E-ink is dying(?)

[Blossom]

I agree with eInk dominates battery life over a tablet one of the main reasons I'm switching back. In the past I've read for hours on my tablets but as Google rolls out more and more bloated firmware the battery life on my Nexus has dwindled to charging twice a day. Also too much glare in my bedroom for reading a long time on a tablet. The lights are super bright. I also admit I'm severely distracted by all the apps too.

[varlog]

By full sun, text black on white, I still don't have to put my glasses on. I wouldn't throw away such a moment for mowing the grass. Besides, I personally hate mowing the grass. Let it grow!
Our eyes differ. Back in CRT times some of my colleagues were quite comfortable with 60Hz. For me it was a torture. I needed at least 75Hz not to see the monitor flicker, something to do with eye accommodation I suppose. LCD technology helped - but still: the geometries I'm complementing every day on LCD monitor has many colors and intensities and it's ok. When I start to read - white (no matter white on black or black on white) is too bright after more then ~35 minutes. Dimming doesn't help: it just dims the picture which is not what I want.
Many of my train journeys last more then 6 hours and there is seldom opportunity to recharge.
So I'm for e-ink. Be happy with your smartphones/tablets as long as you can but in the long run, for the most (IMHO) of us, it is either e-ink or dead tree or change of interests.
My PRS-T1 is trying to die on me and I don't see worthy replacement yet. Kindle is for me too restricted.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by varlog

I spend a lot of time in trains. I see people with smartphones, I see people with dead trees. Once in a while I see tablet or notebook.
People with dedicated e-readers are almost not present there.

If you were to see me waiting for a restaurant table or filling in five minutes while out and about, you'd see me reading on my smartphone, and perhaps assume I'm one of those people who eschews e-ink. At home, though, or when expecting a long wait, I'll have my Kobo.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by varlog

...When I start to read - white (no matter white on black or black on white) is too bright after more then ~35 minutes. Dimming doesn't help: it just dims the picture which is not what I want...

Doesn't your reading application allow you to change the paper colour of the book, rather than just giving you black on white or white on black?

I've read eBooks on LCD devices for many years (lost count, but at least 15) and never had a problem, but I adjust the paper colour in the reader application. Even in my earlier reading days on PDA's the reading applications I used allowed one to select a range of tints for the paper. Now one often has near infinite adjustment of colour.

LCD white (RGB 255 255 255) is white but paper is not white. So, for example, RGB 255 255 241 for the paper and RGB 0 0 0 gives black print on a slightly sand tinted paper (which many papers are) or one can tint less if that seems a little too yellowed. Alternatively create a very slightly grey tinted paper with black print; doing so will lower the apparent contrast, but the contrast will still be way, way better than E Ink which has very poor contrast.

This is even more useful on AMOLED screens (such as on higher end phones and some tablets) which are high contrast, have very black blacks and very clean whites.

[kyteflyer]

Originally Posted by varlog

When I start to read - white (no matter white on black or black on white) is too bright after more then ~35 minutes. Dimming doesn't help: it just dims the picture which is not what I want.
Many of my train journeys last more then 6 hours and there is seldom opportunity to recharge.

Bright white is why I switched to light blue on black, dimmed a bit. It's not nearly as glaring. Trains are where I use my e-ink readers also. I need my phone to last the day and I have not yet got an external battery pack. (That said, I have not had a train trip in a while, and I read every night on my iPhone 5S)

[kyteflyer]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

Doesn't your reading application allow you to change the paper colour of the book, rather than just giving you black on white or white on black?

The standard issue apps on our tablets and phones usually don't have much in the way of options. Eg; on iOS, iBooks, the Kindle app and the Google play books app have three different options. Black on white, white on black or sepia.

I've read eBooks on LCD devices for many years (lost count, but at least 15) and never had a problem, but I adjust the paper colour in the reader application.

This is important I think. I've been reading on LCD devices since 2000, and have come to have an expectation of being able to make the changes I want. People who have moved recently from dead tree books to LCD devices either don't know, don't care, or don't want to pay for additional options, by actually buying an application which allows you to read more comfortably. IN the words of a friend of mine "Why should I pay for something I get for free?". He just has no concept of reading in anything other than iBooks, and won't consider alternatives.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by varlog

My PRS-T1 is trying to die on me and I don't see worthy replacement yet. Kindle is for me too restricted.

