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Back to my ireader, anyone else find it tiring to read on the ipad?

A

applesupergeek

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 20, 2009
879
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I love the ipad. First of all it's the best ipod, the album art is gorgeous the sound great, and there are numerous uses for it besides that I am sure most of us here know. That said I really can't get used to reading on it. The screen just doesn't cut it for me. I one of those whose always had a hard time reading on lcd screens, and the glare of the glass doesn't make it any easier.

I am dissapointed with this of course, because I really did want an all in one device, but for book reading (browsing and articles are another issue because you usually spent less time and are less concentrated, or the occasional article from a journal) it's a no no for me.

So, here's hoping the tec will come along where apple can somehow combine the two tecs, epaper (all the similar tecs there) and lcds, or supperimpose on on the other, or even go for a low contrast one.

Any one else share my woes?
 
I have no problem reading my ibooks or kindle books using apps, i just never read outside, I love the abilty to be able at a moments notice to stop reading and do the web or go to another app, i would never go back to a dedicated reader.
 
@Epi and Q:
I envy you, you must be younger than me, I am thirty. But in my early twenties I could spent hours on a screen. Of course you have to factor in how well you actually concentrate too, if you love the fact that you can move around from text to web to other apps, then you aren't really concentrating and reading to be frank.
 
I'm with you, I'm having a hard time also...I love my iPad don't get me wrong, but for reading, I'm back to my Kindle.

When using the Kindle app, I changed the background to Sepia, set the brightness way down and it did help some, but my poor baby blues just can't take it.
 
I think this is mostly a function of preference, habit, and the idiosyncrasies of your visual apparatus (everything from the eyes themselves to the neural circuits). I'm in my mid-30s and love reading on the iPad. I tried e-readers but to me their screens somehow didn't feel right at all, whereas I love the ipad's screen.

Incidentally I use my iPad primarily for work. My job requires reading of several pdf documents like annual reports that are typically 150 pages long, and I can't imagine using an e-reader for that. I used to print before the iPad and would go through a cartridge a week. But ever since I've gotten the iPad, I haven't had to replace a print cartridge.
 
I wish I were thirty again. I'm 47 and at the point where my eyes are starting to give me trouble when focusing on close up stuff. I never have worn glasses, but I feel the day is approaching fast. As my eyes tire I find it easier to just move the iPad to a distance that I can focus on.

I work in movie and TV production, for over 20 years now, and use some of the best screens available. The iPad screen isn't the best I've used, but it is very good. For me, iPad is a joy to use, even when reading books.
 
I am using stanza with sepia/cream background with the brightness at 20%


I am loving reading on this iPad, I have about 20 books lined up to read.
 
thanks for the enlightening replies guys and gals, I 've been reading them with with a lot of interest.

It seems like another poster said that the apparatus for our eyes and neural circuitry is very idiosyncratic indeed, someone's joy is another one's pain.
 
I love reading books on my iPad, and I usually keep iBooks on sepia and with brightness all the way off. I don't read outside, so I don't worry about glare. But before sepia made its way into ibooks I remember my eyes start to get tired after a few hours. But I will say that I prefer the ipad over the kindle just because of how much easier it is to just read, and not click the turn page button every 30 seconds.
 
I may just end up trying one of those non-glare films for the screen. I normally don't like to do this, but the glare on iPad can sometimes be pretty distracting.
 
applesupergeek said:
@Epi and Q:
I envy you, you must be younger than me, I am thirty. But in my early twenties I could spent hours on a screen. Of course you have to factor in how well you actually concentrate too, if you love the fact that you can move around from text to web to other apps, then you aren't really concentrating and reading to be frank.
Click to expand...

51 years old
 
With iBooks,i lower the brightness to something like 20-30% and i have no problems with reading.
 
Same here as many others...Kindle app on sepia/low brightness for daytime reading, on night mode/brightness all the way down for reading in the dark. And the latter is WAY better than the physical Kindle/book light setup I was using before.

I do still like my Kindle, just spent a few hours with it yesterday, in fact. But I'm starting to think that when it dies, I won't be replacing it. I had no intention of using the iPad as an ereader, but it's turned out to be a better one than I anticipated.
 
applesupergeek said:
thanks for the enlightening replies guys and gals, I 've been reading them with with a lot of interest.

It seems like another poster said that the apparatus for our eyes and neural circuitry is very idiosyncratic indeed, someone's joy is another one's pain.
Click to expand...
What app are you using? If it's iBooks then have you updated to the latest version (1.1) so that you can try the sepia background which might soften things down a bit and make it less "glarey". That new font they introduced in 1.1 (Georgia or something like that) is also well thought of in the reading world I believe.

I can't comment on my experiences reading on the iPad I'm afraid, I use iBooks on my iPad to browse and purchase but my primary reading device is my iPhone. I might try a bit of reading on the iPad at some point.

- Julian
 
I'm in my mid-thirties and have been going through laser surgeries since just before the iPad came out (to treat my retinopathy). I read primarily in iBooks now and adjust the size of the font and the brightness depending on how far away I am from the last surgery. My vision has changed significantly over the last year and I find I am much better able to read on the iPad screen now and for as long as I used to read a regular book. I don't read in the sun very often as the sun and I don't mix so well to begin with, and I have never been comfortable reading in direct sunlight even with a regular book, so I couldn't offer a comparison there. With my sunglasses everything seems ok, though. So, overall, I am able to do more reading on the iPad that I would be doing on a regular book because I can adjust things to suit the needs of my eyes at any given time.
 
Try using the sepia tone on iBooks, it really helps the screen not begin hard on the eye, I can't read on iBooks with the normal black text on white pages but with sepia it makes it a lot easier to read, I love iBooks btw
 
Before getting the iPad I read about 20 books on my iPhone. The iPad is only a step down because i got used to reading on my iPhone and it was more comfortable for me. The ipads bulk is the only negative I have no issues reading on LCD screens. When I get the iPhone 4 next year i might sell the iPad.
 
The only problems I have with reading on my iPad are the fact I can hit that home screen and watch a tv show/film/podcast/surf instead of reading and sometimes the glare.

Glare is only an issue when I'm in direct sunlight, but I may try a matt screen protector. Distractions, well that can be solved with a really engrossing book :D
 
I can read fine on the iPad, comfortable. But I can understand that it might not be right for everyone.
 
While I find the iPad great for reading documents, technical stuff etc., I am used to reading a book before I go to sleep as a way of winding down.

I find the bright screen stops me from relaxing in the same way, so for bedtime reading, it's paper and ink for me.

I'll try using the sepia background and see if that helps.
 
JulianL said:
What app are you using? If it's iBooks then have you updated to the latest version (1.1) so that you can try the sepia background which might soften things down a bit and make it less "glarey". That new font they introduced in 1.1 (Georgia or something like that) is also well thought of in the reading world I believe.

I can't comment on my experiences reading on the iPad I'm afraid, I use iBooks on my iPad to browse and purchase but my primary reading device is my iPhone. I might try a bit of reading on the iPad at some point.

- Julian
Click to expand...

I am using good reader, they have something called night mode which is supposed to make things better, but I think it just makes them work.

I ll try using ibooks with sepia, thanks for the heads up.
 
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