8" eReader device?

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I don't read in color. The books I read use black text on a white background. The higher the contrast the better.

As for the "popularity" of color eReaders, it's kind of hard to gauge when Kobo doesn't offer the BW version of a Libra (for example). If you want a 7" Kobo eReader you have no choice — it's color or nothing.

Honest to God some people just like to nitpick and argue.

I am reading and typing this from my pc. and I'm typing black characters in a white box surrounded by emojis that are different colors and also blues, white and greys.

The device you read on is probably black or white, or it might be covered in a colored cover.

What is the most important feature of any device you read on whether color or not, is the contrast. Which is why they started putting lights in readers since the grey scale in the original ones were simply awful to read indoors without a light on, and not everyone likes or wants to read outdoors.

I spend a great deal of time reading on my phone just fine while commuting. I'm glad that the technology has improved that as the lighting conditions change as I'm riding along, the screen adapts accordingly.

If you want to cling to your "black & white" knock yourselves out! But choice is good and the more choices we have the better off we are. But your choice is not the be all to end all and is not the only choice to make.

[Yapyap]

InkBook (I think they’re Polish?) claims their inkBook Focus Plus is 7.8’’ and has a Carta 1300 screen. And it has side page turn buttons.

I keep being tempted by it just because I feel like I might want to move a size up but not pay 300+ euros for a device that’s 3-4 years old at this point, and the size, screen and buttons sound perfect, but the few reviews I’ve found haven’t been stellar enough - and while Android is a selling argument since I do use reading (subscription) apps, 2 GB of RAM for a new Android device of this size sounds a bit too underpowered.

[kandwo]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

InkBook (I think they’re Polish?) claims their inkBook Focus Plus is 7.8’’ and has a Carta 1300 screen. And it has side page turn buttons.

I keep being tempted by it just because I feel like I might want to move a size up but not pay 300+ euros for a device that’s 3-4 years old at this point, and the size, screen and buttons sound perfect, but the few reviews I’ve found haven’t been stellar enough - and while Android is a selling argument since I do use reading (subscription) apps, 2 GB of RAM for a new Android device of this size sounds a bit too underpowered.

I had a Leaf 2. It's a 7" device with 2GB of RAM and it was painfully slow. I've seen the same thing with their Go 6.

Anything under 3GB of RAM for Android is close to unusable.

[enuddleyarbl]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

Honest to God some people just like to nitpick and argue.

I am reading and typing this from my pc. and I'm typing black characters in a white box surrounded by emojis that are different colors and also blues, white and greys.

The device you read on is probably black or white, or it might be covered in a colored cover.

What is the most important feature of any device you read on whether color or not, is the contrast. Which is why they started putting lights in readers since the grey scale in the original ones were simply awful to read indoors without a light on, and not everyone likes or wants to read outdoors.

I spend a great deal of time reading on my phone just fine while commuting. I'm glad that the technology has improved that as the lighting conditions change as I'm riding along, the screen adapts accordingly.

If you want to cling to your "black & white" knock yourselves out! But choice is good and the more choices we have the better off we are. But your choice is not the be all to end all and is not the only choice to make.

I don't know what you're trying to say, here. The person you quoted ends with "... If you want a 7" Kobo eReader you have no choice — it's color or nothing." IOW, he's decrying the lack of choice he has regarding color or not.

And, if you look over other posts in this thread, that's what keeps coming up. We're no longer being offered the option of a decent sized non-color e-reader. And, the reason for that complaint is that color e-readers DON'T have the same contrast that black-and-white e-readers have. I could be reading things wrong, but I keep seeing 300 ppi for black-and-white, 150 ppi for color and a perceptible difference in contrast because of the color filter on top of the e-ink panel.

[nana77]

Not to mention that people did read books, in simple black and white, since a thousand of years: if the main thing is to read, I guess the first comparison may be to simple, paper books (within all the features like choosing the text size, etc...onto digitals' devices), but the all the rest, honestly, might be considered features.
E.g. if someone reads books for them pleasures (for the pleasure of reading), there is the book (black on white, *usually), the paper, and almost nothing else.
And the charts seems to say most of the readers still reads on paper (and I dont think it's because those are all readers of comics, graphic novels, etc..).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ArizonaGuy

I do most of my reading in a dark room so yes, the front light was on.

