4 ms·

Years ago, when laptops where over $1000, an ebook reader for under $299 was a good idea. Netbooks changed the game...

kqr2 18y ago
I have a laptop and a kindle and much prefer the kindle for reading. The display is more paper like and can be read in bright day light. Also, battery life is superior. I only need to charge it maybe once a week. My main problem with the kindle is that it can't read pdfs natively.
ryanwaggoner 18y ago
Do you regularly read full-length novels on your laptop?
- jerf 18y ago
  Not infrequently. There's a lot of "personal taste" involved in this domain. Some people can't seem to stomach reading for a long time on anything short of a Kindle, whereas I used to read Project Gutenberg books on my 160x160px monochrome Palm Pilot with reasonable comfort. I understand the personal taste in general but have always been surprised by programmer's problems with electronic displays. Reading a novel is way easier than reading code. If you can handle reading code, surely you can deal with a novel... but again, personal taste.
  - jodrellblank 18y ago
    You think widely available eInk displays will bring improvements in code?
    - jerf 18y ago
      That's the exact opposite of what I think. If you can read code on a monitor, surely you can read a novel. (Personal taste! Personal taste! Don't flame me!)
      - jodrellblank 18y ago
        Yes I see that - but if people who don't want to read a novel on screen, yet who code at the moment, could use a new display that they would read a novel on happily - would that also bring any improvements to their coding?
        delackner 18y ago
        Clearly you are all missing the insight here: where are our widescreen e-ink displays for writing code? Who needs color? Just give me paper-like readability and bold and italic.
        glymor 18y ago
        where are our e-ink displays for writing code They take too long to refresh.
        delackner 18y ago
        You're so right. I just finally looked at a youtube video of the display tech in the new kindle (the "broadstreet" version of e-ink) and it is indeed far slower than is necessary even for simple text editing.
        jerf 18y ago
        Ah, I see, you seriously meant that as a question, not a comment. Sorry. I think I'd have to defer to a scientific study. I tend to doubt it, though; just as "typing speed" is rarely the coding impediment, I doubt "screen quality" is very much anymore. (Though it sure was in the bad old 640x480 days...)
misterbwong 18y ago
Upped because I am facing this exact perdicament. I like the idea of having a "take anywhere" device that actually performs well as a book substitute. But, I am also tempted by the netbooks because they can perform this same function (albeit, poorly) and do so much more for the same price. I guess it comes down to where your priorities lie.

kqr2 18y ago

I have a laptop and a kindle and much prefer the kindle for reading. The display is more paper like and can be read in bright day light. Also, battery life is superior. I only need to charge it maybe once a week. My main problem with the kindle is that it can't read pdfs natively.

ryanwaggoner 18y ago

Do you regularly read full-length novels on your laptop?

jerf 18y ago
Not infrequently. There's a lot of "personal taste" involved in this domain. Some people can't seem to stomach reading for a long time on anything short of a Kindle, whereas I used to read Project Gutenberg books on my 160x160px monochrome Palm Pilot with reasonable comfort. I understand the personal taste in general but have always been surprised by programmer's problems with electronic displays. Reading a novel is way easier than reading code. If you can handle reading code, surely you can deal with a novel... but again, personal taste.
- jodrellblank 18y ago
  You think widely available eInk displays will bring improvements in code?
  - jerf 18y ago
    That's the exact opposite of what I think. If you can read code on a monitor, surely you can read a novel. (Personal taste! Personal taste! Don't flame me!)
    - jodrellblank 18y ago
      Yes I see that - but if people who don't want to read a novel on screen, yet who code at the moment, could use a new display that they would read a novel on happily - would that also bring any improvements to their coding?
      - delackner 18y ago
        Clearly you are all missing the insight here: where are our widescreen e-ink displays for writing code? Who needs color? Just give me paper-like readability and bold and italic.
        glymor 18y ago
        where are our e-ink displays for writing code They take too long to refresh.
        delackner 18y ago
        You're so right. I just finally looked at a youtube video of the display tech in the new kindle (the "broadstreet" version of e-ink) and it is indeed far slower than is necessary even for simple text editing.
      - jerf 18y ago
        Ah, I see, you seriously meant that as a question, not a comment. Sorry. I think I'd have to defer to a scientific study. I tend to doubt it, though; just as "typing speed" is rarely the coding impediment, I doubt "screen quality" is very much anymore. (Though it sure was in the bad old 640x480 days...)

misterbwong 18y ago

Upped because I am facing this exact perdicament. I like the idea of having a "take anywhere" device that actually performs well as a book substitute. But, I am also tempted by the netbooks because they can perform this same function (albeit, poorly) and do so much more for the same price. I guess it comes down to where your priorities lie.