1. chaddeus's Avatar
    I love to read so I am thinking of buying a Kindle or a Playbook or even an ~7" Android Tablet but my concern is the LCD on those tablets.

    Those backlight LCD generally tends to make our eyes sleepy and I know Kindle E-Ink is the best out there for a book replacement but is it worth the compromise.

    So since Playbook has its "own" Kindle application (or will have its own official app), what do you guys think?

    Is reading on Playbook comfortable / bearable for a long time?

    - Charles
    03-05-12 08:02 PM
  2. VeniceBB's Avatar
    Gonna be totally honest with you; I absolutely LOVE my PlayBook. Love it. But personally, I still prefer my Kindle when it comes to reading. I prefer e-ink for reading, it looks and feels more like reading a 'normal' book. And there's also the battery and distraction factors.

    It's all about your personal preference though, I may prefer my Kindle for reading, but my brother is reading on his PB all the time these days
    03-05-12 08:07 PM
  3. berklon's Avatar
    Compared to an iPad or other 10" tablets, the Playbook is much better for reading due to it's smaller size and being lighter.

    However, nothing beats e-ink for reading. You cant go wrong with the latest Kindle, Kobo or Nook (e-ink, not tablets). A lot lighter, amazingly easy on the eyes and with much longer battery life. E-ink devices are cheap enough that you can buy it for reading books while also owning a tablet for everything else.
    03-05-12 08:11 PM
  4. Vorkosigan's Avatar
    I agree with the other posters. I love my playbook, but for reading I mostly use my sony prs600. It doesn't matter what app you use you just can't beat the e-ink screens.

    Having said that, it is nice to have the light up screen in certain scenarios and I like it for pdfs. But for pleasure or intensive reading I prefer the sony.
    03-05-12 08:21 PM
  5. BBplaybookJS's Avatar
    I use my playbook for reading constantly
    03-05-12 08:21 PM
  6. RoboticGolem's Avatar
    I've never read as many books as I do with the playbook. I side loaded the kindle app so I could have access to some manuals, a friend told me to read a book. Ever since, I read it on the bus, in bed before I fall asleep. In front of the tv when I'm 'watching' it with the kids.

    At night I've found turning the brightness down to the lowest is amazing. I can have all the lights off and it doesnt kill my eyes.
    DataWrangler likes this.
    03-05-12 08:22 PM
  7. chrismage's Avatar
    I love reading wirth my playbook , especially with the epub app.Most of my use for the playbook is reading, then games, then email and browsing.
    03-05-12 08:39 PM
  8. Bonnie Bonzai's Avatar
    I love to read so I am thinking of buying a Kindle or a Playbook or even an ~7" Android Tablet but my concern is the LCD on those tablets.

    Those backlight LCD generally tends to make our eyes sleepy and I know Kindle E-Ink is the best out there for a book replacement but is it worth the compromise.

    So since Playbook has its "own" Kindle applicatio

    n (or will have its own official app), what do you guys think?

    Is reading on Playbook comfortable / bearable for a long time?

    - Charles
    I have used the Kobo on my playbook, very easy, comfortable, love the corner foldover and easy to get back into the book when I have to put it down. I am still a book reader kind of person but the my PB is just fine to read from too.
    03-05-12 08:42 PM
  9. jhakkim's Avatar
    I'm primarily using my PB for reading while I travel weekly on planes. I'm still trying to find a good eReader app for my PDFs (currently just suffering with Adobe Reader), but I really enjoy it. I'm hoping the Kindle app is available in v3.3 soon (current bar file is 3.2.xx) since it should support PDFs.
    03-05-12 08:45 PM
  10. chaddeus's Avatar
    I seems to be leaning towards getting the Kindle but I dont want to miss out the functionality of a full time tablet .. Thats the dilemma here

    - Charles
    03-05-12 08:45 PM
  11. Robert Calhoun's Avatar
    I have the Kobo reader in night mode and it is very comfortable to me. I read every night before bed and I have read The Hobbit and I am almost done with The Lord Of the Rings I just bought them a month ago and the funny part is I'm not really a reader...
    03-05-12 08:49 PM
  12. Harryl6134's Avatar
    I started something when I bought a basic $79 Kindle, after having downloaded a couple of books to my laptop. Then my wife bought a Kindle Fire, and got a free 30-day Amazon Prime membership. Two weeks later, with OS2 and the $199 price, I got a PB 16 GB for my birthday. As you can tell, we've had some experience with the alternatives.

    To answer your question, I use the Kindle in bright sunlight (to avoid reflected glare) or when weight is a major factor. OTOH, I've read four times as much on the Playbook as I did on the Kindle, mostly lying in bed.

    The basic "experimental" browser on the lower-level Kindles are no match for the PB. Yhe Amazon app is an easy sideload, and will do everything but stream movies from Amazon or Netflix. I use the laptop for that, as the bigger screen is better for movies anyway!

