It’s a mobile multi function world; what happens to the eink device?
We are entering the holiday shopping period. Santa clock says 79 days but for retailers, the shopping period starts in October. That’s when the big books for publishers are released. The big books are books that publishers hope will be purchased as gifts.
Increasingly shopping is taking place on mobile devices. Last year nearly a quarter of online purchases on Black Friday were made from a mobile device. Moms are responsible for a large number of online spending – 32%. Today’s kids are using mobile devices at a higher rate than ever before. Half of the Sesame Street Workshop audience are accessing it from mobile devices.
Despite Android inroads, Apple is still one of the most important players in the game. One only needs to look at Amazon’s commitment to the mobile App programs to see how vital they are to the ecosystem of Amazon’s business. Before updating its own tablet programs or the desktop versions, Amazon added categories and new features to the Apple iOS Apps.
The move toward subscription access is just another nod toward the reader who is on the move. iPhone users are reading more that iPad users and for longer periods of time despite the much smaller screen.
But the data does show that Readmill’s iPhone users do average more time spent reading than an iPad owner. For example, they’re 45% more likely to open the app, and they average 40% more time spent in the app. Readmill’s iPhone users also tended to spend 10% more time per book and read 15% more ebooks. They leave 40% more comments, and copy 20% more quotes than iPad users.
iPad users started 18% fewer books and they finished 20% fewer books than iPhone users.
This may be because the smartphone is considered an extension of oneself. 63% of smartphone owners aged 18-29 admit to sleeping with it. 1 in 10 admit to using it DURING sex. I remember in Picture Perfect the hero is having sex with his girlfriend (heck, it may have been his fiancé) and he glances at it, reads the text, and then quits coitus to run to the heroine’s aid. Needless to say the girlfriend was pissed off.
Back in the early days of digital readership (about four years ago), smartphone usage was considered to be an entry point for readers but with larger screens, more and more people are doing everything from shopping to chatting to reading on their smartphones. I joke that my phone is good for everything but actually making phone calls.
Mobile devices are becoming ubiquitous in today’s world and reading on those mobile devices is becoming more popular. Despite the advances made to the Kobo Aura and the Kindle Paperwhite, eink usage is on the decline. There will always be some market for eink devices but Sony’s refusal to release its newest device in the US market signals that the eink market is weak.
Most outlets have signaled that the latest version of the Kindle Paperwhite is the best yet yet the firm that supplies eink screens posts its worst losses in four years. E-ink may survive in the next few years but only if it becomes something else. The eink firm is moving toward diversification, providing displays for luggage tags, watch faces, and magazine displays. I still own a Kindle paperwhite, but I only access it about once a month and that is to take advantage of the lending feature I can get with only a Kindle device (versus a Kindle app).
Despite the new screen and the great new features of the Kindle Paperwhite, I’m not moved to upgrade. I read more and more on my smartphone and tablet because I almost always have those devices charged and with me. So readers, what are you reading on? Eink device? Tablet? Smartphone? Computer? Still paper? If you read on more than one device, what is your primary reading device of choice?
I still love reading on my Sony. I wish they would release a version with a Paperwhite like screen. I don’t like reading on LCD devices – it hurts my eyes. So eInk is still the best option for me. I’ll only read on my smartphone in an emergency. I’m more likely to turn to Twitter or Words With Friends on my phone than read.
Eink and paper. I am a Luddite – hear me wimper. My cell phone is for emergencies only. My ebook reading is done on dedicated eink devices and I still enjoy paper. I know I am a dinosaur but I’m hanging on to what I like as long as I can. Eventually I know I’ll have to give in but please God not any time soon.
I read almost exclusively on my kindle paperwhite – I can use it outside in the sun or late at night. My job has my sitting in front of a computer all day and my eyes are tired even when i use my computer glasses. i can read my paperwhite all day – no issues with my eyes. I used to read my iPad with the yellow background and that is helpful but still can’t read it outside. An e- ink reader is the most versatile and small enough it fit in purse with my iPhone.
