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iPads screen causing eye strain during prolonged use.
- Thread starter MegaDell
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Simply reading at book distance causes eye strain if you get right down to it. To read anything at a close distance forces focus muscles to contract as the relaxed state is looking into the distance. It gets harder and harder to focus closer as you age by the time you are in your 40's you probably will have lost enough focus ability that you will need reading glasses or bi-focals.
Now that is an actual identified mechanism for eyestrain that effects any close reading.
So reading is eyestrain if you want to get pedantic, but IMO it is only relevant if you actually feel strain while doing it.
No one has identified an additional eyestrain mechanism for an the LCD screen on the iPad that none of you have seen.
Considering massive swaths of the population spend 10+ hours a day glued to LCD with extremely few complaints, indicates that LCDs have no real increase in perceived strain issues.
A device like an iPad with a high quality IPS screen (no odd viewing angle issues) and a back-light that lets you match conditions, should really make it fairly comfortable.
At least an iPad doesn't need one of these to read in low light:
http://www.periscopelight.com/store...fuse=detail&prod_id=Kindle 1&catname=Products
http://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Bright-XtraFlex2-Kindle-Version/dp/B000TXZIDM
The more I see of e-ink the more I think it is some kind of cyberpunk oddity. Low contrast dark on gray, the near one second refresh rate where the screen flashed while changing, the need for weird add on lights. It looks like something from the 1980s, not 2010.
I am so glad we are in the midst of a tablet explosion so I can get a decent all round screen instead of one of these oddities.
Valid. But also valid is that eInk will evolve to include better refresh rates and color. Not a competition for a LCD - but it won't always be stuck in what you refer as the 1980s.
And while you cite that you need light to view eInk, conversely direct sunlight on an LCD is going to cause a problem.
Again it comes down to personal preference and usage. There's no better solution as a "rule" - it's subjective.
I wouldn't say that. The refresh rate and backlit nature of LCDs do ause additional eye fatigue. We all do use LCDs, but heavy readers are not accustom to that level of usage.
There are many cons to e-ink, but on this specific point, e-ink wins. Now, as a whole product, the iPad blows e-ink readers out of the water in both features and value. But, like I said, I think there's a compelling argument for e-ink readers among people who are heavy readers and simply looking for a digital format.
The only time I've noticed my eye's bothering me while on any screen was because the refresh rate was too low. I had more of a problem with this with older CRT's and LCD's when they first began coming out but not so much in the past few years.
Ha, just noticed a few others posting the same about refresh rates.... guess I need to read the entire thread
Ha, just noticed a few others posting the same about refresh rates.... guess I need to read the entire thread
Not that big of a deal.
Plus IPS displays are a little easier on the eyes. I have one for design work, and for whatever reason its better. Maybe a little less contrasty, better viewing angles, more accurate color. Don't have to strain as much.
Plus I read on my iPhone a ton. If anything an improvement as I won't have to squint at a tiny screen.
Plus IPS displays are a little easier on the eyes. I have one for design work, and for whatever reason its better. Maybe a little less contrasty, better viewing angles, more accurate color. Don't have to strain as much.
Plus I read on my iPhone a ton. If anything an improvement as I won't have to squint at a tiny screen.
This seems to stem from a misunderstanding of LCD technology. With LCD the "refresh" is the maximum rate you can send changes to the screen, unlike CRT it is not a redraw rate for static images. LCDs do not refresh the screen if there is no change. So if you are reading a page it will not redraw or refresh the screen. If you spend one minute reading a page on an LCD there will be NO refresh for one minute, the LCD will be perfectly static and stable as e-ink for reading.
On this specific point your are only left with backlight as a potential problem, since there is no actual refresh except when turning pages for LCDs in reading applications.
IMO backlight ranges from non issue, to Win, indoors. It is really only outdoor/sunlight where e-ink has the advantage. I concede that advantage, but I think it a very small advantage.
This is the crux of the issue, I think. I've seen repeated references in these threads to how much better the Kindle is in direct sunlight. I wouldn't know -- I can't remember the last time when I read anything out in the sun.
I read mostly on the sofa or in bed. As I get older, I find it increasingly tricky to get the lighting on a paper book just right so that the print is clear without the light being so intense as to cause glare. And increasingly I am coming to rely on reading glasses.
The iPad should solve both of these challenges by having (a) an adjustable backlight level and (b) the ability to change typefaces and font sizes. These features are already available on the iPod touch, but the screen is so small that you are looking at only a small block of text, and you have to spend a lot of time flipping between pages.
I think, for me at least, reading on an iPad might turn out to be more comfortable than either e-ink OR a traditional printed book.
MacBook Pro gives me the most eye strain
iPhone gives eye strain too I feel from the small text and screen
Really hoping the iPad improves the situation
If reading a book on the iPad gives eye strain then I may have to get a ebookreader with eink
iPhone gives eye strain too I feel from the small text and screen
Really hoping the iPad improves the situation
If reading a book on the iPad gives eye strain then I may have to get a ebookreader with eink
I tested this out using the Classics app on the iPhone, just to see what it might be like reading with iBooks on the iPad. Before I knew it, hours had passed and I was many chapters into Pride and Prejudice. Hopefully this is a good indication that I don't need e-ink to comfortably read on a portable device.
I tested this out using the Classics app on the iPhone, just to see what it might be like reading with iBooks on the iPad. Before I knew it, hours had passed and I was many chapters into Pride and Prejudice. Hopefully this is a good indication that I don't need e-ink to comfortably read on a portable device.
