It's early days yet, but after using the iPad a bit as ebook (and article) reader, and fine-tuning the screen and font settings a lot, I would say that not only does screen reading seem OK, but I may actually in the long run
prefer it to paper reading.
15 comments:
Have you tried using it to read in bright light, like riding a bus during the day or on the beach?
Nope.
It might be an issue for people who like to sit in the sun. (I don't.) But then it's clear that the iPad screen must be one of the brightest ever made, it's normal level is exactly in the middle of the scale!
I'll see if I can remember to test it tamarrah.
Hey, can you check out this page and tell me how my B&W pics look?
I'm serious, I want to know how (Mr) iPad does with monochrome images.
To me, the brighter a screen, the more it annoys my eyes and gives me headache. I'll have to go in the Apple store and try one if they let me, because this is paramount for me. I read for very long periods, even 4-5 hours, so the Kindle is a blessing. But as a producer and reader of ebooks, largely in PDF format, my 1st gen kindle is no good (and would be too small anyway since my books are A4 size).
At the moment, I'm thinking of switching to a larger ereader (Skiff, if they ever release it) or wait for a tablet like the Notion Ink Adam which can switch from normal screen to epaper screen. But I'll test the ipad anyway if I get the chance.
Maybe you'll reconsider after you've read the following report on an all-new ultra-modern über-kewl support :
Introducing the new Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge device, trade-named BOOK.
BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use, even a child can operate it.
Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere -- even sitting in an armchair by the fire -- yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disc.
Here's how it works: BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. The pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence.
Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs. Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet.
BOOK never crashes or requires rebooting, though, like other devices, it can become damaged if coffee is spilled on it.
The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet, and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come with an "index" feature, which pin-points the exact location of any selected information for instant retrieval.
An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session -- even if the BOOK has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers.
Portable, durable, and affordable, BOOK is being hailed as a precursor of a new entertainment wave. BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform and investors are reportedly flocking to invest. Look for a flood of new titles soon.
I like it Pascal :-) Thanks!
Miserere,
Mr. iPad sez: gorgeous images.
They look great, and they look exactly as they do on my 30-inch Cinema display. (If you force me to be all OCD about it, maybe a tiny notch warmer, but you have to hold the iPad up the Cinema display to see the difference.
I'd say our hope has come true: it's good for portfolio.
GG: on iPad, the brightness settings is in the Settings application (the icon with the gears).
for a while now I've had my big displays turned down to a lower setting.
Thanks Eo!
I'm not quite at the stage where I need to be hawking my portfolio to prospective clients, but I'll have to consider iPad in the future when the need arises. I'll probably be able to get a 1st generation iPad for cheap too, thanks to all those early adopters out there... Oops! Soory, Eo... ;-)
Hey, we're here to serve.
If you ever need a keyboard, I have about fifteen different ones. And as many iPods.
Pascal
I was thinking of investing on some of these devices you mention, but they are heavy, expensive, take up all the space in my house, and have a negative effect on the vegetation.
GG,
I know what you mean. I'm a compulsive collector of them. We can't all, like Eolake does, collect cameras and kewl Apple electronic tech. Or apples in cool storage!
Still, they have their uses. When a wife makes her husband feel the weight of her cultivated arguments by means of an encyclopedic BOOK on top of his calvaria, he seldom retorts.
So, it is a great tool of feminine emancipation! :-)
Just ask Barbara Cartland. ;-)
Eolake,
Since you are sharing your experience in reading with the iPad this might be a good place to ask a question which either you our your readers could answer.
I have a friend who has failing eyesight -- so bad that she cannot even read with a very strong magnifying glass.
What I am wondering is whether or not font sizes on a iPad book reading application can be increased to very large size and still be usable, readable on the screen.
If so this might be a great device for people with impaired vision. Anyone out there care to comment?
Frank, see new post on this.
I've updated it with additional pictures here.
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