Page turns, and readabilty

Dave Berk · 03-10-2007, 06:37 PM

I've just ordered a reader. To pass the time till it get all the way to my corner of the earth, I went browsing the reader pictures here on mobileread and in other places. I'm a fast reader and it seemed to me that in all the pictures I've seen there's only a few lines per page. At my reading speed I'd probably wind up turning the pages all the time. So I'd like to ask you who have used it for a while - how does it compare to reading a paperback?

Also I have read here too many horror stories about faulty readers. I'm ordering mine from bhphotovideo internationally and if there are going to be problems with the unit I'm screwed. What percentage would you say the there are of faulty readers?

igorsk · 03-10-2007, 06:57 PM

It might take a bit longer than turning a book page, but not by much, I'd say. After a while you basically stop noticing it.
Here's a video that should give you an idea of the speed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrlcO9LQd1c

NatCh · 03-10-2007, 07:49 PM

I'd call it a wash to turning paper pages, plus pages don't get stuck together.

There do seem to be a few problems, but only a few ... no more than a couple dozen out of several hundred, at a guess -- but that is very much a guess.

I s'pose you could ask them to open it up and make sure it turns on okay before they ship it .... Worst they could say is "no."

I like the new avatar, BTW. Very cool. From Popeye, is it?

scottcstoness · 03-10-2007, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simple dave

I've just ordered a reader. To pass the time till it get all the way to my corner of the earth, I went browsing the reader pictures here on mobileread and in other places. I'm a fast reader and it seemed to me that in all the pictures I've seen there's only a few lines per page. At my reading speed I'd probably wind up turning the pages all the time. So I'd like to ask you who have used it for a while - how does it compare to reading a paperback?

I find that at 14pt Times Roman, RTF files end up with about as much text on a page as a normal paperback. For me, 14pt is about right for reading in extremely good light on the small size. I often bump it up to medium, which results in 2/3 the text on a page (so half again as many pages). Turning the page, as mentioned above, is certainly no slower than a paperback for RTF or LRF files -- I've read a couple .pdfs that took 2-3 seconds, and you just end up timing the button press; slightly annoying, but not insurmountably so.

BTW, Natch; I think the avatar is from Tintin.

Cheers,

ScS

NatCh · 03-10-2007, 11:35 PM

Ah, the style seems similar to Popeye, I don't think I've ever seen Tintin.

Dave Berk · 03-11-2007, 03:56 AM

Thank you all for your answer.

ScS, how many pages on the reader a regular book (about 350 pages) would come to?

Nat, It is somewhat similar to popeye drawing style, but the stories are completely different. You must read tintin ---

Following igorsk post, I looked on youtube at the reader's movies. I don't think the screen clearing will bother me. Though I sure hope future eInk device won't have it.

HarryT · 03-11-2007, 04:05 AM

My preference is to set the text size to 16pt and read on "medium". At that size, a typical novel is perhaps 1000-1200 pages on the Reader; a very long book, such the complete "Lord of the Rings" or "War and Peace" is about 3000 pages.

Dave Berk · 03-11-2007, 05:36 AM

which means three books and the battery's empty? What do you do for weekends away from the computer? is there an AC adapter included?

HarryT · 03-11-2007, 06:22 AM

I'm not going to read "War and Peace" over a weekend

. If you think that you might, then just take the mains adapter away with you. Yes, there is one supplied, or you can charge via USB (but only on a PC). I find that, reading for typically an hour a day, I only need to recharge about once every two weeks.

RWood · 03-11-2007, 06:23 AM

Yes there is an AC adapter. You can also use a PSP adapter or -- as I do -- an iGo power adapter. (An iGo is a multi-tip and voltage adapter that runs from AC, car adapter or airplane connection and powers your laptop, cell phone, PDA, MP3 player, camera, Sony Reader, etc. with multiple iTips attached to it. The model I use is called "Juice")

stxopher · 03-11-2007, 09:52 AM

Don't let the pictures of readers in action worry you to much. When text is shown and seems abnormally sparse in most cases it's just so that it can be seen well in the picture. The text resolution is excellent on small type. Well, I assume it's excellent in small type but then I don't read small type anymore. (I didn't go blind! Books just got small!)

