I completely missed this announcement until I read about it on Bats in the Attic. At $489 it’s not cheap enough for me to make the jump yet, but wow, this would completely revolutionize my ability to use pdfs at the game table, especially if the pdf reader is full-featured. Imagine the convenience of carrying every indie RPG I own in one magazine-sized tablet. “What, you guys want to play PTA tonight? Let me just open the file….”
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Some of the Mini-notebooks are cheaper then that (not much), and would be more functional at the gametable (You could take notes too). Maybe not as easy to read however.
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It depends on the following:
1. The PDF itself. You may have an indexed, bookmarked PDF
that cross-references wonderfully. Or you have a basic PDF with or without bookmarks (or if you PDF’d a game in another program like OpenOffice) then this too is good.
2. The reading program. Search facilities vary depending on what kind of program you’re using; as well as relative ease of use generally. You may highlight parts of a particular file for ease of reference.
3. The device. I’m currently using an Asus Eee 900 for some games and I do find it useful. Music and sound effects if needed, PDF support and a relatively small footprint for the table while screen size is just about right.
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I have a small profile laptop with an OK screen (bigger than the EEE’s) but I’m not a fan of using it for gaming. I find the use of the laptop tends to be distracting (especially taking notes) and takes away from my experience. For example, I hate rolling dice on the computer – I want the visceral reaction of hearing those dice bounce and seeing numbers come up.
Players bringing a laptop is also not something I like or encourage: What I’ve found is that they tend to distract from play (people surfing, reading, or just plinking away) and that they take away from the social side of gaming. Plus they take up too much space on the table.
Nor is the laptop really portable: Even with really good batteries you’ve got a limited duration, more weight, less flexibility (I can’t really lie on my couch and read the laptop.
However, the biggest issue for me is readability – reading on a PC, or especially a laptop, is not easy on the eyes, nor particularly enjoyable. It’s fatiguing and not comfortable at all. The Kindle looks like it would be awesome on that front (the video is a good demonstration of that) – it would eliminate the need for having a printed out copy in order for me to actually read the rules (vs. just look something up).
I’m just not sure that the $489 price tag would be worth it, although I am looking carefully into whether I could also use it for my work which would make the purchase much easier to justify.
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