Have e-Readers been superseded by Tablets and Phones

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Catlady

As far as reading outdoors, that's what audiobooks are for.

... Assuming you happen to like audiobooks in the first place.

Assuming you don't mind buying every book twice, once for indoors and once for outdoors.

Hint: I don't like audiobooks. I don't like listening to them even when they are free, and I don't like paying yet more money when I already have the book itself, and I definitely won't pay money for something I don't want because Catlady says that that is what you are supposed to "read" in the outdoors.. Nice to know that according to you, I am not allowed to read outdoors as a result.

[Anthem]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

@Anthem:

Thanks for the feedback.

I have some astigmatism but apart from just being mild it is fully corrected as I wear hard contact lenses (have done so for over 40 years now, never had a problem with them and are easy to look after so never changed to soft after they came available). So I am not able to easily test these effects for myself.

I also have full correction for my astigmatism now, with my new pair of glasses that I got a few months ago. Before that I had partial correction (only one plane) in my lenses. The transition was extremely difficult, and took about 6 weeks.

BUT (and here's the kicker), I also have a bit of distance correction in one eye. So, my Dr. recommended perhaps NOT reading with my glasses on. But that makes the LCD WAY too strenuous (it looks like mud and fonts that are perfectly readable and sharp with my glasses are unreadable without them) so it is a non-starter (although the HDX is more readable than my Nexus 7 was when using the Kindle app without my glasses). The e-ink is probably better than the LCD when I am not wearing my glasses. It's a mess.

I may have to get a second pair of glasses with the full correction for astigmatism in them but WITHOUT the distance correction in the one eye for reading and doing things inside, and use this pair of glasses that has the full works for going outside.

Ugh, what a pain.

[silverraven]

I not only have astigmatism I also have Amblyopia. For some reason Dr. did not put me in a patch as a child, so my left eye really doesn't work right at all. I also read for a few hours every day.
For me eink is the best to read on. Even better than paper, the print was starting to get too small for me. Age is catching up to me!!
I think it's great that some people can read on tablets with no issues. But there are some of us that really just can't. As long as they keep making eink devices I'll be a happy camper!
S

[Anthem]

Originally Posted by silverraven

I not only have astigmatism I also have Amblyopia. For some reason Dr. did not put me in a patch as a child, so my left eye really doesn't work right at all. I also read for a few hours every day.
For me eink is the best to read on. Even better than paper, the print was starting to get too small for me. Age is catching up to me!!
I think it's great that some people can read on tablets with no issues. But there are some of us that really just can't. As long as they keep making eink devices I'll be a happy camper!
S

That's awesome. The ability to change font settings, line spacing, etc., are incredible features for us readers, especially as we get older, develop eye problems/weaknesses, have bad biological hardware to begin with, etc., etc..

While I do love my Kindle Fire HDX, I do 95% of my book reading on my regular Kindle. I do love e-ink screens, and I hope they stick around for as long as possible. I would not like a world where the only reading option was a backlit screen based device. But I would do whatever I have to in order to read e-books.

[ereadingdotcom]

I honestly wonder when they will come out with a screen technology that marries the benefits of reading e-ink (or something like it) with a back-lit screen.

Does anyone remember if there was a technology under consideration that would do that? Some dim memory I have says there was something like a layer of e-ink or something over a standard screen that could be activated at will.

Then again, maybe I've been reading too much SF.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by ereadingdotcom

I honestly wonder when they will come out with a screen technology that marries the benefits of reading e-ink (or something like it) with a back-lit screen.

Does anyone remember if there was a technology under consideration that would do that? Some dim memory I have says there was something like a layer of e-ink or something over a standard screen that could be activated at will.

Then again, maybe I've been reading too much SF.

No, your memory is fine. PixelQi is what you're looking for.

Originally Posted by OverByter

You can on a rooted NST, although I doubt you'd get very far with the infrared touch lag slowing you down. As far as e-ink itself I find it's greatest advantage to be the battery life, I can pretty much read on any screen relatively comfortably, however when I'm running out to an appointment somewhere I can just throw my reader in a backpack and no that when I turn it on I'll be good to go.
OB

Be warned that all batteries will drain themselves, even if the device is turned off... I don't read from my BeBook Mini in winter while waiting for my ride home (either it's too wet, too cold to keep my hands out of my pockets, or simply too dark), so it's often empty when I try to read from it again after a long hiatus

[ereadingdotcom]

[QUOTE=Sweetpea;2907964]No, your memory is fine. PixelQi is what you're looking for.

