LCD vs. e-ink

[astra]

Originally Posted by ColdSun

It may cause your eyes to dry up from staring too long, it may give you a headache or you may have trouble seeing the screen

You contradict yourself a bit.

Originally Posted by ColdSun

Over the last few years the eye strain myth has continued to snowball until it got out of hand.

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by ColdSun

I am saying that people who say that lasers shoot out of their LCD screen and damage their eyes are full of it. LCD does not damage eyes and anyone that says this is a liar. It may cause your eyes to dry up from staring too long, it may give you a headache or you may have trouble seeing the screen, but the LCD is NOT what caused that to happen to your eyes. Is that clear enough?

Nope. My, and a lot of other peoples eyes hurt when we read for a long time on lcd. Not e-ink.

I don't care about the ins and outs of it (and I suspect others like me don't either) -- I won't buy or use a LCD as a primary reading device. And I warn others not to either. Online and in the real world.

(and it seems like I'm not the only one. Double - )

[ColdSun]

How so? Don't be so vague in your desire to provoke me. Read the article in the beginning of the thread and you will understand why I said this. The problems I mention can happen when staring at ANY device for a long time, but hey, if you think you got me then you get an attaboy!

[ColdSun]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

Nope. My, and a lot of other peoples eyes hurt when we read for a long time on lcd. Not e-ink.

I don't care about the ins and outs of it (and I suspect others like me don't either) -- I won't buy or use a LCD as a primary reading device. And I warn others not to either. Online and in the real world.

(and it seems like I'm not the only one. Double - )

Maybe, but I'm not the only one that feels the other way either. In fact, read the thread again and realize that there are about as many of us that feel the opposite way or want to use both devices. As long as there are people like you that are going to "warn" people like me, there will be those of us who tell them the reality of the situation and let them choose which device best fits what they need - not based on some hokey myth, but based on their requirements. The manufacturers are obviously listening to us though.

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by ColdSun

You are a rare case though. Most people did not use PDAs for reading, only a small portion of us did.

I used to read on my t-mobile dash...then I got a kindle.

Now I only use LCD's for short-form articles.

[ColdSun]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

I used to read on my t-mobile dash...then I got a kindle.

Now I only use LCD's for short-form articles.

Sounds good. I use my LCD to read 1-2 books a week. My netbook for everything else. Including my posts right now. I love this netbook.

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by ColdSun

I love this netbook.

me too. Just wish it could take more memory.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

As for your second point I agree, but it also works the other way around as well, if those who PREFER e-ink could avoid all of the rhetoric & insults to lcd screens which is mostly nonsence, there would be nothing to squabble over in this thread.

I concur. But one way to avoid such issues is to not to respond in kind.

This is simply a matter of different strokes for different folks. I will eventually have both my Sony AND an color ereader once they work out the majority of the bugs. It does NOT have to be an either or situation that everyone always insists on making out of issues like this.

<shrug>

I'm one of the folks for whom advancing age has caused eye changes, and wear reading glasses. As I aged, I got far sighted.

I don't have a problem with LCD screens. I've been staring at CRT screens for a majority of the day for many years, starting back before LCD became the preferred technology, and never found it a problem, though I recognize some folks do. (I know one chap who developed an actual allergy to large CRT screens, which was problematic as he works for a major computer vendor.)

My default reader is a PDA, for three reasons:

1) I need color support. A fair bit of what I read uses it. For instance, I collect electronic versions of illustrated children's books that are coming into the public domain. Illustrations by Randolph Caldecott, Arthur Rackham, or N. C. Wyeth rendered in 16 shade grayscale? No, thank you.

2) I need a device that does other things besides display ebooks. Dedicated readers are becoming multi-function, but aren't at a point I'd use. While half the purpose in life for my PDA is reading ebooks, I can create, view and edit documents and spreadsheets, perform standard PDA functions like keep my calendar, appointments, and address book, view videos, listen to audio files, surf the web, program in an assortment of languages, keep a reference library of information that is not in ebook format, play with code in an assortment of languages, and oh, yes, I can play games. The one thing I don't do with the PDA is make phone calls - I have a separate cell phone, and don't want a converged device. I'll carry around a xell phone and PDA. I won't carry a cell phone, PDA, and reader.

3) With my PDA, I can read just about anything. About the only popular current format I can't read is ePub, as no ePub reader is available for my device, but I can convert ePub to something I can read. I wouldn't mind a larger screen, but can deal with the one I have.

The biggest advantage to eInk devices for anybody is increased battery life, as eInk requires no power to refresh the screen once a page is rendered. I wouldn't mind longer battery life, but my PDA gets topped off nightly, and I've never had a case where I exhausted the battery before being able to recharge. I'm a little bemused at complaints about the color nook's 8 hour battery life. Assuming it actually gets that life, I wonder how many folks might find themselves in a position where they will drain the battery before they can recharge, and what they'll be doing that will put them in that position.
______
Dennis

[ColdSun]

Hello DMcCunney,

Do you have a favorite PDA for reading with? I have an iPAQ for a while that had a VGA screen and was 4". It wasn't bad at all. I would still use it but I need a larger screen. This is why I'm so excited for the Nook Color I have on order. It couldn't get here soon enough to be honest.

[tipstir]

This I had taken from Coby KYROS which uses glass top layer under Amazon Kiddle for Android

[ski_power]

Well, I have absolutely no problems with the LCD on my laptop. But when I used the iPad for 3 hours continuous, I started getting the all too familiar eye strain. I did not have that with the Kindle. Strange!

[aagstn]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

It's a pity PDAs morphed into phones. The iPod touch sorely lacks competition.

My wife is purely a PDA reader for over 10 years and she hated having to give up her last Sony Clie when it bit the farm, but the iPod touch has made it easier and the new one with the higher res screen has made her reading even better. She definitely has no issues with LCD and can read on her iPod for 5-6 hours a day with no issues.

Everyone is different though and it is just nice that there are now so many great LCD and eink devices to choose from.

[Seanette]

Originally Posted by ColdSun

Hello DMcCunney,

Do you have a favorite PDA for reading with? I have an iPAQ for a while that had a VGA screen and was 4". It wasn't bad at all. I would still use it but I need a larger screen. This is why I'm so excited for the Nook Color I have on order. It couldn't get here soon enough to be honest.

I know, you didn't ask me , but I'm switching over from a Palm TX to an iTouch currently. I was using Mobireader with it, which was fine for my (very basic) needs. My DH, still using his Palm TX, favors Plucker.

I do think text looks better on the iTouch (using iBooks. Stanza hates me).

[Jakie]

It seems to me this is a forum about reading....not only devices. We seem to lose sight (sorry about the pun -not) that regardless which screen method, we ARE reading, and electronically at that. I have read on PDA, netbook, android pad with cheap resisitive screen, and will pick up an e ink reader in the near future. Global statements that X cannot be used for reading, because...does not stand up to scrutiny. I am glad that we like the device we have...after all, we bought it. Let's not try to convert the world. Remember, " a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still" End of sermon.

[Jakie]

Tipster, that Coby looks great. How is it operating otherwise?