04-29-2014, 12:12 AM | #1 |
Nameless Being
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Does a layer of touch screen affect the readability
Hi,
Does a layer of touch screen affect the contrast and readability in non-lighted e-readers. To be specific a comparison between the readability and contrast of Kobo touch (non lighted ) vs Kindle Basic (non-touch and non lighted) |
04-29-2014, 12:28 AM | #2 |
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Should not be an issue. These days most electronics are touch screen..
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04-29-2014, 12:45 AM | #3 |
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My Kindle Touch is just as readable as my friend's Kindle Keyboard...
Lighted frontlit screens however bother certain people who find that the text seems to float under a layer of light as if seen through a window... or something like that. |
04-29-2014, 03:39 AM | #4 |
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Capacitive touch has an extra layer, but the Kobo Touch uses infra-red which has no extra layers on the screen.
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04-29-2014, 07:39 AM | #5 |
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It's be best to compare specific models/screens. All things being equal, adding a layer of anything on top of an image alters the light passing through the layer.
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04-29-2014, 08:27 AM | #6 | |
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Quote:
All the touchscreen eInk readers are infrared, aren't they? It typically just means a deeper bezel. |
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04-29-2014, 08:55 AM | #7 |
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04-29-2014, 03:12 PM | #8 |
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No, they seemed to have worked out how to do it without affecting text quality. That is probably not so true of a lighted screen...
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04-29-2014, 03:36 PM | #9 |
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I have a Sony PRS-600 touch screen reader (with a non-lighted reflective screen), and the screen is noticeably less dark and less sharp than my previous Sony e-readers and my current Kobo Touch.
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04-30-2014, 08:26 AM | #10 | |
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Quote:
eP [edit] I see the OP is not in the US. Well I would say that most people (including myself) are not bothered by the light layer and find the text dark and clear enough. I have heard that the text on the Kindle Basic looks a touch darker. Last edited by elemenoP; 04-30-2014 at 08:29 AM. |
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05-01-2014, 10:45 PM | #11 | |
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Quote:
The pw2 uses the newer carta screen which is supposed to have 25% better contrast. That the Basic's text looks darker tells you the light/touch layer has an impact. So to answer the OP's question: yes. How much exactly is hard to say since there isn't a comparable carta reader without touch or light layer. |
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05-02-2014, 12:11 PM | #12 |
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Some of it is what you get used to.
I could read just fine on my PRS-600 an preferred it to a tablet. I bought my mother a kindle 3 when they came out and found the screen to be much superior, but after going back to the PRS 600 I quickly became accustomed to it again and preferred it to the kindle because of ease of use and collection convenience etc. Now I have a T3 and an Aura HD. The Aura HD may have a slight edge screen-wise, but the inconsistent page turning (skipping, backwards instead of forwards etc.) , flashing page refreshes, abysmal speed in opening collections and other wee quirks are an irritation I don't need when reading for relaxation. The only complaint I have about the T3 is that it doesn't have a global text options like the Kobos. That option would make it pretty close to perfect for me. I don't like reading with tablets, but I guess I could if I had to, just as I occasionally read with the Aura HD when my mother visits and leaves her kindle behind. (She is 88 and tells me the T3 is "A dear little reader" and pets it when she closes the cover so I know what to get her for her upcoming 89th birthday) Overall it is pretty subjective which screen is better. I get used to a change going from a 24 inch monitor to a 15 inch laptop screen in a day or so , and with an ereader the transition time is usually measured in minutes. A good screen is important, but IMO the best screen is not necessarily the best reader. Helen |
05-08-2014, 11:51 PM | #13 |
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05-09-2014, 05:56 AM | #14 |
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The capacitive touchscreen is a VERY thin (molecules thick) layer of a chemical which just makes the screen conductive. It has no visible impact on readability.
The light guides used on illuminated readers have a slight impact on readability in bright sunlight, but (IMHO) that's enormously more than compensated for my the tremendous improvement in readability that the light brings in any poorer lighting conditions. |
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