I love my Kindle.

[bhartman36]

For most of the reading I do, the Kindle is excellent. However, every now and then an author/publisher will make color choices in their Kindle books that don't work out well in e-Ink.

I'm reading a book now (non-fiction) where the author decided to highlight every important point in yellow. On my Kindle screen, that translated into very light gray. It was nearly impossible to read. Luckily, I pulled out my trusty tablet and read it on that screen.

So for me, the problem comes in when the publisher doesn't put enough thought into the difference between paper and e-Ink. Reviewing the book for even 10 minutes should have revealed the problem to them.

[travfar]

Originally Posted by eSheri

hmmm? have you compared your kindle with another? i'm wondering if you got a bad device. or, it could be that everyone's vision does not interpret things the same

My Kindle is "fine". E-ink in general is the problem. Sony's color e-ink is much better though. I'm surprised that people are finding my post well.. surprising. Plenty of people have posted the same problem with e-ink on this forum.

There's a study going on about e-ink and how it compares. Many people find that e-ink contrast is too low. It's not black and white like for paper. It's more like grey and more grey. I, among others, much prefer LCD. I've spent years staring at LCDs 16 hours a day, every day. No problems. 15 minutes with e-ink and I need pain killers.

Here's a little writeup that talks about the issues.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/0...se-eye-strain/

Contrary to many claims that LCDs cause eyestrain. There just isn't that much evidence to support it.

[travfar]

Originally Posted by patrickt

The surfing the web experience on the Kindle is, well, poor. Wait, that's why I got a small notebook computer, isn't it? Bingo.

So you have a small notebook that has free internet access pretty much anywhere in the world? Didn't think so.

[TenaciousBadger]

I'm a little surprised that you love your Kindle when you don't like the screen . I would have thought the display itself to be a deal breaker

[cathie]

Originally Posted by TenaciousBadger

I'm a little surprised that you love your Kindle when you don't like the screen . I would have thought the display itself to be a deal breaker

I have to agree. The e-ink is perfect for me. I absolutely LOVE my Kindle. Everywhere I go I take my K3. I do not have (and have very little interest) in an i-phone, droid etc cell phone. Sorry but I want to be accessible on my terms.
So the fact that the K3 is so versatile is a major plus for me.

[thebestjeter]

I'm not surprised, I'm speechless. You are the only one in the entire world that think the Kindle screen is not great and complain about it, and the only that thinks its Internet acces is really relevant. I can't believe it, sincerly.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by thebestjeter

I'm not surprised, I'm speechless. You are the only one in the entire world that think the Kindle screen is not great and complain about it, and the only that thinks its Internet acces is really relevant. I can't believe it, sincerly.

I certainly think the Kindle's internet access is useful. I use it all the time for remote downloading of books, Wikipedia access, etc. I just don't actually browse the bookstore on the Kindle.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by thebestjeter

I'm not surprised, I'm speechless. You are the only one in the entire world that think the Kindle screen is not great and complain about it, and the only that thinks its Internet acces is really relevant. I can't believe it, sincerly.

The latter part is certainly not true. The 3G Internet access put the Kindle over top for us, and I use it regularly and love it. It has saved me the need to get a smartphone and pay for a data plan. Browsing is better on my wife's iPod Touch, but it doesn't work in the car or the train, or out at the soccer field.

But I certainly wouldn't have picked the Kindle if I didn't like the screen.
That does seem rather hard to understand. I mean, even if the free 3G Internet is what you like best, how can you even enjoy using the free 3G if you don't like the screen?

[Nyssa]

Originally Posted by Donnageddon

If you love your Kindle so much, why don't you marry it?

/endchildishremarks

Because bigamy is illegal, I love my human husband more and I have no idea how I would explain leaving their daddy for a Kindle to my children.

[ChrisBarker]

It's a trade off to me, I do most of my reading in well lit places but can't hack the small text in paper books. Conversely when in less than ideal conditions I find upping the text size a notch is fine.

LCDs I'm sometimes okay with but after a long day at work I don't want to look at them and most of my reading is done sitting outside a pub. No way I'd do that with anything other than an e-ink screen.

[travfar]

Originally Posted by thebestjeter

I'm not surprised, I'm speechless. You are the only one in the entire world that think the Kindle screen is not great and complain about it, and the only that thinks its Internet acces is really relevant. I can't believe it, sincerly.

I'm the only one? You didn't read that link I posted did you? Here's one of the user comments.

