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Would you read an ebook on an iPhone? Why or why not?
The 'books' section of the iPhone App Store seems to be adding titles now at a much-increased pace. This suggests the book-apps are selling. How do YOU feel about reading on an iPhone versus a Kindle or a laptop -- or even just carrying around a real book? Best-considered and thought out reply gets the tip!
http://www.iphonebuzz.com/gallery/files/5/2/2/iPhone_ebook_2.jpg
http://www.iphonebuzz.com/gallery/files/5/2/2/iPhone_ebook_2.jpg
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My answer is that it depends on the book.
The first question we must ask is "what kind of book"? Most readers answering this question assume that the type of book one would read is a "traditional novel". There are other types of books which could be read on an iPhone.
The second question is what is meant by "read". One form of reading is linear reading, as in a novel, where one begins at the start, and reads to the end. Other types of reading would be non-linear, where one needs to look up a reference in a book, and perhaps read one or more sections for instructional purposes, etc.
The form factor of the iPhone does not make it well suited to reading traditional novels, due to its size, issues of eye-strain, and etc. However this does not mean that I wouldn't read any book on an iPhone. Here let me offer two examples of books that I would read on an iPhone.
The book "Letters from a Nut" by Jerry Seinfeld. This book contains numerous humorous letters which were sent from a fictional character to large corporations, and contains their often humorous responses. This book is quite entertaining to read when you have a few spare minutes and want a good laugh.
Another example of a book I would read on an iPhone is "Home Improvement 1-2-3", which I purchased from Home Depot. This book is a reference book for home improvement projects, and having such a book on my iPhone would certainly be handy when I'm running around the house fixing things up. Carrying around the large hardbound home improvement book is impractical, and often I want to simply search the reference to determine whether there it contains the advice. Searching on the iPhone would be much more convenient than thumbing through the pages searching in the contents.
The book "Truman", by David McCullough which contains well over one thousand pages, would be the counter example, and I would certainly not consider reading this novel on my iPhone.
Best, Rowan
The first question we must ask is "what kind of book"? Most readers answering this question assume that the type of book one would read is a "traditional novel". There are other types of books which could be read on an iPhone.
The second question is what is meant by "read". One form of reading is linear reading, as in a novel, where one begins at the start, and reads to the end. Other types of reading would be non-linear, where one needs to look up a reference in a book, and perhaps read one or more sections for instructional purposes, etc.
The form factor of the iPhone does not make it well suited to reading traditional novels, due to its size, issues of eye-strain, and etc. However this does not mean that I wouldn't read any book on an iPhone. Here let me offer two examples of books that I would read on an iPhone.
The book "Letters from a Nut" by Jerry Seinfeld. This book contains numerous humorous letters which were sent from a fictional character to large corporations, and contains their often humorous responses. This book is quite entertaining to read when you have a few spare minutes and want a good laugh.
Another example of a book I would read on an iPhone is "Home Improvement 1-2-3", which I purchased from Home Depot. This book is a reference book for home improvement projects, and having such a book on my iPhone would certainly be handy when I'm running around the house fixing things up. Carrying around the large hardbound home improvement book is impractical, and often I want to simply search the reference to determine whether there it contains the advice. Searching on the iPhone would be much more convenient than thumbing through the pages searching in the contents.
The book "Truman", by David McCullough which contains well over one thousand pages, would be the counter example, and I would certainly not consider reading this novel on my iPhone.
Best, Rowan
| Asker's rating: |
ciathegreat and budgallant had amazing answers also - tough choice. but rowantrollope wins the Mahalo Lincoln
No, small letters are harder to read and put strain on your eyes. Eventually, reading an entire book could cause a lot of damage to your eyes. It could actually cause astigmatism. Good luck though if you do.
What if you could enlarge the print? (many of the ebook apps allow you to 'unpinch' and expand the letters to almost fisher-price proportions)
Well, I'd consider it if the print was larger. But even so, I'd rather stare at a book and smell the paper and feel my dried out fingers than stare at a tiny little screen for hours on end. There is nothing really that great about staring at screens. I already have to do it all day at work(right now).
Plus, don't you just love the feel and smell and comfort of a good book?
Plus, don't you just love the feel and smell and comfort of a good book?
