Quote:
Originally Posted by PortiaDaCosta
Many thanks for posting those photos. They give me a v. accurate picture of what to expect from my PRS-505.
|
Glad to help. The web could use some more realistic photographs showing how e-ink compares to paper, since even bad pictures are often much more honest than words when it comes to markets like this.
I'm not a fan of e-ink in general, but I can tolerate it for a low-power device that I use for casual reading. I can't wait until superior alternatives come out though. I'm even willing to build all my own formatted ebooks for it, albeit only in English for the time being. I can't make very readable books in my second language (Chinese), despite a lot of effort and experimentation. I've attached a pic of some Chinese text in one of the more ubiquitous Chinese fonts next to a printed book that uses a related typeface.
If one can dismiss the hype though, ebook readers can be pleasant devices to own and use.
Addendum: Though not a scientific test, casual observation of the real-world results through photo software shows the following brightness/darkness levels of the 2 media compared. The numbers are not the same as reflectance, but based on white/black values set by a white/black/gray card used in the photo.
Paperback:
Brightness 95-98%
Blackness:
19-23%
Range:
5.2:1 (high);
4.1:1 (low)
PRS-505:
Brightness: 74-76%
Blackness:
30-35% (bold header),
40-55% (admittedly weak body text).
Range:
2.6:1 (high);
1.3:1 (low)
Like I said, they're not scientific numbers or lab data, but they're interesting food for thought anyway.