Reading on the computer?

[Gaf]

I noticed in the free books thread, people were claiming to read online. I've tried this a little, but it seems like it just pains my eyes in an unimaginable way. When you do this, are there any tips for making it easier on the eyes? Position of the light in the room maybe? How often you take breaks to rest your eyes, and for how long? Changing the brightness on the monitor maybe?

It seems like a lot of good material has become freely and legally obtainable on computers now, but it's quite a bit different from reading a paper-back book.

Anyways, thanks in advance to any responses.

 

[Erica]

I don't know the answers sorry....
Free or not I can't see in pleasure in reading books from a screen and it must be very bad for your eyes.
I'm sure it would make me feel quite ill (I only have a full size PC)
Guess you would have to turn the brightness down to reduce the glare?
I would rather go without, plus there are so many books at great prices, not to mention 2nd hand
But it seems lots of people can and do...
Hope you get some tips

 

[Robert]

Most people don't blink enough when they read on a monitor. The result is that eyes dry out and get tired.

Try to blink more. It also helps to have something near your computer to moisturize your eyes. I keep a bottle of saline solution in my desk at work and by my computer at home for just that purpose.

 

[Zolipara]

You also need a decent graphics card and a decent monitor. Check the refresh rate on your monitor and get a graphics card with a clear 2d picture.

Other than that i can recommend not sitting too close to the screen.

 

[Erica]

Most people don't blink enough when they read on a monitor. The result is that eyes dry out and get tired.

Try to blink more. It also helps to have something near your computer to moisturize your eyes. I keep a bottle of saline solution in my desk at work and by my computer at home for just that purpose.

Your right, I have just noticed I seem to stare at monitor!
Great tip I will watch myself now... Must Blink more!!!! will take me a while to stop this silly stare!

 

[ions]

If you're reading from an HTML page copy all the text and dump it into a Word Processor. There you have more control over spacing, font and font size. For this reason stay away from most PDFs, it's a crap format and unless the PDFs are well made it'll only hurt your eyes.

As for monitors when I used to sell computers I would tell people to get the best monitor they could afford. They would never listen to me, no one ever does , and instead spend the extra money on a faster proc. Now they have cheap monitors and the proc difference is long forgotten.

If you get a CRT make sure you get something that can handle 1600x1200 at a decent refresh rate. For a TFT/plasma ensure a good 700:1 contrast ratio and a high a luminocity as you can afford. A good TFT is easier on the eyes than a crt if you don't cheap out.

All that said it does suck to read onscreen. I've started working on making a template in Writer that you can just dump text into and you would be able to print your book in the format of a novel with 8.5x11 paper. Then all you'd have to do is fold it up and it would be a comfortable read.

 

[Renee]

I've tried printing a few ebooks but the combination of the font, the whiteness of the paper, and the width of the pages take all the enjoyment out of reading. The bright white of the paper is the aspect that bothers me the most though.

 

[mehastings]

I can't do it. I lose focus too easily. I've printed books off of PG before, but honestly, I don't really dig that either. I'd just assume buy the book. It's usually worth the money I spend to actually get the book read conveniently.

 

[Kookamoor]

IMHO if you want free books the best source is the library. I spend many hours a day reading academic literature on the computer and if it weren't for the cost I'd print them off. Thank goodness for Adobe Professional which allows highlighting and commenting, or I'd go insane. I would never choose to read a novel on the computer in my leasure time. It's just not the same, and you can't get nearly as snuggled down and comfortable.

 

[ja9]

Most people don't blink enough when they read on a monitor. The result is that eyes dry out and get tired.
QUOTE]

Robert - do you know why that is? Just curious.

I read so much on a computer at work all day that the last thing I would want to do when I get home is fire it up again. Ugh!

 

[Geenh]

Paper works for me... I don't like reading books online. I like the smell and feel of a book in my hand and the fact that I can carry it everywhere with me. My addiction, I guess. Reading a book online (pr even a story or info.) cheats a bit. Just my opinion.

 

[Robert]

Most people don't blink enough when they read on a monitor. The result is that eyes dry out and get tired.
QUOTE]

Robert - do you know why that is? Just curious.

I read so much on a computer at work all day that the last thing I would want to do when I get home is fire it up again. Ugh!

I have no idea, ja9. I don't remember a reason given in any of the studies I read.

 

[AnnaRenae86]

Most people don't blink enough when they read on a monitor. The result is that eyes dry out and get tired.

Try to blink more. It also helps to have something near your computer to moisturize your eyes. I keep a bottle of saline solution in my desk at work and by my computer at home for just that purpose.

I think I'd rather just get the book.. who wants to worry about blinking when you're trying to read something good??

 

[letterHead]

I admit to reading a book on the computer. Just once. It was the first Tommy and Tuppence mystery by Agatha Christie.

Unfortunately, reading books this way prevents other people from using the PC. I find it a lot slower as well, for some reason. It is also dangerous to read in the bath.

I used the ebook reader from SpaceJock software (www.spacejock.com), which gave a nice parchment finish to the pages and softened the print a little.

 

[cabrasopa]

Doesn't quite look right sitting outside, on a train or bus with a monitor on your lap, books for me every time.

 

[ions]

The question isn't are books better or easier than reading a novel from a screen but how to cope with reading from a screen. Nor is it to justify why you would read from a screen opposed to a book or vice versa.

IF you're reading novels from a screen how are you coping? I just need to spend some time with Writer and get the paperback style printing figured out.

 

[wilderness]

Hey,
although I dont really like reading from a screen, I do it quite often because I read a lot of the internet. (Well duh)
I usually make the font larger so its a good and comfortable size, lean back in my comfy chair and read! You get used to it, it just takes time. Try to make yourself as further form the screen and as comfortabe as possible, and pretend your holding a novel.
Lani

 

[direstraits]

This is a very interesting topic for me, and I never tire to say what other people would just slug me for saying so many times before.

I've never heard of anybody personally (outside of this forum) who have admitted to liking reading a novel on a computer screen. I hate it, because I'm not in a comfortable posture and the mobility isn't there.

However I love ebooks, and I believe that the best way to read ebooks is via a PDA. It lets you bring it anywhere you want, it's comfortable on the eyes, you hold it like a book, you can read without the lights, you get instant definitions of words you don't know, you can search(!), and you can pack a lot more books into something so tiny. And as the free books thread shows you, you will never run out of books to read.

A couple of years ago Microsoft started giving away commercially available good quality ebooks each week for one summer. I downloaded a lot of them (including The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood), and bought a PDA because of it.

ds

 

[SFG75]

I noticed in the free books thread, people were claiming to read online. I've tried this a little, but it seems like it just pains my eyes in an unimaginable way. When you do this, are there any tips for making it easier on the eyes? Position of the light in the room maybe? How often you take breaks to rest your eyes, and for how long? Changing the brightness on the monitor maybe?

It seems like a lot of good material has become freely and legally obtainable on computers now, but it's quite a bit different from reading a paper-back book.

Anyways, thanks in advance to any responses.

I've tried as well, I can't do it for more than half an hour at a time. I'll stick with print and pulp.