More on e-reading
So I downloaded a load of books and put them on the e-reader yesterday evening (Sony PRS-650 for those not keeping up with the game at home). First impressions:
For me it won't replace paper books. It's an additional way to read books, not a replacement. Just as I often buy the hardback for keeping, and then buy a MMPB for easy of taking it (or several) with me when travelling (sometimes the other way round, when I pick up the MMPB first and then buy the HB for keeping), this is just another and easier way of doing it.
The eInk is a lot kinder on my eyes than LED/LCD illuminated screens. I read a short story (equivalent of around 8-9 chapters of a novel, or about what I would normally read in bed before turning out the light) with no more strain than with a MMPB. Weight and size of the reader are comparable to a MMPB, it's slightly wider, a lot thinner, but denser.
Some eBooks don't allow size changes. Yes, D, I'm looking at you! Fortunately I'm finding the font is about right for me (I'd guess around 11pt on this device), but not friendly to people with sight issues...
'Swiping' to turn a page I find very natural, much more than using a button on the side. Although there is an oddity with my use of it. By default it is set up so that to go to the next page you swipe left, the same way as you'd turn a page. However, I find this completely counter-intuitive (indeed, for a while I couldn't work out why it kept going back to the first page after I'd used the button to go forward). I found out why -- when I turn a page of a paper book, I first slide my hand to the right (along the page surface) to find the right-hand edge (usually top RH corner, in fact), and bringing my hand back to turn the page my hand is only in contact with that edge/corner not the surface.
So, I easily found a setting letting me reverse the turn controls, which implies that they do expect people to use it. But my question now is:
When other people turn pages while reading paper books, do they go straight to the edge of the page? Or do they do the same as I do and 'find' the edge by running the hand (finger/thumb) along it? And does this carry over to e-readers? Is this a kinaesthesia thing, some people not neding to 'find' the edge?
Discuss...
For me it won't replace paper books. It's an additional way to read books, not a replacement. Just as I often buy the hardback for keeping, and then buy a MMPB for easy of taking it (or several) with me when travelling (sometimes the other way round, when I pick up the MMPB first and then buy the HB for keeping), this is just another and easier way of doing it.
The eInk is a lot kinder on my eyes than LED/LCD illuminated screens. I read a short story (equivalent of around 8-9 chapters of a novel, or about what I would normally read in bed before turning out the light) with no more strain than with a MMPB. Weight and size of the reader are comparable to a MMPB, it's slightly wider, a lot thinner, but denser.
Some eBooks don't allow size changes. Yes, D, I'm looking at you! Fortunately I'm finding the font is about right for me (I'd guess around 11pt on this device), but not friendly to people with sight issues...
'Swiping' to turn a page I find very natural, much more than using a button on the side. Although there is an oddity with my use of it. By default it is set up so that to go to the next page you swipe left, the same way as you'd turn a page. However, I find this completely counter-intuitive (indeed, for a while I couldn't work out why it kept going back to the first page after I'd used the button to go forward). I found out why -- when I turn a page of a paper book, I first slide my hand to the right (along the page surface) to find the right-hand edge (usually top RH corner, in fact), and bringing my hand back to turn the page my hand is only in contact with that edge/corner not the surface.
So, I easily found a setting letting me reverse the turn controls, which implies that they do expect people to use it. But my question now is:
When other people turn pages while reading paper books, do they go straight to the edge of the page? Or do they do the same as I do and 'find' the edge by running the hand (finger/thumb) along it? And does this carry over to e-readers? Is this a kinaesthesia thing, some people not neding to 'find' the edge?
Discuss...