Not a chance! Yes, the text can be enlarged on the iphone, but even still, so few words will fit on the screen that you will be constantly scrolling. Could you imagine reading multiple pages on a screen that small?
I would absolutely love to read books on a kindle. Sadly they cost too much for my likes. Unfortunately, I have to resort to old fashioned paper.
I would absolutely love to read books on a kindle. Sadly they cost too much for my likes. Unfortunately, I have to resort to old fashioned paper.
Sure, why not! The only problem will be in about a year you will need to find a really good eye doctor since the print is so small.
Yes, I already read book on my BB and an iPhone has to be better than that Why? Convenience....the device serves as my connection to everything: phone, email, twitter, facebook, directions, GPS, alarm clock and.....books. I read before I go to bed and since it is a backlit, I don't bother my husband with a giant light on a giant book.
Will only read it if it's a short ebook or quick faq. Unless i'm really bored.
Still i prefer reading a good ebook on pc or laptop.
Still i prefer reading a good ebook on pc or laptop.
source(s):
My habits.
My habits.
I need to read constantly. I'd most definitely download a book for my phone. It would be a great fall-back for when nothing printed is in on hand. Wouldn't it be great to have a book in your pocket for unexpected waits? It would be fantastic to thumb your nose at the two year old Family Circle in your doctor's exam room.
I have tried both a Kindle and an iPhone and much prefer the Kindle. However, the iPhone is much more usable and also very readable.
no,
1. the screen is too small.
2. i'm waiting for the kindle 2
3. i'd like to be able to bookmark and annotate what i'm reading (with copy and paste)
1. the screen is too small.
2. i'm waiting for the kindle 2
3. i'd like to be able to bookmark and annotate what i'm reading (with copy and paste)
I already have. The Shakespeare app (free) has proven to be a good time-consumer when flying. I thought my eyes would hurt after, but they didn't!
Until I'm allowed to use it on an airplane below 10,000 feet; it's not a practical choice. That's the area where reading is about all you're allowed to do during a flight and I have to put the iPhone away when we get to that level.
I would not for several reasons....
1.) Keeping the screen lit will burn through battery pretty fast
2.) Small fonts are fairly pixelated and "zooming in" would require a lot of scrolling
3.) If I have my iPhone I'd rather use the device for video than reading
1.) Keeping the screen lit will burn through battery pretty fast
2.) Small fonts are fairly pixelated and "zooming in" would require a lot of scrolling
3.) If I have my iPhone I'd rather use the device for video than reading
I use Stanza to read my Ebooks. They work really well, particularly since you can utilize the tilt function.
Nothing ever beats the real deal, but when I have to conserve space on a trip or find myself trying to burn away some unexpected time, I prefer the Iphone.
Nothing ever beats the real deal, but when I have to conserve space on a trip or find myself trying to burn away some unexpected time, I prefer the Iphone.
No - the screen seems too small for me..
If I'm on the go, a book doesn't seem annoying enough to carry with me that I would use my iPhone.
If I'm on the go, a book doesn't seem annoying enough to carry with me that I would use my iPhone.
The screen definitely isnt as good to read off of as a Kindle. if i am going to start reading ebooks, its going to be on a dedicated ebook reader.
source(s):
articles about the kindle and other ebook readers (with pictures)
articles about the kindle and other ebook readers (with pictures)
I prefer to read on paper. I find it more difficult to read print on a screen. I read a study some time ago suggesting that it takes 25% longer to read the same information on a screen than it would to read on paper.
I enjoy reading as an experience - the weight and smell of the book, the ability to be totally immersed in it. I don't think I could achieve this reading on an iPhone. One key difference seems to be the capability for distractions - when reading a book, it isn't going to beep, flash, ring or give you the option to play a game.
I do see how it could be useful to have books on your iPhone if you had to travel light, or needed a sneaky way to distract yourself at a boring function! I'm not sure what the prices are on the App Store, but that could also be a pro - paying for the text rather than the entire item.
I've included a link to a blog kind of related to this topic that you might find interesting.
I enjoy reading as an experience - the weight and smell of the book, the ability to be totally immersed in it. I don't think I could achieve this reading on an iPhone. One key difference seems to be the capability for distractions - when reading a book, it isn't going to beep, flash, ring or give you the option to play a game.
