What You Need To Know about PDF eBook Reader Options

eBook reading devices aren't just for books: buying a PDF eBook reader means you can read documents, PDF format eBooks and other writing from the comfort of your eBook reader screen (away from the computer). However, PDFs are not normally the main file type of an eBook reader. Keep reading to find out what you need to know about the way these files are displayed and how to get the most from them.

PDFs Read Differently To Standard eBooks

First things first, there are a few important differences between the way an eBook reader will display a standard eBook (in its main format) to a PDF. Notably, proper eBooks (e.g. AZW eBooks for Kindle or ePub eBooks for others) have a few extra features:

• The ability to change the font size.
• The ability to search through the content.
• The ability to use the table of contents to browse more easily.
• The ability for some eBook readers to use text-to-speech to read the eBook to you.

When you use PDF files, you won't get the features listed above. Although the top PDF eBook reader options will allow you to highlight words and make notes, the PDF text size is a lot harder to change and is usually limited to zooming in or out on a particular area of the PDF.

The Best Devices For Reading PDFs

It goes without saying that larger screens will be better for PDF files. This will avoid the need to zoom-in in a way that often cuts off a part of the text. The Kindle DX is currently the largest eBook reader, though simply switch to landscape mode on other readers and you'll achieve quite a good effect.

For the very best results, you may want to opt for a tablet computer instead (if it's mainly PDFs you'll be reading). Because of the more powerful processors, these often come with apps that can deal with PDFs more effectively, making them easier to read. The downside, of course, is that we're moving onto devices that cost a lot more and don't use e-Ink to look like real paper.

Converting PDF Files To The Appropriate eBook Format

Instead of relying on a PDF eBook reader function, the last option is to convert your PDF files into the eBook file appropriate to your reader. Calibre, for example, is a software program that works on both Windows and Mac to convert PDF files into a variety of different eBook formats to suit all devices. While the output isn't always perfect, it means that all the above features of real eBook files will be applied to your document.