What is the ideal screen size for an eReader?

[osama_jamal]

Originally Posted by CyGuy

I think a 10" screen is perfect. In fact, I think my Samsung netbook is just the perfect reader but is the wrong form factor. I just want a Win7 netbook with no keyboard/mouse and a touch screen!

Agreed! But without internet!

[astra]

8" but you missed it in the poll.

[Daithi]

I prefer the larger sized screen and I imagine that a 10" or 11" screen would be about perfect for me. However, I would like a smaller device that I could carry with me. The 6" Kindle won't fit in my pocket, so it is a little too big. I'd like to see about a 4.5" flexible screen, but for everyday reading I prefer the bigger screen.

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by kjk

hmmm..maybe you need a coffee table ereader! http://www.microsoft.com/surface/Pag...ct/WhatIs.aspx

Ooh-I love it. Especially the picture in the bar with the salad & beer (I assume) on it. Wonder how the touchscreen with interact with that!

I suppose that if I got one I'd have to quit putting my feet up on the coffee table though, wouldn't I?

[charleski]

6-7" is the sweet-spot for fiction in terms of portability. Anything larger won't fit in a coat pocket and will need a bag, anything smaller doesn't show enough text on a page, though I suppose 5" is OK.

I think people really need to come to grips with the fact that there's a distinct difference between the single-column massively text-oriented paradigm used in fiction and the multi-column paradigm of technical works in which figures, equations and illustrations play a major role. Even discounting the issue of portability, I would not want to read a novel on an 11" screen, but it would certainly be a lot better for papers.

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

I read on a Clié for two years before getting my Sony;

I got my Palm T3 in 2003 and read books on it (intermittently) for years. To be honest with you, it sucked, even after I'd tweaked the reader with fonts that were halfway decent.

[Sullivan]

I'd probably go for the 7", I like big screens but I also want them to be portable and not toooo chunky!

[theducks]

Nobody mentioned Aspect Ratio.
A small, portable unit with the screen aspect(9:16) that renders the printed area of a typical MMPB at native scale. No re-flow needed. Digitally trim (over scan) the margins of a PDF version.

[osama_jamal]

So i think the trend is becoming clear now:
Two devices:
1. a 6'' device for travelling and quick ePup
2. a 9"-10" for view PDFs, and other larger documents

Luckily I have my 6" PRS 505 at hand. Still looking for a decent 9"-10" device that would not make me broke (like the QUE) but still works well... (maybe ASUS or a newer SONY device).

[Enraptured]

6" for me. I don't want a large screen; I don't read anything that requires it, and I like the comfort and portability of the 6" readers. I don't like reading or carrying around hardcovers, and I don't want my reader to be that size either.

[Solitaire1]

When it comes to screen size, if I'm limited to one device I'd prefer an 11 inch screen. At that size it is usable for all types of reading, from manga, comic books and trade paperbacks, to novels and technical reading.

The size issue isn't much of a problem for me since I'd carry it just like my current reader (either in my hand like a printed book, or in a carrier like a briefcase). Even with a screen that large, it would still be smaller than many of the printed books that I used to carry with me before I got my current ebook reader, and it would still be smaller than three news magazines put together.

Another factor is the screen resolution. Although my reader's screen resolution is fine for text and pictures, I'd prefer a higher resolution screen for graphic-based ebooks (like manga). With a higher-resolution screen a smaller screen size might be feasable for these uses.

[Crowl]

The 6" screen of my sony is ideal for novels and reading on the move, when colour screens show up I'd want a larger screen for comics and magazines.

[senjoli]

I love my 6in reader. I bought a 5in because it would fit in my purse better. But it's too tiny for me. I felt like all I did was change pages. Anything larger than 6in means I have to use a grandma purse.

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by HarryT

There is clearly no such thing as THE ideal size. It depends where you are reading, and what you are reading.

Reading technical PDFs or magazines requires a large screen. Novels can confortably be read on a small screen. Small devices are great for portability; large-screen devices allow you to see more at a time.

It is, therefore, a meaningless question to ask what THE ideal size is. That implies that there is one size which is ideal for everything. That is clearly not the case. That's why one requires multiple reading devices.

What Harry sed....

For me if I want just something to toss in a pocket and go then the Pocketbook 360 5" reader hands down...one major reason I favor the PB360 is the integrated slip on-off cover that protects the screen then flips underneath out of sight out of mind while you use the device.

Around the house I want a good 10" to a full 14" reader, whatever I can get in color with a Wacom digitizer running Win7 not some pocket device OS. I need the larger device to be a laptop replacement but not as powerful just close enough to run Lightroom and Photoshop as well as another Windows only app I need for business.

I don't mind the 6" screen on the K2i when reading novels but a 5" reader is OK as well, having checked out the PRS300 in person and right next to the K2i...

So for me I want multiple readers, a 5" device for OTG reading, maybe an 8"-10" for reference materials (manuals, research books, etc...). My IDEAL reader for work and home is a Skiff sized display (11.5") or larger and must be in color. As you can see I have different and after CES this year, better defined plans for how I will use the ereading devices in my daily workflow and recreation. For me a Slate PC combined with a couple other size eink devices is actually how I plan to proceed as things progress.

So, not sure how to answer the poll...but it's interesting none the less.

[osama_jamal]

I am happy to read that Apple is choosing a 10" screen for its upcoming tablet which will include an eBook reader!

I have to say this: I knew it!!

10" is the ideal size when the tablet is design probably. But unfortunately brecklundin you'll have to carry it in your bag.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by osama_jamal

10" is the ideal size when the tablet is design probably. But unfortunately brecklundin you'll have to carry it in your bag.

10" is too big for me to comfortably carry, and heavier than I like. And my eyes have to move too far to get around the page. I like a small screen.

Also, I don't want people to be able to read over my shoulder. If they made e-ink screens at iPhone size and could get 200+dpi, I'd think that was perfect.