My preferred device to read on is my Kindle Keyboard. I read 2 to 3 books a week and love the e-ink screen. I do read on my smart phone but only when I away from home and find myself unexpectedly stuck waiting somewhere with time on my hands. I do not like reading on my tablet. I am giving serious thought to putting the Kindle Paperwhite on my Christmas list.
Kindle Keyboard – I’m on my third. When my second one broke earlier this year, I investigated other alternatives and then bought a second-hand kindle identical to the one I’d just broken.
I’m not good with change. And I only want to read on eink.
Kindle and paper for me. While I love the feel of a real book, the Kindle is just so much easier sometimes. I have the Kindle app for my phone, and I prefer the resolution (my Kindle is a Touch), but the phone screen is awfully small and I feel like I’m swiping pages every 10 seconds.
I love the size, portability, and screen quality of the Paperwhite. I don’t go anywhere without it. I actually edit my writing on my Kindle Keyboard; reading my own work on a different screen lets me see errors and inconsistencies I miss when reading on the computer. I’ve also got a Kindle Fire in the kitchen for recipes, but I hate the bright screen for reading text. I couldn’t read a book on my phone unless it was a dire emergency. The screen’s too small, even on the biggest smartphone.
I read on my Kindle Keyboard. It’s much easier on my eyes than the kindle app I tried and I like the size – not too big, not too small.
Kindle. There’s no way I can read on non-e-ink screen for that long.
Love my kindle paperwhite. It doesn’t strain my eyes, and is the perfect size and weight.
It’s eink (Nook) or paper books for me; the glare from non-eink kills my eyes after a while. I’ve got the nook app on my phone, but never use it as the screen is just way too small. Haven’t bothered to put the app on my ipad. The Paperwhite is on my Christmas list, here’s hoping there’s a big sale soon.
My Paperwhite is my primary reading device. I have weak eye muscles so eyestrain has always been a significant barrier to reading as much as I’d like in one go. The eyestrain I get from reading on the Paperwhite is so minimal, it’s insane. I can read way more in a sitting than I ever could with paper books.
iPhone and paper mostly. I have a 1st gen Kindle Fire that’s so buggy I don’t like using it and have been considering the Paperwhite or just shelling out the cash for an iPad mini.
I read on my nexus7. I love the screen and looooove that I can install the nook, kindle, google play books and kobo apps and shop around (though all of the sites usually hVe the same price, so I use the kindle app because I like the interface the best).
I read on my phone or ipad but have been thinking about getting an eink device so I can read in the sun. Trying to read a guide book on an LCD screen while trying to find a patch of shade is very frustrating. Not to mention reading at the beach.
Whichever item I have handy and charged. Usually my iPhone or Fire, I usually have one or both with me. I also keep my Kindle DX by my bed and use it several times a week.
I will read on whatever has text on screen. I got my iPhone about the time I was pregnant and insomniac with my second kid and before I discovered that kindle app was usually cheaper I went through many books at the iBooks store.
I got a paperwhite for Christmas and love it–something about it’s being exclusively for reading makes me happy. I’m sure it’s better for my eyes but that’s not the reason I love it.
On the other hand, I was reading on my paperwhite the other day and because it IS only for reading, I didn’t notice when it was time to get my daughter from school.
Just sold my iPad 3. I am waiting for the mini with Retina. Meanwhile, I am reading on a Nexus 7 and love it. I still keep my KPW around but rarely use it.
Love, love, love my Paperwhite. Easy to read, good size for my hands, light-weight.
My Sony PRS-T1. This is my third Sony and I wouldn’t give it up. E-ink is my preference. It’s impossible to read the screen on my iPod in bright light/outside. Also, I read a lot on my computer at work and it makes my eyes tired, e-ink is like reading a paper book for me. I never leave home without it, even if I am just running down the street to the grocery store. You never know when there will be a line. A couple of years ago I was at Target waiting in the line from Hell to check out, pulled out my Sony and started reading, four people in line behind me jumped out of line to go find a reader to add to their carts.
