Do you read on your phone? - Page 2

patrickt · 01-12-2012, 07:37 AM

My phone is connected to the wall by a cable and I use the phone for receiving, and less often, placing phone calls. For reading, I use my Kindle.

elemenoP · 01-12-2012, 07:55 AM

I read books on my reader, and long articles on my phone using Read It Later. Mostly I read on my phone when I'm on the subway carrying my laptop and phone (don't want to carry yet another device, the reader).

eP

5thWiggle · 01-12-2012, 08:13 AM

OK, it's an ipod touch, not a smartphone but I read on it a lot. I've always read on small screens BET* so size is not a problem. In fact, because its small size and is always with me, the ipod gets used more for reading than any of my other devices. (to quote many a *ahem* more modest size male "It's not how big it is that matters, It's how often you use it"

)

* before eink and tablets

P.S. It's not a mackerel, it's a flounder. They are flatter and keep the rain and snow off better.

CarolineNH · 01-12-2012, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarleyB

Sorry I had to vote for the mackeral thing because I really don't like to read on my phone and I usually have my ereader with me but sometimes (when I least expect it) I end up with a few minutes spare and NO ereader!!

What's a girl to do but whip out the teeny tiny phone and find something to read. I'm not sure which is worse - the pain in my eyes or the RSI in my fingers from constantly flipping the pages.

So if I hadn't clicked on the fish option my answer would have been I rarely read on my phone because I really don't like but I'm addicted to reading so I can't help myself sometimes.

This would have been almost exactly what I would post, only she beat me to it.

sakura-panda · 01-12-2012, 09:27 AM

I haven't voted, but I'm leaning toward the mackerel option.

I read on my smartphone when my ebook reader is inconvenient, mostly when I'm working and waiting on my computer to finish whatever I've asked it to run. It sits on the desk in front of my keyboard. The small size means it doesn't take up a lot of room and the few words per page means I can read a few words each time and not have to keep finding where I left off.

I don't mind reading on my phone, but if it is for more than a minute or two, I'd rather have a larger screen with fewer page turns.

DiapDealer · 01-12-2012, 09:49 AM

I voted for the mackerel option. But only because there was no "What on earth are you talking about? My phone has no screen; only buttons" option.

theducks · 01-12-2012, 10:39 AM

Mackerel

I tried.
The back-light keeps timing out

while I am trying to read (and I don't want to increase the time for the whole phone, fearing drained a battery)

Mickey330 · 01-12-2012, 10:55 AM

Huh. Reading these - I should have voted for the mackerel!

I read on my smart phone when I'm out of the house (I have broken 4 e-reader screens in the past two years ... really don't want to take them out of the house!).

Now, with the advent of Amazon's new Personal Documents feature that allows me to transfer non-Amazon purchased books to their cloud server, I went and bought a Kindle. So, I can read any of my books while out of the house, come home and sync the Kindle to my last page read on the mobile phone. Kewlness!

So, no, the phone is not the preferred choice. It's just the best one ... for me!

Marilyn

Pookeysgirl · 01-12-2012, 11:44 AM

I have a blackberry curve 8330 and can't read ebooks on it. Even when I upgrade this to a better smartphone I don't think I'll read books on it. The print would be too small.

estelle58 · 01-12-2012, 01:31 PM

I use it sometimes when my Kobo Vox battery is to low and there's not enough light to read on my Kobo Wifi

toddos · 01-12-2012, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

I have a blackberry curve 8330 and can't read ebooks on it. Even when I upgrade this to a better smartphone I don't think I'll read books on it. The print would be too small.

What kind of phone would you upgrade to that would make the print smaller? Higher resolution screens don't mean that the text gets smaller, but that it gets clearer (more pixels per letter means smoother letter forms and easier reading).

I read on my phone all the time. It's my primary reader despite having two eink devices. I read on my phone because it's with me at all times. I read on it at home because the book light I have for my Nook keeps the wife awake at night. I read on my phone because I like it, and the #1 criteria I have for any smartphone I will ever buy is that it has a good ebook reader.

For the "Ugh, LCD! Yuck!" crowd, try reading in "night mode" or white-on-black. It's so much more comfortable, even in regular daytime reading. Most people who complain about reading on a phone are really complaining about bad apps, like iBooks and Kindle with their giant margins, lack of customization, etc. At a minimum, I need a reader that supports arbitrary color selection (for true white-on-black, not Amazon's crappy dark-gray-on-black), full justification, hyphenation, line spacing adjustment, margin adjustment, decent font selection, and fine-grain font size adjustment. Sadly many reader apps are missing most or all of those features.

iOS: Stanza or Bluefire, but I've not used iOS in a year so I don't know the current state of readers

Android: Aldiko or FBReader

Windows Phone 7: Freda

anamardoll · 01-12-2012, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddos

What kind of phone would you upgrade to that would make the print smaller? Higher resolution screens don't mean that the text gets smaller, but that it gets clearer (more pixels per letter means smoother letter forms and easier reading).

I thought zie was saying that zie can't read NOW because the blackberry doesn't have eReader apps like iPhone/droid, and won't be able to read on upgrade because the text would still be too small.

Having said that, most apps let you size up, text-wise. More page turns, though.

toddos · 01-12-2012, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anamardoll

I thought zie was saying that zie can't read NOW because the blackberry doesn't have eReader apps like iPhone/droid, and won't be able to read on upgrade because the text would still be too small.

