4:3 tablets

[swaaye]

This aspect ratio rocks for reading comics and magazines. Portrait mode is much more useful.

I tried out the Vizio VTAB8 but returned it because it is slow and while the TN LCD isn't terrible it's not an asset. I'm spoiled by my Nook Color IPS LCD. I know the Ipad is 4:3 but I want my Android apps and open source community. There is also the soon to be released Archos 80 but while it has cool OMAP4 and Android 3.2, it still has TN unfortunately .

What other 4:3 tablets are out there? I am probably going to pick up an Archos 80 but I want to read more comments on it and I hope somebody local sells it so I can return it easily...

 

[thatdude90210]

I have an HP Touchpad that's also 4:3. Like the 2 widescreen tablets I have, I mostly use it in landscape mode.

Except for reading ebooks. I find the widescreen tablets are more comfortable for ebook reading in portrait mode, like holding a paperback book. Whereas with the touchpad, I still use it in landscape mode because I find it harder to hold it like a book.

 

[swaaye]

I agree that for ebooks, widescreen is better. This is why the ereaders are 16:10, I suppose. But for any documents that use approx letter page size, the 4:3 screens fit a full page much better.

I really wish I had been able to get in on that Touchpad fire sale. I tried but I couldn't get the price to come up right with the code and by the time the sale officially started they were long out of stock already.

 

[Xmas]

This is why the ereaders are 16:10, I suppose.

It would seem that the vast majority of e-ink based readers are 4:3 (5" and 6") or ~10:7 (9.7").

 

[AlphaWolf]

most of the readers have a large bottom bezel, the actual shape of the unit would be better described as 16:9

 

[Xmas]

With the latest generation of touch readers the trend seems to be going the other way. E.g. the Kindle 3/Keyboard dimensions are ~9:14, while the new Kindle and Kindle Touch are ~9:13. In fact the Nook Simple Touch is wider than 3:4.

 

[swaaye]

Yeah I was thinking about the Nook Color and other 1024x600 tabs when I thought 16:10/9.