I do see how it could be useful to have books on your iPhone if you had to travel light, or needed a sneaky way to distract yourself at a boring function! I'm not sure what the prices are on the App Store, but that could also be a pro - paying for the text rather than the entire item.
I've included a link to a blog kind of related to this topic that you might find interesting.
Tried it, but it does not work too well. There is too much strain on the eyes, limited titles, and too much scrolling. I would take a kindle any day.
Personally I abhor Apple and everything Steve Jobs stands for. Now that I've cleared the air on that point I would love to have something smaller than a laptop to read on. Something pocket sized, something portable. Fortunately that problem was solved ages ago with the soft cover book, Most books are 100% recyclable as are newspapers and magazines. If a person was stuck on being electronic, I suppose being able to read a book on your phone could be handy. Once you realize that the font is ultra small and you have to constantly scroll, the convenience isn't there though. Hope this helps.
I would if the zoom feature works, but I keep my reading to an 8 inch netbook Asus 900 perfect for PDF books -
Personally, when I read I prefer to have a physical book with paper in my hands. Books are not just about conveying information... There's a sort of tradition and intimacy involved in a good book... I wouldn't feel I truly "owned" the book if it existed solely as a collection of bytes on the screen of some computer or computer-like instrument.
Every book I have has a story behind it... every one. I can pick up a book and remember the store I purchased it at (many of which are no more), or remember the friend who handed it to me... saying "make sure you give it back when you're done" those many years ago.... (I'm joking here). A book... is marked by the reader... by each person who flipped those pages... It has a history. It carries with it a subtle echo of previous owners, as it ages, and is passed around or resold. A book is more than just the words within it's pages.
In some ways, the journey a book goes through, or the memory of the books acquisition... or just knowing that a loved one now gone, flipped through each discolored page of a now "ancient tome", puts you in connection with something other than yourself... an iPhone is not going to do that, and as the world moves away from books, into the cold arms of technology, I will still be here with the copy of Lord of the Rings my father was given by his father decades ago, until I too pass it on, and am remembered through it.
How could a collection of transient 1s and 0s ever hope to compare to something this personal?
Every book I have has a story behind it... every one. I can pick up a book and remember the store I purchased it at (many of which are no more), or remember the friend who handed it to me... saying "make sure you give it back when you're done" those many years ago.... (I'm joking here). A book... is marked by the reader... by each person who flipped those pages... It has a history. It carries with it a subtle echo of previous owners, as it ages, and is passed around or resold. A book is more than just the words within it's pages.
In some ways, the journey a book goes through, or the memory of the books acquisition... or just knowing that a loved one now gone, flipped through each discolored page of a now "ancient tome", puts you in connection with something other than yourself... an iPhone is not going to do that, and as the world moves away from books, into the cold arms of technology, I will still be here with the copy of Lord of the Rings my father was given by his father decades ago, until I too pass it on, and am remembered through it.
How could a collection of transient 1s and 0s ever hope to compare to something this personal?
source(s):
My appreciation for the journey, rather than just the destination.
My appreciation for the journey, rather than just the destination.
No - one because I don't own an iPhone, and 2 because I think I would go blind trying. Just too small to read a couple hundred page book.
No to reading books from the iPhone. It is adequate for quick answers from web available sources. The thought of having to unpinch and move through the text of a book on an iPhone is painful. Use of an iPhone to listen to podcasts speeches and perhaps even short stories or articles is appealing. But for reading the iPhone would be a poor choice especially when compared to the beauty of a book which you can read, reread, go back in and skip sections, make penciled notes in the margins and share.
source(s):
The sources used are my mind, brain and gut in this case.
The sources used are my mind, brain and gut in this case.
I think eye strain (not just from the size of the type, but from the fact it is a back lit screen) and battery life will mean that any novel type ebook reading on an iPhone is a novelty at best.
I don't think an iPhone is big enough to hold comfortably to read for long periods either. There is a good reason why books generally don't come smaller than that 'paperback size' and why the Sony eReader and Kindle aren't as small as the iPhone.
Shorter, dip-in-and-out reference material may do better, as long as search and navigation is handled well.
