rulebooks (pdf format) on kindle/tablet pc?

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**xttz**

If in doubt, take a picture of yourself holding all your books. If anyone questions your tablet, have the photo ready to show that you own all the books in question and have just left them at home.

**Las**

On a related note, does anyone know how to put a pdf file onto say, a Kobo ereader? I cant for the life of me figure it out.

**nkelsch**

Melonfish wrote:for arguments sake, what if you download the pdf from the net to use on your tablet but you actually own the book?

does this like destroy the copyright universe?

i do like the idea of using a tablet for codexes, i do think GW and black library would in fact make a killing from digital codexes, i.e. all the artwork etc removed, just basic rules.

Yes, it is illegal. owning something doesn't give you rights to it in every medium for perpetuity.

Owning a cassette tape doesn't give you rights to a CD or MP3. Now if you burn a CD or rip an mp3 from your cassette you are fine. If you download it, you are getting an illegal copy.

The blood and sweat of shifting your formats manually yourself is the only time you are protected. Basically you can recreate your 'copy' from the original at any time. That is not the same as downloading it. Also, if you 'lost' your codex, you do not get a pass legally for downloading a new one.

**Nocturn**

I never said it was legal, nor did I imply that one would recieve a "pass legally" to download another copy. I said that I "acquired one". That could mean that I manufactured one, downloaded one, or s**t one out.

**Kroothawk**

Good thing about pdf-Codices is that you can change the text and stats to your advantage at will. Everyone else needs a paper copy to prove you wrong. Don't forget to add "Revised Reprint 2011"

**nectarprime**

Kroothawk wrote:Good thing about pdf-Codices is that you can change the text and stats to your advantage at will. Everyone else needs a paper copy to prove you wrong. Don't forget to add "Revised Reprint 2011"

rolleyes....

**Praxiss**

Kroothawk wrote:Good thing about pdf-Codices is that you can change the text and stats to your advantage at will. Everyone else needs a paper copy to prove you wrong. Don't forget to add "Revised Reprint 2011"

Well yeah, that may well happen. For the sake of this conversation i am takgin a leap and assumgin that people would not be so nasty and tricksy to do such a thing.

As said above, its a shame that GW don't to "chopped down" DLs of codecies ()no artowrk or fluff, just the rules and points). Even if they just had the basic info, charge a few quid per download and they would make an apsolute killing.

**mikhaila**

Praxiss wrote:
Kroothawk wrote:Good thing about pdf-Codices is that you can change the text and stats to your advantage at will. Everyone else needs a paper copy to prove you wrong. Don't forget to add "Revised Reprint 2011"

Well yeah, that may well happen. For the sake of this conversation i am takgin a leap and assumgin that people would not be so nasty and tricksy to do such a thing.

As said above, its a shame that GW don't to "chopped down" DLs of codecies ()no artowrk or fluff, just the rules and points). Even if they just had the basic info, charge a few quid per download and they would make an apsolute killing.

What Kroothawk said does happen. I've also seen people doctor army builder lists to add a couple of hundred points into a tournament army.

As to making a killing on downloads, doubtful. It would just make it easier for people to pirate the codices, make it impossible to know who walks into a store/tournament with a legit download vs pirated one, and they'd lose sales of the paper copies.

**oni**

mikhaila wrote:
Praxiss wrote:
Kroothawk wrote:Good thing about pdf-Codices is that you can change the text and stats to your advantage at will. Everyone else needs a paper copy to prove you wrong. Don't forget to add "Revised Reprint 2011"

Well yeah, that may well happen. For the sake of this conversation i am takgin a leap and assumgin that people would not be so nasty and tricksy to do such a thing.

As said above, its a shame that GW don't to "chopped down" DLs of codecies ()no artowrk or fluff, just the rules and points). Even if they just had the basic info, charge a few quid per download and they would make an apsolute killing.

What Kroothawk said does happen. I've also seen people doctor army builder lists to add a couple of hundred points into a tournament army.

