Have e-Readers been superseded by Tablets and Phones

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by crich70

I think it could be. I mean if you get books from B&N & Kobo then you use things like Adobe Digital and Nook for the PC and Amazon uses Kindle for PC so there is some back and forth there just on a computer, but if the book is DRM free or you strip your copy (for your own use only of course) then you can read your books in whatever format you want instead of switching all the time. Far easier to load up a book in one set format than having to switch apps depending on format of a given book. Faster access too. If I leave an epub of "Call of the wild" as an epub then I either need a 2nd reader (which is expensive) or I have to take the time to convert the book before loading it to my Kindle (for reading on the go). Sometimes a person doesn't have that much time to waste. Far faster to convert ahead of time and just have to load the book than do things on the fly.

Great post!

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

Also, when the new Aura retails for $180 it's almost a no brained for most people to spend the extra few bucks for a tablet like the Nexus.

That is, unfortunately, true. I think the vast majority of the average consumer would buy a tablet over an ereader, thinking it a better buy for their money.

I guess I'd better hold on to my armload of e-ink readers, since they are doomed!

[meeera]

Originally Posted by booklover6

That is, unfortunately, true. I think the vast majority of the average consumer would buy a tablet over an ereader, thinking it a better buy for their money.

Mm. I don't think this is a foregone conclusion. There is a wide variety of readers in my family, and all but one have gone for an e-ink device as their main reader. Most of them have access to a tablet also, but choose e-ink for novel-reading. The one who did choose a tablet did so for the larger format (he needs large print) - this was before the Aura HD came to our shores. His wife uses an eink Kindle.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by meeera

Mm. I don't think this is a foregone conclusion. There is a wide variety of readers in my family, and all but one have gone for an e-ink device as their main reader. Most of them have access to a tablet also, but choose e-ink for novel-reading. The one who did choose a tablet did so for the larger format (he needs large print) - this was before the Aura HD came to our shores. His wife uses an eink Kindle.

I do hope there are enough eink lovers out there to keep the manufacturers in business. There is certainly a huge base of kindle owners. That alone might be the key to eink's survival.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Fluribus

Too many people universalize their own experiences. I would have told you to see for yourself. I don't have your eyes. You don't have mine.

I'm fine with preferences. Everybody's different. Perfectly cool. I'm just tired of those who perpetuate the myth of some sort of divine eink superiority: "'real' readers choose eink" "those who read on tablets must be more casual readers" "how could anyone read whole books on LCD?" There's quantifiable eink snobbery around here (not everyone, of course). And it feels ironically/eerily similar to the snobbery exhibited by those who poo-poo ebooks in general. I would have thought there'd have been more tolerance for technological deviation among ebook adopters. Who knew? *shrug*

For what it's worth, I have no doubt that dedicated eink readers (or something with similar screen technology) are going to be around for a long, long time. Just like with pbooks, no one's going to pry your (rhet.) preferred reader out of your fingers and replace it with the devil LCD. Relax.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I'm curious. If you're talking straight-up LCD vs eInk, I fail to see what could be relevant other than eyestrain/glare/sunlight. Unless you're talking stuff like "more distractions" or battery life. Battery life's a valid beef (just not one that affects me), but somehow I don't think that's what many people have in mind when they knee-jerk all; "OMG. How can you read on an LCD screen?!" I was mainly addressing those who seem quick to balk at the screen technology alone.

I don't care if I have to charge every couple of days, I don't get eyestrain, I almost never read outdoors, my Nexus 7 is lighter than the eInk reader I had for years, and I put the device in airplane mode if I don't want to be distracted. I don't mean to imply that you're not entitled to your preference or anything, but I'm genuinely curious what's left on your list of advantages.

I'll quote one of my earlier posts from this thread ...

It's a completely different experience. When I tried reading on my tablet, I found myself constantly fiddling with the apps settings to get the background, brightness, or font right. It was like having a pair of shoes that didn't quite fit right. And, quite bluntly, I like the built-in software in my Kindles, Nook Simple Touches and Sonys better than the Android reading programs I've tried. That's why I've got zero interest in rooting my eInk readers and turning them into tablets. If I read more PDFs or textbooks, I would probably use a tablet for that, but for fiction I don't see any advantage to using a tablet. The eInk interface, to me, is just "cleaner" and simpler. And, since I obviously have no need to do all the other things people do on tablets, it does what I need. And battery life and weight of the device (not the mention the eInk interface itself) are just more good reasons for me to choose an eInk Reader. Obviously not everyone is the same.

"More distractions" was not even on my list. But fiddling with the Reader software was. And the LCD screen, for my eyes, is inferior -- even in optimal light for an LCD device. I like simple interfaces and I definitely like the eInk screen a whole lot better. And I like single purpose devices. To me, "more" is usually not better. What is important to one person may (or may not be) important to another person. Everyone will give different weight to different features. I've tried reading on my Android phone (still do it occasionally when I'm stuck somewhere, but definitely not for long stretches of time) and I've tried it on my tablet -- didn't like that at all.

