iPad Ipad is not an ereader, the display is not for reading - Page 2

rhadin · 01-28-2010, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

In the case I'm obviously seriously delusional in imagining that I read eBooks perfectly happily on backlit LCD displays for 20-odd years.

Whyever do you think that someone "cannot" read from such a screen?

Harry, I, too, have been reading books on backlit LCD screens for more than 20 years -- it's part of my job as an editor (in fact, I use 3 24-inch LCD monitors in my work) -- so someone can certainly read on one. But I much prefer reading on my e-Ink screen; I find the LCD eye-tiring and requiring lots of eye breaks, whereas I can read for hours without any eye strain on the e-Ink.

And that's what I think was meant by the OP's comment.

TallMomof2 · 01-28-2010, 10:39 AM

IMO, the biggest problem with reading on a monitor is that it's too big and the eyes need to work a lot harder tracking across the page. This is purely anecdotal but for myself (my vision is poor 20/900) reading on a laptop or a tablet is far easier because the screen size is much smaller and I can bring the screen closer to my eyes than I can a monitor that sits on a desk.

I far prefer to read on a eInk screen. I love my KDX, great size for reading at home and reasonably portable since it fits in my bag with a case. The K2 is getting less and less use because for me the DX screen is my personal sweet spot.

enygmatic · 01-28-2010, 10:58 AM

I think the apple iPad doesn't have a LCD screen per se but a LED screen. This is supposed to be easier on the eyes as compared to the LCD. Also its supposed to consume a lot less power.

kjk · 01-28-2010, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enygmatic

I think the apple iPad doesn't have a LCD screen per se but a LED screen. This is supposed to be easier on the eyes as compared to the LCD. Also its supposed to consume a lot less power.

LCD with LED backlighting.

dmaul1114 · 01-28-2010, 03:54 PM

What you mean to say is "This device is not something I could use as an e-reader for long-term reading."

Vs. trying to speak for everyone and saying it's not an e-reader. It's a multi function tablet that looks to have a wide selection of e-reading options with likely multiple e-book apps, magazines, newspapers, PDFs etc.

So it will be a fine device for many people to do e-reading on. For others it won't suit their needs as they want e-ink and super long battery life. To each their own.

Bremen Cole · 01-28-2010, 04:17 PM

dmaul1114 is absolutely correct. The title to this thread is absurd, the screen will be fine for reading. It is an LED lit screen, which eliminates most of the problems have with eye strain on florescent back lit screens.

As someone who has read ebooks on CRT and LCD screens (including PDA's and Pocket PC's) I can tell you it can even be done on old type screens. But, the LED back lighting is much better.

fugazied · 01-28-2010, 04:51 PM

It's LED, it only does 10hrs MAX so in the real world expect 7-8 hrs of video, maybe 9 hrs of static content like text. The screen looks amazing from all accounts.

While it's not aimed specifically at the niche e-reader market it's ability to render magazines in full color on a very very nice looking touch screen will make it a very popular e-reader. Once the magazines come onto this device, people will adopt it in a large way. They get the added benefits of the other 50 things the device can do, from assisted GPS to Movies to Apps.

Sonist · 01-28-2010, 04:59 PM

Not only LED, but also IPS.

IPS is a significant improvement over the cheap TN screens found on most netbooks, laptops and monitors.

astra · 01-30-2010, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonist

Not only LED, but also IPS.

IPS is a significant improvement over the cheap TN screens found on most netbooks, laptops and monitors.

Unless you plan on editing pictures on it or look at the screen at very odd angles, what are other advantages?

Marseille · 01-30-2010, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astra

Unless you plan on editing pictures on it or look at the screen at very odd angles, what are other advantages?

Higher backlight level requirements leading to lower battery life. Opps, wait... I may have misunderstood the question.

In fairness, if you and your spouse want to both watch movies on it, the larger viewing angle could be nice.

If the battery life Apple quotes is close to true, I'll be very impressed, and hope that whatever non-screen related saving they reaped are also reaped by someone later who provides a more battery-friendly screen technology.

Marseille · 01-30-2010, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Not only the Pixel Qi screens have the property. As I can read my PDA perfectly in bright sunlight with the backlight turned off. Every single transflective screen has this property. Only Pixel Qi has taken the concept of transflective screens and has made some updates on it.

Transflective LCDs aren't new, but Pixel Qi is more than a tweak on past technologies.

Quote:

On a normal transflective LCD, there is a colour filter that sits on top of the display with (usually) red, green and blue filters for each subpixel. Underneath the panel is the equivalent of a 2-way mirror. There are two problems with this:

1) The colour filter massively reduces the brightness of the light, both as it goes in and again as it comes out
2) The mirror layer cuts down on the amount of light that can get through from the backlight

What that means is that standard transflective displays are darker and less efficient indoors than a transmissive display and also that outdoors, they only are about 5% reflective.

Pixel Qi have totally redesigned the layout of most elements of the LCD in order to get around those two problems so that it reaches equivalent performance to electrophoretic displays (such as e-ink) in black & white outdoor performance while retaining the ability to do colour and animations.

It also outputs at higher resolution in b&w mode than the electrophoretic displays, so text looks much better.

