Do e-ink readers have a contrast adjustment switch?
Anyway, while I suppose this is good advice, backlit LCD displays work fine for me, so there's no point for me to go to the effort of trying to make e-ink displays work.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
If you buy a LOT of Kindle books...
- Thread starter Mindy60
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Do e-ink readers have a contrast adjustment switch?
Anyway, while I suppose this is good advice, backlit LCD displays work fine for me, so there's no point for me to go to the effort of trying to make e-ink displays work.
I have a large amount of Kindle books. I cannot read for several hours on an iPad. It's too heavy and makes my hand and wrist ache after a while. The back lit screen causes eye strain and fatigue for me. Plus I work at computer 9 + hours a day. A back lit screen is the last thing I want to stare at when I get home. I really like eInk. It isn't tiring to my eyes at all. The Kindle is extremely light weight. It makes reading a pleasure.
i use a regular 6" Kindle for reading ebooks, but honestly i have yet to actually purchase a single ebook (i just use the kindle lending library or buy it used for a few bucks on ebay or amazon).
when i bought the Kindle i thought it would be great but i found it difficult realize that when buying a $12.99 ebook, it can only be loaned once to a friend and has no tangible value. in other words, my copy is really just a license to access a digital locked-down protected version on my amazon account that cannot be sold and transferred to someone else on a permanent basis. until i can sell off my license (lose access and permanently give access to a buyer) i don't see myself ever buying an ebook. i can buy the same book in hardcover format for $2 more on Amazon, or used hardcover for -$6 less. i can then take that hardcover and recover most of the cost by selling it on amazon or ebay
despite that, i use my Kindle very frequently since the Amazon library is massive
when i bought the Kindle i thought it would be great but i found it difficult realize that when buying a $12.99 ebook, it can only be loaned once to a friend and has no tangible value. in other words, my copy is really just a license to access a digital locked-down protected version on my amazon account that cannot be sold and transferred to someone else on a permanent basis. until i can sell off my license (lose access and permanently give access to a buyer) i don't see myself ever buying an ebook. i can buy the same book in hardcover format for $2 more on Amazon, or used hardcover for -$6 less. i can then take that hardcover and recover most of the cost by selling it on amazon or ebay
despite that, i use my Kindle very frequently since the Amazon library is massive
Most of the fiction ebooks I buy are only the equivalent of a couple of dollars. There's loads of good titles on the Kindle Store that don't cost very much at all
Most of the fiction ebooks I buy are only the equivalent of a couple of dollars. There's loads of good titles on the Kindle Store that don't cost very much at all
that's good to know.
unfortunately i don't read much fiction - i am mostly into politics, non-fiction, biographies etc
Amazon's Lending Library has a ton of fictional books for free which is good
I read books on my iPad (3rd gen) and find it far superior to using my wife's kindle touch. I find the e-ink display terrible to read from (low res and no backlight, small screen). She finds the iPad too large for reading so I guess it's really down to personal preference. I would suggest that you try out the different solutions yourself before settling on a device.
I use iBooks on the iPad as I prefer the font selection and the night theme for reading in low light. I read a lot of books and average between 2 to 4 hours per day. The weight of the iPad is a non issue as I rest it on my lower chest/upper stomach whilst reading and hold it with 1 hand. The clarity of text is amazing and makes it feel like you are reading from an expensive high resolution print hardback.
I use iBooks on the iPad as I prefer the font selection and the night theme for reading in low light. I read a lot of books and average between 2 to 4 hours per day. The weight of the iPad is a non issue as I rest it on my lower chest/upper stomach whilst reading and hold it with 1 hand. The clarity of text is amazing and makes it feel like you are reading from an expensive high resolution print hardback.
Last edited:
Some indoor comparisons for people saying the iPad is too bright.
Daylight indoors with white paper underneath the devices for reference. iPad brightness set by eye to match paper:
Rough brightness measurement from the photo:
iPad: around 70%
Kindle: around 50%
Paper: around 75%
Both devices actually look brighter in the photo than they do in person.
