Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The iPad and the Reading Experience

Yesterday I finished to  DEFY A KING by Elizabeth Chadwick , which is short listed for the Romantic Novel of the Year, on my iPad. I loved the book but I have to confess to eye strain. This is the third book I've read on the device. I can't say with the other two I noticed it, but with the other two I don't think I read for such long stretches. This is a big book and I wanted to know what happened so I kept going and going despite the eye strain and head ache that resulted.

So what have I learned from this experience...buy all Elizabeth Chadwick books in paper form and be sure to limit my time reading on the device... Does anyone use a Kindle? Is that easier on the eyes?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't have an iPad, nor a Kindle. However, I do spend a reasonable amount of time reading things on a computer screen, whether it be to enjoy fiction or to search for a tricky bug in programming code. It's probably worth trying to find out the reason for your headaches, before buying more expensive hardware. It may be something simple such as:

* Poor contrast and/or reflected lighting.
* Choice of colours. Some are considered more restful than others. Usually a personal preference.
* Selection of typeface. I've heard it said that sans-serif fonts are better for on-screen reading, whereas serifs are better for printed material.
* Page size and zoom settings. Sometimes a larger size will be easier to read, though you'll have to do more paging and scrolling.

I assume these things can be adjusted on iPads. Just a few thoughts from your friendly techie nutter.

Nell Dixon said...

I enjoy reading on my kindle, you can adjust the font and the lighting through the print is good making it a nice experience - I get crampy fingers though.

Unknown said...

Captain - Thanks I'll play with the adjustment stuff and see if it helps:-)

Nell - glad to here the Kindle work...fingers tired from turning pages? Or do you use it for more?

lx

Lianne said...

Dear Liz;

I've just discovered you and would love to read your book, however they are no available on Kindle. Is this something forthcoming? I prefer reading on Kindle because I can adjust the text size and it is much easier for my eyes.

Thank you, and I look forward to reading your work.

Unknown said...

Hi Lianne. So pleased you have discovered me.

I am on Kindle in the UK. Are you in the US? If so I'm not available there as I don't have a US publisher…hopefully this will change soon. My family and friends have bought the actual books through Amazon via the Book Depository…

lx