Quote:
Originally Posted by ascherjim
I don't know about all this. I have found that reading on my eInk BeBook is more pleasurable than reading paper. For me the image is in fact more legible, due primarily to the fact that I can choose the font and font-size and formatting of my choice. I find I that I am pausing and savoring language more, I suppose due to the increased (for me) clarity of image. Anyway, for me there currently are no drawbacks, and I'm not (yet) dissatisfied with the availability of titles (free and otherwise) on the internet. Without too much exaggeration, I can say that this eInk reader has changed my life for the better.
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Since I have decent eyesight yet, I can't say that bigger, generally inferior fonts is the same as greater clarity. I see down to the details of each letter, which are quite hideous from a typographic perspective, even when laid out properly (which I rarely ever see). There's no feedback from the paper or global navigation, there's no convenient way to scan ahead, and the interfacing is pretty awful given the time the companies have had to design it. The contrast is poor, even ignoring the limited resolution, which together spell disaster for any delicate, beautiful serif font. As I mentioned...it's a way of getting content into the brain, albeit in a limited, highly linear fashion. In my opinion, it's convenient, but less beautiful than photocopied faxes or dot matrix prints. My paper books are a treat after doing some reading on the reader.
All the hard work and experimentation I did to find a font that was reasonably attractive on my PRS-505 was pretty much futile, though I did manage to find one or two that I can easily process and ignore without being distracted by the poor quality overall. I also try to choose the lighting that maximizes contrast and reduces the feathered, drained look of the e-ink. These things annoy me to no end, and prevent me from enjoying my reading.
That's of course ignoring all the errors that crop up in so many ebooks...both free and commercial.
Perhaps it's just ADD or somesuch, but I don't feel like finding out.
I do admit though, these things don't need to bother everyone, but there are many people who these would bother, and they're casually ignored in a lot of reviews. It's good to see someone, even if they are a snob, point out that ebooks still have a long way to go for many of us.