High contrast mode vs B/W e-ink

markbot · 07-14-2016, 08:22 AM

When reading, e-ink puts less strain on your eyes. There is also a battery life advantage. However, current e-ink readers are mostly low on functionality and black/white.
High contrast mode also puts less strain on your eyes...and let's you read on a phone or tablet, which has a lot more uses than a dedicated device. The background is black and the text is white.
If the eye strain benefits are similar then this would predict a very small market penetration for dedicated ereaders in the long run unless they figure out color e-ink...although this might not change the conclusion either.
Thoughts? I encourage you to read your next novel in high contrast mode on a tablet and report back on the eye strain and reading speed vs a Kindle et al.

Sirtel · 07-14-2016, 08:47 AM

No way. Tablets are too heavy compared to e-ink readers. Phone screens are too small.

That's my personal opinion, of course.

I know that many-many people read happily on a tablet or a phone. But I'm not one of them.

SleepyBob · 07-14-2016, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markbot

If the eye strain benefits are similar then this would predict a very small market penetration for dedicated ereaders in the long run...

That's a bit of a no-brainer prediction, since there is currently a very small market penetration for dedicated ereaders, and they've likely peaked already.

markbot · 07-14-2016, 03:39 PM

Yeah....as in even smaller than they are now....like practically zero...

Pajamaman · 07-14-2016, 04:16 PM

The day I can't buy e-ink (or something as eye-friendly) is the day I stop buying e-books. I cannot stand LCD, and yes, I've tried night-mode and high-contrast.

SleepyBob · 07-14-2016, 04:22 PM

You did get me curious, so I went in and turned on high contrast mode on my phone. I think my eyes actually started to bleed a little.

markbot · 07-14-2016, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SleepyBob

You did get me curious, so I went in and turned on high contrast mode on my phone. I think my eyes actually started to bleed a little.

It takes sometime to get used to. Some people say they read slower in high contrast mode.

All Bloomberg terminals are in high contrast mode by default so there is less eye strain.

Sirtel · 07-14-2016, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SleepyBob

You did get me curious, so I went in and turned on high contrast mode on my phone. I think my eyes actually started to bleed a little.

That's my experience too, with all those night-modes and high-contrast modes and whatnot. They're hellishly uncomfortable. I couldn't read even a news article that way, let alone a novel.

Then again, there are people who read in a pitch-black room with brightness cranked up. That's also totally mystifying for me. My eyes start to water in less than a minute, every time I try to read in a completely dark room.

Too little contrast or too much contrast, both are equally bad for my eyes.

Mind, I can read quite a while on a LCD screen in a normal mode, with brightness set rather low. I just don't want to. It's ten times more pleasant and comfortable to read on my Kindles. I see no reason why I should give my Kindles up in favor of a tablet.

barryem · 07-14-2016, 07:28 PM

I read quite a bit on my phone. I usually read on my Voyage or Paperwhite but with the light properly adjusted I have no problem reading on the phone. However, that's not the same thing as saying they have equal eyestrain issues. They don't.

The phone's LCD is a light shining into my eyes and whille I can minimize the effects of that it's still always true. The front-lit Kindle gives me reflected light just like paper and, in my opinion, is easier on my eyes than paper. The phone is not!

I'm all for reading on the phone. I have a Nexus 5 and it has a great screen with the always the latest version of Android and it's probably the best possible phone to read with. At least none is likely to be much better. It's great. The Kindle isn't always with me and the phone is and that's the phone's advantage. The Kindle is a lot easier on my eyes.

I was convinced for a long time that reading would be too difficult on my eyes on LCD so I wouldn't do it. Then about 7 or 8 months ago I decided to read on the phone exclusively for a month and see what happens. During that month I did all sorts of experimenting with different apps, different lighting situations, etc. till I found what worked best for me. I feel like I've fine tuned it pretty well. I can read comfortably on the phone now for 20 or 30 minutes with no problem, where in the past I was limited to about 15 minutes. And if I take a minute or two break every 15 or 20 minute I can read for an hour or two on the phone. At the end of a session like that my eyes are starting to water but I'm basically fine. On the Kindle I read as long as I like and don't worry about it. That's a pretty big difference.

Barry

Alohamora · 07-14-2016, 10:01 PM

What is high contrast mode? I haven't noticed anything by that name on my phone or Fire? This seems like something I should know of, but don't.

