, or bookmarks. If you just read one paper at a time and leave it on it's fine, otherwise carry a piece of paper to remember the page you are on.
There is software that will help to better format an academic PDF for a 6-inch reader screen. See the MobileRead.com PDF forum (sticky entries): http://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=184
If you have many PDF files, then you better find a way to organize them on your device. Thus, the software or digital library which you like to use determines which operating system is better for you and hence which device you should pick.
I personally prefer Zotero to organize my PDF files which is only avaiable on Windows. As a result, I bought a 10 inch touch laptop which can be detached from its keyboard. One example is acer switch 10.
If you like Mendeley, then you have three choices, Android, IOS, and Windows. I did not work with Mendeley on IOS. I think between Android and Windows Mendeley works better on Windows.
Consider that the battery on Android and IOS devices last longer than laptops and you can charge these devices via power banks but you cannot charge a laptop with a power bank.
One advantage of Windows is that you can install full MS office on it. Pay attention that some laptops have Windows RT. They usually have MS Office preinstalled, which might need a license, but you cannot install .exe files.
I tried to read papers on my touch laptop for a year. At the end I prefer to read short articles printed on paper. I only read books and long articles on my device.
I think you should first consider which software you need, then decide which device you should get. With regards to e-book readers such as Kindle,forget them. You cannot install apps or software on them.