Primary reading device is now the iPad (I blame the Marvin app), and I also read quite a bit on my Samsung Galaxy player (with the Moon+ Reader app). I still read paper as well. If I had anything other than a [email protected] phone (*cough*Blackberry*cough*), I would do a lot of my out-and-about (bus, bank lines, waiting rooms etc) reading on it. But I use my Samsung thingy for that so I don’t feel deprived.
Though I haven’t done any significant reading on my Paperwhite in months I have no intention of giving it away. I’m afraid eye strain issues will catch up with me someday soon and I’ll need it then ;-)
@Lisa J, I love that Target story! I always carry my Kobo Mini with me and often read in line.
I am an eink and paper reader all the way. I use a Nook and a Kobo Mini. I only read on my smartphone or iPad if it is an emergency. I do keep reference books (Turabian style guide and the like) on my iPad for work but those aren’t books I sit down and read for hours. As a librarian, I am seeing a different trend with respect to ereaders. When my patrons come for help deciding what type of ereader to buy, almost all of them say it must be eink. It could just be the specific community I serve, but even the ones who already have tablets usually would rather be reading on an eink device.
I read almost exclusively on my Kindle Paperwhite. I love it. I’ve had several Kindles and all have been great. But I gave them away when I bought the Paperwhite last year. As other people have mentioned it’s great to use at night and outside. I also use it when I’m traveling. I also have a Kindle Fire which I use occasionally to read books.
I just got a smartphone (Samsung Windows; not an Apple fan). I’ve loaded some books onto it for emergencies (being somewhere without my Kobo like waiting for a friend and needing something to do) but if I was at home I’d never choose to read on it rather than a paper book or my Kobo. I LIKE having a device that’s for reading books, nothing else. I don’t want it cluttered up with extraneous functions. A regular book does nothing but provide me a story and that’s kept me happy all my life.
My friend says she rarely uses her Kobo now and reads on her iPad but I’ve used hers and it’s just too big and heavy for that.
I’m sticking to a dedicated e-reader or paper for book reading.
When I actually sit down for an extended period of time to read, I read on my Kindle Paperwhite, and I prefer it over my iPad mini because it’s lighter, the battery lasts longer, I can read on nice sunny days, and I don’t strain my eyes so much. For quick, stuck-in-line-at-Walmart reading, I go with my smartphone.
It’s rare that I read paper books anymore, even those books I consider my all-time favorites…which, now that I think about it, is kind of sad. I should go back and reread them.
I read almost exclusively on my Sony Reader now, with the occasional paper book for variety. I only read on the Kindle app on my phone if I’ve forgotten my Reader or a book. I use my Ipad to read pdf-files (from NetGalley), as I really don’t like the formatting of them on the Sony. Reading on the eInk-screen never tires out my eyes like reading on my phone or the Ipad, and when I’m ill or tired, I frequently prefer it to a physical book (no need for page turning), as the glare from a bright light on a white paper page can be just as hurtful as on a backlit screen. I’m currently on my fifth generation of Sony Reader, and don’t know what I’d do without it.
For me, digital reading is done primarily on the iPad, though I’m still doing quite a bit of paper reading as there are some things that just aren’t in digital (such as my Annotated Sherlock Holmes). I use my iPad for so much that it’s become perfectly natural feel it in my hand — and I have no hesitation at adjusting brightness or type size if necessary.
For the husband, though, even though he also has an iPad (1st generation), he prefers the older Kindle we have. He says it’s more comfortable for him and he prefers not having the temptation/distraction of other things being available on the device. The battery is starting to not be as reliable as it should be, though, so we’re looking at replacing it with a Paperwhite in the coming year. The Kindle Fire isn’t even under consideration.
I read on my Kindle keyboard and would love to get a paperwhite. As someone with social anxiety I have never been a big phone person and I am going kicking and screaming into the mobile revolution.
I read mostly on my Paperwhite. I still love the option of eInk because it is easy on the eyes. The battery life is also much better than my iPhone or iPad. I do confess to reading on my iPad mini lately because it is very light.
iPad mini, iPhone, Laptop in that order. Have a Kobo e-reader too but I usually only read on that now if I know ahead of time I will be in the bright sunlight like such as an outing to the beach or cottage. Still love paper but being a commuter, its less bulky to have an e device than lug around a book. I also have a few books going on at the same time and I never know what mood I’ll be in for what to read!
