Comments on: Taming your $99 Sony Reader: How to make the screen more readable http://www.teleread.org/2007/07/13/taming-your-99-sony-reader-how-to-make-the-screen-more-readable-with-0-programming-time-needed/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:38:33 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.org/2007/07/13/taming-your-99-sony-reader-how-to-make-the-screen-more-readable-with-0-programming-time-needed/comment-page-1/#comment-460652 David Rothman Sat, 14 Jul 2007 19:11:14 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6824#comment-460652 Gerry, thanks for the helpful feedback. I love comments on specific usability issues! My own preference is pure black against paper white. Aesthetics are important, but I believe that usability is, too, and my eyes don't like gray against white, even <em>dark</em> dark gray. I like the if:book blog very much, but it find it harder to read, as a result of the grayish text. Carly feels the same way about gray--she wants high contrast and for this reason wonders how much she would like the present Sony Reader. But let me poll readers of the TeleBlog. Here's the suggested wording. <blockquote>What is the best way to display text on e-book hardware? 1. Absolutely black characters against a paper-white background. 2. Dark gray, rather than pure black text, against a paper-white background. 3. Completely black characters against a somewhat gray or greenish background. 4. Other combinations. Please specify in comments, if you don't mind.</blockquote> If you're happy with that wording, I'll go ahead. Others may comment, too--on the proposed poll, not the issue, which they can do later. Does the above wording leave out something? One thing I'm curious about is the extent to which formal design training influenced your thoughts on what is ideal. I'm not sure if the experts are always right. I'd rather go by what my readers are telling me. As I recall, you're the first to wonder if a modified Sony reader would end up with too much contrast (I may have forgotten some people's comments). Significantly the new Sony is supposed to have a 20 or 25 percent brighter screen. I wonder if that might bother you. I myself meanwhile am using bolded text on Word files to get around the low contrast on the present Reader. Each to his own, eh? :-) Thanks, David Gerry, thanks for the helpful feedback. I love comments on specific usability issues!

My own preference is pure black against paper white. Aesthetics are important, but I believe that usability is, too, and my eyes don’t like gray against white, even dark dark gray. I like the if:book blog very much, but it find it harder to read, as a result of the grayish text. Carly feels the same way about gray–she wants high contrast and for this reason wonders how much she would like the present Sony Reader. But let me poll readers of the TeleBlog. Here’s the suggested wording.

What is the best way to display text on e-book hardware?

1. Absolutely black characters against a paper-white background.

2. Dark gray, rather than pure black text, against a paper-white background.

3. Completely black characters against a somewhat gray or greenish background.

4. Other combinations. Please specify in comments, if you don’t mind.

If you’re happy with that wording, I’ll go ahead. Others may comment, too–on the proposed poll, not the issue, which they can do later. Does the above wording leave out something?

One thing I’m curious about is the extent to which formal design training influenced your thoughts on what is ideal. I’m not sure if the experts are always right. I’d rather go by what my readers are telling me. As I recall, you’re the first to wonder if a modified Sony reader would end up with too much contrast (I may have forgotten some people’s comments). Significantly the new Sony is supposed to have a 20 or 25 percent brighter screen. I wonder if that might bother you. I myself meanwhile am using bolded text on Word files to get around the low contrast on the present Reader. Each to his own, eh? :-)

Thanks,
David

]]> By: Gerry Manacsa http://www.teleread.org/2007/07/13/taming-your-99-sony-reader-how-to-make-the-screen-more-readable-with-0-programming-time-needed/comment-page-1/#comment-460633 Gerry Manacsa Sat, 14 Jul 2007 18:32:45 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6824#comment-460633 A paper white display would be nice, too, but in that case I would prefer dark gray text rather than pure black. A paper white display would be nice, too, but in that case I would prefer dark gray text rather than pure black.

