Smallest e-Ink screen for you to use as primary e-Reader? 4.7" (YotaPhone 3) enough?

[tuskin]

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

Well I started out reading ebooks on a Palm m100 using mobipocket ebook software.

I looked up the m100 specs and the display was 2.8 inches diagonal. My eyes were MUCH younger then

Yep, me too. At the moment I read mainly on a Nokia Lumia 930. Remember, it's not about the size, but the satisfaction.

tuskin

[Quelch]

Originally Posted by tuskin

Yep, me too. At the moment I read mainly on a Nokia Lumia 930. Remember, it's not about the size, but the satisfaction.

tuskin

LOL
That's what I tell my wife !

[avid01]

Thanks for your feedback so far!

Any experience reading on an exact 5.5" (16:9) screen - iPhone 6 Plus or similar? Actually, this is what I am planning; getting the bigger size iPhone, one less gadget to carry (Kindle) for an on-the-go experience.

5.5" 16:9 is the same height as 6" 4:3, though narrower by 1/4 of a magnitude. Small compromise, might work out for me, but any experience with this on your side?

I have to add I mostly read nonfiction, difficult texts -> slower, with lots of dictionary use (English texts for a nonnative speaker) and note taking.

On a side note, I read some online reviews, iPad Mini (330g weight) vs. Kindle (170g), stating the iPad Mini is just too heavy for holding in one hand over 30 minutes (think public transport), the Kindle weight is just perfect for this. The iPhone 6 Plus is about the same weight as the Kindle.

[sadowski]

5" -- pocketable and just the right balance between the amount of text and size.

Unfortunately YOU (the majority) seem to prefer 6", 7", etc. Thus, the nice 5" ones seem to be close to extinction by now.

[ZodWallop]

I like the six inch screen that is most common for e-readers. It's close enough to mass market paperback size for me, which is what I mainly read pre-Nook.

I wasn't a fan of those tall paperbacks they tried pushing for a while. Remember those?

I wouldn't mind thinner bezels to shrink the device size, but I wouldn't want a bezel-less reader. My phone has no bezel. Sure it looks cool, but it can be a pain.

[Larken]

Personally, I don't think screen size matters as much as font clarify and screen contrast. Like the fella who started reading on a Palm handheld, I also started reading on a Palm m515 using PalmReader. It had a 3" screen and 320x320 backlit. So screen size, for me, would take a backseat to font clarify, screen contrast and also portability. I like my Glo HD because it fits in my back pocket.

[cfrizz]

I read on my 5".5 Samsung Note 2 very easily during my commute to and from work and during my lunch break.

I use my Samsung 5" media player as my traveling reader/music player. I bought a used Blu 5" HD phone as a back up reader in case the one above dies. It has a replaceable battery.

I wouldn't go below 5" for a reader.

[GlenBarrington]

I CAN, and do, read on my Samsung Galaxy S5 but when it came time to replace my 1st gen Kindle Fire, I selected a very generic 10 inch Lenovo Android Tablet.

I've found the two column display on the Kindle app and the Moon reader + pro readers, when held in landscape mode, generate two columns that are each roughly equivalent in size to my 7 inch Kindle fire. I find this a most satisfying way to read.

In spite of the extra weight of the 10 inch device, it was really designed to be held in landscape mode and when done so, the extra weight is not noticeable to me.

But then again, I am a huge, powerful man who eats live bunny rabbits for breakfast.

[LovesMacs]

For what it's worth, my iPhone 6 has become my primary reading device out of sheer convenience. It's not ideal in full sunlight but then again I'd choose something else if I planned prolonged reading in the sun.

The bigger concern is battery life. If you all you do on the phone is read, you should be fine. If you take a lot of pictures, that really eats up the battery.

I'm quite tolerant of backlit screens, and I used to read on smaller screens, so my experience may not reflect yours.

[fozzedout]

Reading on my LG G3 (5.5") is like reading a news paper column - long and thin.

I find that reading on any device you can become acclimatised to. Just read a good book, and the device disappears.

I have to admit, I too started reading with my Handspring Palm with back light... I miss the days of the old great scale LCD matrix screens... Massive battery life, instant page turns, multipurpose devices.

Why are they (the old lcd screens) no longer around?

[LadyKate]

Originally Posted by Larken

Personally, I don't think screen size matters as much as font clarify and screen contrast. Like the fella who started reading on a Palm handheld, I also started reading on a Palm m515 using PalmReader. It had a 3" screen and 320x320 backlit. So screen size, for me, would take a backseat to font clarify, screen contrast and also portability. I like my Glo HD because it fits in my back pocket.

A question about the Glo... I was looking at reviews and they were not very good in terms of life. How are you finding yours and how can you put it in your back pocket without breakage?

The Glo is an eink device isn't it?

[meeera]

Originally Posted by LadyKate

A question about the Glo... I was looking at reviews and they were not very good in terms of life. How are you finding yours and how can you put it in your back pocket without breakage?

The Glo is an eink device isn't it?

There's a Kobo Glo in my family that's been going back and forth to school in a 11-12 year old's backpack without being broken. Always in a case (Gecko Slimfit), with warnings to care for it well.

Never put an ereader in a back pocket; that's a recipe for disaster. The worst thing you can do is twist/flex an e-ink device, which has a very thin glass substrate. Put it in a good case, don't expose it to temperature extremes, treat it with significantly more care than you do a smartphone or tablet, and it can last for years, until the battery eventually gives up the ghost. This goes for all e-ink devices, not just Kobo.

[Larken]

Originally Posted by LadyKate

A question about the Glo... I was looking at reviews and they were not very good in terms of life. How are you finding yours and how can you put it in your back pocket without breakage?

The Glo is an eink device isn't it?

Mine is a Glo HD as opposed to the standard Glo. I've had nothing but great battery life, assuming that's the "life" to which you are referring. My backlight is normally off or about 50%. I charge it every few weeks, which is no where near the two month projected life, but I read much more than their average estimate.

As for how I carry it in my back pocket, I don't sit on it. I remove it when I sit down. I am using the Kobo Sleep Cover, which is so slim, I can fit it right into the back pocket of the Dockers I wear to work. It is just slightly too wide to fit into the back of my Levi's though. If I walk to lunch, back pocket carry is convenient because it keeps my hands free for food and drink. Also, it helps when I want to inconspicuously bring it into a meeting.

And yes, it has an e-ink screen. I can't tolerate reading for long periods on an LCD/LED/AMOLED screen.