I really dislike the lcd screen and weight of tablets so it’s a dedicated ereader whenever I have more than five minutes to read. I load short stories on my phone for reading when I find myself unexpectedly waiting on something while I’m out and about.
I read on my Kindle 2. I’ve tried reading on my iPod and iPad, but can’t stand it for very long. I just like the eInk screen and the tactile buttons too much. I’m considering picking up the new Paperwhite, but I’m not so sure about the touchscreen. REALLY like my buttons and the height the under-screen keyboard gives.
Paper or iPad, by choice, but if I need net access, the iPhone (retina version) since I’m not paying for Internet on the iPad. eInk page-turn flicker – as I’ve said before, probably – makes the back of my head scream.
On the other hand, I read Twitter almost exclusively on my phone.
I find both my iPad and iPhone to be convenient for reading and think they have nice, sharp screens, as bright or dimmed as I need them to be. On the train, on the couch, in the tub, wherever. I’ll read a little bit on the laptop while at home, but only if I’m going to be sitting up, not lounging around. And since I don’t use the phone much as a phone, reading and texting are the main way to justify having one. The larger screen of the iPad was perfect for when I had to do a lot of work on the go (marking up PDFs, etc.); now the small screen of the iPhone is perfect for keeping what I’m reading private when in public.
Speaking of: whenever I peek over at someone’s Kindle, I never like the text display. It’s always a very quick assessment, since I try not to look too long–since that’s one of my pet peeves (see above and below)–but it hasn’t moved me to want to get any other device than the ones I have.
I’d rather be reading paper for the really good books and keeping them on the shelves for later revisiting or unfettered lending, to be able to see at a quick glance what I’ve read and what’s TBR, and because it makes the bookshelves look pretty. But, since people tend to read unabashedly over one another’s shoulders on the train, it could get a little uncomfortable reading the latest f/m/m/f/f were-fish romance on the way to work.
I mostly read on my Sony 650. Like Kaetrin I want the eInk screen for reading as it doesn’t bother my eyes. I have reader apps on my phone and will read on it if I don’t have my Sony with me, am in line at the bank, etc, I recently won a Kobo mini though, so plan to make that my “purse book” replacing the usual paperback I keep in it.
While I think it is great tablets are selling well, I hope dedicated reading devices do not go away entirely.
I prefer to read on my Kindle Paperwhite, but I don’t usually carry it with me when I go out. I read on my phone if I’m out unless I’m out for a long period of time. Then I’ll take my Kindle with me and read on that mostly to save iPhone battery.
I got a Paperwhite for my birthday (or Christmas?) and finally charged it this weekend. I’ve been reading on my old kindle but looking forward to a lighted screen. For years I sideloaded because I didn’t have wifi. No cell phone or tablet for me.
I also have an ipod collecting dust. I loaded it with library audio books that my mom listened to during her chemo treatments. She gave it back after and I set it aside. I meant to listen to books or music on my runs but overdrive says my library card is expired. It’s not. I don’t understand technology.
eInk or Paper. I had an ancient Sony PRS-505 that I read on until last summer, when a birthday present upgraded me to a Kindle Paperwhite. It. Was. Mind-Blowing. I still marvel at the upgrade in screen quality. Like others have stated, I’m on a computer all blessed day long at work and even with anti-reflective coating on my glasses, my eyes get tired. eInk is really the best fit for me.
I still read quite a bit of paper, mostly because I still own a ton of it. I really should track format – estimated guess? Before scoring so many ARCs through Netgalley – I would have said 50/50. Now it’s probably more like 70% digital 30% paper.
I used to read on my mobile phone, but I easily grew weary of flipping the pages so much even with just a finger swipe. I don’t mind reading ebooks with my children on their Kindle Fires. Larger screens make it so much easier, and for me it isn’t an eye strain issue. I find that I’m reading more print books, but after playing with someone’s Paperwhite, I’ve asked for that for Christmas.
