Are ebook (eInk) readers really easier on one's eyes?

[stumped]

Originally Posted by FrustratedReader

I disable all alerts if I want to concentrate. Data is disabled on phone. I only connect phone, eInk or tablet to WiFi if I want to use the Internet (email, files, web, VOIP, text chat etc).

that's another valid approach. I prefer to have the tablets always online, and the kobo e reader always offline ( except if I need to sync with overdrive)
I transfer books via USB to the kobo, but wirelessly to the tablets. I use those a lot for video streaming as well as reading

I only discovered the picture in picture trick by accident. On the Huawei media tablet, if i start a full screen video stream in chrome or in brave browser and then tap android home, the video continues but in a very small window. i can then open, say, moon reader, full screen, and that video window will sit as an overlay wherever I position it, or I can move it if it covers an interesting sentence!. It will overlay any app that is not itself a video app, and I can 1-tap expand it back to full screen if something interesting happens in the live stream. Dunno if its a core android feature of android 9, or a Huawei feature
it does not work with bbc i player though so maybe its partly to do with how the browsers are coded. they must be coded to continue to run when not in front focus, like a music app does.

[2scre]

Originally Posted by DNSB

An E-ink ereader can not have a backlight given that the display is opaque. Which leads to the fun of trying to produce a front light and diffuser that gives even lighting over the whole screen.

Is the brightness of the front light controllable like you can on phones? In Androids you can even use 3rd party apps to further control the light (bluelight blocking apps), so wouldn't it be better to use an Android with no backlight (OLED screens) with more brightness control options than E-reader?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by DNSB

An E-ink ereader can not have a backlight given that the display is opaque. Which leads to the fun of trying to produce a front light and diffuser that gives even lighting over the whole screen.

Originally Posted by 2scre

Is the brightness of the front light controllable like you can on phones? In Androids you can even use 3rd party apps to further control the light (bluelight blocking apps), so wouldn't it be better to use an Android with no backlight (OLED screens) with more brightness control options than E-reader?

Yes, the frontlight is controllable. On my Kobos with the colour temperature control, I can select the basic brightness and set the colour temperature either manually or by allowing the ereader to set the colour temperature based on time. My Aura One has a sensor to allow automatically setting the brightness based on ambient light but I found it more annoying than useful -- move your hand so you cast a shadow on the sensor and the screen brightness would change. Personally, I find the colour temperature control to be mostly useless unless I want to set it full to the warm end to give me the feeling of reading by candlelight.

I can't see any advantage to using a Android device with a third party app to control colour temperature compared to having that control built in to my ereader (and iOS devices though I seldom use Night Shift).

Given the whinging about the Kobo Forma and it's 1KHz PWM frequency, why would you recommend an OLED screen where 200-250Hz PWM frequencies are common?

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

I had weird vision issues after I extended reading on my phone - things looked slightly blurry and I was seeing halos around lights. Thankfully by the day after that my eyes went back to normal. I mentioned it at my next eye checkup and my eye doctor told me to stick with epub.

I think this is very individual and everyone should read on whichever device works for them.

Yes, absolutely. Your eyes sound similar to mine, I couldn't stand reading on my phone. But, as you said, mileage may vary depending on the person and their preferences and needs.

[ps67]

For me there is a great difference, I could perhaps read on the phone if I had nothing else on hand but there is nothing so beautiful as Kobo Aura One.

Ranking:
1. Kobo Aura One
2. Kindle Paperwhite
3. Paper book
4. PC
5. Telephone

Of course the situation is different if there are large images or maps etc. that are very important, in that case Paper Book is in the first position.

[crossi]

They may or might not be easier on the eyes, it seems to vary widely by individual, but they are much easier on the hands and wrists. Even small tablets feel too heavy to be held for hours for me.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by crossi

They may or might not be easier on the eyes, it seems to vary widely by individual, but they are much easier on the hands and wrists. Even small tablets feel too heavy to be held for hours for me.

eInk is definitely easier on my eyes but, as you say, this is only one of the reasons to like eInk eReaders better. Battery life, weight, and lack of distractions are other important reasons. (At least important to me — and I do understand that everyone is different.)

