To Glow or Not to Glow?

[andavane]

My very first eBook reader was a Palm phone, a lovely little thing with a screen the size of a large postage stamp. A vew years later came a Booken which was good but clunky, and you had to keep resetting it. The reading properly started in 2010 with Kindle Keyboard. That was the year things took off. The wifi only non-keyboard omje followed, with the finale being the Paperwhite last year which glows. I still use all three.

This year however I've become more abstemious as I hate the idea of buying books I'll only read once and never touch again. With the launch of our Council's eLibrary, I'm reading some thrillers on ePub and have bought a Kobo Mini for this purpose, mainly for use in my bag when I go outside, or just lie back in bed. Now I want a six inch screen model for reading library books and have decided that one of the Sony models will suit.

My question is what is readers' experience for glowing or non glowing? After the Paperwhite I thought that this was the ultimate. However, since going back to screens which you read through an external light, I immediately remembered how very restful this was.

Have any studies been made on which type of screen is more restful on the eye? At the moment I'm leaning towards Sony 350, but am remaining open to suggestions.
Can someone point me to some discussions on this, and experience of other users, ie the view on types of screen rather than brand preferences?
Regards,
John

[robko]

Not sure if there is any actual research on E-INK FRONTLIT screens ease on eye. Front mulitple different threads on different readers on Mobileread, I think the huge, overwhelming sentiment is that once they've had it, very few would willing go back to a non-frontlit screen. There are always exceptions to the rule. Since you have a PW and a Kobo Mini, chose whichever works best for you (light or no light).

[EowynCarter]

It's definitively best to read with a "real" light. Basically, the less contract between the screen and the rest of the world, the better.
The Odyssey have a night mode, usefull
I use glowlight as a complement in places that not that light, but very rarely in dark.

[meeera]

I generally don't read in sunlight or in glaringly over-lit rooms - we're saving on power bills! - so I've found my Glo to be bloody brilliant.

With the Touch I would have to aim a bright LED lamp directly at the screen to read comfortably. This meant that every time I changed positions I'd need to readjust the lamp; I couldn't read on my right side because that would shine the lamp directly into my sleeping partner's face; and so on. Without a really bright lamp, I could see the screen, but the contrast was so low in ambient dim-to-medium lighting that reading wasn't comfortable for me at all.

With the Glo, I can have a very dim lamp on pointed to the ceiling at night, or with no electric lighting in the daytime indoors, and read very comfortably and happily on a low glo setting. It does feel more restful to me than looking at my iPad screen or computer screen, even with Flux (for colour adjustment) and dimming.

[FizzyWater]

I put off buying one for a long time, but now that I have, I wish I'd done it when they first came out.

Like others on this thread, it isn't even the idea of "reading in bed, with the bedside table light off"....it's when I'm in situations of imperfect lighting that I find I love having the Glow light.

My experience has not matched others who have said using the Glow light doesn't affect the battery usage, but it's more than worth it to me to have to charge it more often to have it available.

My experience with detachable booklights is generally I end up getting frustrated with some spot on the screen that gets too much glare or not enough light....

[Katsunami]

You can find my thoughts about using a front-lit reader in this post. In short, now that I have one (the Kindle Paperwhite), I won't ever go back to a non-front-lit device.

[Vic333]

I've used non-lit screens with a clip on reading light for the last couple of years, but recently I got a front lit screen (Paperwhite). Love the front lit. No more glare on the screen, and the light is much less harsh than a white LED clip on lamp. I find the front lit screen to be almost soothing.

[andavane]

Thanks very much, a lot to ponder on here.
Once I'd started on my Paperwhite I felt that I hsd reached the pinnacle, until in my move to use ePub I acquired a Kobo Mini, which does not have a lit screen. As long as I had an external lighting source, it seemed better, and I was able to read for longer periods of time. Then I reverted to Kindle Keyboard, and again found it all very soft and relaxing. As I want another ePub reader, I'm thinking of acquiring one of the Sony models next, as owners seem to love those.
Thank you, Katsunami, about your experience of "front-lit" screen. That's what a Paperwhite is, is it? Am not quite sure of the difference between front-lit and back-lit really. Anyhow, that's a really good idea about turning the light down to zero, and then up till you just notice it. Good idea! I might try that, and could even try in combo with an external ereader light.
Experiment, experiment, experiment, that's the thing, but Hey! I have to get back to my book!
Regards,
John