@Jill Sorenson:
Overdrive saying my library card was expired happened to me too–I finally went to the real library and asked–they just wanted to verify my address for the year. I think my library would even let you call in.
I read mainly on my Paperwhite. Easy to carry, no eye strain and light. I keep it in my bag so have it on the go. I do occasionally read on my phone with the Kindle app – usually when in line or when somewhere I do not have my bag with me (phone is in pocket). I love the Paperwhite – especially for reading in bed. I can curl up under the covers with the lights off and still read the lighted screen. Very cozy in the winter.
I read books on my Nook Simple Touch most of the time. Like others have mentioned upthread, the screen is perfect for reading after staring at a computer screen all day long. My phone is too small for reading so I’ve never gotten into the habit of using it for fiction.
The only time I read on paper is if I really, really want to read a specific book and there’s no digital edition available. OTOH, I’ve had to wait a while (sometimes years) for a book to be released on epub. OTOH, I’ve got more than enough books uploaded into my e-ink device so, it’s not as if I’m despairing.
I’m happy using my Nook because I don’t need it to be anything else but an ereader. Between my smartphone, my tablet and my laptop, I’ve got more than enough devices to tackle other things like email, web browsing, watching movies, etc.
I read on my Kindle Keyboard. My next purchase is the Kindle Paperwhite. I prefer reading on an eink screen.
Pleasure reading is almost exclusively on my Paperwhite. That said, I actually preferred my Kindle Keyboard and if I had to do-over, I wouldn’t have given it away when I upgraded. I miss not having speakers because I liked having my audiobooks on it. It was easier to use than for audiobooks than my phone app because I could pause it with a button rather than a touch screen while I was driving. And it was more comfortable to me.
I have a tablet and a smartphone, and I have the apps installed for Kindle and Nook, but I can’t lose myself in the story on those screens. When I settle in with my eInk device, it’s about stopping everything but reading. When I’m using my phone or tablet, I’m all about multi-tasking.
I’m about evenly split between reading fiction on my Kindle keyboard and Fire and then, very rarely, when I’m stuck somewhere without either I’ll read on my iPhone. I prefer the e-ink kindle for reading regular e-books during the day, but the Fire is great for reading: (1) Fanfiction. I can save LJ or AO3 works to my Instapaper app and read clean, text-only copies offline, or read directly from the sites through the Fire’s browser when I’m on wifi. Either way, it’s a vast improvement from reading on my laptop; (2) at night.
For nonfiction, I vastly prefer paper. Don’t have a real understanding of why, but I just can’t read nonfiction on an electronic device.
Paper or my kindle keyboard. I love e-ink. I love that it’s lightweight and smaller compared to my ipad. Iphone’s too small to really read on. The kindle stays charged much longer, too.
I don’t own a smartphone (the phone bill for those is so expensive — I don’t know how so many young people afford it) so I do almost all of my reading on my Paperwhite. I really hope e-ink devices don’t got the way of the dodo bird, because I love them so. The lack of glare is restful to my eyes and makes it much easier to relax and read than on the screen of the old Dell Axim PDA I used to read on before e-ink devices came into being. I assume reading on a smartphone would be similar to reading on that Dell Axim because of the glare, but I could have that wrong.
I read a lot of ebooks and I do so exclusively on my iPhone Kindle app. I used to have an older Kindle eink device but after it broke I didn’t feel the need to replace it. I dislike the small surface area of my iPhone but it is so portable; I really like having one device for all my electronic needs (email, web surfing on the go, music and reading). I do enlarge the font so I have to turn the page very frequently. I keep saying I should buy another Kindle but it hasn’t happened.
I read on my Kindle paperwhite and paper. I don’t like reading on my iPhone because the screene is small and there are too many distractions (text messages, news alerts, etc). I love having a dedicated reader and the non-glare screen is much easier on my eyes. I will sob my heart out if they discontinue the Paperwhite, which I love more than any other device I own.
I have the plain $69 Kindle and it serves its purpose (reading books at my home) perfectly. I have the Kindle app on my smartphone for when I’m out and get stuck waiting for a while. But it drains my battery and I’m not a fan of reading on the little screen for very long.
