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Academic research and jailbreaking ereaders

29/2/2012

2 Comments

 
I've been fairly obsessed lately with finding the best way to read and annotate PDF journal articles. I didn't want to waste paper by printing them out, but I wanted to hand write notes on PDFs on screen.

I decided that the most economical solution was to buy a touch screen ereader. That way I could read and write on any PDF. My research (and I did a lot of it, trust me) lead me to the Sony PRS T1. I would have opted for a larger screen, but it was extremely difficult finding a device under $200 AUD that met my requirements (touch screen, PDF compatible, wi-fi, long battery life, lightweight) that was also available in Australia. And a tablet/iPad would have definitely been too heavy and too short battery life. Not to say that I'm disappointed with the purchase: but I would have preferred more options.
Picture
My preciousss... Jailbroken Sony Reader PRS T1, with an awesome custom cover from M-Edge
After buying my ereader, I discovered that it could not connect to eduroam wifi (used across a lot of university campuses, including UQ) and that annotations in PDFs were stored separately as image files! Fortunately, the solution to these problems was to jailbreak (hack) the reader to access the underlying Android operating system. Now I can use it like any other Android device, including installing Dropbox and reference manager apps!

I'm quite surprised that there isn't more call for academic-use ereaders: I came across innumerable questions and comments online about the lack of a specific device tailored for academia. But at least I have my, if somewhat roundabout, solution.
2 Comments
Nilesh
29/2/2012 05:10:20 pm

That's cool!
I have heard of Amazon kindle. I do not know how they are but nice small and thin stuff.
I use Motorola Xoom tablet PC, which is little heavier than IPad but it is a worth. It has good wi-fi connectivity and is faster to run the applications than IPad. It comes with 32 GB internal hardrive
It has microSD card option so you do not have to worry about space. IPad has limited hardrive which is a pain.

Reply
Caitlin Syme link
1/3/2012 01:29:59 pm

Ahh I see! The Sony only has 2 GB internal memory, but has that same micro-SD card option so I can increase it to 32 GB.

I'm looking forward to using this weekend while I'm away from the office: I can catch up on some much needed reading!

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    About the author

    Dr Caitlin Syme is a palaeontologist studying the taphonomy (preservation state) of fossil non-avian dinosaurs, crocodiles and fish from the Winton Formation, Queensland, Australia. Think forensic science or CSI for fossils, and you're on the right track!

    Posts on this blog focus mainly on vertebrate palaeontology and taphonomy, as well early career researcher (ERC) productivity tips and insights.


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