So you are saying you had no eye strain?
That's what I'm saying. The size of the text didn't bother me, though the screen did; only because it was annoying to have to turn the page so often. The iPad should fix that. If text size is a problem for you, the iBooks gives an option to make it bigger, I think. I'm also glad that iBooks allows you to tap the screen to turn the page; with Classics, you really have to swipe across to get the page to turn, which is too slow for me and puts my hand in the way of the screen.
People who complain a lot about eyestrains from reading books on laptops or large screen monitors are not getting it from the LCD but from not blinking enough and relaxing the eye muscles.
Think about the amount of words per line that occurs on a book and compared it to the large monitors. We're talking about 10-20 words to possible 25-50 words. When there are more words per line, people tend to read the whole line at once without blinking, that's what cause the eyestrains. Not LCD, your own fault for not knowing to blink more often.
Not to mention the other issue when the monitors are set too bright in a dim or dark room.
The iPad will adjustable brightness with dark mode settings and due to smaller screen along with two page landscape view, much more book-like width helps with the blinking issue.
Think about the amount of words per line that occurs on a book and compared it to the large monitors. We're talking about 10-20 words to possible 25-50 words. When there are more words per line, people tend to read the whole line at once without blinking, that's what cause the eyestrains. Not LCD, your own fault for not knowing to blink more often.
Not to mention the other issue when the monitors are set too bright in a dim or dark room.
The iPad will adjustable brightness with dark mode settings and due to smaller screen along with two page landscape view, much more book-like width helps with the blinking issue.
I read all the time on my iPod Touch with the Stanza app and it's actually easier on my eyes than a real book. I have really sensitive eyes and if I read a real book for more than just a few minutes, the contrast of white and black leaves lines on my vision temporarily, but on the iPod's LCD I can dim the brightness down so there is less contrast and it doesn't bother my eyes like a real book does.
No, it doesn't. The problem is switching back and forth from a light field to a dark field that fatigues the eye muscles. When you look at one website that's light-on-dark and then do 15 other things on your computer in the standard dark-on-light, the thing that's different is what causes the problem.
The use of light text (but less than white) on a dark field (but less than black) is actually best for people who fatigue easily when spending a lot of time in front of backlit displays. The reasons are that contrast is a "Goldilocks zone" problem, and those sensitive to monitor eyestrain need less brightness. It's also the reason high contrast accessibility modes invert the color, though this is less ideal than a purpose-designed presentation.
It would have been best had computer interfaces been designed like this from the beginning. It's just that people are now accustomed to a computer trying to replicate the printed medium, because when color displays became available, people wanted to show off. They never thought about the long-term consequences.
Some people prefer paper, some actually prefer to read long passages on screen. E-Ink solves the problem for some people, and others just hate it. The trick is to set things up in an appropriate way (like room lighting) and to be consistent. Switching back and forth is like running between a bright street and a dark theater. It'll hurt in no time.
I'm actually pretty excited to put this whole "eye strain" thing to the test. As much of a tech person as I am, I still love the feeling of sitting down with a good old paper book, so I will have to see.
The argument about reading forums and stuff for hours on end and a book for hours on end are two different things is very true. Think about it, a book is just straight lines of text upon text, while a webpage has breaks, ad's, ect, ect. they are different reading experiences, reading a book has no "breaks" like things on the internet.
Oh only time will tell.
The argument about reading forums and stuff for hours on end and a book for hours on end are two different things is very true. Think about it, a book is just straight lines of text upon text, while a webpage has breaks, ad's, ect, ect. they are different reading experiences, reading a book has no "breaks" like things on the internet.
Oh only time will tell.
Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but this wasn't worthy of a new one. I've been having what I assumed was eyestrain, probably from too much computing, for about a year now, and have shied away from ebook reading on the iPad. And whined about eyestrain in some of these threads.
Well, just got back from the eye doctor. Turns out my glasses rx was wrong for both eyes and I have astigmatism in both that was not being corrected for. I won't speculate on whether my prior doctor from a year ago screwed up or if my eyes changed so much in 11 months (since prior exam), but thought I'd drop a PSA in: if you're having unusual levels of light sensitivity or eyestrain, get your eyes checked or even get a second exam.
Well, just got back from the eye doctor. Turns out my glasses rx was wrong for both eyes and I have astigmatism in both that was not being corrected for. I won't speculate on whether my prior doctor from a year ago screwed up or if my eyes changed so much in 11 months (since prior exam), but thought I'd drop a PSA in: if you're having unusual levels of light sensitivity or eyestrain, get your eyes checked or even get a second exam.
You prior doc most likely didn't screw up. Was this your first Rx?
I had 3 different rx within two years, nothing to worry about. It happens due to how your eye muscles adjust after wearing eye glasses and eventually the relaxation in the muscles (after the glasses) will bring out the more accurate degree of your astigmatism, age as well.
No, I've been nearsighted since I was about 12. This is the first time any eye doctor has mentioned "astigmatism", though. The only reason I sound even remotely critical of my prior exam is that my eyes never really felt quite right with the current rx. (and yeah, it could argued that it's my own fault for not acting sooner - but I had convinced myself it was from too much computer use). Anyway, I'd been struggling with this off and on for months and just wanted to drop the note in.
Edit: forgot to mention, the optometrist had an old-school Motion tablet PC! I had a toshiba from the same era, so i had to pull my iPad put of my bag and she and I gushed over the tablet form factor.