Tablet in the sunlight

I'm a postgraduate student and over this summer will have a lot of reading to do and with the return of sunny weather I want to work outside again.

I need a digital device for note-taking, however. Mainly, I use little more than zotero and word on my PC at the moment. The other day I took my laptop outside and, as you can imagine, it was essentially unusable.

So all I really need is the ability to read e-books and pdfs and the ability to take notes somehow but without reduced screen visibility in the sunlight. This is something I wanted to get last year but never got round to it!

What are the options here? Any advice is much appreciated!

Reply 1

Kieran1996

I wouldn't expect too much sunlight in England.

Maybe a waterproof device would be more suitable :colone:

Reply 2

Phoebe Joan xo

I dont think the device would matter as they are all similar screens, have a look a screen protectors you could use ??

Reply 3

micah114

Whilst once an advocate of hand-written notes, I am fully converted to recording all my notes digitally and that is how I would like to continue - hence the desire to get a table that can be used out in the sun.

I have briefly read about e-ink devices (kindles mainly I believe?) and wondered if this kind of thing would be the solution I am seeking? I have also read that these are hackable and can be run as an android device, or have I misunderstood this?

I really don't think I need a high-functionality tablet. Just something I can type in and something that I can read in that works in the sunlight. A family member has a surface and I have used extensively and almost everything on there would be superfluous to my needs. I have a laptop and will continue to use that inside but just want to be able to read and write (in note form) on the tablet or whatever device is best outside.

Reply 4

micah114

Thanks for this.

So the benefit of the kindle is the E ink screen -- are you suggesting I would lose this benefit if I wiped the OS and installed 'normal' android?

It seems to me that the main feature that would help me with my issue is the E ink screen as that will allow me to read outside, am I correct?

If we are talking about windows tablets/samsung notes etc would I now be looking at tablets don't have an E ink screen and therefore are harder to read outside, or are the ones you've suggested usable in the sun?

Just trying to understand this all in my head.

Reply 5

Chamchu

Samsung's Super Amoled screens are some of the best. I have used them for years and work great in full sunlight

Reply 6

micah114

Original post by Chamchu

Samsung's Super Amoled screens are some of the best. I have used them for years and work great in full sunlight

Thanks for this. Which tablet do you use in particular? Do you know what the starting price is for one of these? Will look into them more.

Reply 7

micah114

Thanks for the extensive reply.

I will use the device for no more than lets say 6-8 hours at once (and that would be a very long stretch).

Mostly I will be reading from a physical book and making notes on a very simple word processor app -- that's all I require. I thought this may be possible on the kind or, at the very least, a hacked kindle. The notes will be typed on the tablet. So I don't think having an older version of android will necessarily be much of an issue for me.

I appreciate the issues you raise regarding reading, for example, a PDF on the tablet whilst also wanting to take notes on the device. I don't mind switching between windows if it's easy because this will probably account for maybe 15% of my time whilst 85% will be spent reading from books as described above.

Reply 8

Chamchu

I currently use the Samsung galaxy tab s 10.5 but it may be quite a expensive for what your needs are.

I do agree with what Acsel says. However, I dont find battery life a major problem with my tablet. Its when your doing CPU intensive tasks like games or lots of multitasking + background apps, that really drains the battery. Just sitting with it on and occasional scrolling should be fine (depending on tablet). I couldnt give you a number of hours though, but 6 should be just about fine (just reading that is). However, if it does run flat, whack it on fast charge and go make yourself a cup of tea and im sure you will be able to finish what your doing before the end of the day with enough charge.

Look at tablets specs and any brightness above 252 cd/m2 I think will be fine for outdoor use. Maybe google it.

With multitasking, android would be your best bet. You will have access to the entire google play store, with lots of apps available for word processing and productivity. I just use google docs so all my notes are in the cloud and can be accessed on any device at any time (useful when typing notes in lectures then using library computers to add to them). I dont recommend a kindle fire. My mum has one and I find them quite slow and frustrating. I wouldn't recommend hacking anything as I think that may void any warranty.

Also, I would by separate keyboard for whatever device you chose. Typing on a tablet takes some getting us to, and writing notes in bulk will be a challenge. I have a cheap (£17) Bluetooth keyboard that attached to my tablet and its pretty easy just to type away for hours on end to in lectures. also gives you the ability to "Alt - tab" to another app, like a pdf document, making multi tasking easier. Some tablets even offer split screen abilities to have two apps open at once to save you switching back and forth.

Personally, I recommend buying an android tablet. Maybe spend a little more then you planned to have one a bit more future proof and better functionality. I use my tablet religiously at uni for all notes in lectures and seminars on the go, everything syncs straight into the cloud so I can go home and have it ready on my laptop (very recommend). I can read and manage and pdfs or Ebooks very easily. You will also use it a lot outside of academia whether its just watching a film while cooking or just browsing the internet in bed. If your a girl then it will fit in a handbag a lot easier then a laptop.

However, each to their own. Excuse my dyslexia. Check reviews before buying anything to make sure its what you want. hope this helps.