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Originally Posted by HarryT
Oh, I'm not disagreeing with you that eInk devices are better for reading on, but "hurting your eyes" generally simply means that you have the backlight set too bright. Think about it for a minute: your brain doesn't care whether the screen is emitting light or reflecting it from another light source - the net result of either is that photons enter your eye and stimulate the optic nerve. There's no physical reason that an LCD screen should be worse for your eyes than an eInk screen.
I read on both eInk (Kindle PW2) and LCD (Apple iPad Mini), and each has pros and cons. The Kindle is lighter to hold, and far more readable in direct sunlight; the iPad has a larger screen and is of course in colour, which can be beneficial for some types of reading material. Both are good reading devices.
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You may be right about LCD screens being too bright because, when I used to try to read on them, I was always fidgeting with the LCD's brightness setting, or background color settings. But, for some reason, I could never get it right and it was always an "uncomfortable" reading experience for me. I'm quite willing to believe that not everyone is the same, or has the same experience, but -- for me -- there is no doubt that LCD screens cause eyestrain.
As for "no physical reason why LCD screens are worse ..." there seems to be some debate on that subject. I considered looking up some of the studies, but realize that these are often biased, depending on who commissioned them. I can only go by personal experience. LCD screens simply aren't as comfortable on my eyes as are e-Ink displays.
I'll have to take your word for it on reading with the iPad Mini. I'll never own one ... for several reasons -- for one I just don't have much use for a tablet (any tablet). And then there's the cost and battery life issues (as an eReader, I don't know how the iPad Mini's battery life compares to other tablets). And, there's the fact that Apple patented "rectangles with corners" and used that to try to shut down and/or extort money from other tablet makers. That was pretty much the nail on the iPad coffin for me.
e-Ink readers, on the other hand, I find to be fantastic for reading. I almost exclusively read non-illustrated books (no magazines at all) so there is very little reason for a color eReader, in my case.