Ask The Readers: Can I use the Kindle as a GM tool?

Sorry, can't find blog/post but another blogger got a Kindle DX and was greatly disappointed.

I don't remember the details save the PDF reader is extremely basic, no bookmarks, indexing.

It convinced me not to buy any reader unless/until I could physically test it with my own PDFs

Also modern game PDFs are full color graphics laden monstrosities that tax my desktop. They got to be even worse on the slower (both display EInk and CPU) Kindle's.
.-= Norman Harman´s last blog ..Megadungeon.net =-.

I found some blog posts by someone who is pretty happy with his Kindle DX (alas the Kindle DX is still available in the US). Here's the link: http://tenkarstavern.blogspot.com/search/label/Ki…

I also read some reviews of the Sony PRS-600 which looks like a good alternative to the Kindle.

On a slightly tangential note, I've gotten an iPod Touch from my work, and I've been using it the last few months. Perfect for a lot of gaming uses, especially the ability to get on the internet, access Google docs (especially uploaded PDFs, maps, Google Earth…it offers a lot of laptop capabilities without the "presence" if you will of having a laptop on the gaming table.

As long as you don't mind the smaller screen (and it is surprisingly sharp and high-res, so the smaller size isn't that much of a disadvanrage), I'd seriously consider getting one instead, especially if you game near an accessible WAP.
.-= Badelaire´s last blog ..Iconic Elements in Campaign Setting Design =-.

Oh God No.

Don't get me wrong. I love my kindle, it's fantastic for reading novels, but it is a _terrible_ reference device (you have to use the search function -which sucks – when it would be far more efficient to just flip through things) and PDF conversion for a non-DX is painful at best.

I have actually converted a few books I own over for it (mostly indie-games since the formatting tends to make conversion easier) and while they can be ok with a fair amount of work, you still need to be very tolerant of artifacts and formatting foolishness.

I suspect that certain games _could_ be published in Kindle format to good effect, but they would universally be smaller games with more limited formatting, and that's kind of a niche market at the moment.

-Rob D.
.-= Rob Donoghue´s last blog ..Road to Amber: Lessons 1 through 5 =-.

Awww… that's a shame. Do you know if this is a general problem with ebook readers or a Kindle speciality?

The PDF thing is just a technological hurdle, and I understand that some of the pricier models (like the irex Iliad) handle it better, but I haven't seen it firsthand. Similarly, I expect conversion software to steadily improve.

Unfortunately, the inability to flip through the material is unlikely to change. It's just baked into the e-ink technology. To determine whether or not this is a big deal, just take some time paying attention to how you use the books you have. If you go to the index, find a page, and go to that page, then the kindle method might not be too painful (esp. as they fix the search software), but if you just flip through it and find the right page, then the kindle method will seem intensely cumbersome.

-Rob D.
.-= Rob Donoghue´s last blog ..Road to Amber: Lessons 1 through 5 =-.