Do you enjoy reading on a PC? - Page 2

Loosheesh · 11-17-2022, 11:56 AM

I don't read books or long articles on my computer simply because I have other more comfortable and portable ways to read, but it wouldn't be a problem if I had no choice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

As for looking up stuff while reading, I use Alexa a lot for that. Don’t have to put the reader down or even navigate away from the page. She’s easily good enough for the trivial, dates, locations, names etc. although obviously not for in-depth background.

Thanks for the tip! I'm always on the lookout for new ways to put Alexa to work

ZodWallop · 11-17-2022, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

If my PC screen(s) magically appeared in front of face wherever I happened to want to do some reading, I suppose I wouldn't be opposed to "reading on my PC".

Making you the last true fan of Google Glass

DiapDealer · 11-17-2022, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Making you the last true fan of Google Glass

Is it too late to change my answer?

Deskisamess · 11-17-2022, 07:06 PM

No, for a couple of reasons. The most important is the eye muscle strain from tracking horizontally on a screen much too far from my eyes. I do much better with narrow columns of text, on a device held below my eyes, to make the best use of my progressive lenses. And I love backlit e-ink.

In the days before tablets, I read the local newspaper online, and news sites. Now with our iPads, I rarely read anything but the banking site and Quicken on the PC. But no pleasure reading.

Comfy.n · 11-18-2022, 07:23 AM

Although I like Mobileread (the site), I see myself mostly as an anti-mobile user, lol.

In my view, laptop OSs offer many advantages over "strictly" mobile devices, such as the multitude of customisable and easily task-switchable software, while providing physical buttons/keyboards and wireless mouse input for added comfyness. Hardware-wise, though, mobile computers can be very challenging to customise and/or find a satisfactory combination of lightness, performance, screen resolution, screen panel type etc.

In fact, I read on the lappy so often that I need to remind myself to charge my mostly abandoned PW3 every now and then.

Spoiler:

DuskyRose · 11-18-2022, 10:08 AM

No. I really dislike reading on my computer. Short articles, web pages, writing, and games, sure, but I can't get tied up in what's on the screen for huge chunks of time. I'm already sitting at mine for way too long, and it's bad for my back.

I have other chairs that are more comfortable for long bouts of reading, and I can switch them up.

And while it's better than a bright screen, night mode sucks on the monitors. It's not a real black, so still problems with eye strain.

And while I read and write fanfic on occations, I don't edit stuff fic I'm reading. I'd just read something else if it got that bad.

cfrizz · 11-18-2022, 12:50 PM

My computer is my main reader when I'm home and my phone is my main reader on my commute back and forth to work.

I will open a book in ADE to read it on my pc. I love easy to see text on my 32-inch screen! As someone else pointed out it's easier on aging eyes.

ps67 · 11-18-2022, 02:54 PM

I Read articles or post (of this forum of course!

) but I won't read a whole book with my PC. For books I use one of my ereaders.

maddz · 11-19-2022, 06:50 AM

Sometimes, usually via the Kindle app or Calibre (when I need to check whether I need to manually edit the file and get sucked in).

Usually I only read PDFs on my Mac or my work PC. Everything else gets loaded onto my Kobo and is generally read there (comics & graphic novels get read on the Kindle app on my iPad though).

Renate · 11-19-2022, 07:39 AM

I'm a big ereader fan, lying on the couch or in bed with the ereader suspended on a flexible arm.
The only reading use I have for a PC is using ADE to see maps blown up and in color.
Also, there is nothing as annoying as wide columns. By the time your gaze has slewed from right to left you've probably jumped a few lines.

DNSB · 11-19-2022, 11:54 AM

I use my computer for reading PDFs which tend to be tech manuals or training materials where I can have the PDF on one screen and bring up research, testing, etc. on the second screen. Most recent example was having a router manual open on one screen while the second screen had the router emulator open plus a Putty session to a real router. While 27" monitors are great for that, for most novels, non-fiction, etc., I prefer the portability of my ereader.

tomsem · 11-19-2022, 12:05 PM

Long form reading? Never.

Fiat_Lux · 11-19-2022, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I mainly read novels, but I do read non-fiction from time-to-time. But I've noticed generally I pick up non-fiction because it is some rabbit hole I've already gone down online. So by the time I read the book, I already have enough familiarity to not need to do extra research.

Or maybe I don't read especially challenging non-fiction

I take it that you've never read anything by James Joyce.

Fiat_Lux · 11-19-2022, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karellen

I know this may sound a bit weird for some people, but with many books I prefer reading them on my desktop computer rather than an ereader?

When writing, I like having LibO open on one monitor, and the reference material I need, open on a second monitor.

However, I much prefer the ebook reading software on my tablet, to that on my desktop. The major reason for that preference, is that on my tablet, I can add material by the directory, including all sub-directories, whereas on my desktop, I have to add items one at a time. That works for up to about ten items, but with a 10,000 item ready reference library, one at a time is an instant fail.

retiredbiker · 11-19-2022, 10:24 PM

I almost always am reading one book on my PC, and one on my Kobo. The reason for the PC book is actually proofreading. I find old mysteries or scifi only available as a pdf or cbr (think Internet Archive for example), and carefully OCR them to end up with an epub. That always means proofreading.

I started this thinking I could do a quickie OCR and proof it on a small reader, but quickly learned that even the most careful OCR is not that good. So I find myself reading some very good old books on the PC. Who ever heard of Victor Gunn? His "Ironsides" books are excellent. And the whole process is a pleasurable hobby.