I’d hate to see the standard eink devices go. I don’t need bells and whistles. I just want a reader that holds hundreds of books and allows me to download at any time. Those features are what made me fall in love with ereaders in the first place.
I love my Paperwhite, hate reading on my phone, hate tablets. I am on a computer all day for work and it kills my eyes. I’m wondering if I need to stockpile a bunch of Paperwhites so I’ll always have one no matter what. Sniff.
95% iPad Mini, 4% iPhone 5, 1% Kindle Touch (if that). I’d love a Paperwhite, because the Touch’s screen–while an improvement over my K2–is still pretty grey. But realistically, it wouldn’t be used any more than the Touch is. Heck, I forget to use the Kindle lending library on the Touch, and really that’s the one function I keep it around for.
The iPad Mini isn’t an ideal reader, as it needs a retina screen, but it’s nearly always with me.
@Corina:
the Fire is great for reading: (1) Fanfiction. I can save LJ or AO3 works to my Instapaper app and read clean, text-only copies offline, or read directly from the sites through the Fire’s browser when I’m on wifi.
Saving LJ fic on Instapaper makes sense to me (I go through the old school method of c&p whatever story posted on LJ I want to read into RTF and then run it through Calibre so that it can get converted to epub and sideloaded into my Nook.)
But, AO3 gives you Mobi, epub, PDF and HTML options when downloading fic. Do you use Instapaper because it gives you a text file specifically?
I’ve saved about 7 fics directly to my tablet from the AO3 page in epub format (for that rare moment when my Nook is charging.) If I could download AO3 fic directly to my Nook, that would be ideal. *sigh*
Mind you, I’ve used Instapaper before (to convert a 100k-word comment fic that wasn’t posted anywhere) and wasn’t too thrilled with the result. YMMV, of course.
I love my Paperwhite (and before that, keyboard), it goes everywhere with me. I even changed purses when I got my original keyboard kindle just so that it would fit.
I have a smartphone but don’t enjoy reading on it, even though I do have the Kindle app on it. It does hurt my eyes in anything over 15min bursts, and my commute time is 30min-1hr each way. At home I prefer it because the light doesn’t bother my husband and again, if I’m reading it’ll probably be for a while. ;)
If we had a tablet I don’t know if any of that would change, but I think eyestrain would still be an issue. It’s odd, I like the idea of multifunction devices, but I find myself using single-function ones much more often.
I read mostly on my Kindle Paperwhite and love it. I have an iPad and iPhone and don’t like to read on those screens: I spend a lot time on them at work and to write. I also have a Kobo Touch that I use occasionally, mainly because I still have unread books on it, like 50 Betty Neels titles! I also still love to read on paper, as long as the print isn’t too small. As a matter of fact, my most beloved books I’ll re-buy in paper. I like to see them on a shelf and pull them out for beloved scenes. I feel like that lady who commented about stockpiling Kindles …
I read mostly on my Kindle (basic at the moment, thinking of buying paperwhite) and occasionally on my phone. I own a tablet, but my eyes tire of it quite quickly. My smartphone is OK for reading, and I do it sometimes in queues etc., but it’s nowhere as convenient to hold, and runs out of charge much too fast. I do a lot of long flights, and my e-ink devices are a real help for this.
Home, bedtime, bathroom (tmi?), place where I know I will be waiting like doctors’ waiting rooms: Kindle Paperwhite.
Work, grocery store, quick trips or places that require covert reading tactics: Kindle app on my iPhone.
All of the above: my bluetooth ear piece streaming Audible books to me at all times from my iPhone.
Yes, I have a problem. But I know I can make it to the bottom of my TBR pile this decade! I know it!
I read almost only on eInk or paper. I will do email, websites, and listen to my iPad. But not read. Exception being if I’m stuck in a dark place. Oh, I have a Nook reader.
My Android smartphone, and no one is more surprised than I am.
