Annoying Screen flash

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

Odd question. I use mine all the time and still find it irritating. There are lots of people who are not very satisfied or happy with E-Ink refresh. Most such people aren't going to be terribly active here. My participation is probably just misplaced masochism while waiting for news of better things.

I know you're not keen on it, but honestly, you really are in a small minority, hence my suggestion to the previous poster to actually try it, rather than simply assume that he won't like it.

[Dulin's Books]

Originally Posted by HarryT

So does the CyBook Opus, but if you switch it off, you soon realise the reason that it's there!

it gets dirty after a bit depending on the text but Boox has a refresh button on screen in the progress bar you can use every once in a while to clean it with a full refresh.

[kjk]

It bothers me.
I tested out the Sony at the store beforehand, and was annoyed by it, but figured I'd get used to it. But, I never really did.

[shattler]

I thought it would bother me but I hardly ever notice it any more. When I read for a long time, it feels just like reading a paper book.

[Mr. Dalliard]

If you don't want FLASH, get an iPad.....

Seriously, try blinking every time you turn the page, then you won't notice the flash so much.

[Canuck_in_Japan]

As long as the 5 inch screen is no problem (I pine for a 6 inch screen) then the Jetbook is a great alternative. Sometimes I'm not even sure if I've hit the button or not because I don't notice the page turn.

[manifestor]

Nothing is perfect in this world. Compared to the eye-straining backlight on an LCD display, the black flash on an e-ink screen is more tolerable to me. I could never finish reading a fiction on my laptop but I can read non-stop on my Astak EZreader.

[theducks]

We keep referring to it as a Flash which causes the conception of bright.
Blink an LCD/CRT display ind you get a bright flash.
Remember those "flip" digit/letter signs that used to be used in Airports and clocks? That is closer to what an e-ink display presents.
Bright light (sunshine) vieability
and really long battery life (days, not hours)
Make the blink worth choosing e-ink over LCD for a reading device.
Page turns are still faster than a normal human can turn a page (without ripping the page).

[robinson]

"I tested out the Sony at the store beforehand, and was annoyed by it, but figured I'd get used to it. But, I never really did."

"I use mine all the time and still find it irritating. There are lots of people who are not very satisfied or happy with E-Ink refresh. Most such people aren't going to be terribly active here."

That's the issue... some get used to the flashing, but others do not. I'd never spend hundreds of dollars on a device that I might not get used to!

OTOH, millions use their laptop LCDs for hours a day, reading, without problems. I also read ebooks on my IPT without any issues. I know I'd have no problems with the iPad, especially as its font rendering is so crisp and readable. In addition, the iBooks app offers you many choices so that you can tailor the display to suit your tastes. The page turning mirrors that of a real book-- you can even turn the page part way and see what's on the next page! (If you haven't seen that demonstrated, it's really cool!)

The multi-touch interface is also incredibly intimate and immersive.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by robinson

OTOH, millions use their laptop LCDs for hours a day, reading, without problems.

And equally truly, many find that reading from backlit LCD screens causes eyestrain. There really is no "one size suits all" solution - you need to find what works for you, personally.

[Acreo Aeneas]

Originally Posted by HarryT

So does the CyBook Opus, but if you switch it off, you soon realise the reason that it's there!

Ghosting... Whole reason why it flashes from black-to-white-to-black-and back.

Originally Posted by robinson

OTOH, millions use their laptop LCDs for hours a day, reading, without problems.

I find that hard to believe since most of us get very tired and our eyes are sore after a long day of staring at a backlit display for many many hours.

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by Acreo Aeneas

Ghosting... Whole reason why it flashes from black-to-white-to-black-and back.
I find that hard to believe since most of us get very tired and our eyes are sore after a long day of staring at a backlit display for many many hours.

Doesn't happen to me. Doesn't happen to quite a lot of people who participated in that eye strain thread either.

I generally ascribe it to bad viewing habits. Some people are genuinely sensitive though I'm sure, just as some people are genuinely lactose intolerant. In the right closed environment, you may even find it's the majority case, like on a soy products discussion forum. In that kind of environment, people will often say that everyone they know has the same problem, which may or may not be true.

[m-reader]

Originally Posted by robinson

It's called the iPad!

And yes, I agree with you, that flashing on page turning on e-ink devices was surprising to me, too--and annoying. I know I couldn't get used to it.

That's why I'm going to buy an iPad.

Apple did not invent slate/tablet form computers. These have been around for donkey years.
The guy is after an advice, if you are stating your opinion that's fair enough, but at least say so.

I hope you enjoy your iPad - but please, please do some research before posting! iPad is in no way shape or form more superior e-book reading platform to a dozen other UMPC/Slate/Tablet form devices.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dalliard

If you don't want FLASH, get an iPad.....

Seriously, try blinking every time you turn the page, then you won't notice the flash so much.

I prefer the screen refresh on my Mini over that "page turning animation" on the Ipad any day... I am not reading a paper book so why simulate the page turning? If I read on an LCD screen I expect the page to turn immediately. And I should be able to do it without having to touch the screen.

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I prefer the screen refresh on my Mini over that "page turning animation" on the Ipad any day... I am not reading a paper book so why simulate the page turning? If I read on an LCD screen I expect the page to turn immediately. And I should be able to do it without having to touch the screen.

I gotta agree with you, the page-turning is a gimmicky add-on effect that gets done on a lot of demos for things like Liquavista and Mirasol too.

The reason they do it is simple: It gives people the impression that they have more control and response from the book, even though they don't really. It's an easy way to take advantage of a fast screen without actually doing any work to make it useful, such as improving navigation, where real-world improvements could be made.