Is the color really worth it?

[ColdSun]

I used the auto root image tonight btw, and this thing just exploded with features. I can't believe how well everything is working, including the market. I can't figure out which application to try next, but it was fun loading the Kindle app on here. I still prefer the default NC reader on the device though.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by ColdSun

This LCD argument of yours is the biggest dead horse on this forum and has been even before the high quality LTPS screen and capacitive touch that the NC uses.

Do you honestly think LCD screens are much better than eink? it is a fact, that LCD screens, even the modern ones, create eye problems like astigmatism and other eye strain issues.

[iandix]

well I hope the nookcolor is worth it, as I just got an email that it's on it's way.
I'm very happy with my eink nook, and I plan to continue to use that as well. But the nookcolor just looks too good to say no to :-)

I'm seeing more and more e-readers all the time on trains (mostly Sony and Kobo readers) I wonder how many nookcolors will start appearing down here.

[gtriever]

Originally Posted by jocampo

Do you honestly think LCD screens are much better than eink? it is a fact, that LCD screens, even the modern ones, create eye problems like astigmatism and other eye strain issues.

Please provide a credible source for this "fact".

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by gtriever

Please provide a credible source for this "fact".

There are tons of articles and studies about it

http://www.aoa.org/x5374.xml

My own doctor explained that to me but I guess you will also challenge that. I am, like many other, affected after being years and years in front of LCD and computer displays. The technology has improved a lot, that is correct, but still it is not natural for your eye to focus, work or read on such devices for long period of times.

I spend about 10 hrs day in front of a computer, enough to me to avoid additional 2, 3, 4 or 5 more hours reading a book using another computer display. If you are an avid reader like me, keep adding that time day by day and you will start putting a lot of stress on your eyes.

This is a very, very controversial topic that of course creates really passionated debate but has been extensively discussed over the years.

Take this as an advice and just read it. I don't really have time to keep arguing about it. You take your conclusions.

Regarding OP and the original thread, I see no advantage in reading full color a copy of Garcia Marquez or Vargas Llosa. The internet and social features can be a source of distraction too unless you are doing an investigation or something like that on which case it could justify the other.

Of course NC is a nice and a good concept, I used and had one but for serious readers it's just not the best device. It would be ok for casual readers and really short period of usage.

[cutterjohn42]

Originally Posted by Grimm

With respect, this may be true for you but not for everyone.

Same to you, but I feel a need to point out that IF you are planning to do more reading in brightly lit and/or sunny areas, e.g. outdoors, then eInk ATM is the ONLY way to go. The drawback of eInk, primarily, is that in poorly lit conditions you'll need some sort of external lighting.

IF you'll primarily be reading in poorly lit areas, e.g. indoors, or where you have some degree of control over the lighting, e.g. outdoors where you can find enough shade or provide some, you could do with an LCD although even in shaded areas outdoors you'd likely have to have the backlight set fairly high which will negatively impact battery life.

As to the speed of the NC: It has a decent Cortex-A8 CPU component of the system-on-a-chip(SoC) used, BUT, it is CURRENTLY running Android 2.1, however, Android 2.2 at least is promised(and if the woman at the Nook kiosk in a store is to be believed they apparently also have plans for 2.3 and possibly beyond) which WILL bring a pretty decent performance improvement as 2.2 uses a JIT("just in time") Dalvik VM(virtual machine). Performance improvement was one of the primary targets of 2.2.

All of that said I've used various PDAs from a Palm IIIx(w/a TRG XTRA XTRA PRO RAM/FLASH upgrade) to recent tablets and eInk devices for reading, including a Sony PRS-505, Augen Gentouch78(AWFUL backlight bleed, and worst responsiveness in a touch screen), white Pandigital Novel(backlight bleed, flakey WiFi, slow, cracking case), and now a Viewsonic gTablet(thing is fast, and OK as a reader, but 10" size and 1.5lbs. is a bit much for this purpose).