I find my H2O to be a worthy replacement for the T1. In fact, that's exactly what I did.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by cvkemp

What would be the difference in a little heavier tablet and caring a lighter tablet and having to care a battery backup device. Why can't we have a nice trade off.

It is more flexible with a lighter tablet. It is easier to hold when reading and easier to use when you do not need an extra battery. And when you need extended reading periods you use a battery.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by cvkemp

That may be true by do you read for hours on end on your smartphone. I bet not.

Tis true. I read for hours and hours on my phone and/or iPad. Doesn't bother my eyes at all. It's far more comfortable to me than reading a paper book. I read inside and in dim lighting far more than I read outside in bright light.

I kept thinking I'll get an eInk reader when they drop in price. I need my phone and tablet for other reasons...reading is a bonus. But a very nice bonus.

By the time the eInk devices fell to what I'd consider reasonable - I simply had no need of one. I like reading on my iPhone and my tablet. I like that I can buy books from many sources. I can have kindle books and iBooks and Nook books...epubs or any other format.

I like that my phone and thus my books are always with me. I like that I can switch from phone to tablet and back and my books is in the right spot. I like having color and the speed of a smartphone or tablet.

I like that I can read the web, news apps and PDF's on my devices too.

I called it way back when - when eInk ruled - and people didn't much care for my opinion. But the truth is - it's only a minority of people that actually have trouble reading on a smartphone or tablet. It was only a matter of time for eInk to be past it's prime as the dominant force in ebook reading.

[cvkemp]

If I had to read on my IPhone or even my IPad I would stop reading ebooks and go back to paper. I have enough issues with my eyes and any backlighted device just make it worse. I believe that Amazon will keep making e-ink devices for at least as long as I will be around to use them.

[Cinisajoy]

Hey I just thought of something. What you are seeing or think you are seeing may not be the reality.
I know a guy that shops the thrift stores, dresses about like I do and from looking at him one would assume the guy is either retired working class or still working to make ends meet.
He is worth at least 8 or 9 figures.

Same goes for devices. What you see may not be all they own.

[ApK]

I've been observing devices during my train commute for the past month, and was rather surprised to note that I've seen about as many e-ink readers as p-books. Both of which are very few in number, but I have seen them.
Far and away, most people who are looking at something are looking at phones, and then LCD tablets are somewhere in between.

No conclusions, just what I've seen.

[cvkemp]

I go to the VA clinic several times a year and I see all three. I see the ones doing that work while waiting to be seen using tablets and some times smartphones, but I see some also that are reading on e-ink devices and for and away most of those e-ink devices are Kindles. I also see a few laptops. Most of the tablets I see are IPads, but a few are surface devices. I very seldom see people just reading with tablets unless it is PDFs or documents and normally they may be editing the documents.
Yes you may say I am noise but I am so use to doing research that I have not gotten completely away from the work I use to do. I guess retirement takes some time to get use to

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by kyteflyer

The standard issue apps on our tablets and phones usually don't have much in the way of options. Eg; on iOS, iBooks, the Kindle app and the Google play books app have three different options. Black on white, white on black or sepia.

I am only very familiar with reading applications for Windows OSs (PC/Tablet and phone) and earlier Microsoft small device OSs. The ones I have used over the years have all been free and provided infinite (effectively) setting of type and paper colours, or in the early days (like 15 years ago) at least a choice of presets other than black and white. Freda, just as one example, (which I use but I am not promoting it, I am not fussy it just works and was just one of the first I looked at when originally choosing) gives "infinite" choice.

I even have an old Nokia Symbian OS phone here and the couple of free readers I used to use a bit on that had a choice of presets other than black and white.

Seems that you are saying that software developers for Apple, Amazon, Android, etc., are not so forthcoming in their products?

[tompe]

Originally Posted by leebase

I called it way back when - when eInk ruled - and people didn't much care for my opinion. But the truth is - it's only a minority of people that actually have trouble reading on a smartphone or tablet. It was only a matter of time for eInk to be past it's prime as the dominant force in ebook reading.

And a lot of people that have trouble just read with the light to high. Sometimes you have to download a special app to you phone or tablet to be able to reduce the light to good levels for the environments you are reading in.