Dedicated reading device

[Lemurion]

I've read several novels on my Droid (same screen as Namekuseijin's Milestone) - it's certainly doable. However, for me at least, it's definitely sub-optimal. At that size I have to hold it very close and remove my glasses to read - and that can be difficult in some situations.

I can do it - I have done it and will again - but I am more comfortable with a larger screen and larger font size. It lets me focus more on the words and less on the mechanics of reading on the device.

[SlowRain]

I'm like you, jbcohen. I prefer my camera, e-book reader, phone, MP3 player, GPS, map, shopping list, video player, etc. all to be in one convenient device that I can carry with me. However, I'd say most people like their dedicated readers because of the larger screen and the E Ink technology. I don't think a phone screen is that small or as hard on the eyes as many people make it out to be (background: black, text: gray), but I do think the dedicated readers would be somewhat easier to read on.

[captkjaneway]

Im happy to carry a smartphone, a blackberry (work), a mp3 player, a Kindle and at times an Android tablet - all have their specific functionality which they excel at and personally I'd rather have the best for the job than an half-arsed jack of all trades.

[wvcherrybomb]

Originally Posted by Namekuseijin

Not true. Aside from verbose classics like Robinson Crusoe, I usually get several paragraphs worth of text on my 3.7" screen. That's what smartphones afford you: a lot of screen space rather than a tiny screen and lots of tiny buttons. Hang on to that hate!

I've seen them. My kids have iPhones. And before that they had Droids. I've checked out the Kindle app on them. Pass.

[elcreative]

Smartphone and a lot of screen space all in one sentence... known as contradiction in terms.

Originally Posted by Namekuseijin

Not true. Aside from verbose classics like Robinson Crusoe, I usually get several paragraphs worth of text on my 3.7" screen. That's what smartphones afford you: a lot of screen space rather than a tiny screen and lots of tiny buttons. Hang on to that hate!

[BenBanned]

I don't even own a cell phone.

[jehane]

Originally Posted by Namekuseijin

Not true. Aside from verbose classics like Robinson Crusoe, I usually get several paragraphs worth of text on my 3.7" screen. That's what smartphones afford you: a lot of screen space rather than a tiny screen and lots of tiny buttons.

Erm, a smartphone is about the phone functionality, not about screen size. In fact a lot of smartphones have qwerty keyboards. So it's entirely possible to have a smartphone with a relatively small screen and lots of tiny buttons. It's also possible to have a non-smartphone with a large screen.

3.7" is at the larger end of the range for phone screen size. Even so, it would be too small for me, and I read from a 5" device. I read a lot, and for me a dedicated device is worth it. I have been reading ebooks for years, on computers, PDA and yes, I've tried my phone. I much prefer my Sony.

Likewise, I still have a couple of dedicated cameras. Yes, more than one camera, and no, I'm not even close to being a professional photographer. But they are sufficiently different that I use them in different circumstances. OTOH, while I like listening to music, I'm not an audiophile, so I'm content to use my phone as mp3 player.

In the end, it depends what's important to you. Many of us here are heavy readers, so it's not surprising that we like dedicated devices.

[Namekuseijin]

Originally Posted by wvcherrybomb

I've seen them. My kids have iPhones. And before that they had Droids. I've checked out the Kindle app on them. Pass.

Yes, the kindle app by default renders very tiny amounts of text in quite large letters (ie larger than in web browsing). It also has less text because it stupidly puts in insane amounts of empty space to emulate physical books' page margins. Well, there's already margins around the physical lcd display, thank you. It's about as convenient and artificial an emulation of an arbitrary physical property in a digital media as their lending feature depriving you from your digital copy during the lending period. What'll be their next brilliant emullation of physical books? Coffee stains and torn pages in your copy after the lending period? *

Thankfully, I've seldom needed to use the kindle app for my e-reading so far...

*(stupidity of e-lending as implemented by Amazon pointed out to me by the FSF folks as in article linked here from another thread. Highly recommended reading)

[Namekuseijin]

Originally Posted by jehane

Erm, a smartphone is about the phone functionality, not about screen size. In fact a lot of smartphones have qwerty keyboards. So it's entirely possible to have a smartphone with a relatively small screen and lots of tiny buttons. It's also possible to have a non-smartphone with a large screen.

yes, sorry for the confusion: should have said "touchscreen" or "sliding keyboard" smartphone. The idea being that for reading you have all the front area of the physical device, not just half of it, the other half cluttered with tiny buttons.

