wow e-ink technology is soo bad compared to ipad screen

[Acorn]

I got a kindle for christmas and its cool and everything but e-ink is the most annoying thing i have ever experienced. the screen flashes every time you turn the page or scroll. i thought there was something wrong with mine, or a setting. no. it says on the welcome screen the flashing you see is the ink technology. its ab noxious. its like having a 500ms response time. (standard lcd is 5ms)

lastly, you cant hardley see it. its like black ink against a grey background. i have 2 lights in the center of my room and the room is 8 x 10 and its still hard to read because there isnt enough light. if your used to reading websites and articles online with a standard white background you wont like this. great for outside i suppose. but so far really hard to read. enlarging text on pdf is a nightmare as well. everything jumps from normal to huge so no matter what if you change the size even at its smallest adjustment you have to scroll.

there is no way my eyes could get used to that flashing every page turn or scroll. bye bye kindle your going back. knew i should have just got an ipad.

 

[jb007clone]

As you mentioned, it's an inherent 'flaw' of the e-ink tech. The majority of people who own a Kindle don't seem to mind it. Others, like yourself, are distracted by it. Personally, after using the Kindle for a couple months now, I don't even notice it anymore. E-ink was used because it offers a more natural reading experience. The iPad's screen is great for multimedia, but many argue, not ideal for reading. Glare, eyestrain, etc. are the 'flaws' of LCD tech. Say what you will about E-ink, but one huge positive is that the screen requires virtually no power.

 

[gnasher729]

I got a kindle for christmas and its cool and everything but e-ink is the most annoying thing i have ever experienced. the screen flashes every time you turn the page or scroll. i thought there was something wrong with mine, or a setting. no. it says on the welcome screen the flashing you see is the ink technology. its ab noxious. its like having a 500ms response time. (standard lcd is 5ms)

it is a completely different technology with a completely different purpose. E-ink doesn't use any power to display the image, just to change it, so it is very very power efficient, much more so than any iPad will ever be. An iPad battery lasts a long time; the e-ink technology makes the kindle battery a lot lot longer.

 

[Dragoro]

Totally untrue. Kindles are great to read on.

 

[someone28624]

Wow, bicycle technology, is, like sooo bad compared to my car. The top speed I could get was like 20 mph (standard car is like 120 mph). At first I thought there was something wrong with the bike, but no, apparently this is a flaw of bicycle technology. It's ab noxious.

The bicycle also lacked heating, ac, and a cd player!

 

[Cloysterpeteuk]

If you like a nice bright LCD screen to read off then go ahead and buy a Nook Color or whatever, just bear in mind that you'll have to charge the thing every day. I don't think I could sit down and read a novel on my iPad, it's rather heavy for extended use like that. I use my Kindle for reading and iPad for browsing,games,comics etc, totally different devices.

 

[Built]

People love their Kindles so there must be something good about the product.

To each their own.

 

[Acorn]

as mentioned by others some get used to the flicker some dont. i dont like it. its extremely distracting and very annoying. This flicker is not something greatly talked about. Also I did not compare the kindle to the ipad in any way other then its reading capability's. so dont talk smack to me how im comparing a car to a bicycle.

each has its own issues. for me id rather deal with lifting 1 pound and smooth transitions then 2000 page flickers of a novel. Getting used to no backlight was hard for me also. some seem to transition fine.

 

[jtcedinburgh]

I love my Macs, but the e-Ink used in the current Kindles is a FAR better solution for long-term, low eye-strain reading. Useless for playing games or viewing photographs, of course, but MUCH better for reading predominantly monochrome text (i.e. for e-books).

Solution: Kindle for books, iPad for other stuff. Job's a good 'un...

 

[Maclver]

When the iPad first came out I sold my Kindle so I could read on the iPad, and for me it is not fun reading on the iPad when I am just one tap away from Safari or Angry Birds, its too distracting. So I have my iPad and recently got the Kindle 3 and Im reading again LOL.. So I prefer the Kindle over the iPad for reading.

 

[Dumbledorelives]

You're smart to return the thing. E-ink is immensely annoying. I got a kindle about a year ago as a birthday present? It drove me so crazy I ended up giving the thing to my dad. Not to mention the lack of a backlight. If you're going to have an electronic book, you think the biggest improvement would be the ability to read in the dark would be one of the first features, as it is one of the biggest shortcomings in a regular paper book. But no. The kindle screen is almost harder to read than paper. Like I said, I gave the thing away. Returning it is good too. I enjoy reading on my iPad so much more, and I like th iBookstore so much more than the crappy Amazon book store. Apple really has it right with this thing.

Sent from my iPad.

 

[chiefroastbeef]

My father has both the Kindle and the iPad, I too have the iPad. I think e-ink is great to read on as well, though the iPad is better because it is everything in one. Plus it is backlit, on the plane, I can switch from playing games and reading with just an app change.

