Quote:
Originally Posted by Sirtel
...Yes, e-ink screens are inferior to LCD/AMOLED screens in most aspects. Still, there is a substantial number of people who prefer them for reading, so they must offer something that other types of screens don't, at least to those people, at least not yet. What that something exactly is, now that's not so easy to define...
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My personal observation is there is a comfort thing in the manner of the "something" being a comfort blanket substitute for a paper book. One can settle down with an ereader which can do nothing else than allow reading, just like a cozy book which can also do nothing else. "I am absorbed in my interest and it feels great".
But when in public perhaps with flavors of comfort from the silent announcement of "I am a dedicated reader of books, having my ereader shows that is so", with the hoped silent reaction of "Oh, he is a reader of books" (Or from those of us familiar with the constraints of E Ink's abilities "Oh, he is a reader of fiction").
I too sensed that a little when I used to use an ereader or read a paper book in public
. Of course, ereaders (and tablets too) cannot deliver the very comforting to some image that having a big paper book in hand delivers in public - the silent from others "Oooooh look, he is a real keen reader, must be clever because look at that big book".
Of course, overlaid over these "comfort" things is hopefully the enjoyment of the book itself; however I do know people who carry books to impress but not read, perhaps some pretend to use ereaders for the same reason?
Whereas use of a tablet demonstrates nothing. Its a job machine and one could be doing several of many different jobs all at once, so much less of a comfort effect. To others in public observing ones tablet use there are no comforting assumptions able to made about you apart from "He is using a tablet".
As far as they know one may be working on a spreadsheet, watching a porn video, surfing the internet, writing or reading emails, writing a report, etc. or perhaps reading a book. Perhaps even writing a book. It may be that one just uses a tablet only for reading, but they do not know that. The only image projected is that one is using a tablet for something or another and who cares.
When in public, perhaps tablet users are less inclined to care about the visual messages to others that provide comfort to oneself if using an ereader or reading a paper book?