The iPad works great as a reader allowing hours of comfortable reading using iBooks. Some avid readers using e-Ink devices may be hesitant about considering LCD screen due to eye fatigue. Don’t be. With proper brightness adjustment, the iPad is perfectly suitable for hours of reading.
Problems with e-Ink
The technology e-Ink uses still has a ways to go before it is ready. Faster refresh, improved graphics, and color are necessary for the demands of daily reading and computing. Think about all the textbooks with illustrations and diagrams. The slow refresh and lack of graphics severely limits interactive applications; no interactive or multimedia storytelling.
Problems with LCD
Three primary reasons for eyestrain, headaches, and fatigue when viewing a monitor: flicker, poor lighting, and low quality (low res or blurry) screen. LCD screens don’t flicker. Apple only uses good quality screens, and the iPad produces sharp enough text. That leaves lighting.
Lighting is key when working at a computer for many hours. I see too many super-bright screens especially at night. Some screens—including the iPad—automatically adjust for room brightness, but screens need initial calibration for the user and may need adjustments in extreme lighting situations such as direct sunlight or a dark room. Lower the brightness.
Keep reflections away using proper lighting and screen position. The iPad screen is only moderately reflective, and I barely notice it.
The iPad includes a brightness adjustment in settings, and iBooks includes a quick brightness adjustment during reading. Eyes should never squint or become tired at the proper brightness. Like reading physical books, looking around occasionally keeps eyes from becoming fatigued.
My book in iBooks
Why I prefer the iPad
The iPad is a truly portable computer. I can do work including write this blog. Apps allow many possibilities for storytelling that we haven’t even thought of yet, and iBooks is currently the best eReader for traditional book reading. The touch technology and interface of iPad and iPhone is a joy to use. And my story, Dunston Monster, looks great in iBooks.
Someday we may have a “screen” that is a flexible paper-like colored touch display, but until then I’ll stick with touch LCD display.
This post produced using iPad: Written in iWork Pages then pasted into WP dashboard using Safari and edited.