    My advice: buy the Playbook!
    03-05-12 08:59 PM
  13. Blkacesvf41's Avatar
    I have used the Kobo on my playbook, very easy, comfortable, love the corner foldover and easy to get back into the book when I have to put it down. I am still a book reader kind of person but the my PB is just fine to read from too.
    I like using Kobo on my PlayBook too. It may not have all the features that Kindle has, but is good enough for me.
    03-05-12 09:26 PM
  14. veganberry's Avatar
    I love using my PB for reading. Not just ebooks, but that icon on web pages that lets you view the article in a book kinda way is cool. I find you can turn the backlight down so it doesn't bother your eyes.
    russ2903 likes this.
    03-05-12 09:40 PM
  15. castleruins's Avatar
    I love reading on my PB. I use the overdrive app with the screen brightness all the way down and the background page color can be changed to an off white. Font size can be changed also. I've never tried any other readers so can't compare but it actually beats paper... except for the new book smell I miss sometimes.
    ChrisMay likes this.
    03-05-12 10:00 PM
  16. mdarscott's Avatar
    Playbook saved my marriage. I like to read in bed before going to sleep but my wife can't stand the light on. We argued for years and tried every light. Now, with the Playbook, I read and she sleeps.

    For reading in low light or darkness you need a backlit screen. For reading by day though, I agree, eink is great. But you also have to consider what else you're going to use your device for. For the price of a kindle fire, I got an awesome tablet that does so much more.
    03-05-12 10:07 PM
  17. akstone's Avatar
    at the severe risk of dating myself, i do prefer reading on the playbook to the e-ink stuff. everytime i've seen that e-ink i have a throwback to palms that ran on AAA batteries way back in the day. just ugly as all get out. i still mostly use my dell axim x5 for an e-reader because it's so small and portable and it uses mobipocket (which reads virtually everything!) but i'm getting used to the playbook more and more.
    03-05-12 10:33 PM
  18. buffandsweet33's Avatar
    download Overdrive Media Console for FREE on the blackberry app world. great e-reader and e-books and audio books. plus it's free. huge selection of books to choose from!!
    alnamvet68 likes this.
    03-05-12 10:41 PM
  19. EricB1968's Avatar
    I love reading on my PB. I use the overdrive app with the screen brightness all the way down and the background page color can be changed to an off white. Font size can be changed also. I've never tried any other readers so can't compare but it actually beats paper... except for the new book smell I miss sometimes.
    I'm enjoying checking out library ebooks with the overdrive app also. When you get a chance, you should sideload the kindle app. Check it out. Nice features
    03-05-12 10:42 PM
  20. Fuzzballz's Avatar
    I absolutely LOVE my PlayBook. Love it. But personally, I still prefer my Kindle when it comes to reading.
    I agree with the other posters. I love my playbook, but for reading I mostly use my sony prs600.
    I'm curious why people had to preface their perfectly accurate assessments with statements that they "love" their Playbook?

    The thing I don't like about e-Ink is it's not as high-contrast as a book (IMHO) and I don't like how the screen flips negative and then positive when switching pages. Drives me up the wall. For extended reading you can't beat paper.
    03-05-12 10:44 PM
  21. rotorwrench's Avatar
    I'm a voracious reader. I've been carrying books on my phones since my Treo days. If I get stuck somewhere, waiting in line, at the airport, on the plane, anywhere, anytime I would whip out my phone and read. I was looking forward to a larger reading platform when I got my first tablet, but soon realized 10" was too large to be comfortably portable. I found myself treating it like a laptop.

    I was excited when I decided to get the PB and try it as a reader. I wasn't disappointed at all. I prefer a backlit screen to the ereader type screens, as well as the sharper contrast, adjusting the backlighting to fit my needs and I really dislike e-ink. I'm used to reading on my phones, so I felt right at home. I was use to Mobipocket, my favorite, and was hoping for it on the PB, but I've found Kobo to be a great reader app for me, with excellent selections for the genres I read. As to daylight reading, I've had no issues there either. But to be fair, I have never tried it before I put on the Zagg screen protector. I use my work PB outside quite a bit, reading tech manuals, writing notes and docs. Never been a problem. I think the PB makes a great reader, but to each his own.
    Last edited by rotorwrench; 03-06-12 at 12:47 AM.
    03-05-12 11:18 PM
  22. alnamvet68's Avatar
    In answer to the OP, immensely.
    rotorwrench likes this.
    03-05-12 11:19 PM
  23. alnamvet68's Avatar
    download Overdrive Media Console for FREE on the blackberry app world. great e-reader and e-books and audio books. plus it's free. huge selection of books to choose from!!
    Thanks for the tip.
    03-05-12 11:27 PM
  24. jgrobertson's Avatar
    I read most on about 40 depositions on mine.
    03-05-12 11:53 PM
  25. Hawkeberry's Avatar
    If reading is your main priority, get a kindle3. Playbook is nice to read and I like the white-gray gradient in kobo (it can also run kindle app sideloaded) and is great for reading indoors when the charger is nearby but like most backlit devices, it cannot compete with the kindle when it comes to sharpness or battery life or reading outdoors or to take it for a tour.
    03-06-12 12:24 AM
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