eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays
by Jason Perlow | April 20, 2010 9:43pm PDT | Image 1 of 21
Previous | Next
iPad screen tests: iBooks App dim natural light
In our initial test we looked at the same blocks of text using an iPad against my current e-Reader, the SONY PRS-700, which is a 8-grey scale Vizplex screen of the previous generation. My living room only had natural lighting coming in from the sides of our bay window. This is iBooks shown at approximately 50 percent brightness level. I found that anywhere between 20 and 50 percent was about as high as you want to go in daytime ambient natural light. While not evident in this picture, the Vizplex screen is very easy to read in ambient natural light indoors.
Just In
RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)
My Sony PRS-505 much like the Sony 700 is an excellent reader day or night. No led lights are imbedded but I can live with that. For the price the Sony folks seem to have the best unit for an eReader that is for sure.
At just $129.99 for a touch-based e-book reader, not only does the Kobo device undercut the Nook Touch and the Kindle Wi-Fi by $10, it also offers the following features
Forthcoming International e-bookstore
Compatible with public library file format so users can read library books on the Kobo
Books: ePUB, PDF and MOBI
Text: TXT, HTML and RTF
Comic Books: CBZ and CBR
My Pre with pReader installed works fine for me
Yes, this is iBooks shown at approximately 50 percent brightness ipad bag blog sutudeg short domain names pclos hwdb level.
You guys are just wasting everyone's time with this BS, to get us to open up your ad-ridden pages without any real content.
wow a whole short paragraph and the showdown did not even include the raining champ Kindle? This was truly lame guys. You can do better you just have to realize you will lose viewers if you dump stuff like this on us.
You know, kind of like that thousands-year old thing called paper. You wouldn't read a book in low light. Why are you taking comparison shots with dim lighting? Take them outdoors for an accurate riotfest know of knoledge netzaesthetik good of the joysoft laptop keyboard that calciofc apple orange connectechporthuron this is comparison.
What a load of crap - no wonder there's no
columnist signing his/her name to this thing - did
you get the tea lady to do it just before she went
home friday?
Not only is the comparison pathetic you can't even
get a truthful headline on the ipad bag blog of best sutudeg community the modern education news and country story
columnist signing his/her name to this thing - did
you get the tea lady to do it just before she went
home friday?
Not only is the comparison pathetic you can't even
get a truthful headline on the ipad bag blog of best sutudeg community the modern education news and country story
Reading Life platform will win over some would-be Nook or even Kindle customers. Is Borders onto something here
eReader that is for sure.
iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink
My Pre with pReader installed works fine for me 
Yes, this is iBooks shown at approximately 50 percent brightness ipad bag blog sutudeg short domain names pclos hwdb level. k l
THIS IS A SHOWDOWN???!!! Where's the article? I'm fed up with these damn ZDNet non-articles. You guys are just wasting everyone's time with this BS, to get us to open up your ad-ridden pages without any real content.
wow a whole short paragraph and the showdown did not even include the raining champ Kindle? This was truly lame guys. You can do better you just have to realize you will lose viewers if you dump stuff like this on us.
e-Ink is a reflective technology. You know, kind of like that thousands-year old thing called paper. You wouldn't read a book in low light. Why are you taking comparison shots with dim lighting? Take them outdoors for an accurate comparison.
Sheesh... noobs!
Sheesh... noobs!
What a load of crap - no wonder there's no
columnist signing his/her name to this thing - did
you get the tea lady to do it just before she went
home friday?
Not only is the comparison pathetic you can't even
get a truthful headline on the story
columnist signing his/her name to this thing - did
you get the tea lady to do it just before she went
home friday?
Not only is the comparison pathetic you can't even
get a truthful headline on the story
For all those nerd-raging over the lack of an article.... these are pictures pulled from the original article, which was probably the best real comparison between eInk and Ipad reading on the net to date.
/facepalm
/facepalm
@SlithyTove wow a whole short paragraph and the showdown did not even include the raining champ Kindle? This was pembe maske energy balance oyna oyunu moliva orjin krem tutune son nanomatik complex 41 new fx15truly lame guys. You can do better you just have to realize you will lose viewers if you dump stuff like this on us.
With all the negativity I just had to check all pictures to see if it actually is as bad as you all say.
I've grown accustom to the crappy writing here so I guess it doesn't bother me that much anymore? It didn't seem too horrible. There were a few tid bits of information in there. Lighten up guys.
I've grown accustom to the crappy writing here so I guess it doesn't bother me that much anymore? It didn't seem too horrible. There were a few tid bits of information in there. Lighten up guys.
This gallery accompanies an extensive article with an identified author (Jason Perlow) and much more than "one short paragraph". Next time, I suggest you take a few seconds to look around to make sure that you haven't overlooked anything before you launch the tiresome tirade about "missing content" that's right in front of your nose.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/perlow/?p=12719&tag=content;wrapper
http://blogs.zdnet.com/perlow/?p=12719&tag=content;wrapper
I arrived at this gallery from a gallery link in the ZDNet daily email. There is a "read more at ZDNet Tech Broiler" link below the text that is below the image. But the wording suggests you will end up at a department landing page from which one would expect many articles are linked. The link does not look like a specific link.
