Ebook reader - comparative opinions

AprilHare · 08-26-2011, 02:26 AM

I think I've become a lot less vocal about how I'm enjoying my ebook reader.
I read Mistborn lately; it was inspired by a friend who expressed an interest in it, but didn't have it in ebook format (legally). I provided it for her and we read it; me on my Sony Reader, her on her Kindle.
She is vision impaired (limited field of vision, short sighted and one eye) and enjoyed the larger font sizes - but later on stated she preferred it on a computer screen in PDF format, partially due to comfort, partially due to a desire for ligatures.
What do you think? Is the ebook reader good for people with strong vision impairment, or is there more we can do?
I never have concentrated on the lack of ligatures. Do any of the ebook formats or readers support ligatures?

HarryT · 08-26-2011, 04:12 AM

When you say "you provided it for her" do you mean that you bought it for her from the Amazon Kindle Store? Is there any reason that she couldn't have done this herself?

I haven't seen "proper" ligatures on any reader (other than ones which have separate character codes, such as "æ"). Personally it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

EDIT: Actually I've just read on another thread that the forthcoming ADE 1.8 does carry out ligature substitution, so "fl" would be replaced by the "fl" ligature, for example. I think, though, that this would just apply to reading books on the desktop version of ADE; I don't think the book would be sent to the reading device like that.

VydorScope · 08-26-2011, 06:14 AM

If she needs larger font sizes, she probably is better off with a full tablet. Seems like the 3rd party readers (i.e. fbreader) have more options in that regard.

AprilHare · 08-26-2011, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I haven't seen "proper" ligatures on any reader (other than ones which have separate character codes, such as "æ"). Personally it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

EDIT: Actually I've just read on another thread that the forthcoming ADE 1.8 does carry out ligature substitution, so "fl" would be replaced by the "fl" ligature, for example. I think, though, that this would just apply to reading books on the desktop version of ADE; I don't think the book would be sent to the reading device like that.

Shame, really. It would be nice if it did though.

ProfCrash · 08-26-2011, 09:30 AM

My Mom has a DXG which allows her to use a larger font, one of the middle ones, and still get a lot of text on the screen.

I think that reading in landscape would help with that as well.

MrsJoseph · 08-26-2011, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AprilHare

I think I've become a lot less vocal about how I'm enjoying my ebook reader.
I read Mistborn lately; it was inspired by a friend who expressed an interest in it, but didn't have it in ebook format (legally). I provided it for her and we read it; me on my Sony Reader, her on her Kindle.
She is vision impaired (limited field of vision, short sighted and one eye) and enjoyed the larger font sizes - but later on stated she preferred it on a computer screen in PDF format, partially due to comfort, partially due to a desire for ligatures.
What do you think? Is the ebook reader good for people with strong vision impairment, or is there more we can do?
I never have concentrated on the lack of ligatures. Do any of the ebook formats or readers support ligatures?

My cousin uses a K3 and she loves it. The K3's updated OS allows for speech on all function buttons (she told me it doesn't work for the qwerty keyboard but just actual function keys). While she still gets stuff online and in braille, she's found herself reading more - especially with text to speech. Since she does not have any vision - just light and shadow - she has not tried anything without speech. I'm not sure how a partially sighted person would enjoy the experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

When you say "you provided it for her" do you mean that you bought it for her from the Amazon Kindle Store? Is there any reason that she couldn't have done this herself?

I haven't seen "proper" ligatures on any reader (other than ones which have separate character codes, such as "æ"). Personally it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

EDIT: Actually I've just read on another thread that the forthcoming ADE 1.8 does carry out ligature substitution, so "fl" would be replaced by the "fl" ligature, for example. I think, though, that this would just apply to reading books on the desktop version of ADE; I don't think the book would be sent to the reading device like that.

My cousin is 100% vision impaired - she has trouble using the Amazon website often. All of it is not accessible so she often has to have her son (or friends) locate and purchase books for her.

08-26-2011, 02:26 AM	#1
AprilHare Wizard Posts: 2,981 Karma: 11862367 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2	Ebook reader - comparative opinions I think I've become a lot less vocal about how I'm enjoying my ebook reader. I read Mistborn lately; it was inspired by a friend who expressed an interest in it, but didn't have it in ebook format (legally). I provided it for her and we read it; me on my Sony Reader, her on her Kindle. She is vision impaired (limited field of vision, short sighted and one eye) and enjoyed the larger font sizes - but later on stated she preferred it on a computer screen in PDF format, partially due to comfort, partially due to a desire for ligatures. What do you think? Is the ebook reader good for people with strong vision impairment, or is there more we can do? I never have concentrated on the lack of ligatures. Do any of the ebook formats or readers support ligatures?

08-26-2011, 04:12 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	When you say "you provided it for her" do you mean that you bought it for her from the Amazon Kindle Store? Is there any reason that she couldn't have done this herself? I haven't seen "proper" ligatures on any reader (other than ones which have separate character codes, such as "æ"). Personally it doesn't bother me in the slightest. EDIT: Actually I've just read on another thread that the forthcoming ADE 1.8 does carry out ligature substitution, so "fl" would be replaced by the "fl" ligature, for example. I think, though, that this would just apply to reading books on the desktop version of ADE; I don't think the book would be sent to the reading device like that. Last edited by HarryT; 08-26-2011 at 04:24 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Comparative browser analysis	melusina	enTourage Archive	11	03-07-2011 10:08 PM
Opinions on a reader	otterjer	Which one should I buy?	17	02-15-2010 08:01 PM
Opinions needed on a WIP ebook	Nate the great	Workshop	5	07-15-2009 11:38 AM
Comparative contrast	jmorton	Which one should I buy?	9	11-13-2007 03:18 AM
Reader To Alleviate A Medical Problem: Opinions Please ?	Bob Rose	Sony Reader	13	06-17-2007 06:48 AM

08-26-2011, 06:14 AM	#3
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	If she needs larger font sizes, she probably is better off with a full tablet. Seems like the 3rd party readers (i.e. fbreader) have more options in that regard.

08-26-2011, 09:30 AM	#5
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	My Mom has a DXG which allows her to use a larger font, one of the middle ones, and still get a lot of text on the screen. I think that reading in landscape would help with that as well.

Advert

Advert