"I tried a Kindle - the second version - and sent it back immediately. The contrast was so bad that it actually gave me headaches. On the other hand, I can read just fine on my iPod touch with the Kindle app, adjusting the screen brightness to suit the lighting conditions. I'm looking forward to the iPad as an ebook reader for that very reason. As long as the Kindle (or other epaper devices) are limited in contrast, they're not appropriate for all types of reading. (Though, to be fair, reading in the sun with excellent with the Kindle.)"

Also, since you haven't read mobileread much, here are some other mobileread users that feel the same as myself when it comes to e-ink. I could go on all day. Feel free to search yourself.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41009
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/arc...p/t-89382.html

Also, if you google "kindle headaches". You'll find plenty of links about how e-ink causes headaches.

I find it unbelievable that you haven't heard compaints about poor e-ink readability.

[bhartman36]

Originally Posted by travfar

I'm the only one? You didn't read that link I posted did you? Here's one of the user comments.

"I tried a Kindle - the second version - and sent it back immediately. The contrast was so bad that it actually gave me headaches. On the other hand, I can read just fine on my iPod touch with the Kindle app, adjusting the screen brightness to suit the lighting conditions. I'm looking forward to the iPad as an ebook reader for that very reason. As long as the Kindle (or other epaper devices) are limited in contrast, they're not appropriate for all types of reading. (Though, to be fair, reading in the sun with excellent with the Kindle.)"

Also, since you haven't read mobileread much, here are some other mobileread users that feel the same as myself when it comes to e-ink. I could go on all day. Feel free to search yourself.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41009
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/arc...p/t-89382.html

To be fair, those links appear to be talking about the second generation Kindle. The third generation Kindle's Pearl screen is much improved from that.

Originally Posted by travfar

Also, if you google "kindle headaches". You'll find plenty of links about how e-ink causes headaches.

I find it unbelievable that you haven't heard compaints about poor e-ink readability.

The headaches seem to be linked to low contrast. Again, I think this would be different from the Kindle 3.

What generation Kindle do you have? It's not listed in your profile.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by travfar

I'm the only one? You didn't read that link I posted did you? Here's one of the user comments.

"I tried a Kindle - the second version - and sent it back immediately. The contrast was so bad that it actually gave me headaches. On the other hand, I can read just fine on my iPod touch with the Kindle app, adjusting the screen brightness to suit the lighting conditions. I'm looking forward to the iPad as an ebook reader for that very reason. As long as the Kindle (or other epaper devices) are limited in contrast, they're not appropriate for all types of reading. (Though, to be fair, reading in the sun with excellent with the Kindle.)"

The contrast of the K3 is reportedly better than the K2, which is what those comments were referring to. (And I say "reportedly" because I've never seen a K2 in real life, only K3.) The two links in your last post are also about older screens, not Pearl screens. That's not to say that people don't have similar complaints about the K3, only that those particular comments are about an older screen.

Like the LCD vs E-Ink thread that's around here somewhere, I think it's a very subjective and individual thing. I'm actually surprised how many people express shock when someone doesn't like their preferred technology (whether LCD or E-Ink). I mean, I love my Kindle, but we all have different eyes and all the quirks that come with them.

Edited to add: bhartman beat me to it.

[lestatar]

^ THIS. I am new here but for sure, IMO as a corporate tech manager of more years than I can count this is likely the case.

Funny, on that other site I post on, the comments are so similar, but involve hearing.

Every one sees things differently - my fave way to put it is this:
7billion people on planet earth...there are bound to be differences in how we hear [see]

No right or wrong here - you don't like eInk, I do. You prefer LCD and experience no issue with long-term use, I don't.

Studies and statistics are worthless to me - useful only as guidelines and suggestions and possible outcomes. We all know [should know] that stats and studies can be slanted in any direction to support whatever position is required. I personally pay attention only to be aware of the discussion.

I make my own decision and try to avoid passive influencing via placebo effect as much as possible.

Me? I got a K3 and Tab, both brand new and at the same time and for sure, while the Tab looks prettier on screen in full color and animations, etc, I do 99.9% of my reading on the K3.

So, bottom line: its all good!

[bhartman36]

Originally Posted by lestatar

Funny, on that other site I post on, the comments are so similar, but involve hearing.

Every one sees things differently - my fave way to put it is this:
7billion people on planet earth...there are bound to be differences in how we hear [see]

No right or wrong here - you don't like eInk, I do. You prefer LCD and experience no issue with long-term use, I don't.

This is true. I didn't mean to devalue the OP's experience at all. I only wanted to make sure it was a comparison using the most modern technology in the Kindle. My K1's contrast was awful compared to a K3, but I wouldn't use that to talk about the current state of Kindle affairs.