As to making a killing on downloads, doubtful. It would just make it easier for people to pirate the codices, make it impossible to know who walks into a store/tournament with a legit download vs pirated one, and they'd lose sales of the paper copies.

Yup, I agree.

It would also promote highly competitive game play which to my understanding GW does not want to do. They want to promote the 'hobby' not just a game.

**Kroothawk**

Praxiss wrote:For the sake of this conversation i am takgin a leap and assumgin that people would not be so nasty and tricksy to do such a thing.

You are right, people downloading illegal copies to save some bucks would never do anything nasty or tricksy

**nectarprime**

Kroothawk wrote:
Praxiss wrote:For the sake of this conversation i am takgin a leap and assumgin that people would not be so nasty and tricksy to do such a thing.

You are right, people downloading illegal copies to save some bucks would never do anything nasty or tricksy

Do you lump the two together as such? You think that if someone downloads a codex, that means they have no qualms about cheating also? Sorry, but that's a pretty ignorant way to think.

**Praxiss**

Ok, tech wise it seems pretty straightforward. The latest Kindel on the amazon states that it can read PDf files, you can also search them, leave notes and it has up to 300% zoom.

The only hitch i can see is that the description says you have to email the PDF to your "cloud" kindle account, so emailing a codex worth of PDF might be too large a file.....depending i suppose on your email provider.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0051QVF7A?ie=UTF8&ref_=sr_tr_sr_1&qid=1318433841&sr=8-1

**Absolutionis**

I have a Nook Color and a Kindle 2. They're both mass-storage-devices essentially. Just connect them to your computer via USB and drag+drop the pdf file onto the device into the correct folder

You can then read the PDF. It's really that simple.

**skrulnik**

Absolutionis wrote:I have a Nook Color and a Kindle 2. They're both mass-storage-devices essentially. Just connect them to your computer via USB and drag+drop the pdf file onto the device into the correct folder

You can then read the PDF. It's really that simple.

This.

They put the "email it to yourself" junk in there for the people without the savvy to drag&drop.
I'm sure it makes them some $$

**Kroothawk**

Actually big companies like facebook and amazon are eager to get hold of as much private information of people as they could, dealing with commercial exploitation first and data security later. Poor chaps who in their naivity give all their private life into the hands of big corporations.

**Melonfish**

Regarding kindle and pdf, just dump it on the kibdle using your data cable it reads any pdf fine. cloud is for converting tbh.

**Praxiss**

OK, Kindle 4 arrived yesterday. I have downloaded and copied the Official Apoc Datasheets off the GW site and they are......ok.

I would imagine that (for those of you in the USA) the Kindle Touch would be better as the zoom function on the Kindle 4 is very fiddly and makes it difficult to read some of the larger PDFs.

Unfortunately us in the UK can only get the Kindle 4 or the Kindle 3 (the one with the keyboard); where as America gets the Touch and the Fire but amazon.com wont ship to the uk....damn them!

Anyway, just wanted to let people know that it IS do-able. PDFs do read easily on the Kindle (or any other eReader i suppose). As suggested all I did was plug the kindle into my netbook and drag them from one file onto the Kindle folder.

**Ultramarinescout**

It's legal but it is not used at my Store.

**Kirasu**

Phew.. I was worried we wouldn't have a "PDFS are they right or wrong" discussion this week. Here is some kindling, do what you want and is convenient for you. Illegality makes no functional difference since there will be 0 enforcement either way (besides random peoples opinions one way or another)

For Android I use Ezpdf reader and for apple products there were some pretty cheap products as well. Its battery intensive tho

**Phototoxin**

So we're happy to carry £300 worth of toy soliders but carrying a book is too much hassle? I'm all for having a photocopy of the reference chart/pages.

I'm even in support of people torrenting/acquiring codex pdfs to read them so they know what's out there or for when they are planning their army (should I do BA or DA... hmm) But for heavens sake I do feel as if my opponent is not 'legit' if he doesn't have a codex.

It supports kids who make up their dex as they go along... tres irritating!

**Kirasu**

Borders books went out of business because of all the non-legit books people use then!