I don't think an iPhone is big enough to hold comfortably to read for long periods either. There is a good reason why books generally don't come smaller than that 'paperback size' and why the Sony eReader and Kindle aren't as small as the iPhone.
Shorter, dip-in-and-out reference material may do better, as long as search and navigation is handled well.
source(s):
Personal experience
Personal experience
I've never seen one of the e-ink screens so I can't compare. But, I'll draw a parallel: I have a GP2x games/pics/video handheld, I also have my iPhone loaded up with games/pics/video. This is because I *always* have my iPhone with me. There are times I won't be bringing the GP2x. So even when I'm at work in front of my perfectly capable work PC, I'll sometimes get out the iPhone for a relaxing break.
Similarly, if I'm stuck anywhere and just want to read or absorb data, it's the iPhone I'll most likely be turning to. I'm a cyclists so I travel light, and if I don't have a book to hand (or don't like the selection available) the iPhone is perfect for this. ..I might not use it for extended periods. But it's nice to have around.
The one time I'd probably avoid it is when it's late and I have tired eyes, or the light isn't very bright. Those shiny LCD screens are a bit bright in dark places.
Similarly, if I'm stuck anywhere and just want to read or absorb data, it's the iPhone I'll most likely be turning to. I'm a cyclists so I travel light, and if I don't have a book to hand (or don't like the selection available) the iPhone is perfect for this. ..I might not use it for extended periods. But it's nice to have around.
The one time I'd probably avoid it is when it's late and I have tired eyes, or the light isn't very bright. Those shiny LCD screens are a bit bright in dark places.
I wouldn't. The screen is too small to put enough information on the screen, and keeping the backlight up high enough for that long will certainly murder the battery.
Last week I tried to read the class material for my math class. So far I've just glanced over some magazines and ebooks. It worked amazingly well even though the material is full with formulas and stuff like this.
The biggest problem for me so far is that I can't use bookmarks and full text search in PDFs. And the iPhone becomes a little unresponsive if it's confronted with large PDFs. Besides that - sure I'll give it a try with a real book. Why? I do everything with my iPhone, so why not reading books on it? :-)
The biggest problem for me so far is that I can't use bookmarks and full text search in PDFs. And the iPhone becomes a little unresponsive if it's confronted with large PDFs. Besides that - sure I'll give it a try with a real book. Why? I do everything with my iPhone, so why not reading books on it? :-)
I found reading an eBook via my Palm Zire 71 to be a bit of a pain on account of the constant button pressing, the poor lighting of the monitor, and the small font size.
The iPhone seems to offer improved back-lighting, and the larger screen size would allow for a larger font, but what input device would you use to change pages? Perhaps a hand motion that mimics changing a page? I could buy that.
The iPhone seems to offer improved back-lighting, and the larger screen size would allow for a larger font, but what input device would you use to change pages? Perhaps a hand motion that mimics changing a page? I could buy that.
Depends on the situation. I probably wouldn't want to spend hours reading a whole book on an iPhone because of the screen size. Either the text would be small or I would be scrolling all the time (or probably both). There's no way around that.
But if I had a Kindle or similar device at home it would be nice to be able to pull up the book I'm reading and continue on an iPhone right where I left off if I had a few minutes free and did not have access to the Kindle at the time. An eBook that provided me with the right to read it on different devices is key here. I probably wouldn't buy an eBook just for the iPhone, but the ability to switch between a Kindle (or similar device) and an iPhone and back while reading would be a huge plus for me.
But if I had a Kindle or similar device at home it would be nice to be able to pull up the book I'm reading and continue on an iPhone right where I left off if I had a few minutes free and did not have access to the Kindle at the time. An eBook that provided me with the right to read it on different devices is key here. I probably wouldn't buy an eBook just for the iPhone, but the ability to switch between a Kindle (or similar device) and an iPhone and back while reading would be a huge plus for me.
I think it's a good idea for jet-setters who otherwise wouldn't be able to read that many books. But really, if you're that much of a jet setter, wouldn't you be able to carry around a laptop, a Kindle, or even... a BOOK?
There would have to be a better reader that you could adjust the word size. Then I would consider it...
I woudn't.
Why strain your eyes if you could just bring a book?
Why strain your eyes if you could just bring a book?
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