[teija]

I consider myself a person of fairly strong self-restraint (I have been known to knowingly leave chocolate around the house for long enough for it to go stale before touching it!) but for some reason if I start trying to read on my phone or tablet, I always end up doing something OTHER than reading my book. Even with notifications off, etc, it is just not focused enough. With my eReader, I can pick it up and read for the entire "session" I set out to.

And the weight/ease of holding an eReader is definitely another bonus. If you manage to fall asleep while reading with something propped in front of you and it falls against your face, a Kobo or Kindle may smart a little... but not as much as an iPad Mini! (trust me, I have had BOTH happen)

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by teija

I consider myself a person of fairly strong self-restraint (I have been known to knowingly leave chocolate around the house for long enough for it to go stale before touching it!) but for some reason if I start trying to read on my phone or tablet, I always end up doing something OTHER than reading my book. Even with notifications off, etc, it is just not focused enough. With my eReader, I can pick it up and read for the entire "session" I set out to.

This one's never worked for me mostly because I always have at least one phone or tablet beside me. If a book isn't holding my attention regardless of format, I'll switch to doing something else (often browsing this forum).

Originally Posted by teija

And the weight/ease of holding an eReader is definitely another bonus. If you manage to fall asleep while reading with something propped in front of you and it falls against your face, a Kobo or Kindle may smart a little... but not as much as an iPad Mini! (trust me, I have had BOTH happen)

And the mini's certainly not as painful as an iPad Pro 12.9. Talk about an instant wake up call. My poor nose...

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

This one's never worked for me mostly because I always have at least one phone or tablet beside me. If a book isn't holding my attention regardless of format, I'll switch to doing something else (often browsing this forum).

This is me. I like my e-reader precisely because it is a single-use device, but since I tend to read at my home office workstation with my phones and tablet also in front of me, other distractions are not eliminated.

[Richwood]

IMO it depends on the reading environment. In direct sunlight or bright sun shade the eink screen is superior I find. Less so indoors and/or in darker conditions. Also in conditions where reflection of bright light off the screen can happen I prefer the eink screens.

[Deskisamess]

Less so indoors and/or in darker conditions.

Front lighting on current e-ink readers means they are great, regardless of ambient lighting. I can't read very long on my smart phone or iPad in a dark room, even with the backlight turned way down. On my Kindles, I can read for hours in a dark room, in sunshine, and every light situation in between.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Front lighting on current e-ink readers means they are great, regardless of ambient lighting. I can't read very long on my smart phone or iPad in a dark room, even with the backlight turned way down. On my Kindles, I can read for hours in a dark room, in sunshine, and every light situation in between.

Yes. And my front-lit e-ink readers haven't caused the kind of eyestrain issues I experienced when trying to read on my phone. (Once again, this is my personal experience. I know there are plenty of people who read happily on phones, tablets, etc.)

[deleted]

Since we're discussing front lights, may I ask a question?

Like many here back-lit LCD screens cause eye strain and that's the main reason I prefer e-ink. I've never tried a front-lit screen but my intuition is that this won't affect me in the way that LCDs do (perhaps because the intensity is less). I'm keen for my next e-reader to have a front-light.

But, my experience suggests that one of the main issues with lcd screens is a mismatch with ambient light. i.e. the screen is either brighter than it's surroundings or too dark. This is an issue of contrasting light.

Has anyone found a front-lit e-ink screen, when read in a completely dark room causes these contrast problems?

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by deleted

Since we're discussing front lights, may I ask a question?

Like many here back-lit LCD screens cause eye strain and that's the main reason I prefer e-ink. I've never tried a front-lit screen but my intuition is that this won't affect me in the way that LCDs do (perhaps because the intensity is less). I'm keen for my next e-reader to have a front-light.

But, my experience suggests that one of the main issues with lcd screens is a mismatch with ambient light. i.e. the screen is either brighter than it's surroundings or too dark. This is an issue of contrasting light.

Has anyone found a front-lit e-ink screen, when read in a completely dark room causes these contrast problems?

It depends on the individual. You definitively have to try it with your own eyes. Some people experience a difference in comfort in a dark room between backlit lcd versus frontlit eink. It may or may not be imagined. Even if the difference is only imaginary, which device is more comfortable is subjective. You have to try it. If frontlit eink is more comfortable to you, then it is so, at least for you.