iPad mini rMini vs Kindle Paperwhite

[Fireball Dragon]

Just curious - do you use a laptop or LCD monitor or LED/LCD television on a regular basis for long periods of time?

Hi deeddawg,

I use a computer everyday due to the nature of my work. I get a headache if I continuously read from the screen without lifting my eyes for hours, so I do take regular breaks.

In fact, employers here (in the UK) advise for health and safety to take a 15 minute break in each hour when working continuously on a monitor.

As for LED TVs, they are quite far away and don't give me eyestrain like tablets. But this is just me.

 

[darngooddesign]

Completely disagree. The rMini, by dint of having an LCD, will always have a higher contrast than e-ink devices, which largely just display dark gray on light gray. The Paperwhite is a fine device, but I actually prefer an iPad in any situation other than in extremely bright ambient lighting. I don't have an issue whatsoever with staring at an LCD for hours. Isn't that what most of us do for a living anyway?

The type of screen is as much a cause of fatigue as the pip, but I think that's subjective. In another sense, a lot of us spend our days inside under florescent lighting, and while those bulbs may be brighter they are more fatiguing than other kinds of bulbs.

Something else you mentioned is bright light, if you want a reader to take outside with you, the Kindle is going to be better in bright daylight where the iPad will appear quite washed out just like your phone is.

My suggestion is to get a Kindle and an iPad and see which you prefer using the most.

 

[dgdosen]

I wish you could load f.lux onto a mini... That's one app I've grown fond of. Definitely easier on my eyes late at night.

 

[meistervu]

Since we have heard a lot from the "LCD cause eyes fatigue" camp, I wanted to mentioned this: I read a study a few months ago that dispute this claim.

Personally, if the LCD is properly adjusted, i.e. not to bright or (less often so) not too dark, it's not at all a discomfort for me. The weight is though. So I wonder if how many people actually is bothered by the weight of the device and some how attribute the problem to the display. I am not talking about outdoors usage because we all agree that E ink is better outdoors.

 

[solaris7]

I just took delivery of the kindle and I have to say that I am pretty disappointed. Maybe it is because I have been spoilt by retina displays (iPad 4 and rMBP) but the text is pretty blurry on the kindle.
I really want to love the kindle but I feel like the same/better reading experience can be found on the iPad by using the sepia theme and reducing the brightness. Obviously battery life and weight are factors to consider but they are not deal breakers. I will play around with the kindle a little more but it is probably going back.

 

[drew0020]

I just took delivery of the kindle and I have to say that I am pretty disappointed. Maybe it is because I have been spoilt by retina displays (iPad 4 and rMBP) but the text is pretty blurry on the kindle.
I really want to love the kindle but I feel like the same/better reading experience can be found on the iPad by using the sepia theme and reducing the brightness. Obviously battery life and weight are factors to consider but they are not deal breakers. I will play around with the kindle a little more but it is probably going back.

I love the Paperwhite 1 and 2. Much better experience than the ipad Mini retina which I also love by the way. Kindle is the only way to read though.

 

[ZBoater]

I love the Paperwhite 1 and 2. Much better experience than the ipad Mini retina which I also love by the way. Kindle is the only way to read though.

I agree. My Kindle PW is perfect for reading. Screen, size, weight.

 

[tomms11]

I do not believe it is fair to compare the Kindle Paperwhite and the iPad Mini with Retina Display. The Kindle has basically one sole purpose, which is for reading, while the iPad was designed to do so much more than just that. It'd be a different story if you were assessing the differences between a Kindle and a Nook.

 

[Primejimbo]

My wife had an iPad 2 and just got got the iPad rMini today. She reads for hours and hours on the iPad and she's so far enjoying the rMini.

 

[Mr. Buzzcut]

It's personal preference and individual use cases, really. I have an ipad 3 and a new Kindle Paperwhite. It's just nicer to relax and read with the Kindle in the evening with dim lighting. I work all day in front of a computer and it's nice to let the eyes relax. I don't need a study to tell me what is more comfortable.

I always thought the original mini was fine for books resolution-wise. It was web pages and magazines that caused problems with the low res. it's really a matter of whether you want to stare at an LCD or not, or if you'd like a single-purpose device free of distractions such as sounds and notification pop-ups.

I will say that if you need to read in total darkness, the reverse text mode in the Amazon Kindle app on the ipad is nice. So, yea, not a clear choice and very much depends on needs.

 

[willentrekin]

Definitely personal preference here. I'm a voracious reader--as well as an author and publisher--and I thought the Paperwhite was indispensable when I had the mini. Now that I got the rMini, though, I think the Retina display makes a huge reading difference. No, maybe can't read so well outside. But the rMini has a much higher ppi. I think I can see smaller text much more clearly on the rMini.

Anyway, either way, happy reading!

 

[nStyle]

I do a lot of reading on both my Mac and iPad. In fact, anyone browsing the web is reading constantly.

If I want to read a book I don't want to change devices...so any reading I do gets done on an iPad. Granted, in poor lighting situations, eInk is unarguably better. I had one of the earlier kindles before and I just couldn't justify having two reading devices when I read so much on the iPad anyway.

 

[PhoneI]

I can watch "The Walking Dead" on my iPad Mini. I cant do that on my Kindle. No contest.