Night with the iPad set to match the Kindle by eye:
Rough brightness measurement:
iPad: around 50%
Kindle: around 77% at the top of the page, 12% at the bottom.
Night with the iPad at its dimmest:
Rough brightness measurement:
iPad: around 22%
Kindle: around 85% at the top, 11% at the bottom.
Please note that this is a somewhat unfair comparison on the iPad, as that's open in the standard Kindle app, whereas the Kindle is using a custom font & margins. (Minion Pro Bold)
Daylight indoors with white paper underneath the devices for reference. iPad brightness set by eye to match paper:
Rough brightness measurement from the photo:
iPad: around 70%
Kindle: around 50%
Paper: around 75%
Both devices actually look brighter in the photo than they do in person.
Night with the iPad set to match the Kindle by eye:
Rough brightness measurement:
iPad: around 50%
Kindle: around 77% at the top of the page, 12% at the bottom.
Night with the iPad at its dimmest:
Rough brightness measurement:
iPad: around 22%
Kindle: around 85% at the top, 11% at the bottom.
Please note that this is a somewhat unfair comparison on the iPad, as that's open in the standard Kindle app, whereas the Kindle is using a custom font & margins. (Minion Pro Bold)
All fairly meaningless
....... I have yet to talk to anyone who has both and actually READS books (at least one a week) who doesn't prefer a Kindle for READING. In bed, in the dark, I prefer my itouch Kindle app in landscape
.
Last edited:
All fairly meaningless
In bed, in the dark, I prefer my itouch Kindle app in landscape
I am a purchaser of the original Kindle and also one of each generation produced since. Have also been an iPad owner since day 1 in 2010. I read every day for at least 1-1/2 hours and I do it exclusively on my iPad. We may not be talking, but I'm at least one person who prefers the iPad. There's simply no absolute rule. It's whatever works best for you.
I also can't say I never use my Kindles; one is currently on my nightstand and I use it for a coaster.
Yep, always an exception or three
!You are correct though, we aren't talking face to face, and this isn't the Amazon Kindle forum
.
All fairly meaningless
Are you suggesting that one has to own both in order to make a proper assessment of the devices? I played with a friend's Kindle for a day before deciding e-ink is not for me. Having made that decision, why would I purchase an e-ink device?
For reading books; yes, that's what I'm suggesting (or at least to determine which is better for a particular use).
Kind of like one has to own both a TV and an iPad to actually determine which is better for personal use in watching movies. That is due to the fact that both reading books and watching movies usually involves hours, not minutes, of use at a time.
If one only owns one or the other, of course the device that is owned is best
.
Last edited:
Well, to use the movie analogy, for me, trying to read on e-ink feels like trying to watch a movie on an iPhone / iPod touch. The experience feels so suboptimal that I'm not going to force myself to watch a 2-hour movie on an iPhone to confirm that I don't like doing that, and I'm not going to read an entire book on e-ink to make sure I like the iPad better.
Well if nothing else, I think it proves that the iPad is not too bright for reading, considering you can make it dimmer than the Kindle light when reading at night, and that's only by turning down the backlight, not lowering the software brightness control or using the night mode. It's also far more uniformly lit, and I often found that I would catch sight of the LED bulb on the Kindle which was blinding. (it's not my Kindle any more but I was able to borrow it for the photos)All fairly meaningless
In bed, in the dark, I prefer my itouch Kindle app in landscape
I forgot to take a photo comparing it when I had the Kindle, but I normally turn the backlight down and invert the sepia theme when reading at night, as I find that more comfortable to read in the dark than the white-on-black night theme:
(settings > general > accessibility > triple-click home: invert colors)
And you have just said yourself that you prefer to use your iPod Touch at night rather than the Kindle, so it's clearly not a better reading device in all situations.
As I've said many times here, it's better in bright sunlight or outdoors, but otherwise I find it too dull and low contrast to read comfortably, you're always trying to find a bright light to be under, and I definitely don't want that when I'm trying to read at night.