I'm also looking into augmenting my PRS-505 with an NC primarily for indoor/dark/night use as a reader, light web browsing(never going to come close to the gTab on this but it should suffice), email and a few other things. i.e. I'm looking at the NC as both an ereader AND a smaller/more portable tablet.

PDFs: I'm surprised at poor PDF performance, but I suppose that, that could be a component of the builtin PDF viewer and the fact that the NC is running Android 2.1. I did look at a PDF at a B&N store(the manual IIRC) and it seemed OK, and PDFs on the gTab are quick. Even the Augen Gentouch78 & white Pandigital Novel could open the 1400+ page Telechips TCC89XX datasheet w/o problems, and actually my biggest complaint was the lack of navigation options in the various PDF viewers that I tried. caveat: I didn't do too much w/PDFs as it was mainly to try opening large PDFs on various devices at someone else's request, primarily using ePub & FBReaderJ. NC would be same for me although I had been planning on trying to use the builtin ePub reader.

Release of the elocity a7 (Tegra 2 like the gTab -- crushes in benchmarks ALL other SoCs currently available) almost had me going that way for a while, but I'm banking on better overall firmware support and upgrades from B&N v. anyone else selling non-phone Android based devices ATM.

Overall general drawback: We're probably going to be seeing ALOT of new tablets released over the next few months from companies who will likely support their products as well as B&N should. Additionally many companies are on the verge of releasing new SoCs based around the Cortex-A9 CPU(as in Tegra 2 and dual cored like Tegra 2) and newer integrated GPUs(better graphics performance), so I keep seesawing between running out and grabbing a NC right now or waiting to see how things shake out in the next few months. (I can afford to wait as I have my primary eInk reader and the gTab which suffices for dark/poorly lit conditions for now as it's mainly indoors given that it's winter and abnormally cold here.)

[ColdSun]

Oh no, I won't be drawn back into this very opinionated and not proven argument about how eink is better than LCD. It isn't true and those of you wanting more information just browse around this forum and find the hundreds of threads beating this dead horse over and over.

[cutterjohn42]

Originally Posted by ColdSun

Oh no, I won't be drawn back into this very opinionated and not proven argument about how eink is better than LCD. It isn't true and those of you wanting more information just browse around this forum and find the hundreds of threads beating this dead horse over and over.

I hardly find this to be opinionated when, for example, during the summer I can walk outside with some of the best LCDs available, e.g. OLED & IPS screens, set them to max brightness and barely be able to make what is supposedly displayed on the screen. More often than not I wouldn't even know that the device display was active had I not set it BEFORE walking out into a non-shaded area. This is hardly "opinionated", and is frequently mentioned in LCD tablet/reader reviews. Walk out into the sunlight with a mono-LCD or eInk hmmm... I can still read it perfectly, maybe even better than in the shaded area...

Even in a shaded area during the summer I HAD to have the backlight on various devices set to 50% or more to even come close to comfortably being able to read the display. My preference is for conditions where 25% or less backlight is sufficient to maximize batt life, especially on these smaller devices that only have 3-6h runtime to begin with.

50% on something like the iPad isn't much of a problem, nor is it on the gTab whic has a roughly equivalent batt runtime of ~10h, but on something like the NC or worse the Augen GT or WPDN with lesser batt runtimes -> less than useful runtime before requiring a charge when having to use higher backlight settings. (Hope that charger is handy.)

[SCION]

Originally Posted by jocampo

...it is a fact, that LCD screens, even the modern ones, create eye problems like astigmatism and other eye strain issues.

So, is your source saying that astigmatism didn't exist prior to computers? I ask because I had astigmatism since I was a little girl having never used a computer. Practically born with it.

[ColdSun]

[Care]

I really think the whole lcd vs e-ink is subject to the user. It is true that for some people an lcd screen can cause issues for them. I get migraines if I look at an lcd screen for too long (like my computer screen), but for some reason I can read on my phone for hours. The only time it bothered me was if I already had a headache. Some people can really have serious problems with an lcd screen. Some people will never have those problems even if they read 12 hrs a day. It seems obvious to me that if you have problems with lcd screens you shouldn't get a reader with one. For others, it doesn't matter what they read off of so it comes down to their personal likes only.

