I have found that the iPad is pretty ideal for this. It works fine with Windows computers (I used it that way before I got a Mac last year.) I use my iPad 1 with an app called unRealBook, which is designed for this. It is set up so you can easily set indexes and set lists, and set page offsets for books so you can easily find the right page. I find the iPad is just about the right size; any smaller (like a 7" tablet) would be too small for me to read. The fact that you don't need a stand light, and that the battery lasts for many hours makes it ideal, I think. You can also get Scorch so if you have Sibelius files you can read those directly on the iPad as well. I currently have about 8 different Real Books (C, Bb, and Eb versions...) plus hundreds of individual tunes on there. I can usually find what I need within a few seconds if I have to go outside of the set list. I also have a bluetooth footswitch for it so I can turn pages while I'm playing. You can either put it on a music stand, or get a device to attach it to a mic stand or the bottom of a Manhasset type stand.

Plus, if you need to, the app allows you to play a tune while you display a file, so you can see your chart for a tune and play mp3s while you play or sing along. Perfect for solo gigs. (It also allows you to record while you are using it, so you can easily record a rehearsal or even a gig (though the sound quality is a little limited) while you are displaying the music.

I have a Kindle Fire (well, my wife does), and it is nice, but just too small to use for this purpose for me.

Some of the guys I play with complain that it is too convenient, since it makes memorizing tunes a little less necessary, which is not a good thing....

SaxMarc
daringharmony.com