What I will say though, is that while the option is great for people that have vision problems, I don't like reading in portrait on the iPad at all, and as you can see in the photos, a single page in landscape is roughly the same size as the Kindle. That size is just right for books, and you don't need to see two pages at once, so I think the Kindle size is perfect for reading novels. The problem is that it's too small for regular tablet app use in my experience, so I wouldn't recommend any of the iPad alternatives. (unless they're solely for reading books)
I could have sworn I posted in here before....
I used to read my kindle books on my iPad, but my eyes would burn from the backlight/glossy screen. I invested in a kindle touch earlier this year and now I can read for hours. My kindle touch is one of the best investments I've ever made. If you love reading, but don't want to carry around heavy books or a heavy/bulky iPad, get a kindle touch.
I used to read my kindle books on my iPad, but my eyes would burn from the backlight/glossy screen. I invested in a kindle touch earlier this year and now I can read for hours. My kindle touch is one of the best investments I've ever made. If you love reading, but don't want to carry around heavy books or a heavy/bulky iPad, get a kindle touch.
Kind of misquoted .....
I said: "in bed, in the dark"; at night I prefer to sit in my lounger with a light on and my Kindle to read.
In bed in the dark the backlight and small size/ weight makes reading with the iTouch much more comfortable than an IPad. In that case I'm also never reading for much more than 30 minutes before I fall asleep
.Of course more devices are better .......
Last edited:
I'm in total agreement with you but I was also a fairly early adopter of the e-book concept and bought the Kindle 1 and 2 before the iPad was announced. Once I got the iPad I still carried my Kindle with me on business trips but found that I just wasn't reading on it anymore and it soon became a coaster. I have the next generation ones for my kids so we have all generations in the house but I just don't like the reading experience anymore. I do try from time to time, but I always go back to the iPad.
I have both, and I use both. But I do 90% of my book reading on the Kindle. I read on a sofa in a reclining position and the Kindle is just so much easier to hold. I also have the minimal Kindle (recommended), which is so nice and small it fits in a (large) pants or jacket pocket.
I have an iPad (3) and a Kindle Keyboard 3G. I use both for reading and I like the ability to sync them. I like e-ink for reading in the sun and I like the iPad for reading inside. I usually have the iPad wherever I am, so it is just more convenient for reading. Also, I read a lot of photography related books and they are better on the iPad.
In other words, I like a combination of both.
In other words, I like a combination of both.
I bought my wife a regular kindle a few months before I bought her an iPad. She carries both devices now. She much much prefers to read on the kindle and I agree. I don't read a whole lot but if I did I would buy a kindle. It is just much more comforable to read on the kindle. Only time I would use the ipad is in a dark room.
I used to put down the single-purpose nature of the Kindle right up until I actually read a book on one (the 6"). For reading books, it is vastly superior to an iPad, mostly due to its size and weight.
The only serious drawback is reading in low-light conditions, and that will be solved when the front-lit Kindle line is released.
The only serious drawback is reading in low-light conditions, and that will be solved when the front-lit Kindle line is released.
I bought a kindle for reading. It's reflective unlike a LED/LCD screen which is not. The kindle is much easier on the eyes and is as close to reading a real book as you can get with electronics.
Try one out at an office supply store like Staples.
All fairly meaningless
Ok, I have both. I read at least two books a week. I read on the ipad during the day, and an ipod at night in bed (ipad is too heavy when lying down, and kindle cover light is too bright).
I don't consider lcd hard on my eyes, and prefer the ipad screen to the kindle screen
There, you happy now?
Agreed. I don't get why certain people proclaim "serious readers" to be a monolithic group with the exact same preferences.
I happen to read a sh*tton of books and I can't stand the Kindle's e-ink display. Meanwhile, I've read over a hundred books on my iPad and counting. The only question now is whether or not to get the iPad Mini when it comes out.