My decision is made. I've gone with eInk Readers and plan to stick with them. I'm not interested in replacing them with a tablet. Others obviously feel differently -- and that's fine. I just don't see why it has to be one way or the other or why anyone has to justify or defend their preference.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by rcentros

My decision is made. I've gone with eInk Readers and plan to stick with them. I'm not interested in replacing them with a tablet. Others obviously feel differently -- and that's fine. I just don't see why it has to be one way or the other or why anyone has to justify or defend their preference.

I have no issues with your preference. You've not insinuated--through comments made with mock horror--that your way is the "right" way. As I said, it's the "how could anyone" crowd I take issue with.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

For what it's worth, I have no doubt that dedicated eink readers (or something with similar screen technology) are going to be around for a long, long time. Just like with pbooks, no one's going to pry your (rhet.) preferred reader out of your fingers and replace it with the devil LCD. Relax.

Why is it that you think it necessary to be patronizing? Just accept the fact that not everyone agrees with you about LCD screens vs eInk screens. Nor does it follow that because you think LCD screen are just hunky-dory, everyone else is just "making up non-existent problems" with LCD screens. Or are coming up with, in your biased assessment, poor reasons not to use tablets.

And just keep using your obviously inferior, LCD-infested reading device and learn to "relax" when the rest of us are enjoying our vastly superior eInk eReaders. <-- note the emoticon

EDIT: This was written before reading your latest post. I'll leave it at this post and will definitely try not to respond any more in this thread. I HONESTLY could care less how people read their eBooks. And I honestly like eInk screens better than LCD screens. For my use eInk Readers are just a better choice.

[Tarana]

Eink readers in my area continue to be popular amongst the aging population. They are MUCH LIGHTER than tablets, can be read outside or inside, while tablets are nearly impossible to read outside and even in brightly lit rooms. At some point, ANY gadget reaches saturation levels and will decline as a new gadget comes along. So long as they keep making ereaders, I certainly will buy them. I just bought a new Nook Glo last week - sucker is extremely light.

No matter what, once you hit your 50s, the majority are going to start having trouble reading books off their tiny smart phones.

[Catlady]

Every time I hear people sing the praises of e-ink and complain about LCD screens, I wonder how they can blithely accept the horrible flashing you get when you turn a page with an e-ink device. When I was first looking for an e-reader just a few years back, I looked at Kindles and Nooks in B&M stores; when I tried them out, that page flash was an immediate deal breaker.

I haven't looked an e-ink device since. That flashing was headache-inducing and annoying as heck. For me, that outweighs anything else that might be a possible advantage of e-ink over LCD.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by Tarana

No matter what, once you hit your 50s, the majority are going to start having trouble reading books off their tiny smart phones.

Well, most smartphones aren't that tiny any more. My own is 5", as large as the smaller E-ink readers. However, both smartphones and tablets are 16:9 and thus too narrow compared to books and ereaders, which are 4:3.

That may not be an issue for some (or perhaps most), but it is for me. I tried reading on my phone, but went back to my Aura HD pretty quick, although I have read lots of books on my phones/PDAs pre-2007 (when I bought my first E-ink reader, a Bookeen Cybook Gen3). Then again, that was before smartphones went 16:9 as well, I suddenly realize

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Every time I hear people sing the praises of e-ink and complain about LCD screens, I wonder how they can blithely accept the horrible flashing you get when you turn a page with an e-ink device. When I was first looking for an e-reader just a few years back, I looked at Kindles and Nooks in B&M stores; when I tried them out, that page flash was an immediate deal breaker.

I haven't looked an e-ink device since. That flashing was headache-inducing and annoying as heck. For me, that outweighs anything else that might be a possible advantage of e-ink over LCD.

I was hesitant about that as well. However, after a short time I hardly notice it.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Every time I hear people sing the praises of e-ink and complain about LCD screens, I wonder how they can blithely accept the horrible flashing you get when you turn a page with an e-ink device. When I was first looking for an e-reader just a few years back, I looked at Kindles and Nooks in B&M stores; when I tried them out, that page flash was an immediate deal breaker.

I haven't looked an e-ink device since. That flashing was headache-inducing and annoying as heck. For me, that outweighs anything else that might be a possible advantage of e-ink over LCD.

It still flashes, but not usually with every page turn no more. The duration of the flash is greatly reduced with each new generation - tried my prs300 the other day and that flash is horribly long and annoying compared to what my PW does. It becomes less notiveable/annoying with time, but don't believe anybody that tells you it goes away and you tune it out completely. You will always notice.

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

but don't believe anybody that tells you it goes away and you tune it out completely. You will always notice.

I disagree. I don't notice it at all. Haven't for years now.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

It becomes less notiveable/annoying with time, but don't believe anybody that tells you it goes away and you tune it out completely. You will always notice.

Perhaps you do; I certainly don't. I notice it as much as I notice the turning of a page when reading a paper book: i.e. not at all.