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There are a few open source projects I would really like to read through the code of to understand better / improve on. The problem is, for me, reading for a long time on the computer screen is tedious. I would love to be able to read code while lounging around and on a screen that was better on my eyes. Has anyone ever tried reading code on an ebook reader? It seems like the e-ink would make it easy on the eyes, plus it would be portable, plus it wouldn't kill any trees. In other words, it sounds perfect, but before I drop a couple benjamins on an ebook reader, I'd like to hear if anyone else has tried this and how it went.

It seems Scott Hanselman discussed using the Kindle to read code, but I wouldn't necessarily want a Kindle. Has anyone had a positive experience with some other device?

I realize this is not directly about programming, but it relates directly to my ability to improve my skills. I think if a good portable reading device for code exists, it could help a lot of programmers.

+1  A: 

The MobileRead Wiki has a nice comparison chart of a dozen or so readers' features and capabilities.

Between the different file formats, wireless connections, and SDKs they provide, there ought to be something to make reading code a pleasant experience.

I haven't used an ebook reader, but it's probably a good idea to play with a device before investing in one. Factors like what the screen looks like, how pages turn, and what fonts and formatting are available can be huge, especially for a specialized task like this one.

jleedev