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

appleguy123 said:
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.
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I agree. My biggest quarrel with the kindle is the lack of any sort of lighting. An optional side light would be great. The side lights would have to be very well designed though. Nothing would be more annoying than bright light on the sides and no light in the middle.
 
Dumbledorelives said:
I agree. My biggest quarrel with the kindle is the lack of any sort of lighting. An optional side light would be great. The side lights would have to be very well designed though. Nothing would be more annoying than bright light on the sides and no light in the middle.
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I mean that the light could come from each side, where the bezel is. I did a little test by placing my iPhone's flash literately on(like pressed up against it, laying flat) the Kindle, and I was amazed at how the Kindle's screen positively soaked up light.
The iPHones flash lit up about half the Kindle perfectly evenly.
 
appleguy123 said:
I mean that the light could come from each side, where the bezel is. I did a little test by placing my iPhone's flash literately on(like pressed up against it, laying flat) the Kindle, and I was amazed at how the Kindle's screen positively soaked up light.
The iPHones flash lit up about half the Kindle perfectly evenly.
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That's what I was saying - they'd have to get just the right amount of light so the ones on either side (top and bottom?) reach the middle with even light and don't leave the center of the screen darker than the rest.

Should probably shoot amazon an email and let them know all they have to do is stick iPhone flashes on either edge :rolleyes:
 
I've never tried the Kindle, Nook, or any other eBook reader. I previously did read ebooks on a PDA then a Windows Mobile phone and now my iPad. I tried on my i4, but it's too small.

Anyways, I much prefer my iPad and wouldn't even consider trying out a Kindle or a Nook. Seeing the flash after every page turn would drive me crazy. My eyes aren't the best anymore but I don't have any problems with my iPad. I read a lot of magazines, books, and comic books on it and LOVE it.
 
I love reading on my Kindle 2. It is a great device designed to do one thing very well.

In fact, my wife got me two (physical) books for Christmas. I checked online and they were both available for my Kindle for the combined price of what my wife paid for just one of the physical books. I took them both back and downloaded them for my Kindle.
 
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Trying to read on a Kindle in a normal dimly lit room at night (I'm assuming) and then complaining is silly. Yes occasionally I run into the same issue, I'm in a particular corner where I want to read and it's not well-lit-enough, but it's never a big enough deal to get out my iPad. I consider my iPad too heavy for extensive reading with rubber shell, too slippery/angular and still heavy without. I just need to sit intentionally where there's good light, or you know, switch on a lamp.

For many hundreds of years people read by candle light. Now we think it's slumming to use an electric lamp on our library-holding e-book readers? If the OP already had an iPad, then why did you get a Kindle? I find it far better to have a designated device just for reading. Oh, and have you taken your iPad outside to read? Good luck with that.

You can have your opinion, but don't be surprised when the majority of us with both devices express our contrary opinions.

I have a Kindle 2 which I guess has a slightly slower refresh than the new ones. I've gotten used to the 'blink' easily, I compare it to turning a page.

It just occurred to me that the majority of you who live in North America may not have thought ahead to using the Kindle outside since it's Winter, but here in the tropics I sit in the afternoon sun and enjoy the e-ink screen very much. I have to cup my hands around it to see my iPhone screen when an SMS comes in.
 
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I have a Nook and an iPad. I love them both, use them both for various things. Most of my reading is done on the Nook, but I use the nook app on the iPad for reading at night, and for the iBookstore. I use Safari on the iPad for buying books from BN.com, since I don't like the shop app on my nook. Both devices work in sync with each other, and it works for me.

The screen page flashing doesnt bother me. And if I need a brighter screen to read from I switch from Nook to iPad.

Just my two cents.
 
nightfly13 said:
It just occurred to me that the majority of you who live in North America may not have thought ahead to using the Kindle outside since it's Winter, but here in the tropics I sit in the afternoon sun and enjoy the e-ink screen very much. I have to cup my hands around it to see my iPhone screen when an SMS comes in.
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Well, have you ever heard of this thing called an umbrella? People were texting in the sun for hundreds of years before the kindle was invented. You clearly have no room to complain. :D
 
Dumbledorelives said:
Well, have you ever heard of this thing called an umbrella? People were texting in the sun for hundreds of years before the kindle was invented. You clearly have no room to complain. :D
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Texting for hundreds of years? Please tell me your not really that clueless.....
 