As a former paper-from-my-cold-dead-heads reader, I fell in love with my Nook. And we were happy together, until Calibre opened my reading horizon and the world became my library. Now the smartphone and all those reading apps have made everything come together in one device. I can go anywhere, secure in the knowledge that I will always have 700 books, a phone and a camera with me at all times. Settings in the apps mean I can read in all light conditions, including outside.
All is well in my literary world.
I read on both my iPhone and Nook Color – phone for commuting and downtime when running errands, Nook for sitting down and reading (except when my phone is within reach and my Nook isn’t). I’ll read print from the library or print books I already have, but I prefer ebooks.
I think my next device may be eink, for reading outside. I’m hesitating because I didn’t like the page turn flash thing on the Nook einks I tested. Haven’t tested other ePub ereaders yet.
Paper if it’s available; I’m a skimmer, a skip-arounder, and a read-the-end-firster, and they just haven’t made an e-device yet that handles the way I read in a satisfactory way.
If I must go digital, I’d use e-ink ONLY. I stare at computer screens all day at work, and always go home with a headache; paper and e-ink is like a massage for my eyes.
(Mostly I use the Nook Simple Touch, and I’ve disabled the wifi (download to my laptop and sideload); I’d never use a Kindle. The very notion of some computer somewhere reading over my shoulder and tracking where I am in the book give me the heebie-jeebies)
I’ve gone through 2 Kobo button’s and one touch. Mom has the touch and it’s becoming an issue but she can read library books on it.
I have a Kobo arc and it’s OK. BTW you can read outside on a tablet you have to increase the brightness to nearly full.
When Canada gets the new paperweight in Nov I’m getting one. For how much I read, the tablet is too heavy.
I only read on my Kindle Paperwhite or in paper.
Kindle Paperwhite – big thing for me is I can read outside, at the park, beach, etc; and at night with no bedside light to disturb hubby. The tablet is too heavy and bad on the eyes outside, but I do like that I can download kindle books onto my tablet (you know, just in case) but have discovered the Kobo app on tablet doesn’t work very well, so not bothering to go there. I read too fast for a phone screen, drives me nuts. The only downside for ebooks for me is that %s don’t really tell me how big the book is and I find they’re over faster than paper books. For a change I love real paper books too. When I really love a book, I fan the remaining pages so I know I’ve got all that left to enjoy – can’t really replace that feeling. Can you tell I’m just coming down from a good one ;)
I actually read more on my iPad and/or my Kindle Paperwhite because my smartphone dies really quickly if I use it a lot. I try to save my battery as much as I can, only really using it for texting and calling unless I’m home.
And when I’m home, I have my iPad and my Kindle Paperwhite — and sometimes I carry my Kindle Paperwhite in my purse because it is just so handy. I actually really like the Paperwhite and highly recommend it, especially because you don’t have all those distractions of apps and texts when you’re reading.
@Kaetrin: <= what she said ^^ – except I never read on a phone (I actually have a mobile phone that only does that – phone, heh) and I don't do twitter, etc. either.
I'd eventually like a bigger Sony e-ink screen, if they ever offer that anywhere for a reasonable price.
Pretty much 100% kindle paperwhite. I asked for one last Christmas solely because of the light. I had a kindle keyboard for years but wanted to switch as I don’t sleep well and I don’t like a light on at night when my husband is sleeping. I’ve got an iPhone and an ipad; I love them both but the paperwhite is so much better for avoiding eye strain. I will be very sad if dedicated e-ink devices are discontinued.
I read pretty much exclusively on Kindle Touch. I don’t like reading books on a tablet or phone, because there are too many other distractions. I prefer having a device with pretty much the sole function of reading.
@Emily Jane: Thanks for the info. I visit my library often so I’ll check into it.
I was surprised to read that most people read on their smartphones. My iphone 3G has a teeny tiny screen and the words are just too teeny tiny unless I enlarge the font to about 3 words onscreen at a time.
I read on my ipad. Rarely I return to a weird oblong with flaps where you have to have the light on- a tree book – and am bemused that I read them compulsively for decades.
I just got the new Paperwhite. Love it, love it, love it. It’s my fourth Kindle (Keyboard, Touch, previous Paperwhite) and the best yet. Any issues I had with the touch screen have been alleviated, and the display feels crisper.
