Must Read: No niche for iPad: Why I returned mine

Topic: Hardware

eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays

Summary: We test the iPad's IPS screen for e-book readability under a variety of lighting conditions versus the competition using Vizplex e-Ink.

Jason Perlow

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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.

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Topics: Hardware, iPad, Mobility

About

Jason Perlow, Sr. Technology Editor at ZDNet, is a technologist with over two decades of experience integrating large heterogeneous multi-vendor computing environments in Fortune 500 companies. Jason is currently a Technology Solution Professional with Microsoft Corp. His expressed views do not necessarily represent those of his employer.

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34 comments
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  • eReader Comparison

    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.
    mjd5995@...
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

      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
      Linux Love
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

      Forthcoming International e-bookstore
      Linux Love
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

      Compatible with public library file format so users can read library books on the Kobo
      Linux Love
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

      Books: ePUB, PDF and MOBI
      Linux Love
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

        Text: TXT, HTML and RTF
        Linux Love
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

        Comic Books: CBZ and CBR
        Linux Love
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

        My Pre with pReader installed works fine for me
        Linux Love
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

        Yes, this is iBooks shown at approximately 50 percent brightness ipad bag blog sutudeg short domain names pclos hwdb level.
        Linux Love
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

        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.
        Linux Love
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

        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.
        Linux Love
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

        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<a href="http://riotfest.net/"><font color="light&amp;height"> riotfest</font></a> know of knoledge <a href="http://www.netzaesthetik.com/"><font color="light&amp;height">netzaesthetik</font></a> good of the <a href="http://joysoft.net/"><font color="light&amp;height">joysoft</font></a>laptop keyboard that <a href="http://calciofc.net/"><font color="light&amp;height">calciofc</font></a> apple orange <a href="http://www.connectechporthuron.org/"><font color="light&amp;height">connectechporthuron</font></a> this is comparison.
        Linux Love
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

        What a load of crap - no wonder there's no<br>columnist signing his/her name to this thing - did<br>you get the tea lady to do it just before she went<br>home friday?<br><br>Not only is the comparison pathetic you can't even<br>get a truthful headline on the<a href="http://ipadbagblog.com/"><font color="light&height"> ipad bag blog</font></a> of best <a href="http://www.sutudeg.org/"><font color="light&height">sutudeg community</font></a> the modern <a href="http://wposfv.com/"><font color="light&amp;height">education news</font></a> and country story
        Linux Love
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

      Reading Life platform will win over some would-be Nook or even Kindle customers. Is Borders onto something here
      Linux Love
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

      eReader that is for sure.
      gorians
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

      iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink
      Juliety
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

    My Pre with pReader installed works fine for me :-)
    jayjurick
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

      Yes, this is iBooks shown at approximately 50 percent brightness<a href="http://ipadbagblog.com/"><font color="light&amp;height"> ipad bag blog</font></a><a href="http://www.sutudeg.org/"><font color="light&amp;height"> sutudeg </font></a><a href="http://www.short-domain-names.com/"><font color="light&amp;height">short domain names</font></a><a href="http://www.pcloshwdb.com/"><font color="light&amp;height"> pclos hwdb</font></a> level.<a href="http://ipadbagblog.com/"><font color="LightGrey"> k</font></a><a href="http://www.sutudeg.org/"><font color="LightGrey"> l</font></a>
      edward polling
      Reply Vote

  • WHERE'S THE SHOWDOWN?

    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.
    jsharbour
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Kindle App w/b vs Mighty Brite 2 (eReader screen showdown: iPad IPS LED Backlit LCD versus e-Ink Displays)

    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.
    pawwof
    Reply Vote
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