04-07-2010, 04:20 PM | #31 |
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I personally think that in many cases the phrase "LCDs cause eye-strain" is really a short-hand way of saying that using many LCD devices often leads to eye-strain.
Like many members, I own multiple devices - and have read on both LCD and E-Ink devices as recently as today. One thing I've noticed is that all three of my main LCD devices have much smaller screens than my Sony, which means I have to go with smaller text if I'm going to get a reasonable number of words on the screen at one time. Smaller text generally means that I'm either squinting, or I'm holding the device closer to my eyes. The end result is that I just can't use any LCD device I own for sustained reading as easily as I can my Sony 505. It's just a better device for me to read novels on. Comics are better on my Droid, despite the size of the screen, but not prose. |
04-07-2010, 04:47 PM | #32 |
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schmolch - Then you've really not followed the previous threads on this.
Also, there tends to be a considerable difference in light spectrum between daylight and backlights, just as with most artificial lighting. The effect this has on people is highly variable, of course. |
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04-07-2010, 04:55 PM | #33 |
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Fact is, just plain reading can lead to eye-strain... if it is done too much.
I've worked in front of computers for the last 20 years, 8 hours solid at work, then 2-4 hours a night after work... and over the last 20 years, I've had to get progressively stronger glasses. Most anyone who reads anything that much can expect that to happen. I have occasionally experienced eye-strain on the way home from work, reading on the train, and had to close my eyes for a rest. These incidents happened as often when I was reading from a standard paper magazine, as on an LCD screen. In all cases, it's because I had spent the entire 8 hours previous, reading. Didn't matter what source. Simply put, I tired my eyes out. It's just muscles in there, folks... they're not invulnerable. I have read on LCD screens on PCs, PDAs and smartphones, since there have been PDAs and smartphones, and I never experienced eyestrain that couldn't be attributable to an extended length of time just reading. The same goes for CRT screens and paper... read too much, and my eyes got tired. Changing light levels in the surrounding area could also cause the apparent light on the screen or paper to change, forcing your eyes to work harder to compensate for the differences (yes, even those reading a magazine can experience variable light levels on the page, depending on what the ambient light is doing). LCD screens, like CRTs, have the benefit of being adjustable, so you can minimize the brightness and contrast factors that force your eye-muscles to work harder, adjusting and refocusing, to compensate for the differences (the true cause of eye-strain). But most people simply do not know how to adjust their screens properly (or at all), so an improperly-set screen acerbates strain. And many others, including many on this forum, simply don't step back and take breaks from reading often enough. Perfect screen or not, paper, e-ink or LCD, too much reading will affect your eyes. Having said that... since everyone's eyes are different, there's really no point in trying to declare one media or another "good" or "bad." It's the activity that causes the eye-stain, not the media... the media just affects the amount of strain, to differing levels for different people. |
04-07-2010, 05:20 PM | #34 | |
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I don't need to get online and bicker over science, argue with lovers of certain screen types. I can try stuff for myself and find what works for me and not bash things I don't like or the people that prefer other technology. I just don't get all the bickering that goes on. Every discussion of e-ink vs. LCD, eyestrain etc. just ends up with arguing and eventually insults from diehard fans of the various technology. It all has it's pros and cons, and it's great that there's such a wide variety of stuff to choose from with more stuff on the way with Pixel QI, Mirasol etc. |
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04-07-2010, 05:24 PM | #35 |
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The entire point is that different people find different preferences in screen type and lighting which work for them, but you can't dismiss the fact out of hand that many people do prefer reflective screens because they work for them, and hence there is a decent market for devices using said screens!
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04-07-2010, 05:33 PM | #36 | |
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Read on what you prefer and let others do the same! There's plenty of room in the market for e-ink devices, phones, pdas, tablets, netbooks etc. that can display e-books. It's not some zero sum end game where only one type of device can emerge victorious. E-books are very simple files, there will always be a wide array of devices that can display them. |
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04-07-2010, 05:35 PM | #37 |
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To those who say that LCDs are fine: just turn down the brightness and sit closer when trying to read a page on screed. Do you know, I bet most users have actually tried that? I certainly have, it seemed pretty obvious. I have pdfs that I regularly want to read, and it's not exactly rocket science to adjust the brightness and lean in.
For my eyes, there is absolutely no contest. Reading on the eInk device results in far less strain. It's not even close. I don't even register that there might be strain. I'm happy to believe that there are those who are perfectly happy reading off both screens, but I'd be very surprised if anyone found there was more strain involved in reading off eInk, assuming there was sufficient ambient light (I'm OK with the idea that many would prefer LCD in a dim room). Graham |
04-07-2010, 05:45 PM | #38 | |
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For me, I'd prefer something like the iPad in the long run as it can do a lot more than just read (I'm not really an avid reader, Kindle was an impulse buy) and I'll take maybe some extra eye fatigue when reading over the slow page turns etc. of e-ink readers. Others read a TON and e-ink is more advantageous for them. Different strokes for different folks and all that. Everyone has their own reading habits, own preference, and own set of eyes, so there's not right or wrong answer to what's best. All that matters is finding the device(s) that fit your individual needs. |
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04-07-2010, 05:48 PM | #39 |
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Computer Screen Glare (like apple ipad) can damage eyes.
http://visionresearch.myblogtrade.co...nd-eye-damage/ |
04-07-2010, 06:04 PM | #40 |
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Searcher, spam blog with engrish articles.
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04-07-2010, 06:45 PM | #41 |
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04-07-2010, 06:50 PM | #42 | |
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I find that a strength of LCD devices personally as it's easier to adjust brightness on the device than making sure you always have enough ambient lighting to read e-ink or paper. Clip on lights work, but get annoying fast. |
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04-07-2010, 07:48 PM | #43 | |
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04-07-2010, 08:01 PM | #44 |
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Interesting, we have people who say lcd doesn't bother them and people who do. It looks though that majority of people in lcd hating crowd are spending more time at the screen. I am spending 8 hours at work looking at backlit screen, there is no way I will read from LCD for pleasure, that will kill my eyes.
So please don't say LCD screens are fine if you don't see the problem, by spending 2 hours a day with them. They don't bother you -- that's accurate. And yeah MD, PHD means very little without the study materials that you can examine and see if it's even publishable by academic standards and even then there will be another study coming out disproving the first one. These MD might be orthopedics for all we know. |
04-07-2010, 08:08 PM | #45 | |
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I use both E-Ink and LCD devices, and yes the LCD does cause me more eyestrain than the E-Ink device. Maybe I could fiddle around with the settings on the LCD to eliminate eyestrain - but it's easier just to pick up my PRS-505, and the reading experience is more satisfying. And that's discounting the fact that no amount of fiddling would make the screen any bigger or make it easily readable in bright daylight. This is a good LCD, too. It's on the Moto Droid and one of the best LCD screens I've ever seen. It's simply not as good for extended prose reading as the E-Ink display on my PRS-505. But that's okay, different screens have different uses. It's no different than different paper stock. When I buy a graphic novel, it's usually printed on very glossy paper - most fiction is printed on paper with much more of a matte finish. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging that some people find one kind of display technology unsuitable for certain uses. It doesn't mean they're doing something wrong, nor does it mean they are permanently wedded to the display technology they currently use. What it does mean, is that if they do move away from devices based on their current technology, they're more likely to move to a third alternative than go to the one they've already rejected as unsuitable. |
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