CNET predicts dedicated ereaders are doomed technology

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by ApK

I thought this thread was discussing predictions on the future of dedicated ereaders as a technology--dead, niche, or widespread.
If it's just about whether the handful of posters here personally like their current reader, it's poorly titled.

I'm greedy. I want even better reading devices. I'll appreciate what I can get now, but gimme more, more, more choices.

[MrsJoseph]

I miss flipping pages. I read mainly fantasy and we get a lot of maps and casts of characters.

[Quexos]

Hmm even if it goes under, I still love my reader. I just hope they develop a nice non light emitting color screen so that you can see some colors when reading, before the technology goes down. I'll be sure to buy that one. Also that it lasts years and years cause by then I won't be able to buy a new one.

[puddych]

the only advantage of e-ink is long baterry times and most important r eading capability in the sunshine..very important to me..come out with something which can do that plus videos ect and I will ditch my sony
urs the read at the beach fella

[ApK]

Originally Posted by puddych

the only advantage of e-ink is long baterry times and most important r eading capability in the sunshine..very important to me..come out with something which can do that plus videos ect and I will ditch my sony
urs the read at the beach fella

That's not the only advantage. For many of us, reading on a non-backlit screen is much more comfortable.
I remember liking the reflective LCD on my old Palm PDA, too, but it was to small and low-res to be a really good reader.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by ApK

That's not the only advantage. For many of us, reading on a non-backlit screen is much more comfortable.
I remember liking the reflective LCD on my old Palm PDA, too, but it was to small and low-res to be a really good reader.

I'm with you. I've read on my computer/laptop for years and my e-ink is much more comfortable. I no longer have to stop reading a good book because my eyes are hurting. I am required to use a computer all day long, my eyes need that rest.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

I am required to use a computer all day long, my eyes need that rest.

And I, like apparently half the people in this thread, am ALSO in IT (more a software developer), also for 20+ years, and also look at an LCD all day.

I will say though that reading all day on an LCD is WAY more comfortable that reading all day on a CRT! Maybe that's why so many of the 20+ year IT crowd says they like LCD readers--compared to the CRTs they read on for the first half of their careers, LCD is heaven!

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by ApK

And I, like apparently half the people in this thread, am ALSO in IT (more a software developer), also for 20+ years, and also look at an LCD all day.

I will say though that reading all day on an LCD is WAY more comfortable that reading all day on a CRT! Maybe that's why so many of the 20+ year IT crowd says they like LCD readers--compared to the CRTs they read on for the first half of their careers, LCD is heaven!

They still sell CRT monitors. This one is advertised as reducing eye strain, lol:

http://www.viewsonic.com/products/de...eries/e50b.htm

My husband and I've spent our entire careers on computers -- IT for him and editing for me. We started on amber screens. No eye strain for either of us, knock wood, despite untold hours of daily online time for work and fun.

I'm glad that e-ink exists for readers with eye problems, though. I support reading in all its forms.

[snipenekkid]

Originally Posted by ApK

And I, like apparently half the people in this thread, am ALSO in IT (more a software developer), also for 20+ years, and also look at an LCD all day.

I will say though that reading all day on an LCD is WAY more comfortable that reading all day on a CRT! Maybe that's why so many of the 20+ year IT crowd says they like LCD readers--compared to the CRTs they read on for the first half of their careers, LCD is heaven!

excellent observation...and true as well. Still if a person has a problem with a given tech then it's great there are so many options these days.

[MrsJoseph]

I can't imagine how painful these CRT screens are. If it is anything like what happens to me when I look at a black screen with white writing (ouch!), I salute you guys!

When I go to those websites with black screens it drives me bonkers. Maybe I should got get my eyes checked...

[snipenekkid]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

I can't imagine how painful these CRT screens are. If it is anything like what happens to me when I look at a black screen with white writing (ouch!), I salute you guys!

When I go to those websites with black screens it drives me bonkers. Maybe I should got get my eyes checked...

might be the color palette used for the content on the pages because with a black screen there is less light hitting your eyes. That is actually the attraction of the "night mode" in the reading apps on the various handheld LCD devices.

