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

[ekbell]

Originally Posted by issybird

I'm with you. The easy converts have been made, many a long time ago. For everyone else? They've already got a device that'll do the job. Why spend $100, $200, more? on a single-use device? Especially for people who don't read much anyway -- that might be their book budget for a couple of years.

If my eyes were what they used to be, I'd probably just have a phone as well.

As it is I bought a tablet in order to use my favorite apps at a more comfortable screen size and can't bring myself to buy another device, when my tablet works just fine for reading in most circumstances. I don't get eye strain if I adjust the dimness and filters to suit me, and I'm rarely reading outside or spending much time away from a charging station.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by issybird

I'm with you. The easy converts have been made, many a long time ago. For everyone else? They've already got a device that'll do the job. Why spend $100, $200, more? on a single-use device? Especially for people who don't read much anyway -- that might be their book budget for a couple of years.

That said, coming off summer when I saw a lot of people at the beach and pool reading paper books (and really, my heart swells with fellow feeling, especially when it's a kid) I wonder why they haven't converted. But aside from the price, I think it's lack of hands-on exposure. At least in the US, you don't see the devices much in the wild and you'd have to make an active effort to seek them out in one of the few retail outlets that still sell them. Near me, it would be Best Buy or B&N, and that's assuming B&N have them in stock. People just aren't aware and I don't know how you make them aware. As for Amazon, its pages are so busy that people only see what they want to see. I think eink readers have something of the aura of a pager or a Blackberry -- antiquated tech with no relevance any more.

It's because of me, my mother switched to an eInk Reader. Also my in-laws are reading on an eInk screen because of me. But I don't know of anyone else I can convert from pBooks.

When I go on a cruise, I do see a lot of people reading with an electronic device. Kindle, Kobo, or some tablet. It does help not to have to lug however many pBooks with you. On a cruise ship, an eInk screen is perfect for sitting outside to read.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

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

I have to disagree. back then people spent a lot of time staring at a screen even if it was just a TV screen.

[JSWolf]

I got my first computer when I was 13. So I've been reading on a screen for most of my life.

[Sirtel]

But it's a fact I've heard young people talking about screen fatigue, while I've never heard middle-aged or older folks doing so.

I don't know, maybe it was different in the Western Europe and the US. Here no one I knew had a computer in the 70s and 80s, and most people didn't spend hours every day watching TV.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I have to disagree. back then people spent a lot of time staring at a screen even if it was just a TV screen.

And people forget that CRT type screens were from accelerated electrons striking the phosphors. The higher the voltage (needed because of bigger screens and color), the more x-rays. Leaded front glass reduced the risk if you were not really close.