E-Ink Screen versus LCD Vox Screen

[TonyToews]

Originally Posted by KoboJW

The Touch isn't really a 'previous' version of Kobo eReader - the Touch and Vox are intended to co-exist. It is simply a choice between more dedicated reader and a more multifunctional device. There are tradeoffs with both. Our eInk readers aren't going anywhere, afaik.

Excellent. I quite agree with that strategy. I have both, and the WiFi as a backup, and plan on keeping all three as they are complementary.

[Haesslich]

Originally Posted by HugoLover

So am I making a correct statement in saying that lots of people bought the Vox as more of a tablet than ereader? Lots of you are saying that you're still using your respective e-ink ereaders for reading and extended reading. So why purchase the Vox if not for reading purposes? At that point wouldn't it just make sense to purchase a tablet? Or is the cost an issue and this is a cheaper alternative to buying a tablet?

I bought it as a tablet to read PDF files and comics on - two tasks which regular eInk readers are horrible at.

Comics - color or non-color, often don't fit neatly into the regular sizes for eReader screens and need to be resized on the fly, or else on your main computer. Plus, eInk doesn't do color, which can rob anything with a lot of color art of its detail. eInk is horrible when it comes to refreshing and redrawing things, and is arguably better for text than graphics where you need distinct characters versus a range of gradients... especially when you consider the eInk Pearl screens are limited to 16 shades of gray.

PDF files - same issue with resizing as noted above. Because of the slow 'refresh' rate of eInk, scrolling around a zoomed-in PDF (or zooming into one) is an exercise in frustration. The LCD screen here makes that a non-issue.

For regular novels, eInk readers are better for longer reading - they're easier on the eyes, have better battery longevity, and are more geared towards reading regular text due to the combination of screen factors as well as their design being focused on that one activity.

If you want color or PDFs (where resizing is as much of an issue as with a lot of pictures), a tablet is probably the only way to go short of a laptop... and at just under $200, this is a good choice. AND it also reads books.

[ronin688]

I feel like such an outcast lol.

I've never liked E-Ink at all. I started reading on the Rocket and then the REB-1100 which had backlit LCD screens and I've never wanted to go back. I read now on my phone using the Kobo app while I wait to decide which ereader/tablet I end up buying.

I don't find any issue with eyestrain and I'm a voracious reader. Probably a minimum of an hour or two a day for the last almost 14 years.

I don't know how people stand the page turn 'flash' on E-Ink, and I know I can't live without being able to read in low light situations. I'd say that probably 70% of the time I'm reading in light levels that would require a supplemental light source if I was using E-Ink.

I like the look of the E-Ink on a page, don't get me wrong. I'd like to see a hybrid system that figures out a way to backlight the E-Ink page or switch from LCD to E-Ink depending on the active app.

The rest of my family seems to go along with my lead as well. My wife, father, mother, and even a few friends have used the REB/EBW units exclusively for probably a decade at least and have never complained about eyestrain. We're all moving towards tablets or Vox type tablet/ereaders now.

[JSWolf]

Do we really need yet another eink vs LCD thread?

To the OP, just search and find the umpteen threads and read them.

[taming]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Do we really need yet another eink vs LCD thread?

To the OP, just search and find the umpteen threads and read them.

Really, Jon, it's natural that people considering a Vox might want to talk about this here.

In any case, you have no horse in this race.