I’m on my iPad or MacBookAir almost constantly, but I don’t read on them. The Kindle slips into my purse and goes with me nearly everywhere. It’s much easier to read outdoors or at night on the Kindle, plus the battery life is much better – don’t need to worry about carrying cords and finding a plug while out and about.
While I’ve read books cover to cover on my iPhone, it’s the device of last resort.
I will be so sad if e-ink goes away. As someone else said, I may have to start stockpiling them just in case. I do occasionally read on my iPhone if I find myself out w/o my Paperwhite, but the PW is small and light enough that it normally comes out with me. I have an iPad mini, and I use it to read samples and PDFs, but between eye strain, short battery life, and its weight, I don’t really like it for long reading sessions. Oh, and I’m still nursing my old Kindle 2 along specifically for reading on the elliptical machine when I don’t like to touch the PW with my sweaty hands.
E-ink. I use my Nook Simple Touch, mostly. It’s small enough that it goes wherever I do, in my purse. I did have a Kindle Fire for a while, and did read books on my iPhone… Until I realized that the bright, flashy screens and constant distractions actually made reading difficult (and gave me eye-strain in the process). I ditched my Fire, now use my phone as an internet slash business tool and dug up my 2 year old e-ink Nook for my books. I’ve been reading more, with less eye-strain, and I actually enjoy *just* having a device that is devoted specifically to my books.
With e-ink, no internet devices, I also pick up my Nook and that signals to me that “this is my reading time.” When I had my Fire, I was always going off on side-tangents. Oh, the heroine has a bustle dress? Let me google image that. And… I’d get lost down the internet hole for two hours when I was supposed to be reading. With my Nook, I can’t go on the internet, so I just read.
I love my Kindle Paperwhite and prefer to read on it. I will think about getting the new Paperwhite if I can be convinced it’s worth upgrading this time.
I also end up reading on the Kindle app on my iPhone often now because I have a toddler son I am running after and my phone is more portable (and I can take pics of him too). I prefer my Paperwhite though.
I mostly read at night so prefer to use my tablet. My eyesight is bad so can not imagine reading of the small phone screen.
I strongly prefer the dedicated ereader. Phone reading hurts my eyes and tablets are designed for too many other purposes. Though if they had an eink phone, I would go for it.
My Sony 505’s battery died, so I am using an android tablet. I like the faster page turning, and using apps I can load both Kindle books and Overdrive library books. I am thinking about buying a new ereader, but I’m not sure which one.
Kindle touch. For me, the must-have feature is battery life. I like that I can read a whole book, or several, without recharging.
The longer battery life is what makes the kindle so great for traveling. It can stand up to continuous use during a very long plane flight, days of trekking with no outlets in sight. That’s tremendously valuable.
By contrast, if I try using my phone for turn-by-turn directions, either I need an adaptor or I’d better not go very far, cuz I’ll have no help getting home.
I read on my Kindle Fire and iPhone with the Kindle app. The screen does not bother me too much, and I love that I can browse for more books with wi-fi. I do get a lot of e-books from our library, so I don’t buy too much every month.
Like several others, I’m all about e-ink for the sake of my eyes! I have a Kindle Paperwhite and I just love it. I read under my covers every night (if only they had these when I was a kid . . . ).
I own a Kindle keyboard, smartphone, iPad and I think I read most on my laptop (shrugs…).
I’m always on my laptop and its just more convenient to read on it that to dig around for another device.
My next device would probably be my smartphone.
I use my Kindle on trips and while travelling…. maybe once a month?
I read on my Kindle Touch and paper.
I like the Kindle Touch for basic reading, since it’s light, doesn’t necessarily require Wi-Fi, and has long battery life. I use my Kindle Fire for OverDrive ebooks that require non-Kindle formats (since you can enable it to read ePub and use OverDrive READ on its browser). Then, I prefer print for photo-heavy stuff, art books, and cookbooks (I’ve tried cooking from ebooks, and I’m sorry–it just doesn’t sing).