Here are photos taken outdoors with decent sunlight and the front light turned all the way down to 0. The white screen is not nearly as bright and when I do read outdoors I keep the front light on. Not all the way up, but still on.

It's not bad. It's better then I thought it would be. Thanks.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

So was yours, when you said you'd mind the color even if the quality of color screens was the same as that of the b/w ones.

No, it wasn't hypothetical. I gave the reason why I would mind color eReaders even if the screen was as good (which will probably always be hypothetical). As I said then, I would be paying more for a feature I didn't need or want. What's hypothetical about that?

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by cellaris

There are currently other screens on the market with very good contrast, but they are not Kobo and are not 7" of course. Possibly the screen of the Kobo Libra 2 (in my case, that of its twin brother, the Tolino Vision 6, a device that will not be updated either) is also my favourite. It is so good that sometimes I need to look at something more imperfect to appreciate it again 😉.

When PocketBook came out with the Era I was going to buy it (was just waiting for NewEgg to get it in stock — but apparently the NewEgg/PocketBook partnership was ending). Meanwhile, during the wait, I kept reading mixed reviews about the Era's screen, the consensus was that it either wasn't as good or not nearly as good as the Libra 2's screen. I never got around to getting the Libra 2, but that would have been my 7" reader if they had kept making them.

I've basically gotten rid of my Tolinos when I started reducing the ridiculous number of eReaders I had.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by rcentros

No, it wasn't hypothetical. I gave the reason why I would mind color eReaders even if the screen was as good (which will probably always be hypothetical). As I said then, I would be paying more for a feature I didn't need or want. What's hypothetical about that?

Because it's by no means certain that color ereaders would be more expensive by that time.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

If you want to cling to your "black & white" knock yourselves out! But choice is good and the more choices we have the better off we are. But your choice is not the be all to end all and is not the only choice to make.

I'm definitely "clinging" to my black and white eReaders — I like superior contrast. And thank you for giving me permission to do so.

I do like choice. Unfortunately Kobo doesn't seem to think choice is necessary in their 7" eReaders. They dropped a very good Libra 2 reader for an inferior black and white experience when using the Libra Colour.

Facts are facts, it's not "nitpicking."

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Because it's by no means certain that color ereaders would be more expensive by that time.

Do you really believe that color eReaders will go down in price? Or that that color E-Ink screens will ever match BW E-Ink screens for clarity and contrast?

Nitpicking was mentioned by another poster. That's what this looks like.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Do you really believe that color eReaders will go down in price? Or that that color E-Ink screens will ever match BW E-Ink screens for clarity and contrast?

Nitpicking was mentioned by another poster. That's what this looks like.

Whether I believe those things or not is beside the point. The argument was, all other things being equal, people would not mind color screens if they were as good as b/w screens. I.e. they mind Kaleido screens not because they use color, but because they're currently inferior.

Yes, of course it's all hypothetical. I never said it isn't.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Do you really believe that color eReaders will go down in price? Or that that color E-Ink screens will ever match BW E-Ink screens for clarity and contrast?

Going by the Gallery 3 device I've seen, it's contrast is a pretty close match for my Sage. Unlike Kaleido 3 screen, the Gallery 3 does not have a colour filter overlay.

[Starker]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Do you really believe that color eReaders will go down in price? Or that that color E-Ink screens will ever match BW E-Ink screens for clarity and contrast?

Nitpicking was mentioned by another poster. That's what this looks like.

The price difference between Clara BW and Clara Colour is 20$ and the latter has a better CPU. Other than the screen and the CPU, they seem to be identical. Looks like the colour screens are already not that expensive for what's still a fairly new technology.

Perhaps it's not possible to have a colour screen that has identical contrast to black and white screens, but it might well be possible to get close enough where the average human isn't able to tell or care about the difference. And the difference only applies to colour content anyway -- black and white content still uses the base screen.

[John F]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Do you really believe that color eReaders will go down in price? Or that that color E-Ink screens will ever match BW E-Ink screens for clarity and contrast?

...

I hope Sirtel doesn't mind me answering...

Depends where you put the stake in the ground. I started reading on Sony 505, so I believe that color eink screens could match (and surpass) BW eink screens for clarity and contrast.

And for myself, again since I started with a Sony 505, I don't need the best of the best of the best for clarity and contrast.

All hypothetical.

To each their own and what they prefer.