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by andavane

Thank you, Katsunami, about your experience of "front-lit" screen. That's what a Paperwhite is, is it? Am not quite sure of the difference between front-lit and back-lit really. Anyhow, that's a really good idea about turning the light down to zero, and then up till you just notice it. Good idea! I might try that, and could even try in combo with an external ereader light.
John

The Paperwhite, Kobo Glo, the Kobo Aura, Nook Glowlight, and all other e-Ink e-readers that "glow" use a front-light. All tablets, laptops, and LCD-monitors use a back-light. The difference is exactly what it says.

Front-light: In a front-lit device, the lights are in front of the screen. The light falls onto the screen (or the pages of a book, when you are using a book with an external reading light), and it reflects, therefore making the screen (or page) brighter. The light comes from an outside source.

Back-light: In a back-lit device, the lights are built into the screen, and they're behind it. They light it from inside to outside. Therefore, the screen does not reflect any light, as a front-lit screen or a book page would; the screen itself emits the light. In a back-lit device, the screen *is* the light source.

Difference: When you use a front-lit device, you are looking at the light reflected from the screen. You are not looking directly into the light source. When using a back-lit device, the light comes directly out of the screen, and so you are looking directly into the light source.

The front-light option is much more relaxing to read on for long periods of time.

Do: The reason why I'm suggesting to go from 0 upward and then JUST stop before the e-reader starts to look like an LCD-screen is quite obvious. At that point, you have reached the maximum brightness of the screen, before it starts reflecting more light than there is ambient light. The screen would then become (much) brighter than its surroundings. You are starting to effectively see the light coming from the e-reader, and that is not what you want. What you do want, is making the screen as bright as possible, *without* making the e-reader glow (or make it glow just a tiny bit, if you like that).

Do Not: If you make a front-light so strong that the reader actually starts glowing brightly, then looking at the light reflected from the page/screen is the same as looking into the light source itself. When that happens, the front-light looses its relaxing quality, and it effectively looks as if it's a back-light.

Avoid: Of course, this will happen very quickly when you are in very dark surroundings. It happens immediately, when you are in complete darkness. This is the reason why I don't like to read in very dark or completely dark surroundings, not even with a front-lit device. The darker your surroundings become, the more a front-light and back-light will start looking alike. This is because in darker or black surroundings, your e-reader will eventually become your main, or even only light source. If this happens, it doesn't matter anymore if the device is front-lit or back-lit. I avoid this whenever I can. I always want SOME ambient light if at all possible.

Of course, all in my honest opinion.

[lioslaith]

Originally Posted by andavane

My very first eBook reader was a Palm phone, a lovely little thing with a screen the size of a large postage stamp.

Looking back my actual first ebook reader was my Palm IIIc which I still own and still works more than 15 years on. Well worth the £400 price tag I swallowed hard with all those years ago.

As for built in 'glow' on ereaders, I've read my Kindle Touch with the lit cover combo, a Kindle PW, Nook Glowlight and the Kobo Glo. I found the last two the most 'restful' on my eyes strangely enough. Even on a low setting I found with my eyes that my PW led me eyes to tire pretty quickly. No probs I use it with the light on zero to replace the Kindle Touch that my Mother borrowed and failed to return.

I prefer the built in lights to the clip on/external reading light as I don't get reflected light and don't have to keep moving the light to read down the page. Having to find the 'sweet spot' as I and my Mum call it, where you can get an even non-reflecting light or shadowing on the text your trying to read, can quickly become tedious.

I personally don't find the eInk devices to be so 'tiring' on my eyes as trying to read via an app on a tablet device. But then a lot of people don't experience any real difference between backlit & frontlit at all. So it's safe to say I find digitally reading on eInk more restful and relaxing. Esp. at night with my glow on a low ambient setting.

[JSWolf]

If you Kobo Glow, Glow Aura HD style.

[Breid]

Originally Posted by andavane

My question is what is readers' experience for glowing or non glowing? After the Paperwhite I thought that this was the ultimate. However, since going back to screens which you read through an external light, I immediately remembered how very restful this was.