Having said that, most apps let you size up, text-wise. More page turns, though.

You're right, I misread his first "can't", though it doesn't sound right that he can't read because there are no ebook reader apps for the Blackberry. I don't have a Blackberry and am not super familiar with their application library, but ebook readers are like fart apps -- every smartphone has a least one, though it may not be very good.

anamardoll · 01-12-2012, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddos

You're right, I misread his first "can't", though it doesn't sound right that he can't read because there are no ebook reader apps for the Blackberry. I don't have a Blackberry and am not super familiar with their application library, but ebook readers are like fart apps -- every smartphone has a least one, though it may not be very good.

I used to have one. The app library is/was VERY limited.

Drakedh · 01-12-2012, 01:58 PM

Used to, but my eyes were killing me. Now the only thing I read on my smartphone are RSS feeds.

View Poll Results: Do you read on your phone?
Yes, a LOT. Thank god for smart phones or I'd never have a chance to read.	18	11.69%
Yes, I like my smart phone for the reading experience. I turn more pages, w00t!	24	15.58%
Yes, and Calibre + Calibre2Opds + Dropbox makes me so warm and happy and fuzzy.	9	5.84%
No, I can usually whip out my eInk or tablet when I want to read.	46	29.87%
No. Are you kidding? Text is so tiny, and screen glare, and NO.	44	28.57%
This is a very silly poll, and I currently have a mackerel on my head.	32	20.78%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 154. You may not vote on this poll

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01-12-2012, 07:37 AM	#16
patrickt Wizard Posts: 1,221 Karma: 8381518 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico Device: Paperwhite 4 X 2	My phone is connected to the wall by a cable and I use the phone for receiving, and less often, placing phone calls. For reading, I use my Kindle.

01-12-2012, 07:55 AM	#17
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	I read books on my reader, and long articles on my phone using Read It Later. Mostly I read on my phone when I'm on the subway carrying my laptop and phone (don't want to carry yet another device, the reader). eP

01-12-2012, 08:13 AM	#18
5thWiggle Benevolent Evil Lord Posts: 1,704 Karma: 48339466 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Evil Canada (We all have goatees!) Device: Galaxy Note 8.0, Galaxy Note, iPad Mini, PocketEdge(retired)	OK, it's an ipod touch, not a smartphone but I read on it a lot. I've always read on small screens BET* so size is not a problem. In fact, because its small size and is always with me, the ipod gets used more for reading than any of my other devices. (to quote many a ahem more modest size male "It's not how big it is that matters, It's how often you use it" ) * before eink and tablets P.S. It's not a mackerel, it's a flounder. They are flatter and keep the rain and snow off better.

01-12-2012, 09:27 AM	#20
sakura-panda Guru Posts: 932 Karma: 9558874 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Southeast Michigan, USA Device: Kindle Oasis; 11" iPad Pro (Books, Kindle, Kobo, MapleRead SE)	I haven't voted, but I'm leaning toward the mackerel option. I read on my smartphone when my ebook reader is inconvenient, mostly when I'm working and waiting on my computer to finish whatever I've asked it to run. It sits on the desk in front of my keyboard. The small size means it doesn't take up a lot of room and the few words per page means I can read a few words each time and not have to keep finding where I left off. I don't mind reading on my phone, but if it is for more than a minute or two, I'd rather have a larger screen with fewer page turns.

01-12-2012, 09:49 AM	#21
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,361 Karma: 203720150 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I voted for the mackerel option. But only because there was no "What on earth are you talking about? My phone has no screen; only buttons" option.

01-12-2012, 10:39 AM	#22
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,912 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Mackerel I tried. The back-light keeps timing out while I am trying to read (and I don't want to increase the time for the whole phone, fearing drained a battery)

01-12-2012, 10:55 AM	#23
Mickey330 Addict Posts: 378 Karma: 1107420 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Western New York state (USA) Device: Kindle Oasis & the Kindle app on iDevices	Huh. Reading these - I should have voted for the mackerel! I read on my smart phone when I'm out of the house (I have broken 4 e-reader screens in the past two years ... really don't want to take them out of the house!). Now, with the advent of Amazon's new Personal Documents feature that allows me to transfer non-Amazon purchased books to their cloud server, I went and bought a Kindle. So, I can read any of my books while out of the house, come home and sync the Kindle to my last page read on the mobile phone. Kewlness! So, no, the phone is not the preferred choice. It's just the best one ... for me! Marilyn

01-12-2012, 11:44 AM	#24
Pookeysgirl Wizard Posts: 1,705 Karma: 12696746 Join Date: May 2010 Device: K3, Kobo Mini	I have a blackberry curve 8330 and can't read ebooks on it. Even when I upgrade this to a better smartphone I don't think I'll read books on it. The print would be too small.

01-12-2012, 01:31 PM	#25
estelle58 Cat lover Posts: 487 Karma: 1149782 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Montreal, Canada Device: iPhone, Kobo Vox, Kobo Glo, iPad mini, Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Aura	I use it sometimes when my Kobo Vox battery is to low and there's not enough light to read on my Kobo Wifi

01-12-2012, 01:58 PM	#30
Drakedh Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Kindle	Used to, but my eyes were killing me. Now the only thing I read on my smartphone are RSS feeds.