Except doing all that reading on a PC--even with a huge screen -- is awful. My old eyes just hate it.

11-18-2022, 07:23 AM	#20
Comfy.n want to learn what I want Posts: 1,614 Karma: 7891011 Join Date: Sep 2020 Device: none	Although I like Mobileread (the site), I see myself mostly as an anti-mobile user, lol. In my view, laptop OSs offer many advantages over "strictly" mobile devices, such as the multitude of customisable and easily task-switchable software, while providing physical buttons/keyboards and wireless mouse input for added comfyness. Hardware-wise, though, mobile computers can be very challenging to customise and/or find a satisfactory combination of lightness, performance, screen resolution, screen panel type etc. In fact, I read on the lappy so often that I need to remind myself to charge my mostly abandoned PW3 every now and then. Spoiler: (also, the other day I had a thought cross my mind that I enjoy reading this forum as much as I prefer live music concerts over studio versions, perhaps more than reading books. ) Last edited by Comfy.n; 11-18-2022 at 09:11 PM.

11-19-2022, 07:39 AM	#25
Renate Onyx-maniac Posts: 3,936 Karma: 17500001 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5, Go6	I'm a big ereader fan, lying on the couch or in bed with the ereader suspended on a flexible arm. The only reading use I have for a PC is using ADE to see maps blown up and in color. Also, there is nothing as annoying as wide columns. By the time your gaze has slewed from right to left you've probably jumped a few lines. Last edited by Renate; 11-19-2022 at 07:42 AM.

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11-17-2022, 07:06 PM	#19
Deskisamess Wizard Posts: 2,757 Karma: 45827597 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Ohio Device: iPhone 13 Pro, iPad mini, iPad Pro 12.9",Paperwhite 6.8", Scribe 2022	No, for a couple of reasons. The most important is the eye muscle strain from tracking horizontally on a screen much too far from my eyes. I do much better with narrow columns of text, on a device held below my eyes, to make the best use of my progressive lenses. And I love backlit e-ink. In the days before tablets, I read the local newspaper online, and news sites. Now with our iPads, I rarely read anything but the banking site and Quicken on the PC. But no pleasure reading.

11-18-2022, 10:08 AM	#21
DuskyRose Guru Posts: 754 Karma: 9209502 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Virginia Device: Boox Note Air3, Palma, K-Scribe, Eclipsa 2e, & Libra 2, Ipads	No. I really dislike reading on my computer. Short articles, web pages, writing, and games, sure, but I can't get tied up in what's on the screen for huge chunks of time. I'm already sitting at mine for way too long, and it's bad for my back. I have other chairs that are more comfortable for long bouts of reading, and I can switch them up. And while it's better than a bright screen, night mode sucks on the monitors. It's not a real black, so still problems with eye strain. And while I read and write fanfic on occations, I don't edit stuff fic I'm reading. I'd just read something else if it got that bad.

11-18-2022, 12:50 PM	#22
cfrizz Wizard Posts: 1,570 Karma: 36389706 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Quincy, MA Device: Samsung 54A, Kobo Libra H2O, Samsung S6 Lite	My computer is my main reader when I'm home and my phone is my main reader on my commute back and forth to work. I will open a book in ADE to read it on my pc. I love easy to see text on my 32-inch screen! As someone else pointed out it's easier on aging eyes.

11-18-2022, 02:54 PM	#23
ps67 Guru Posts: 755 Karma: 7025494 Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Italy Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Elipsa, Pocketbook Inkpad 4, Inkpad Color	I Read articles or post (of this forum of course! ) but I won't read a whole book with my PC. For books I use one of my ereaders.

11-19-2022, 06:50 AM	#24
maddz Wizard Posts: 1,405 Karma: 30039536 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: UK Device: Kobo Forma, Icarus, iPad Mini 2, Kobo Touch, Google Nexus 7	Sometimes, usually via the Kindle app or Calibre (when I need to check whether I need to manually edit the file and get sucked in). Usually I only read PDFs on my Mac or my work PC. Everything else gets loaded onto my Kobo and is generally read there (comics & graphic novels get read on the Kindle app on my iPad though).

11-19-2022, 11:54 AM	#26
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 46,377 Karma: 169098492 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	I use my computer for reading PDFs which tend to be tech manuals or training materials where I can have the PDF on one screen and bring up research, testing, etc. on the second screen. Most recent example was having a router manual open on one screen while the second screen had the router emulator open plus a Putty session to a real router. While 27" monitors are great for that, for most novels, non-fiction, etc., I prefer the portability of my ereader.

11-19-2022, 12:05 PM	#27
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,944 Karma: 27060153 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	Long form reading? Never.

11-19-2022, 10:24 PM	#30
retiredbiker Evangelist Posts: 450 Karma: 3886916 Join Date: May 2013 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: Kindle KB, Oasis, Pop_Os!, Kobo Forma	I almost always am reading one book on my PC, and one on my Kobo. The reason for the PC book is actually proofreading. I find old mysteries or scifi only available as a pdf or cbr (think Internet Archive for example), and carefully OCR them to end up with an epub. That always means proofreading. I started this thinking I could do a quickie OCR and proof it on a small reader, but quickly learned that even the most careful OCR is not that good. So I find myself reading some very good old books on the PC. Who ever heard of Victor Gunn? His "Ironsides" books are excellent. And the whole process is a pleasurable hobby. Except doing all that reading on a PC--even with a huge screen -- is awful. My old eyes just hate it.