I can't wait to have a laptop that's actually usable outdoors! I've tried the Tosh and it's disappointing.

DawnFalcon · 01-30-2010, 02:09 PM

Never mind

astra · 01-30-2010, 03:50 PM

How will all of this improve reading The Lord of the Rings?

stustaff · 01-30-2010, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astra

How will all of this improve reading The Lord of the Rings?

In exactly the same way as e-ink did, except with more colours better contrast a back light, heavier and shorter Battery life.

dkb · 01-30-2010, 04:45 PM

[QUOTE=TallMomof2;760767]IMO, the biggest problem with reading on a monitor is that it's too big and the eyes need to work a lot harder tracking across the page.

I've been puzzled over my dislike for reading on my laptop. I had always assumed it was because of the LCD screen. I have no problems reading for long periods of time on my Kindle. I was very surprised to find when Kindle added the iPod app that I also like to read on my iPod. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that the small size and ease of tracking--and also that the screen can be dimmed.

That being said, I think if I got an iPad, it would be for surfing the net, and reading magazines and newspapers. I think my fiction reading would still be on my Kindle or Ipod.

01-30-2010, 02:09 PM	#27
DawnFalcon Banned Posts: 2,094 Karma: 2682 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: N/A	Never mind Last edited by DawnFalcon; 01-30-2010 at 09:01 PM.

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01-28-2010, 10:39 AM	#17
TallMomof2 Kindlephilia Posts: 2,017 Karma: 1139255 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Snowpacolypse 2010 Device: Too many to count	IMO, the biggest problem with reading on a monitor is that it's too big and the eyes need to work a lot harder tracking across the page. This is purely anecdotal but for myself (my vision is poor 20/900) reading on a laptop or a tablet is far easier because the screen size is much smaller and I can bring the screen closer to my eyes than I can a monitor that sits on a desk. I far prefer to read on a eInk screen. I love my KDX, great size for reading at home and reasonably portable since it fits in my bag with a case. The K2 is getting less and less use because for me the DX screen is my personal sweet spot.

01-28-2010, 10:58 AM	#18
enygmatic Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Sony PRS-300	I think the apple iPad doesn't have a LCD screen per se but a LED screen. This is supposed to be easier on the eyes as compared to the LCD. Also its supposed to consume a lot less power.

01-28-2010, 03:54 PM	#20
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	What you mean to say is "This device is not something I could use as an e-reader for long-term reading." Vs. trying to speak for everyone and saying it's not an e-reader. It's a multi function tablet that looks to have a wide selection of e-reading options with likely multiple e-book apps, magazines, newspapers, PDFs etc. So it will be a fine device for many people to do e-reading on. For others it won't suit their needs as they want e-ink and super long battery life. To each their own.

01-28-2010, 04:17 PM	#21
Bremen Cole Wizard Posts: 1,115 Karma: 2718 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Texas Device: iPad	dmaul1114 is absolutely correct. The title to this thread is absurd, the screen will be fine for reading. It is an LED lit screen, which eliminates most of the problems have with eye strain on florescent back lit screens. As someone who has read ebooks on CRT and LCD screens (including PDA's and Pocket PC's) I can tell you it can even be done on old type screens. But, the LED back lighting is much better.

01-28-2010, 04:51 PM	#22
fugazied Wizard Posts: 1,305 Karma: 1958 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: iPod Touch	It's LED, it only does 10hrs MAX so in the real world expect 7-8 hrs of video, maybe 9 hrs of static content like text. The screen looks amazing from all accounts. While it's not aimed specifically at the niche e-reader market it's ability to render magazines in full color on a very very nice looking touch screen will make it a very popular e-reader. Once the magazines come onto this device, people will adopt it in a large way. They get the added benefits of the other 50 things the device can do, from assisted GPS to Movies to Apps.

01-28-2010, 04:59 PM	#23
Sonist Apeist Posts: 2,126 Karma: 381090 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The sunny part of California Device: Generic virtual reality story-experiential device	Not only LED, but also IPS. IPS is a significant improvement over the cheap TN screens found on most netbooks, laptops and monitors.

01-30-2010, 03:50 PM	#28
astra The Introvert Posts: 8,307 Karma: 1000077497 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: United Kingdom Device: Sony Reader PRS-650 & 505 & 500	How will all of this improve reading The Lord of the Rings?

01-30-2010, 04:45 PM	#30
dkb ebook enthusiast Posts: 85 Karma: 40466 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Midlothian, VA Device: Kindle 2, iPhone, Sony PRS-350, Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch	[QUOTE=TallMomof2;760767]IMO, the biggest problem with reading on a monitor is that it's too big and the eyes need to work a lot harder tracking across the page. I've been puzzled over my dislike for reading on my laptop. I had always assumed it was because of the LCD screen. I have no problems reading for long periods of time on my Kindle. I was very surprised to find when Kindle added the iPod app that I also like to read on my iPod. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that the small size and ease of tracking--and also that the screen can be dimmed. That being said, I think if I got an iPad, it would be for surfing the net, and reading magazines and newspapers. I think my fiction reading would still be on my Kindle or Ipod.

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