I have the new 3G Kindle. I bought it because the iPad is too hard to read in the sun. I also like the less conspicuous form factor out in public. However, I read a lot more often on the iPad. I don't have any issues with the size or weight of the iPad for reading...I have read many books that weigh more.

I like the backlighting and I usually have the iPad nearby, so it is just more convenient. Also, because I only use the kindle on occasion (mainly sunny days when I can get outside), I often find the battery drained when I do want to use it. I automatically plug the iPad in every night, but I am also getting in the habit of plugging in the kindle after every use. It needs to be on to sync and add new purchases, so I don't usually turn it completely off.
 
Uofmtiger said:
I have the new 3G Kindle. I bought it because the iPad is too hard to read in the sun. I also like the less conspicuous form factor out in public. However, I read a lot more often on the iPad. I don't have any issues with the size or weight of the iPad for reading...I have read many books that weigh more.

I like the backlighting and I usually have the iPad nearby, so it is just more convenient. Also, because I only use the kindle on occasion (mainly sunny days when I can get outside), I often find the battery drained when I do want to use it. I automatically plug the iPad in every night, but I am also getting in the habit of plugging in the kindle after every use. It needs to be on to sync and add new purchases, so I don't usually turn it completely off.
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Battery on kindles last for weeks if you don't leave the wifi left on.
 
saberahul said:
Why not just keep the iPad rather than carrying 2 devices?
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as other pointed out eink is just a lot nicer to read on than a back lite LCD screen.

Kindle is a great ereader. iPad is at best an OK ereader. take your pick. Also you will find that most people do not carry both things were ever they go. I noticed both tend not to leave the homes very often. So how is it carry it around if both the iPad and the kindle stay at home.
 
The kindle is designed to read like an actual book, many people get eye strain from reading from a screen like a computer or the iPad. So it's good for them.
 
Rodimus Prime said:
Kindle is a great ereader. iPad is at best an OK ereader.
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Comic books, magazines, newspapers, children books, books with pictures at all look so much better on the iPad. You can also throw in a whole bunch of interactive books from the app store. Maybe the Kindle is a better plain text reader (but I dispute even that).
 
PhoneI said:
Comic books, magazines, newspapers, children books, books with pictures at all look so much better on the iPad. You can also throw in a whole bunch of interactive books from the app store. Maybe the Kindle is a better plain text reader (but I dispute even that).
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Why would you dispute that? The iPad gives me a headache when reading, not because of the light, but because of the piss poor resolution. I see far more space between pixels, than actual words.
The text of the kindle is beautiful and smooth, even better than that of the iPhone 4. There really is no comparison.
Also, when reading on iPad, I get distracted by the frilly animations and background. The kindle is like a real book, with outside distractions approaching naught.
The only time when the kindle distracts me is when the author recommends a book. I often check it out in the kindle store( if it's free or check) for later reading.
 
PanAm-L1011 said:
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.
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Because I don't want to be reading a novel and thinking of external factors like will this battery actually last me through this session?, because if I'm thinking that then I'm not immersed in the book so not enjoying it as much as I could be. With the kindle you can just forget about it, you know it's going to last for weeks.

Couldnt do that with a Nook, under 8 hours of read time, iPad even worse, sure it could last ten hours of reading but I get it to near the end of its battery life each day as it is with no reading, it wouldn't last till the end of the day if I also used it for reading.

It drives me mad when I pick up my iPad and it has no charge, because once again I've fallen asleep and forgotten to charge it at the end of the day, If I had to think about a second device to charge every night then I don't think I would bother, probably just go back to standard paper book, I must have a thousand of those still to read.
 
I have a cheap ebook reader (Astak EasyReader Pro, 5 inches) which I love. I have it with me everywhere, use it every day, and only have to charge it once a month. I have a Kandle light for it, to use on the bus in the dark and at night in bed.

The typos/formatting issues with ebooks don't bother me nearly as much as I thought they would.

I had an iPad on loan for 4 weeks recently, and I also enjoyed reading on that. The major drawback for me wasn't eyestrain, but the shorter battery life and the weight and bulk of the iPad. For reading at home in a chair where it was easy to support the iPad, it was fine. I don't have small children anymore, but I would've loved the iPad for children's books about 16 years ago.

I think both devices will have their followers and uses as reading devices. It doesn't have to be one or the other. If I got an iPad I'm sure I'd do some reading on it (it was great for pdfs, especially the bookmark and highlighting functions), and I'm sure I'd continue to use my Astak.
 
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