That's the company I was thinking of. I wonder why they haven't found more mainstream acceptance. I'm guessing that there are technical restrictions associated with the technology, which makes it unappealing in the fast-paced environment of retail PC sales and the race for better hardware performance. The Sunbook netbook isn't very impressive in terms of specs. Right now, PixelQI seems to be aiming at the commercial markets rather than the consumer ones.

Richard Starr
[Promotional link deleted - MODERATOR]

[OverByter]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

No, your memory is fine. PixelQi is what you're looking for.


Be warned that all batteries will drain themselves, even if the device is turned off... I don't read from my BeBook Mini in winter while waiting for my ride home (either it's too wet, too cold to keep my hands out of my pockets, or simply too dark), so it's often empty when I try to read from it again after a long hiatus

I know that, I use my NST regularly, I meant that if I forgot to charge it the night before I'm still almost guaranteed enough battery life to last the rest of the day, whereas in the same situation with my Kindle Fire, I'd probably be up a creek.
OB

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by OverByter

I know that, I use my NST regularly, I meant that if I forgot to charge it the night before I'm still almost guaranteed enough battery life to last the rest of the day, whereas in the same situation with my Kindle Fire, I'd probably be up a creek.
OB

So keep a charger at work and plug it in when you get there...problem solved. I honestly don't get why some of you have such an aversion to plugging a device.

[OverByter]

It's not an aversion to plugging the device in, it just seems that Murphys law reigns supreme when I'm running out the door at the last minute heading to an appointment, the tablet always seems to have at most a 25% charge when I grab it off the table, whereas that same 25‰ on the NST will get me through a couple of full length books. Trust me, I enjoy reading on the Kindle Fire also, especially magazines and graphic novels.
OB

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by ereadingdotcom

That's the company I was thinking of. I wonder why they haven't found more mainstream acceptance. I'm guessing that there are technical restrictions associated with the technology, which makes it unappealing in the fast-paced environment of retail PC sales and the race for better hardware performance. The Sunbook netbook isn't very impressive in terms of specs. Right now, PixelQI seems to be aiming at the commercial markets rather than the consumer ones.

Technical limitations would include:

• loss of color when turning off the backlight
• limited viewing angles
• high energy consumption even without backlight compared to (color) eink or mirasol screens

I am not sure if in sunlight and the backlight turned on you would see any colors, but I assume not. If that was the case they would advertise it as feature. So beeing limited to black and white in the sun is going to be a no-no for consumers wanting multi media entertainment. The ones that want to use it as a ereader in the sun will not like the high power consumption. That limits the practical uses in the sun to a glorified typewriter for email and office applications and maybe limited browsing without color.

[OverByter]

Even in a darkened room the colors are so muted that they resemble pastels more than anything we're used to on even a 5 year old technology phone screen.
OB

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by OverByter

Even in a darkened room the colors are so muted that they resemble pastels more than anything we're used to on even a 5 year old technology phone screen.
OB

On PixelQi you mean? Sometimes it helps if your quote the post you are replying to - and even better if you delete the parts of the quote that you are not replying to. Makes it so much easier for the everybody to follow.

I did not know that the colors are muted so that would be another reason against PixelQi. Sounds like all the compromises you have to deal with only leaves a tablet/notebook for commercial use that has to have the ability to work in the sun. That might be a niche even among commercial uses.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

So keep a charger at work and plug it in when you get there...problem solved. I honestly don't get why some of you have such an aversion to plugging a device.

Because I may not have the requisite plug in my bag?
Because I might not have access to a power outlet?

I mostly find out my device is (almost) empty when I don't have any option to charge it...

[Anthem]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

So keep a charger at work and plug it in when you get there...problem solved. I honestly don't get why some of you have such an aversion to plugging a device.

(begin sarcasm)

Better yet, have a charger strategically placed every 15 feet throughout your house and office. Or place a charger at every conceivable location that you may be throughout the day! Don't forget a car charger for each vehicle you own. Chargers for your bags and briefcase/purse.

And install WAY more wall outlets in ALL locations throughout your life. This will ensure optimal charging availability.

Also, maybe get some of those super cool (but mostly dumb) battery charging devices/extenders so that when your Kindle Fire dies at 2PM because you forgot to charge it last night, you can be the awesome person with a neato (TM) bulky quick charging thingy!

Or just get OBSCENELY LONG USB cables!

(end sarcasm)