John

IMHO you should go go for glow. I have a KPW which I am very happy withfor my Kindle content, and i also have a Kobo Glo for my epubs. Most of my ebooks are in epub so my Glo is my main ereader. I have ordered the Kobo Aura HD because I want the larger screen and enhanced reading expderience (all my reading is on EReaders). If you are going for Glow, your choices are between the KPW or Kobo.

PS forgot to say that an inbuilt frontlight as in Kindle Paperwhite or Kobo Glo knocks the socks off lighted screen covers (I had one for my Sony PRS 650, which my sister inherited and still loves).

[Tarana]

As someone with eye damage, I can tell you from my personal experience that a regular ereader with a good light is less stressful on the eye than a lighted unit in the same lighting. I used my Mom's paperwhite for 3 months before I gave it to her for her birthday (she's resistant to new technologies and I wanted to make sure it worked ). I could not read as long with the paperwhite as my other ereaders (both kindle and nook). That said, it was marvelous when reading at the doctor's office waiting room or other places with iffy lighting. My experiment basically says that it is up to you. If you read in places other than your reading chair, the lighted units are a huge benefit. I can't even read in some places without it. But my reading chair is well lit and of course, my damaged eyes showed that it is slightly more stressful on the eyes to have that backlighting.

[DuskyRose]

Originally Posted by Tarana

But my reading chair is well lit and of course, my damaged eyes showed that it is slightly more stressful on the eyes to have that backlighting.

I do think it just depends on the location and the reader. Sometimes you just have to use it for a while to tell how it'll work out for you.

The problem I have with both the Paperwhite and the Nook Glowlight is that when I get the light comforatable, the fonts are washed out. The 'black' fonts end up looking like a transparent blue.

I end up working harder to read than with just an eInk screen and a book light.

I've tried various light settings and contrasts, and nothing has helped the fonts getting transparent.

I'm finding I'll read one book on the lighted models, then go to reading the rest of a series on the regular Sony's.

Yet the lit screens are still much more comfortable than the backlit tablet screens. I only use those as a last resort.

But it's taken a lot of testing to realize what the problems are for me.

[Ripplinger]

As someone who absolutely loves their Sony 350s and recently bought a Kobo Glo, I can say this... like the light on the Kobo Glo, it's got an even color, not plagued by the Kindle color hues, and it's super convenient when needed. But that's where it ends, everything else is superior on the Sony for software and even the screen. The "feel" of the screen is even better on the Sony, it's a very smooth surface. The feel of the Kobo makes it seem like there's a powdery coating on the screen (yes, I know there can be some actual powdery feel to the frame even, but I've made sure I've cleaned all that off). The touch is more responsive on the Sony as well, it's rare that I have to swipe to turn a page a 2nd time, but the Kobo probably about 50% of the time. I do find that using a tap on the Kobo instead of a swipe seems more reliable.

Differences between the software on the 2 readers range from hating how the Kobo might handle an epub to other differences that are just annoying to missing things the Kobo can't do that the Sony can.

I'm still tempted to return the Kobo and wait for Sony, but there are times I really need a light, and if Sony doesn't release a lighted reader this year, that's 6 months I could have had the light while waiting for the following year's releases from Sony. And it's another toy I can test scanned epubs on as I'm working on them, and still have use of a light when needed.

The size of the Kobo really isn't much larger than the Sony. But as far as 5" screen vs 6" screen, because of the superior flexibility of fonts and sizes on the Sony with PRS+ installed, just about the same amount of text fits on both screens when using the same font size with my preferred settings on the Sony. I've put brackets around the text in the photo so you can easily see what the Sony shows vs what the Kobo shows on the bigger 6" screen (it will show a nice size comparison too, the Sony reader is in the Sony non-lighted cover). The Kobo settings have line spacing set to the lowest setting possible and using the Malabar font, which was the closest to the LexiaDaMa font on the Sony. Screen appears a bit darker on the Sony because the light source is coming from the right (there's a bit of glare that seems to fade the upper right corner of the Kobo, but that's the light source only, not the screen). The screen is actually a bit lighter than the Kobo, and I have other Sonys that are quite a bit lighter.

Your decision will end up being how important the light is to you.

Edit: The Sony page turns are also faster than the Kobo even when the Kobo doesn't refresh and only 5 books on the Kobo.