None of the text visible between the title link at the top and the talkback buttons at the bottom mentions an author by name.
I did not follow any link from the gallery except the talkback "Flat view" link.
I don't see a prominent link that clearly says, "read the story" on the gallery page that I started on.
I don't see any personal names much less an attribution to an author or photographer on the gallery page that I started on. The text below the photo is written in the first person and has no links.
Any links to any other text are either at the bottom of the page out of sight, or suspiciously generic.
None of the text visible between the title link at the top and the talkback buttons at the bottom mentions an author by name.
I did not follow any link from the gallery except the talkback "Flat view" link.
I don't see a prominent link that clearly says, "read the story" on the gallery page that I started on.
I don't see any personal names much less an attribution to an author or photographer on the gallery page that I started on. The text below the photo is written in the first person and has no links.
Any links to any other text are either at the bottom of the page out of sight, or suspiciously generic.
Funny that the link in the e-mail that I received was correct. Nonetheless, there is the link to the main article below the gallery. It says "Click here to read more" which makes it obvious that it's a link and IMO the reasonable expectation is that it leads to related information, which is exactly what it does.
Even if the link in the e-mail that you and others received was incorrect (again, mine was correct), your faulty assumption about the purpose of the gallery's accompanying link doesn't invalidate its presence or purpose. I still contend that the "missing content" was right in front of your nose and even a minimal effort to find it would have gotten you there.
Even if the link in the e-mail that you and others received was incorrect (again, mine was correct), your faulty assumption about the purpose of the gallery's accompanying link doesn't invalidate its presence or purpose. I still contend that the "missing content" was right in front of your nose and even a minimal effort to find it would have gotten you there.
Thanks for the comparison... I have a Kindle and use
it to read the majority of the time. I also have an
HP tablet pc (tc1100) that has similar screen specs to
the ipad. I have the Kindle app loaded on it, and it
works like a charm. However, it would never be my
primary reader for the same reason you mention. I do
plan on getting an ipad (holding out for the 3G
version) and I like the fact that the kindle reader is
available on it (since I already own so much content
on it). Like the iphone, I may occasionally use it to
read, but it won't be my primary reader. e-ink is
about as close to paper as it gets at this time, and
it makes a difference during long reads.
it to read the majority of the time. I also have an
HP tablet pc (tc1100) that has similar screen specs to
the ipad. I have the Kindle app loaded on it, and it
works like a charm. However, it would never be my
primary reader for the same reason you mention. I do
plan on getting an ipad (holding out for the 3G
version) and I like the fact that the kindle reader is
available on it (since I already own so much content
on it). Like the iphone, I may occasionally use it to
read, but it won't be my primary reader. e-ink is
about as close to paper as it gets at this time, and
it makes a difference during long reads.
Your photos stink. Poor comparison and you didn't even mention the NOOK. Surprised you still have a job
Has the same exact Vizplex 16-gray scale screen
as the Kindle 2. There was no point in doing
additional readability tests with it. This was
not intended to be a test against specific
models of devices but the type of screen
technology being employed.
We chose two e-Ink screens using technology that
was used in the majority of readers today, which
is 16-gray and 8-gray.
As for the photos, I apologize for them not
being of professional quality. They are meant
for illustrative purposes only.
as the Kindle 2. There was no point in doing
additional readability tests with it. This was
not intended to be a test against specific
models of devices but the type of screen
technology being employed.
We chose two e-Ink screens using technology that
was used in the majority of readers today, which
is 16-gray and 8-gray.
As for the photos, I apologize for them not
being of professional quality. They are meant
for illustrative purposes only.
The eInk was invented because reading from a backlit display is significantly WORSE for the eyes - unless you use it just for reading an half page of review about a new electric can opener :P Same reason because I, while having a 9" screen netbook, preferred to buy a dedicated device with a smaller screen. No way an actual LCD display is better - sorry but this goes well beyond "x brand is better y brand".
I read my e-books (and Powerpoints for school when saved as JPEGs) on the Touch. Works great for me. Backlight is adjustable for bed or living room or train. Pocket sized. I'll buy an iPad when it gets printing. I'll buy a Kindle 2 wi-fi soon.
Apples and oranges (no pun intended). You read a lot in low light? Get a tablet with a backlit LCD screen. You read outside or in bright light slot? Get a kindle.
I read for hours on end on my iPad 2 and alternately on my iPhone 4 when I'm out and about. The brightness is adjustable right in iBooks. If you can surf the web and read articles for hours at a time an a backlit LCD on a PC you'll be fine with an iPad. On which you can surf the Internet for hours on end when you're between books.
I read for hours on end on my iPad 2 and alternately on my iPhone 4 when I'm out and about. The brightness is adjustable right in iBooks. If you can surf the web and read articles for hours at a time an a backlit LCD on a PC you'll be fine with an iPad. On which you can surf the Internet for hours on end when you're between books.
Join the conversation!
The best of ZDNet, delivered
ZDNet Newsletters
Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox
Vendor Showcase
