You guys might be right about the TTS function: I've not heard others in dedicated readers, so I cannot compare them directly. Yes, I've also heard better readers in GPS and some other devices, but I don't have another reader to compare it to (other than the one time I heard a Kindle speak in a Bezos TV interview, and I wasn't impressed).
CharlieBird: Besides the brightness setting, depending on the monitor you're using, many of them also have contrast and even sharpness settings like a CRT. Also, setting background colors and changing text color (dark gray texts on 10-20% gray or lower-brightness screens can be easier on the eyes than solid black text on a solid white screen) can make reading much easier.
With Windows PCs and laptops, there is also a setting called "
Cleartype" that you usually access through the monitor settings (Right-click on an empty portion of the screen and select Properties, or access Display through the Control Panel; go to the Display Properties window, select the Appearance tab, then click the Effects button). Cleartype actually de-pixelates text, removing the sharp edges and making text easier to read. It's one of Windows' best-kept secrets, apparently, lots of people don't even know it's there.