As Good As It Gets....?

[ProfCrash]

I would think that tablets might be better for people with migraines and the like because you can change the background colors and text colors. That should help someone find a combination that does not cause the migraines.

I know several people who have had weird computer color configurations for exactly that reason. I know people with dyslexia who have backgrounds and type in unusual colors on their computers because it changes the perception enough that the dyslexia "goes away".

I get the idea that some people struggle with eye strain after staring at an LCD for a period of time and they do better with e-ink for that reason. But I would think that the ability to adjust colors and backgrounds would help people with other issues.

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

So, being a life-long wearer of glasses, and afflicted with light sensitivity and migraines, I have done most of my e-reading on devices with eInk screens. The only time I read on a tablet was for books with maps, photos, illustrations, etc., and for magazines. But reading on a tablet after 10 pm was sure to generate a migraine. Also, the dictionary/translation/Wikipedia integration on the Paperwhite fitted my reading habits the best - I read mainly 18th, 19th, and early 20th century 'classics' and poetry from all ages. Hence I have to look up or translate a lot of words & phrases - which the PW allowed me to do without leaving my page. I fumed at the storage limits on the PW - I have a lot of "Complete Works of ..." collections that are huge - but I enjoy jumping from one work to another and want to have them on the device, not in the cloud.

Then I got a Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" with its marvelous screen (reduced glare & ability to customize light levels) and superb Kindle reading app (that incorporates dictionary/translation/Wikipedia look-up) -- and experienced a transforming tablet reading episode ... [cue violins]

Last weekend, I was reading the NYT BR on my HDX - and was intrigued by the review of "The Ghost of the Mary Celeste" -- which discussed the long literary fascination with this event, with authors offering possible scenarios/explanations. The reviewer mentioned that Conan Doyle had penned a short story early in his career that offered an explanation for the abandoned ship. This made my remember that Conan Doyle had written scads of short stories (mysteries, sci fi, adventure, etc.) before creating Sherlock Holmes. So I opened "The Complete Works of Conan Doyle" and read 'F. Habakuk Jephson's Statement' and several other early short stories. Conan Doyle used a Scottish setting in many of these stories, and I was frequently looking up dialect words as I read. Then I encountered a word (pringled) that was not in the dictionary.

I had gifted myself with an online subscription to the OED this past year (they had an Xmas sale) - so I opened the OED to look up 'pringle' -- those familiar with the OED recall that after defining the word, the OED lists the first appearance of a word with a snippet from the book/magazine/etc., and then lists its usage through the years with further literary appearances. Imagine my glee when I discovered that the first attribution listed in the OED for 'pringle' was the line in the short story that I was currently reading! It was a full-circle reading experience -- from the present to the source back to the present.

And all done on one device. I find that my reading is shifting away from the Paperwhite to the HDX -- it's not perfect, but the worlds it opens up on one device is phenomenal.

I'm sure other readers have had similar experiences with other brands of tablets. I'm not ready yet for ebooks with built-in hyperlinks to videos, etc. linked to the text, but I do greatly appreciate having the ability to explore what I'm reading -- immediately -- and without having to use other devices.
I've been reading since I was 4 or thereabouts -- if I had had this capability as a child -- I just can't imagine it.

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

No migraines - even if I read/watch movies late at night - the screen glare is vastly reduced from the HD screen - and I usually have the Kindle reading app set on the sepia background.

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Indeed! I can still remember those nights spent reading under the bed covers with my trusty flashlight - and pretending to join in with the adventures in 'Treasure Island' in my head.

Now - when I read a Henry James novel that mentions foreign locations, works of art, buildings, historical figures, obscure words, etc. - I can immediately look them up or even view them - and then return to the page with the images or information fresh in my mind - and continue reading. That's magical - and allows me to more fully enter into works written well before my frame of reference.

So you have just about convinced me. I'm trying to decide on what tablet to purchase and have narrowed it down to either the Nexus 10 or the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9". I really do not want a tablet with a screen smaller. I am really leaning toward the Kindle because of the weight difference; 13.2 oz for the Kindle versus 20.8 oz for the Nexus.

My only concern is being too tied into Amazon as a media source. It's not really been a problem with ebooks for my Kindle PW with Calibre there for removing infections from the ebooks and converting formats. What about other media though? Any issues?

[4691mls]

I think preference for LCD vs e-ink is an individual thing and people should get what works best for their own eyes, works for the conditions they usually read in (indoors? outdoors? bright sunlight?) and/or helps with any other conditions such as migraines, dyslexia etc. I just hope that manufacturers will continue to make e-ink readers for those of us who prefer them.

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

So you have just about convinced me. I'm trying to decide on what tablet to purchase and have narrowed it down to either the Nexus 10 or the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9". I really do not want a tablet with a screen smaller. I am really leaning toward the Kindle because of the weight difference; 13.2 oz for the Kindle versus 20.8 oz for the Nexus.

My only concern is being too tied into Amazon as a media source. It's not really been a problem with ebooks for my Kindle PW with Calibre there for removing infections from the ebooks and converting formats. What about other media though? Any issues?

Well, if you're an Amazon Prime member there is a ton of free streaming videos. I also have the Netflix app - it runs great on the HDX. The Hulu app also runs on the HDX.

I have a Nexus 7 too - but haven't used it for months now. Amazon finally added the android "triple tap" feature to enlarge the screen - so I can comfortably use apps.
IMHO the HDX screen resolution is far superior to the Nexus.