The Reading Vent & Rant Thread

[andyh2000]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Yeah. I saw lots of people using ereaders in the early years, before smartphones with large screens became ubiquitous. Now I never see them anymore. But I don't think it has anything to do with ereaders acquiring frontlight and a touchscreen. It has far more to do with the evolution of smartphones and tablets. And of course many younger people suffer from screen fatigue these days, having grown up and spending most of their time among aforementioned devices; they don't want to read a book on another screen, eink or not. That's a generational thing, I think - most diehard eink users are middle-aged and older, and have not spent their whole life staring at screens. Of course those younger people may change their mind about paper books, once they get older and their eyesight deteriorates - reading paper books will be more difficult then.

I'm in my 50s, have spent my life since age 12 staring at screens, and I by far prefer reading on my Kindle versus a paper book. They're so heavy and cumbersome, and awkward to hold in bed.

Andrew

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by andyh2000

I'm in my 50s, have spent my life since age 12 staring at screens, and I by far prefer reading on my Kindle versus a paper book. They're so heavy and cumbersome, and awkward to hold in bed.

Andrew

You had smartphones and tablets in your childhood?

Using a computer at work or in school was different - as a rule, people didn't stare at screens for most of their free time, like many do now. And there was no internet, Youtube or social media.

Children today stare at screens everywhere - in public transport, in stores, on the street, basically anywhere. That was certainly not the case 30-40 years ago

[Renate]

I was staring at Teletypes. I find eink much better.

[Sirtel]

Well, I'm also in my 50s and I saw my first computer when I was 25. Before that, no screens whatsoever, unless one counts the TV.

But then Eastern Europe was pretty much a technological backwater in those days, far behind the West.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Using a computer at work or in school was different - as a rule, people didn't stare at screens for most of their free time, like many do now. And there was no internet, Youtube or social media.

Children today stare at screens everywhere - in public transport, in stores, on the street, basically anywhere. That was certainly not the case 30-40 years ago

For what it may be worth, I spent much of my time 40 years ago staring at computer screens (1984) both at work and at home. They were a great improvement over a TTY model 33 and it's replacement the TTY model 43.

Admittedly, I was a proud owner/assembler of computers back in the 1970s. Fond memories of the SD Systems VDB 8024 video card with a custom character generator ROM emulating the Heath character set allowing my oldest to run various games.

As for internet, Youtube or social media? I remember using Compuserve and GEnie along with people's personal BBS systems in the early 80s. Then there was the birth of FidoNET in 1984. My BBS ran on various hardware incarnations for ~22 years from 1980 to 2002. Sadly no YouTube equivalent.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by DNSB

For what it may be worth, I spent much of my time 40 years ago staring at computer screens (1984) both at work and at home. They were a great improvement over a TTY model 33 and it's replacement the TTY model 43.

Admittedly, I was a proud owner/assembler of computers back in the 1970s. Fond memories of the SD Systems VDB 8024 video card with a custom character generator ROM emulating the Heath character set allowing my oldest to run various games.

As for internet, Youtube or social media? I remember using Compuserve and GEnie along with people's personal BBS systems in the early 80s. Then there was the birth of FidoNET in 1984. My BBS ran on various hardware incarnations for ~22 years from 1980 to 2002. Sadly no YouTube equivalent.

Yeah, but you're the exception rather than the rule.

Edit: I've noticed before that there is quite a large proportion of folks with IT background among longtime MR members. We need to remember that MR members don't really reflect the real life user base, as this site tends to attract lots of technophiles.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Yeah, but you're the exception rather than the rule.

I've always been exceptional! <turning sideways to try to fit ego through door...>

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I've always been exceptional! <turning sideways to try to fit ego through door...>

A hopeless task, I'd guess.

(My ego doesn't really fit in one room with any other people, so I feel your pain...)

[andyh2000]

Originally Posted by DNSB

For what it may be worth, I spent much of my time 40 years ago staring at computer screens (1984) both at work and at home. They were a great improvement over a TTY model 33 and it's replacement the TTY model 43.

Admittedly, I was a proud owner/assembler of computers back in the 1970s. Fond memories of the SD Systems VDB 8024 video card with a custom character generator ROM emulating the Heath character set allowing my oldest to run various games.

As for internet, Youtube or social media? I remember using Compuserve and GEnie along with people's personal BBS systems in the early 80s. Then there was the birth of FidoNET in 1984. My BBS ran on various hardware incarnations for ~22 years from 1980 to 2002. Sadly no YouTube equivalent.

Not quite the 70s but I had a ZX81 in 1981 followed by a Spectrum, Atari ST then PCs ever since. And I had a modem for the Spectrum so I've been on BBS's and their ilk for 40 years. So yes, I have spent quite a lot of time with my nose pressed to a screen over the years.

I guess we are unusual.

Andrew