3.7" is at the larger end of the range for phone screen size. Even so, it would be too small for me, and I read from a 5" device. I read a lot, and for me a dedicated device is worth it. I have been reading ebooks for years, on computers, PDA and yes, I've tried my phone. I much prefer my Sony.

I'd certainly prefer it too, though I'd go for a more significant leap from 3.7", like 7" or 10". But it's not enough to overcome the pragmatism, flexibility and portability a smartphone affords me. ie, I'm posting from it from my bed...

Likewise, I still have a couple of dedicated cameras. Yes, more than one camera, and no, I'm not even close to being a professional photographer. But they are sufficiently different that I use them in different circumstances. OTOH, while I like listening to music, I'm not an audiophile, so I'm content to use my phone as mp3 player.

Btw, there's precisely 0 difference between an iPod and an iPhone as far as audio quality goes -- it's pretty much the same hardware running the same audio codecs. The iPod today is just a stripped down and affordable iPhone.

I've seen people touting dedicated mp3 players so that they can keep their phone batteries longer for calling. My 2 cents: 1) what drains away batteries in phones is 3g connection mostly and both e-reading and music can keep it going all day long; 2) are people living in the jungle with no power outlets for recharge? Ok, make it 3) do people never sleep anymore so they can't recharge daily? (no, it doesn't harm newer batteries anymore)

In the end, it depends what's important to you. Many of us here are heavy readers, so it's not surprising that we like dedicated devices.

I'm a heavy reader too, if the Robinson Crusoe reference didn't make it clear enough. But, like you said, it's all about what is important to us, and portability and flexibility win me over large screens and single-function devices...

Larger screen and sharper text clarity, dedicated e-book readers only for me if I am going to try and read anything more than 1,000 words or so. Any screen smaller than about 4" x4" is just too little text per page, especially with my eye sight that requires a larger font.

[jbcohen]

I can certainly understand that the small screen can make your eyes hurt and I can certainly understand why one would not want to read ebooks on them becuase of that. Some time ago when I was considering moving from a dedicated MP3 player to my cell phone at the time I asked the same question of an MP3 forum and they said that:

Battery - battery runs out on your MP3 thats not a real imposition but if it runs out on the cell phone I'm in big troubble. So far my berry's battery has not had much troubble keeping up.

[EowynCarter]

My smart phone have a real small screen. Reading on it is not comfortable. I read only on my cybook, and the archos 5 in the car at night when I can't have lights on.

[Caltsar]

The larger screen of my nook is nice, but the main reason I prefer my dedicated reader is the simple fact that it isn't good for much aside from reading.

I can read with no distractions from notifications, new emails, new text messages, new IM's, and the simple fact that it's such a pain to do anything but read. The simple device separation helps a ton. Even with my iPhone right next to me, I can easily ignore it if it's not in my hands... when I'm using it for anything, it's hard to ignore those distractions.

[queentess]

Originally Posted by Namekuseijin

I don't. A smartphone is fine enough. I can't understand the reasoning behind "small screen", since letters are about the same size as when reading on a desktop pc, given you hold your device a bit closer to your face, kinda like a book.

It's the paging. I dislike having to page/scroll constantly while reading (and I easily lose my place if it's a scrolling screen).

[queentess]

Originally Posted by Namekuseijin

Not true. Aside from verbose classics like Robinson Crusoe, I usually get several paragraphs worth of text on my 3.7" screen. That's what smartphones afford you: a lot of screen space rather than a tiny screen and lots of tiny buttons. Hang on to that hate!

Why are you disregarding someone else's opinion? "Hate"? Who (besides you) is hating? If you can get "several paragraphs" on your phone, then I can guarantee it's not at a font size I can read. And maybe, just maybe, I read at a much faster pace than you, and "several paragraphs" don't cut it for me. I don't begrudge you your phone; don't begrudge me my dedicated ereader.