Digital is way of things nowadays, this is just another example. However I do support using books because as stated the pdf apps kill your battery and sadly its quicker to use a book to look up things

**Ultramarinescout**

Phototoxin wrote:So we're happy to carry £300 worth of toy soliders but carrying a book is too much hassle? I'm all for having a photocopy of the reference chart/pages.

I'm even in support of people torrenting/acquiring codex pdfs to read them so they know what's out there or for when they are planning their army (should I do BA or DA... hmm) But for heavens sake I do feel as if my opponent is not 'legit' if he doesn't have a codex.

It supports kids who make up their dex as they go along... tres irritating!

Who cares? If you have the rules there, you can play. Also, it is easier to get info. I prefer the Real copy but you shouldn't force people to buy $55 AU Codexs just to play.

**Praxiss**

If you read the full thread you will see that i ALWAYS carry the proper book codex for my actual armies.

The reason i was looking at a PDF reader was so that i woudl have all the datasheets etc in one place rather than a sheets scattered around. i am alsolookign at gettign mu IA books converted into PDF, although taht may take a while, to make them easier to carry around too.

As i said. I will always carry a paper rulebook and a paper codex for the army i am using. Like people have already said, some people will alter PDF codex to suit their needs (as in cheat). I would appreciate not being lumped into this group.

**Kirasu**

Praxiss wrote:If you read the full thread you will see that i ALWAYS carry the proper book codex for my actual armies.

The reason i was looking at a PDF reader was so that i woudl have all the datasheets etc in one place rather than a sheets scattered around. i am alsolookign at gettign mu IA books converted into PDF, although taht may take a while, to make them easier to carry around too.

As i said. I will always carry a paper rulebook and a paper codex for the army i am using. Like people have already said, some people will alter PDF codex to suit their needs (as in cheat). I would appreciate not being lumped into this group.

Again, just do what you want you dont need to justify it to anyone. If someone really throws a fit over a digital copy.. well.. thats pretty absurd. The rules are the rules and editing a digital copy is pretty dumb considering how easy it is to verify

**Wolfstan**

I've got a PDF reader and Kindle app for my Samsung Android phone and both work great considering the screen size.

Given that GW are always harping on about the models being the thing that makes them money and not the rules, you'd of thought that going PDF or Kindle would be an ideal option for them.

**rob-or-ross**

The scanner at my work can convert scanned images to searchable PDF files via ACR.

It would be a simple matter to run all my rule books through the scanner.

To do so would involve wrecking the binding though.

Assuming you are prepared to destroy the binding then just do what I have always done.

Run the last 2mm of the book through the band saw.
Hole punch it.
Stick the useful pages in a ring binder.
Leave the fluff at home.

You can fit all the codices and a rule book in a ring binder.

Easy.

**nkelsch**

Ultramarinescout wrote: but you shouldn't force people to buy $55 AU Codexs just to play.

Actually, right now that is exactly what you have to do if you want to play. If you don't own the rules, you can't play the game. Just because you don;t like the cost or think it is too much doesn't justify theft, infringement or any other actions to not buy the rulebook.

**tonytong**

Balance wrote:
Avoiding the valid, but tiresome, legal debate: Make sure you try complex PDFs on any device you are considering. Some eReaders mangle PDF files badly, and I expect this would be very noticeable for scans converted to PDFs where you're relying on OCR text layered behind a big scanned image. Some eReaders essentially rip the text to move PDF files to their preferred format, and may have trouble with complex layouts, statlines, etc.

'Good' PDFs are generated the same way the files are sent to a printer, as an export from the layout software. The text is stored as text. (In other words, the PDF file has a command saying "Draw the text "Text" in Font X, Size Y, at this location" in the good file, while a scanned may just say "Draw this bitmap" which is less efficient, not as searchable, and generally slower to display.

A lot of companies do 'good' PDFs, but I don't think you can get them for GW books, at least not legally.

thanks for the information, it saves me a lot of time.

**reds8n**

Thread is being locked due to thread necromancy.