 

[PhoneI]

I love my Macs, but the e-Ink used in the current Kindles is a FAR better solution for long-term, low eye-strain reading. Useless for playing games or viewing photographs, of course, but MUCH better for reading predominantly monochrome text (i.e. for e-books).

Solution: Kindle for books, iPad for other stuff. Job's a good 'un...

I am so sick of hearing this. I read plenty on my iPad. I also have a Kindle. The iPad is so much better. I get absolutely no eye strain (Why would I, I dont get eyestrain when using my laptop all day either?). Tell me, why is the Kindle better for "reading predominantly monochrome text"? This is obviously your opinion over fact.

 

[Dumbledorelives]

I am so sick of hearing this. I read plenty on my iPad. I also have a Kindle. The iPad is so much better. I get absolutely no eye strain (Why would I, I dont get eyestrain when using my laptop all day either?). Tell me, why is the Kindle better for "reading predominantly monochrome text"? This is obviously your opinion over fact.

I think I agree with you, if i understood your post correctly. I stare at my laptop for hours and my eyes feel fine. I read on my iPad for hours and my eyes feel fine. I read on my old kindle for hours and I noticed absolutely NO difference in eye strain. At all.

To everyone else - stop giving us that tired old line about eye strain. If you've never tried reading on an iPad, your opinion counts for nothing, because it's beyond your wildest dreams. If you have an iPad and still are complaining, a) you're completely insane, b) turn the freaking brightness down because that's the only possible problem.

 

[Dragoro]

I am so sick of hearing this. I read plenty on my iPad. I also have a Kindle. The iPad is so much better. I get absolutely no eye strain (Why would I, I dont get eyestrain when using my laptop all day either?). Tell me, why is the Kindle better for "reading predominantly monochrome text"? This is obviously your opinion over fact.

No , you thinking it's not is opinion over fact.

I think I agree with you, if i understood your post correctly. I stare at my laptop for hours and my eyes feel fine. I read on my iPad for hours and my eyes feel fine. I read on my old kindle for hours and I noticed absolutely NO difference in eye strain. At all.

To everyone else - stop giving us that tired old line about eye strain. If you've never tried reading on an iPad, your opinion counts for nothing, because it's beyond your wildest dreams. If you have an iPad and still are complaining, a) you're completely insane, b) turn the freaking brightness down because that's the only possible problem.

Yeah because only you know how to do it correctly. :: rolls eyes::

 

[Dumbledorelives]

Yeah because only you know how to do it correctly. :: rolls eyes::

It's not terribly complicated to press the brightness button and move a slider. Sorry if that goes over your head.

 

[Night Spring]

No , you thinking it's not is opinion over fact.

Both are opinions. Or rather, personal preference. Some find the E-ink flashing annoying. Others aren't bothered by it. Some find the glare of the LCD on the iPad to cause eye strain. Others aren't bothered by it. Now if somebody said E-ink didn't flash when turning the page, or that LCD had no glare, then they would be wrong. But whether or not one is bothered by them - well, that can't be right or wrong. And if you say nobody shoud be bothered by the glare or flashing, then you are not respecting other people's experiences/opinions/preferences.

 

[sracer]

as mentioned by others some get used to the flicker some dont. i dont like it. its extremely distracting and very annoying. This flicker is not something greatly talked about. Also I did not compare the kindle to the ipad in any way other then its reading capability's. so dont talk smack to me how im comparing a car to a bicycle.

each has its own issues. for me id rather deal with lifting 1 pound and smooth transitions then 2000 page flickers of a novel. Getting used to no backlight was hard for me also. some seem to transition fine.

Fair enough. My wife likes her nook. But the eInk page flashing is annoying. IMO the iPad is not a viable alternative as an ereader. Too large, too heavy, and too battery draining to be a fair comparison. I've owned an iPad since launch day and love it and does far more than my netbook was able to do well, but ereading isn't the greatest on it.

I just picked up an Aluratek Libre Pro ($99 @ Staples) and although it isn't eInk, it is 2/3 the weight of the nook, excellent contrast, very quick page transitions, and support for a wider variety of file formats.

 

[jb007clone]

as mentioned by others some get used to the flicker some dont. i dont like it. its extremely distracting and very annoying. This flicker is not something greatly talked about. Also I did not compare the kindle to the ipad in any way other then its reading capability's. so dont talk smack to me how im comparing a car to a bicycle.

each has its own issues. for me id rather deal with lifting 1 pound and smooth transitions then 2000 page flickers of a novel. Getting used to no backlight was hard for me also. some seem to transition fine.