As for lcd and outside, I agree with cutterjohn42 that lcd can be harder to read. There are some things you can do to help like anti-glare film, but it would not be as easy to read for me as an eink. Some people may find that there eyes can adjust and find it perfectly acceptable. Also, some people may never plan on reading outside as they may do mostly indoor or nighttime reading, so the point is moot.

So the whole lcd vs e-ink still comes down to personal health, taste, and needs. What works best for me isn't necessarily what works best for Joe Blow down the street.

[pl001]

Originally Posted by jocampo

There are tons of articles and studies about it

http://www.aoa.org/x5374.xml

I just skimmed this over, but I don't see anything mentioned about LCD vs e-ink. But I think this passage is key to understanding the root of the eye strain issue:

"Viewing a video display terminal screen is different than viewing a typewritten or printed page. Often the letters on a VDT screen are not as precise or sharply defined, the level of contrast of the letters to the background is reduced and the presence of glare and reflections on the screen may make viewing more difficult. Viewing distances and angles used for VDT work are also often different from those commonly used for other reading or writing tasks. As a result, the eye focusing and eye movement requirements for VDT work can place additional demands on the visual system. Older workers particularly may find adjusting to these working requirements difficult."

This has nothing to do with the type of display. But it is worth noting that the Nook Color has better contrast and pixel density than the e-ink Nook in most indoor lighting conditions.

Personally, I get more eye strain from my e-ink Nook than I do from my PC at work because of the Nook's poor contrast in dim lighting (although the 1.5 updated definately helped that out). Two 40 Watt bulbs above my bed aren't quite bright enough. It's not bad enough that it bothers me, but it is noticeable.

Overall, for my reading the Color is a better choice. I think that's going to be the case for most e-reader buyers however of course that doesn't mean it's better for everybody.

[SCION]

Nice summation.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by pl001

I just skimmed this over, but I don't see anything mentioned about LCD vs e-ink. But I think this passage is key to understanding the root of the eye strain issue:

"Viewing a video display terminal screen is different than viewing a typewritten or printed page. Often the letters on a VDT screen are not as precise or sharply defined, the level of contrast of the letters to the background is reduced and the presence of glare and reflections on the screen may make viewing more difficult. Viewing distances and angles used for VDT work are also often different from those commonly used for other reading or writing tasks. As a result, the eye focusing and eye movement requirements for VDT work can place additional demands on the visual system. Older workers particularly may find adjusting to these working requirements difficult."

This has nothing to do with the type of display. But it is worth noting that the Nook Color has better contrast and pixel density than the e-ink Nook in most indoor lighting conditions.

Personally, I get more eye strain from my e-ink Nook than I do from my PC at work because of the Nook's poor contrast in dim lighting (although the 1.5 updated definately helped that out). Two 40 Watt bulbs above my bed aren't quite bright enough. It's not bad enough that it bothers me, but it is noticeable.

Overall, for my reading the Color is a better choice. I think that's going to be the case for most e-reader buyers however of course that doesn't mean it's better for everybody.

in a dimly lit room put that nook color on 20% brightness, choose gray or night background, glass of wine or scotch in hand and it's like butter to the eyes no eyestrain at all. Just pure reading bliss

[pl001]

Originally Posted by boswd

in a dimly lit room put that nook color on 20% brightness, choose gray or night background, glass of wine or scotch in hand and it's like butter to the eyes no eyestrain at all. Just pure reading bliss

I agree with that. The only issues I have with the Nook Color as far as the LCD vs e-ink thing is the weight and battery life. Not that it's really that bad or bothers me, but the K3 does have a major advantage there. Those are valid comparison points although I feel most people used to carrying their laptops or netbooks and charging their phones every day aren't going to care much.