If you are speed reading then the reader might cause problems unless you are using the "block view" method. For normal reading it seems the time between a button push, refresh and look back to the top of the page is about the same as a book.

Power? Man-o-man, there be the rub for a major difference in readers and most likely the one you will notice. Some people can read 5,000 pages and still be going strong while others have a few thousand or even less. This is defintly going to be a "Your Mileage May Vary" thing. (Two readers here: one gets about 1,000 pages and another gets about 4,000 pages on the same books.)

HarryT · 03-11-2007, 10:04 AM

I think it's true to say, though, that even the most "power hungry" of Readers does a lot better than the majority of other devices on the market, and the good ones (like mine) are outstanding.

Dave Berk · 03-11-2007, 12:05 PM

Well, here's to hoping my reader is one the good ones. (can't be on the side of evil, power hungry devices, can I?

)

On an unrelated matter, I'm now passing up my time converting all my files to rtf, in prepration for the reader... got to pass the time untill tracking information is available...

yvanleterrible · 03-11-2007, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simple dave

Thank you all for your answer.

ScS, how many pages on the reader a regular book (about 350 pages) would come to?

Nat, It is somewhat similar to popeye drawing style, but the stories are completely different. You must read tintin ---

Say! Seeing Capitaine Haddock like that brought back a lot of fond memories. Do you read it in it's original French? Have you scanned them for your reader? I'd like to find those!!! Astérix too. When I was a kid I used to 'feed' on that.

I still read Bob Morane, Gaston Lagaffe and some of Gotlib's work on the reader in horizontal display. It's tedious and bland but I still prefer to read it on the PRS than on the computer.

For the number of pages, depending on display size, you should do a word count more than a page count; and some fonts have an impact also.
The average paper back has a word count of 300 to 325 words per page. If in Word you format your books with Times Roman 16points, on the reader it will display at 175 in large display, 210 medium and 275 small. But that is my approximate average count.

When reading with the reader turning pages is less difficult than a paper book. I read fast too. The only habit you get to learn besides turning pages with the bloody left hand is to press the page turn button with a little over half a line left to read, then blink to moisten your eyes and the next page display is there. After a book or two everything becomes automatic.

Dave Berk · 03-11-2007, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Say! Seeing Capitaine Haddock like that brought back a lot of fond memories. Do you read it in it's original French? Have you scanned them for your reader? I'd like to find those!!! Astérix too. When I was a kid I used to 'feed' on that.

Unfortunately I don't read french. I read them in their english translation, which I must say aren't bad at all. Though still probably nothing like the original...

I do have them scanned. I didn't do the scanning. Downloaded them off some website. I figure I'm allowed this since I have them in the real world. well, most of them.

Quote:

I still read Bob Morane, Gaston Lagaffe and some of Gotlib's work on the reader in horizontal display. It's tedious and bland but I still prefer to read it on the PRS than on the computer.

Sadly, I'm not familiar with these artists. Thanks to you, now, I've gone a googling, and I have a couple of new artists to check out

.

Quote:

For the number of pages, depending on display size, you should do a word count more than a page count; and some fonts have an impact also.
The average paper back has a word count of 300 to 325 words per page. If in Word you format your books with Times Roman 16points, on the reader it will display at 175 in large display, 210 medium and 275 small. But that is my approximate average count.

When reading with the reader turning pages is less difficult than a paper book. I read fast too. The only habit you get to learn besides turning pages with the bloody left hand is to press the page turn button with a little over half a line left to read, then blink to moisten your eyes and the next page display is there. After a book or two everything becomes automatic.

Here's to hoping!! All I need now is the reader and I can start experimenting....

03-10-2007, 06:37 PM	#1
Dave Berk Fanatic Posts: 574 Karma: 138556 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PRS505	Page turns, and readabilty I've just ordered a reader. To pass the time till it get all the way to my corner of the earth, I went browsing the reader pictures here on mobileread and in other places. I'm a fast reader and it seemed to me that in all the pictures I've seen there's only a few lines per page. At my reading speed I'd probably wind up turning the pages all the time. So I'd like to ask you who have used it for a while - how does it compare to reading a paperback? Also I have read here too many horror stories about faulty readers. I'm ordering mine from bhphotovideo internationally and if there are going to be problems with the unit I'm screwed. What percentage would you say the there are of faulty readers?