I do read all the time on phone and tablets, with the brightness turned way down, I find it quite comfortable. When the native brightness control doesn't dim enough, I use Screen Dim or Low Light apps for dimming. ScreenDim can also lower contrast if desired.

I'm convinced that at least half the people who dislike reading on LCD would change their minds if they used a dimming app to get the backlight low enough.

Katsunami · 07-15-2016, 05:43 AM

This subject comes up over and over again, and I'll just copy/paste the same answer over and over again.

At this point in time, there is no substitute for e-ink.

A phone or tablet become very reflective, especially if the background is set black. To be able to read in very bright light, the screen has to be set at full power, which causes battery life to be very short. Even at full power, many LCD screens are often too reflective, and not bright enough to read in bright light; which is something I do a lot in public transport/outside while waiting.

I don't really care if I read on e-ink or LCD, but at this time, e-ink just works best: huge battery life, almost no reflections and (since the backlight introduction) works in both bright light and darkness.

mbovenka · 07-15-2016, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I don't really care if I read on e-ink or LCD, but at this time, e-ink just works best: huge battery life, almost no reflections and (since the backlight introduction) works in both bright light and darkness.

This.

I have read my ebooks on many things, from a Palm Vx back in the previous century onwards, but since getting my first E-Ink reader (a Cybook Gen3) in 2007, I have never looked back (he said, patting his H2O lovingly

).

GeoffR · 07-15-2016, 07:23 AM

Ebook retailers have noticed that customers who have a dedicated [e-ink] ereader read faster, read for longer, and -- most importantly -- spend more on ebooks than customers who don't.* As long as that remains the case I think e-ink readers will continue to be developed and sold, at least by those retailers whose main business is ebooks.

* E.g. see "What the platform tells us" in Kobo's April 2016 report.

shalym · 07-15-2016, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alohamora

What is high contrast mode? I haven't noticed anything by that name on my phone or Fire? This seems like something I should know of, but don't.

I do read all the time on phone and tablets, with the brightness turned way down, I find it quite comfortable. When the native brightness control doesn't dim enough, I use Screen Dim or Low Light apps for dimming. ScreenDim can also lower contrast if desired.

I'm convinced that at least half the people who dislike reading on LCD would change their minds if they used a dimming app to get the backlight low enough.

I had to google it--it's in Accessibility options on my phone. I tried it, and I really don't see any difference.

What is it supposed to do? I would assume from the name that it darkens fonts or something?

Shari

markbot · 07-15-2016, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shalym

I had to google it--it's in Accessibility options on my phone. I tried it, and I really don't see any difference.
What is it supposed to do? I would assume from the name that it darkens fonts or something?
Shari

In the Kindle reader there is a built in high contrast mode if you go to the menu where you can change font...turns the background black.

07-14-2016, 08:22 AM	#1
markbot Guru Posts: 612 Karma: 7511929 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: New York, NY Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2	When reading, e-ink puts less strain on your eyes. There is also a battery life advantage. However, current e-ink readers are mostly low on functionality and black/white. High contrast mode also puts less strain on your eyes...and let's you read on a phone or tablet, which has a lot more uses than a dedicated device. The background is black and the text is white. If the eye strain benefits are similar then this would predict a very small market penetration for dedicated ereaders in the long run unless they figure out color e-ink...although this might not change the conclusion either. Thoughts? I encourage you to read your next novel in high contrast mode on a tablet and report back on the eye strain and reading speed vs a Kindle et al. Last edited by markbot; 07-15-2016 at 11:16 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Macular Degeneration - big font high contrast	vans	Which one should I buy?	9	01-02-2013 10:42 AM
Puzzled by contrast variations in e-ink	Sunspark	News	3	12-15-2009 03:53 AM
Is very high contrast really a good thing?	Ariadne	Which one should I buy?	8	11-16-2009 07:14 AM
Put your Sony Reader in High-Contrast Mode (white-on-black)	alex_d	Sony Reader	16	06-20-2007 05:23 AM
high Contrast reader	Manilaborn	Which one should I buy?	9	05-18-2007 10:25 AM

07-14-2016, 08:47 AM	#2
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,127 Karma: 237627567 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	No way. Tablets are too heavy compared to e-ink readers. Phone screens are too small. That's my personal opinion, of course. I know that many-many people read happily on a tablet or a phone. But I'm not one of them.

