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To round off the picture, here’s a quick bit of waffle comparing my other two ereaders.
2. iTouch:
I bought this to store music, contact details and photos with no expectation that it would be usable as a text reader. I downloaded Stanza and a couple of other ebook packages out of interest and was astonished at how readable they were. After expecting to read only a few paragraphs and then delete, I was pleasantly surprised when I quickly read through several complete books on it. The limited access to the machine and the small screen are obviously disadvantages, but it has the massive plus that its small size means that there’s a near 100% chance that it actually WILL be in my pocket at any given time, whereas the other readers won’t. Perfect for casual reading while waiting to pick up my son from school, etc.
3. iRiver Story:
Chosen partly because it was the only E-ink reader available over the counter in the nearby town. Pretty much a Kindle clone in looks but reads epub and PDFs. Can be authorized by Digital Editions to read DRM epub files. Connects to the computer via USB which gives easy access to the storage. After reading the promos and fan endorsements I expected E-ink to be clearly superior to read but have been slightly disappointed by the grey on grey look of the E-ink contenders. Great in full sun, but as I live in West Australia I prefer reading in the shade. OK in good light but needs a lot of assistance as the light dims.
I also don’t agree that other screens are bad for eye strain. I’ve been using personal computers since the mid 1980s and have spent many thousands of hours writing and reading on them without difficulty. In my experience I have always found that physical discomfort (neck stiffness, numb-bum, sore back, etc) cut in well before eye stress. Provided you adjust the screen brightness and contrast if needed, and put some effort into getting the room lighting and direction right, I’ve never had a problem.
Interestingly, when I’ve showed my ereaders to friends, the younger ones who have grown up with computers tend to be equally comfortable with either screen, but the oldies like me often prefer the backlit ones. Perhaps that’s not so surprising as older eyes tend to need more and more light on the subject. Nevertheless, the Story is a fine reader and I’m enjoying using it.
Conclusion:
It’s all good!...
...But the netbook takes the crown for me, so far. I'll see if I can track down an Asus T91MT locally and check it out too - that swivel screen looks very neat indeed. Thanks again to Jack for the review and thread.
Cheers,
Chris
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