The flicker is not something greatly talked about because I think for the majority of people it's a non-issue. It's a split second thing when you turn the page and then you're reading as normal. Do normal page turns of real books bother you, because that's about as much time as it takes (even less, actually). With regular books the physical page disrupts your view momentarily, with the Kindle the E-ink flickers for half a second. Tomato, tomato (Editor's note: That phrase doesn't really translate over the internet ) The Kindle screen is really designed to be as close to reading paper as possible and personally I think it's very close. I disagree that it's hard to read in low light as I've read many novels this way. Furthermore, the lack of a backlight isn't such a big issue for me because I usually just read with available light. This actually makes the kindle even more book-like! I don't fault you for not liking the Kindle; it's just not your cup of tea I suppose. However, I do think your thread title is incorrect. E-ink technology isn't 'bad' compared to lcd; it's just different.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

as mentioned by others some get used to the flicker some dont. i dont like it. its extremely distracting and very annoying. This flicker is not something greatly talked about. Also I did not compare the kindle to the ipad in any way other then its reading capability's. so dont talk smack to me how im comparing a car to a bicycle.

each has its own issues. for me id rather deal with lifting 1 pound and smooth transitions then 2000 page flickers of a novel. Getting used to no backlight was hard for me also. some seem to transition fine.

You have had the kindle for a day. Not a good argument. Based on what I am reading you can not stand the fact that it is not an iPad.
The point of eink is it does not need a back light. It is like reading paper. If you can not stand not having a back light I recommend you never bother reading a normal book or anything on paper.

I think I agree with you, if i understood your post correctly. I stare at my laptop for hours and my eyes feel fine. I read on my iPad for hours and my eyes feel fine. I read on my old kindle for hours and I noticed absolutely NO difference in eye strain. At all.

To everyone else - stop giving us that tired old line about eye strain. If you've never tried reading on an iPad, your opinion counts for nothing, because it's beyond your wildest dreams. If you have an iPad and still are complaining, a) you're completely insane, b) turn the freaking brightness down because that's the only possible problem.

While I can read just fine off an iPad or LCD power screen I can tell you that I feel a lot less eye strain reading off of my kindle.

 

[PanAm-L1011]

If you like a nice bright LCD screen to read off then go ahead and buy a Nook Color or whatever, just bear in mind that you'll have to charge the thing every day. I don't think I could sit down and read a novel on my iPad, it's rather heavy for extended use like that. I use my Kindle for reading and iPad for browsing,games,comics etc, totally different devices.

I've never understood what is the big deal about charging a device every day. I had the Kindle and prefer the iPad for reading. Bigger screen is better for me.

 

[thelookingglass]

i was actually in the group that had no eyestrain reading on the iPad and wondered what all the fuss was about ... until I actually developed eyestrain one day reading on the iPad. Your mileage may vary, but I can attest firsthand that the Kindle screen is easier to read under good lighting conditions. The contrast of the Kindle 3 is much improved over its predecessor. Still not as good as black text on white background, but much improved.

So now I do all of my reading on a Kindle 3 and none of it on an iPad.

 

[Night Spring]

i was actually in the group that had no eyestrain reading on the iPad and wondered what all the fuss was about ... until I actually developed eyestrain one day reading on the iPad. Your mileage may vary, but I can attest firsthand that the Kindle screen is easier to read under good lighting conditions. The contrast of the Kindle 3 is much improved over its predecessor. Still not as good as black text on white background, but much improved.

I do get eye strain reading on the iPad. But I also like to read in less than ideal light conditions. And the low contrast on the Kindle between the text and background makes me feel depressed. Like you say, kindle3 is much improved, but still not as good as real paper. All in all, neither technology is perfect, but I prefer to put up with the eye strain than having to hunt for light sources. As I said in my previous post, this is a personal preference and I realize others feel differently. I do, however, get tired of people trying to tell me that eink is definitely superior to the iPad. I, for one, am glad that there is a choice other than eink for reading ebooks, because otherwise, I'd still be stuck with paper books.

 

[wirelessmacuser]

I got a kindle for christmas and its cool and everything but e-ink is the most annoying thing i have ever experienced. the screen flashes every time you turn the page or scroll.
there is no way my eyes could get used to that flashing every page turn or scroll. bye bye kindle your going back. knew i should have just got an ipad.

Rumor has it if you use it for 30 days you go blind... but for some odd reason this only happens to Apple fanboys....

 

[appleguy123]

I bought a Kindle recently, and love it. I don't see how they get the text to be so clear with a 800*600 screen. It looks better than the retina display.
The only thing that could make the Kindle better in my eyes are:
A more white background. Does anyone know why they can't do this?
A sort of side-lighting (as opposed to backlighting) that can make the text more readable. It could be turn on or off at your discretion.

I love my Macs, but the e-Ink used in the current Kindles is a FAR better solution for long-term, low eye-strain reading. Useless for playing games or viewing photographs, of course, but MUCH better for reading predominantly monochrome text (i.e. for e-books).

Solution: Kindle for books, iPad for other stuff. Job's a good 'un...

When the iPad first came out I sold my Kindle so I could read on the iPad, and for me it is not fun reading on the iPad when I am just one tap away from Safari or Angry Birds, its too distracting. So I have my iPad and recently got the Kindle 3 and Im reading again LOL.. So I prefer the Kindle over the iPad for reading.

I agree.
Kindle+iPad+MacBook+iPhone=perfect for any situation. I feel that I have reached the point where any more tech will make my life harder rather than easier.