07-14-2016, 03:39 PM	#4
markbot Guru Posts: 612 Karma: 7511929 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: New York, NY Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 2	Yeah....as in even smaller than they are now....like practically zero...

07-14-2016, 04:16 PM	#5
Pajamaman Wizard Posts: 2,856 Karma: 10700629 Join Date: May 2016 Location: Canada Device: Onyx Nova	The day I can't buy e-ink (or something as eye-friendly) is the day I stop buying e-books. I cannot stand LCD, and yes, I've tried night-mode and high-contrast.

07-14-2016, 04:22 PM	#6
SleepyBob Evangelist Posts: 426 Karma: 8522810 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Wisconsin, USA Device: Kindle PW3	You did get me curious, so I went in and turned on high contrast mode on my phone. I think my eyes actually started to bleed a little.

07-14-2016, 07:28 PM	#9
barryem Wizard Posts: 2,459 Karma: 68781975 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Arkansas Device: Paperwhite 4	I read quite a bit on my phone. I usually read on my Voyage or Paperwhite but with the light properly adjusted I have no problem reading on the phone. However, that's not the same thing as saying they have equal eyestrain issues. They don't. The phone's LCD is a light shining into my eyes and whille I can minimize the effects of that it's still always true. The front-lit Kindle gives me reflected light just like paper and, in my opinion, is easier on my eyes than paper. The phone is not! I'm all for reading on the phone. I have a Nexus 5 and it has a great screen with the always the latest version of Android and it's probably the best possible phone to read with. At least none is likely to be much better. It's great. The Kindle isn't always with me and the phone is and that's the phone's advantage. The Kindle is a lot easier on my eyes. I was convinced for a long time that reading would be too difficult on my eyes on LCD so I wouldn't do it. Then about 7 or 8 months ago I decided to read on the phone exclusively for a month and see what happens. During that month I did all sorts of experimenting with different apps, different lighting situations, etc. till I found what worked best for me. I feel like I've fine tuned it pretty well. I can read comfortably on the phone now for 20 or 30 minutes with no problem, where in the past I was limited to about 15 minutes. And if I take a minute or two break every 15 or 20 minute I can read for an hour or two on the phone. At the end of a session like that my eyes are starting to water but I'm basically fine. On the Kindle I read as long as I like and don't worry about it. That's a pretty big difference. Barry

07-14-2016, 10:01 PM	#10
Alohamora Evangelist Posts: 446 Karma: 8897438 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: USA Device: Android phone, Fire tablet, ios phone	What is high contrast mode? I haven't noticed anything by that name on my phone or Fire? This seems like something I should know of, but don't. I do read all the time on phone and tablets, with the brightness turned way down, I find it quite comfortable. When the native brightness control doesn't dim enough, I use Screen Dim or Low Light apps for dimming. ScreenDim can also lower contrast if desired. I'm convinced that at least half the people who dislike reading on LCD would change their minds if they used a dimming app to get the backlight low enough.

07-15-2016, 05:43 AM	#11
Katsunami Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,111 Karma: 34000001 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: KPW1, KA1	This subject comes up over and over again, and I'll just copy/paste the same answer over and over again. At this point in time, there is no substitute for e-ink. A phone or tablet become very reflective, especially if the background is set black. To be able to read in very bright light, the screen has to be set at full power, which causes battery life to be very short. Even at full power, many LCD screens are often too reflective, and not bright enough to read in bright light; which is something I do a lot in public transport/outside while waiting. I don't really care if I read on e-ink or LCD, but at this time, e-ink just works best: huge battery life, almost no reflections and (since the backlight introduction) works in both bright light and darkness.

07-15-2016, 07:23 AM	#13
GeoffR Wizard Posts: 3,821 Karma: 19162882 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Te Riu-a-Māui Device: Kobo Glo	Ebook retailers have noticed that customers who have a dedicated [e-ink] ereader read faster, read for longer, and -- most importantly -- spend more on ebooks than customers who don't.* As long as that remains the case I think e-ink readers will continue to be developed and sold, at least by those retailers whose main business is ebooks. * E.g. see "What the platform tells us" in Kobo's April 2016 report.

Advert

Advert