Something else just came to mind, when you hit a site with a black background you might need to turn down the brightness of the screen. I think many of us might actually turn up the screen brightness (which in an LCD is simply cranking up the backlight) in an attempt to bring out the colors. What really might need done is a proper screen calibration if you haven't tried that route yet. Just google "LCD screen calibration" you can buy or even rent (I send folks to http://www.lensrentals.com/rent/cano...ion/colormunki where you can rent a top of the line screen calibration tool for a few days for around $60 including shipping for a few days) but you can also learn to use whatever calibration tools that came installed on your computer to get a decent adjustment that can make a huge difference. LCD displays are usually very poorly calibrated from the factory which has to contribute to difficulties people have with them.

Still if you grew up on CRT's then LCD's are a walk in the park. My first computer used a 9" CRT with green text which I much preferred to the amber displays. So further evidence each person is different.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by snipenekkid

might be the color palette used for the content on the pages because with a black screen there is less light hitting your eyes. That is actually the attraction of the "night mode" in the reading apps on the various handheld LCD devices.

Something else just came to mind, when you hit a site with a black background you might need to turn down the brightness of the screen. I think many of us might actually turn up the screen brightness (which in an LCD is simply cranking up the backlight) in an attempt to bring out the colors. What really might need done is a proper screen calibration if you haven't tried that route yet. Just google "LCD screen calibration" you can buy or even rent (I send folks to http://www.lensrentals.com/rent/cano...ion/colormunki where you can rent a top of the line screen calibration tool for a few days for around $60 including shipping for a few days) but you can also learn to use whatever calibration tools that came installed on your computer to get a decent adjustment that can make a huge difference. LCD displays are usually very poorly calibrated from the factory which has to contribute to difficulties people have with them.

Still if you grew up on CRT's then LCD's are a walk in the park. My first computer used a 9" CRT with green text which I much preferred to the amber displays. So further evidence each person is different.

You know I've never fiddled with the contrast/calibration of this thing?

I'm going to have to try this. Thanks!

[GreenMonkey]

Originally Posted by snipenekkid

Something else just came to mind, when you hit a site with a black background you might need to turn down the brightness of the screen. I think many of us might actually turn up the screen brightness (which in an LCD is simply cranking up the backlight) in an attempt to bring out the colors.

That's the problem for a lot of LCD people. They're not a magic bullet for eyestrain. Many, many LCDs are simply way too bright. For best calibration, a lot of computer LCD screens should be at almost zero brightness for best black level detail. Too bright is hard on the eyes also.

My desktop has a CRT - a widescreen 24" (22.5" viewable) Sony FW900. There's a thread miles long on it on [H]ardforum. They have a lot of advantages over LCDs, like better blacks and far, far better contrast ratios. I personally can't really stand the picture quality of an LCD and avoid them if possible for plasma, DLP or CRTs.

A good CRT has very high refresh rates that alleviate a lot of the eyestrain. I definitely get some strain at the typical 60hz that most crummy CRTs had stock (and the general Windows default). I run 1920x1200 @ 85hz on mine and that is perfect. That said, some people's eyes react badly to even a hi-refresh CRT and benefit from a digital display like an LCD.

[Namekuseijin]

Here's the thing: the most readily available personal computing device ever is the cell phone: you carry it anywhere and it serves well the purpose of voice or text communication, reading, watching and listening to digital content. All through some wireless wideband connection. It is a Trojan Horse for aggregate cheap techs and has alredy eaten the market of niche devices such as PDAs and old pagers.

How long until high refresh rate and colorful e-ink screens hit the market and make possible for both video watching and lowpower static text consumption on cell phones a reality? Unless dedicated e-readers are priced as low as some magazine, I don't see them more than a doomed niche indeed, unable to compete with an all-in-1 in most people's pockets already...

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Namekuseijin

Here's the thing: the most readily available personal computing device ever is the cell phone:

serves well the purpose of:

voice
Sure, one would hope, but some phone makers give this a back seat.

or text communication,

Meh. Serves it about as well as a pager. Some people are OK with limiting their text communication to abbreviations and sore thumbs. Others need to actually write.

reading,
Awful.

watching
Awfuller.

[B] and listening to digital content. [B]
Sure, if you're willing to compromise.

Smart phones do a lot of things and do almost none of them really well, and many people are OK with mediocrity most of the time.
But often, many people -- even the boarder audience of people -- will continue to want devices that do something really well.

ApK