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The Next Hot e-Reader: The iPhone

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Re: The Next Hot e-Reader: The iPhone

#3
I've been reading A LOT on my iPhone lately since starting to use instapaper. It's been amazing except for only little thing; I get nauseated occasionally staring at the screen (especially when moving). The screen is possibly to small or too bright?

The form factor might not be quite right.

Re: The Next Hot e-Reader: The iPhone

#4

Enjoy your eyes while they still work.

Although I can't find a (reliable) cite after five minutes of Googling, I'm quite sure that there's no causal link of any kind between the amount of strain you put your eyes through on a day-to-day basis, and eventual vision loss. The reason people think this is that people who don't realize their vision already needs correction (such as children) tend to strain their eyes more, and do other things such as sitting close to the TV, to make up for their existing impairment. Thus, there's a correlation, but not a causation.

(As a side note, "masturbation will make you go blind" is, although taken less seriously, another sentiment with the same roots: people mistake the correlation of teenagers' eyes altering in correction requirements, along with an increase in masturbational frequency, as another causation.)

Re: The Next Hot e-Reader: The iPhone

#5
I can't believe Apple hasn't just built a standard "Books" app and added a Book Store alongside the App and Music stores. I suppose it's a licensing issue, but they already sell audiobooks, don't they?

Re: The Next Hot e-Reader: The iPhone

#6
post #4

Enjoy your eyes while they still work.

Although I can't find a (reliable) cite after five minutes of Googling, I'm quite sure that there's no causal link of any kind between the amount of strain you put your eyes through on a day-to-day basis, and eventual vision loss. The reason people think this is that people who don't realize their vision already needs correction (such as children) tend to strain their eyes more, and do other things such as sitting cl…

Well, yes and no. Many factors affect visual acuity including the shape of the eyeball (affects focal point of lens on retina), cornea (defects cause astigmatism), retinal damage like macular degeneration which leads to functional blindness, and the function of the muscles which adjust our focus within our visual range. Eye strain can take a significant toll on those muscles and eventually lead to a sometimes significant loss of visual acuity (myopia.) Fortunately the muscles can often be retrained. Search Amazon for books on vision correction and you will find a ton of books that essentially help you retrain your eye muscles to improve your visual acuity.

sample book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Relearning-See-Improve-Eyesight-Natura...

Re: The Next Hot e-Reader: The iPhone

#7
I own both an iphone and kindle. It's a lot easier to read for longer durations on the kindle due to the e-ink display. Also, the battery lasts a lot longer since the e-ink virtually consumes no static power.

For now, in my opinion, the ebook edge goes to the kindle.

Re: The Next Hot e-Reader: The iPhone

#8
post #7

I own both an iphone and kindle. It's a lot easier to read for longer durations on the kindle due to the e-ink display. Also, the battery lasts a lot longer since the e-ink virtually consumes no static power. For now, in my opinion, the ebook edge goes to the kindle.

Agreed 100%.

I get the feeling that many of the people who tout the iPhone/Tablet as an eBook reader have never tried a Kindle or something with e-ink. The experience just doesn't compare, and you don't have to worry about an hour of reading doing serious damage to your battery.

Also I lost all respect for Om's analysis abilities after hearing him talk on This Week in Tech a month or two ago.

Re: The Next Hot e-Reader: The iPhone

#9
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Although I can't find a (reliable) cite after five minutes of Googling, I'm quite sure that there's no causal link of any kind between the amount of strain you put your eyes through on a day-to-day basis, and eventual vision loss. The reason people think this is that people who don't realize their vision already needs correction (such as children) tend to strain their eyes more, and do other things such as sitting cl…

Well, yes and no. Many factors affect visual acuity including the shape of the eyeball (affects focal point of lens on retina), cornea (defects cause astigmatism), retinal damage like macular degeneration which leads to functional blindness, and the function of the muscles which adjust our focus within our visual range. Eye strain can take a significant toll on those muscles and eventually lead to a sometimes signifi…

Right. By "eventual vision loss," I meant the permanent kind. It's everyone's responsibility to go stare at some mountains every once in a while :)

Re: The Next Hot e-Reader: The iPhone

#10
I have to agree with this article. Since getting the Kindle app for my iPhone I haven't used the Kindle itself once.

There's no doubt that the Kindle is better for reading than the iPhone. But I always have the iPhone with me so it's easier when I have a few spare minutes to get some reading done.

And I often read in bed and the iPhone screen can be read without supplemental light whereas with the Kindle I need a light on.

The app has some useful features to reduce eye strain, too. You can change the font size, lock the auto-rotation, and change to white-on-black for night reading.

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