Re: The Apple iPad and the future of e-ink ebook readers

On Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 10:30 AM, Richard Seltzer <seltzer-LVbi7B8qMF5Wk0Htik3J/[email protected]> wrote:
> Who cares about ophthamologists and studies?
> The question is do you enjoy reading on the device?  Do you read for hour
> after hour?  Or do you get drowsy and stop after a chapter or so?
> For me, reading on the Kindle is a pleasure, and reading on a computer is
> work.

I have read e-books on: A Palm IIIe, Visor Deluxe, Clié 415, Clié 760,
Nokia 770, 1st-gen iPod Touch, Sony Reader PRS-700, and an Astak 5"
Pocket Pro EZReader. (And my desktop and laptop computers, of course.)

I talk about the devices up through the Touch here:
http://www.teleread.org/2008/12/30/reading-devices-i-have-known/
and the Sony here:
http://www.teleread.org/category/two-weeks-with-a-sony-prs-700/
and the Astak here: http://www.teleread.org/category/two-weeks-with-an-astak-5/

The Palm and Visor were monochrome 160x160 LCD. The 415 was monochrome
320x320, the 760 color 320x320, the Nokia was color at a resolution I
forget, and the Touch 480x320 color LCD. The PRS-700 was a 6" 800x600
e-ink screen (with touch-sensitive glare layer) and the Astak,
naturally, a 5" 800x600.

Despite the e-ink being quite easy to read in all light conditions, I
never noticed any more eyestrain using my iPod Touch. (In fact, in
some situations I had LESS eyestrain from the Touch, because it didn't
have the obnoxious reflective glare of the Sony 700.) In fact, even
though I just had the e-ink readers on a review basis, I never felt
any more of a pang than momentary wistfulness in sending them back,
because the Touch just works better for reading in almost all
situations.

Funny thing, though. Long after my original Clié 415 died, I bought
another, remembering how easy I found it to read from back when I had
it, and thinking that it might make a decent e-book device for my Dad.
But when I tried to read from it, it was nowhere near as good an
experience as I had remembered—the level of contrast made e-ink look
stark black-and-white by comparison. I guess I was spoiled by all the
color screens since. :)

Now, there are some people who *have* tried reading off of color LCD
screens, such as the iPod Touch/iPhone or others, and said it made
their eyes hurt. I won't argue their experiences with them. To a
certain extent I think this is subjective. It's the same way that some
people love the 3D effects of Avatar while they give others blinding
headaches.

I just know I've never had any trouble. Maybe when I get older and my
eyes start to go I will, but right now, it's just fine by me.

At the moment, I really don't have any desire for an e-ink reader as
long as I can keep my iPod Touch in my pocket and read e-books in a
variety of different formats. If I were to have the discretionary
income to get one (which wouldn't be any time soon, even if I had a
job) it would probably be a Kindle for the free wireless access and
the ability to synchronize reading between Kindle, PC, and iPod
Touch—but it's so big and bulky that I simply wouldn't HAVE it in most
situations. There's only so much I can haul around on my person, and
given the choice between carrying a bulky Kindle or a bulky laptop,
I'll take the laptop, because I can do more stuff with it when I get
where I'm going.

-- 
Chris Meadows aka         | WWW: http://www.terrania.us      | Somebody
Robotech_Master           | ICQ: 5477383  AIM: RoboMastr     | help, I'm
[email protected] | Skype, LJ-Gizmo: Robotech_Master | trapped in
[email protected]        | Facebook: Robotech.Master        | a sig file!


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