]]> By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.org/2007/07/13/taming-your-99-sony-reader-how-to-make-the-screen-more-readable-with-0-programming-time-needed/comment-page-1/#comment-460363 David Rothman Sat, 14 Jul 2007 11:52:31 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6824#comment-460363 Gerry: Wowio on a Sony would be terrific, but I do hope you'll bold the characters enough. Of course, the best solution would be the IDPF specs, which would allow reflowable text---ideally in styles that users could choose, if they wanted to deviate from the default. Your preference for low contrast is interesting. The best solution would be user control over this, but failing that, I myself would prefer paper white. Thanks, David Gerry: Wowio on a Sony would be terrific, but I do hope you’ll bold the characters enough. Of course, the best solution would be the IDPF specs, which would allow reflowable text—ideally in styles that users could choose, if they wanted to deviate from the default.

Your preference for low contrast is interesting. The best solution would be user control over this, but failing that, I myself would prefer paper white.

Thanks,
David

]]> By: » Intel inside $100 laptop? | IT News Digest | TechRepublic.com http://www.teleread.org/2007/07/13/taming-your-99-sony-reader-how-to-make-the-screen-more-readable-with-0-programming-time-needed/comment-page-1/#comment-460153 » Intel inside $100 laptop? | IT News Digest | TechRepublic.com Sat, 14 Jul 2007 07:32:23 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6824#comment-460153 [...] Various sources have recently priced the simple Linux portables at $150-$175 each as a result of hardware upgrades, although the program recently said costs should reach the $100 goal soon, and drop further in short order thereafter. Those would make a dandy e-book reader, and put further price pressure on Sony’s e-book readers. [...] [...] Various sources have recently priced the simple Linux portables at $150-$175 each as a result of hardware upgrades, although the program recently said costs should reach the $100 goal soon, and drop further in short order thereafter. Those would make a dandy e-book reader, and put further price pressure on Sony’s e-book readers. [...]

]]> By: Gerry Manacsa http://www.teleread.org/2007/07/13/taming-your-99-sony-reader-how-to-make-the-screen-more-readable-with-0-programming-time-needed/comment-page-1/#comment-460027 Gerry Manacsa Sat, 14 Jul 2007 04:58:08 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6824#comment-460027 In a brief look at the Sony Reader, I actually liked the display quite a bit. I found the relatively low-contrast text to be easy on my eyes. The ambient light was bright and even, though, so it was not a very challenging test. I'm planning to buy a Sony unit for day-to-day use, so I'll be better able to evaluate it in real-life situations soon. In a brief look at the Sony Reader, I actually liked the display quite a bit. I found the relatively low-contrast text to be easy on my eyes. The ambient light was bright and even, though, so it was not a very challenging test.

I’m planning to buy a Sony unit for day-to-day use, so I’ll be better able to evaluate it in real-life situations soon.

]]> By: Robert Nagle http://www.teleread.org/2007/07/13/taming-your-99-sony-reader-how-to-make-the-screen-more-readable-with-0-programming-time-needed/comment-page-1/#comment-459546 Robert Nagle Fri, 13 Jul 2007 20:53:30 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6824#comment-459546 Preliminary thoughts on Sony Reader: Interface-wise, it's outstanding! I actually found the page turning to be not an issue. there is definitely latency issues with changing font size, but once you change, everything is ok. I was somewhat bothered by the contrast issue, but mainly when I only had light to my side. If you have a decent overhead light, this doesn't seem to be a problem. Ironically it's almost easier to read outdoors. It's easier to load a MS word/rtf file as a way to modify size. PDF's have limitations and html conversions are still unwieldly. I'll be playing with html2rtf next week and will report back. Still for $99 it's a bargain, and there are workarounds to many of the issues listed here. In the next two days I'll be posting a piece here about the Sony Connect store and my problems with it. Stay tuned! Preliminary thoughts on Sony Reader: Interface-wise, it’s outstanding! I actually found the page turning to be not an issue.

there is definitely latency issues with changing font size, but once you change, everything is ok.

I was somewhat bothered by the contrast issue, but mainly when I only had light to my side. If you have a decent overhead light, this doesn’t seem to be a problem. Ironically it’s almost easier to read outdoors.

It’s easier to load a MS word/rtf file as a way to modify size. PDF’s have limitations and html conversions are still unwieldly. I’ll be playing with html2rtf next week and will report back.

Still for $99 it’s a bargain, and there are workarounds to many of the issues listed here.

In the next two days I’ll be posting a piece here about the Sony Connect store and my problems with it. Stay tuned!

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