03-10-2007, 06:57 PM	#2
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	It might take a bit longer than turning a book page, but not by much, I'd say. After a while you basically stop noticing it. Here's a video that should give you an idea of the speed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrlcO9LQd1c Last edited by igorsk; 03-10-2007 at 07:00 PM.

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03-10-2007, 07:49 PM	#3
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	I'd call it a wash to turning paper pages, plus pages don't get stuck together. There do seem to be a few problems, but only a few ... no more than a couple dozen out of several hundred, at a guess -- but that is very much a guess. I s'pose you could ask them to open it up and make sure it turns on okay before they ship it .... Worst they could say is "no." I like the new avatar, BTW. Very cool. From Popeye, is it?

03-10-2007, 11:35 PM	#5
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Ah, the style seems similar to Popeye, I don't think I've ever seen Tintin.

03-11-2007, 03:56 AM	#6
Dave Berk Fanatic Posts: 574 Karma: 138556 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PRS505	Thank you all for your answer. ScS, how many pages on the reader a regular book (about 350 pages) would come to? Nat, It is somewhat similar to popeye drawing style, but the stories are completely different. You must read tintin --- Following igorsk post, I looked on youtube at the reader's movies. I don't think the screen clearing will bother me. Though I sure hope future eInk device won't have it.

03-11-2007, 04:05 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	My preference is to set the text size to 16pt and read on "medium". At that size, a typical novel is perhaps 1000-1200 pages on the Reader; a very long book, such the complete "Lord of the Rings" or "War and Peace" is about 3000 pages.

03-11-2007, 05:36 AM	#8
Dave Berk Fanatic Posts: 574 Karma: 138556 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PRS505	which means three books and the battery's empty? What do you do for weekends away from the computer? is there an AC adapter included?

03-11-2007, 06:22 AM	#9
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I'm not going to read "War and Peace" over a weekend . If you think that you might, then just take the mains adapter away with you. Yes, there is one supplied, or you can charge via USB (but only on a PC). I find that, reading for typically an hour a day, I only need to recharge about once every two weeks.

03-11-2007, 06:23 AM	#10
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	Yes there is an AC adapter. You can also use a PSP adapter or -- as I do -- an iGo power adapter. (An iGo is a multi-tip and voltage adapter that runs from AC, car adapter or airplane connection and powers your laptop, cell phone, PDA, MP3 player, camera, Sony Reader, etc. with multiple iTips attached to it. The model I use is called "Juice")

03-11-2007, 09:52 AM	#11
stxopher Nameless Being	Don't let the pictures of readers in action worry you to much. When text is shown and seems abnormally sparse in most cases it's just so that it can be seen well in the picture. The text resolution is excellent on small type. Well, I assume it's excellent in small type but then I don't read small type anymore. (I didn't go blind! Books just got small!) If you are speed reading then the reader might cause problems unless you are using the "block view" method. For normal reading it seems the time between a button push, refresh and look back to the top of the page is about the same as a book. Power? Man-o-man, there be the rub for a major difference in readers and most likely the one you will notice. Some people can read 5,000 pages and still be going strong while others have a few thousand or even less. This is defintly going to be a "Your Mileage May Vary" thing. (Two readers here: one gets about 1,000 pages and another gets about 4,000 pages on the same books.)

03-11-2007, 10:04 AM	#12
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I think it's true to say, though, that even the most "power hungry" of Readers does a lot better than the majority of other devices on the market, and the good ones (like mine) are outstanding.

03-11-2007, 12:05 PM	#13
Dave Berk Fanatic Posts: 574 Karma: 138556 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PRS505	Well, here's to hoping my reader is one the good ones. (can't be on the side of evil, power hungry devices, can I? ) On an unrelated matter, I'm now passing up my time converting all my files to rtf, in prepration for the reader... got to pass the time untill tracking information is available...

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