Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

User profile for user: anteros27
anteros27 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

I need honest oppinions on EYE STRAIN FROM IPAD

hello ,
I am planning to get an Ipad and I would use it lots to read.
Please tell me if you suffer from eyestrain, and also how long u read on it.
If you had KINDLE or other e-ink reader , tell me which one you think is better.
I appreciate all oppinions!

many thx
Anteros

I mac 24 inch , 3.06 gigahertz, Mac OS X (10.6.3)

Posted on May 31, 2010 7:57 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Tamara
Tamara
User level: Level 6
13,744 points

Posted on May 31, 2010 8:32 AM

Everyone's eyes are different. You'll get 10 people who say the iPad causes horrible eye strain and you'll get 10 people who say e-ink causes eye strain.

I've used both e-ink and lcd for reading and I found that without a bright light, e-ink gave me horrible eye strain. With LCD, I can adjust the brightness, color scheme, etc to give the most comfortable experience.
View in context
23 replies
Sort By: 
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Tamara
Tamara
User level: Level 6
13,744 points

May 31, 2010 8:32 AM in response to anteros27

Everyone's eyes are different. You'll get 10 people who say the iPad causes horrible eye strain and you'll get 10 people who say e-ink causes eye strain.

I've used both e-ink and lcd for reading and I found that without a bright light, e-ink gave me horrible eye strain. With LCD, I can adjust the brightness, color scheme, etc to give the most comfortable experience.
Reply
User profile for user: tincha
tincha
User level: Level 1
50 points

May 31, 2010 9:33 AM in response to cqprime

I got my iPad specifically to read books because I have a hard time focussing on small print and I get eye strain easily. In the past, I read extensively on Palm devices (both color and B&W displays). I have to say I am loving the iPad. I have books in iBooks, the Kindle app and now the BN app. The display is crisp and the backlight can be adjusted. The important thing for me is the ability to increase the font size. The Nite theme in the BN reader is great for reading in bed.
Reply
User profile for user: RonAnnArbor
RonAnnArbor
User level: Level 4
2,709 points

May 31, 2010 10:59 AM in response to anteros27

I easily get eye strain from reading anything on my laptop, and the iPhone has been ridiculous.

The iPad works great for reading -- no eye strain at all even after reading hundreds of pages of text at a sitting.

One thing to think about - it does have a touch of nausea associated with it if you get dizzy from movement on a computer screen. I have an inner ear problem that easily causes me to get dizzy from the type of movement of the pages on iPad -- it is not as bad with the ipad as it has been with my older Kindle...so I've been happy all around.
Reply
User profile for user: jshetley
jshetley
User level: Level 1
20 points

May 31, 2010 1:32 PM in response to anteros27

anteros27 wrote:
hello ,
I am planning to get an Ipad and I would use it lots to read.
Please tell me if you suffer from eyestrain, and also how long u read on it.
If you had KINDLE or other e-ink reader , tell me which one you think is better.
I appreciate all oppinions!

many thx


If you do a search on Kindle or eye-strain you will see lots of posts on this topic. This was widely commented on when the iPad first came out. That said, I have both a Kindle and an iPad. I have no eye strain at all. The iPad is just so much more useful and you can do so much more with it, that I never even use my Kindle anymore. I gave it to my daughter so she and I can share books now - I have the Kindle app on my iPad in addition to iBooks. If you get one you will love it.
Reply
User profile for user: Triple22
Triple22
User level: Level 1
15 points

May 31, 2010 8:28 PM in response to anteros27

Im sure its just like watching tv or sitting at a computer but if it came to reading on the iPad i would always read in the dark, never have a side lamp or bedroom light on because it makes my eyes strain. I always find it better when its pitch black and the only light is coming off the screen your looking at and i feel that i focus more on it. When your staring at a screen with the backlight on aswell as the room light it makes your eyes tired and achy, so dark room suits me fine 🙂
Reply
User profile for user: swandy
swandy
User level: Level 4
2,571 points

Jun 2, 2010 1:05 PM in response to rkkeller

I think that most people who are complaining about reading on the iPad have problems reading on backlit screens. (And there are a lot of people who legitimately have this problem.)
I had the Nook and now have the iPad - but I am not one of those who feel uncomfortable with a backlit screen - and have had no problems with reading either using iBooks or the BN or Kindle apps and I do a lot of reading books, magazines and newspapers on it.
Reply
User profile for user: Mel Queen of Evil
Mel Queen of Evil
User level: Level 1
0 points

Jun 6, 2010 2:22 AM in response to anteros27

I'm using it approximate 8 hrs a day as a study tool. I get eye strain but find changing the brightness fixes this. I find kindle the best because it has the best range of books. Can't seem to find my textbooks on anything else and still can't find them all. I'm normally a staunch supporter of anything apple so i'm surprised to find myself saying iBooks *****. I'd feel differently if I could find anything that had been published in the last 100 years on it. Or if i hadn't experienced the glitch where it deletes books all on its own and makes you redownload them. Lucky all i had on ibooks were free. Hopefully it will improve in time!
Reply
User profile for user: IanB
IanB
User level: Level 4
1,374 points

Jun 7, 2010 2:53 AM in response to anteros27

I can't comment on a Kindle hardware device but I am surprised to find that the iPad works well for me as a reader. I expected to miss holding a physical book and was concerned about eye strain. I find I must turn the screen brightness down quite a lot - particularly at night. You can do this directly in iBooks but I haven't yet found a way to do it in the Kindle app. WIth the brightness way down, it doesn't seem to strain my eyes.

The iPad's glossy screen can be a bit of a nuisance outside in the sun.

The Kindle store has loads more titles in it than iBooks but the shopping experience feels disjointed in comparison because you are sent out of the Kindle app to the website. Great thing about the iPad is that you can run both 🙂

As others have commented, the multipurpose nature of the iPad makes it a winner for me when compared to a fixed function reader.
Reply
User profile for user: snoopster57
snoopster57
User level: Level 1
0 points

Jun 7, 2010 10:55 AM in response to anteros27

I have Kindle 2 and iPad. Easier reading (no eye strain at all) on Kindle for extended periods...and lack of color doesn't matter except photos. Have to turn the iPad backlight way (60%)down for extended reading, does help with preventing eye strain, and I can read it without additional book light. Kindle much lighter to hold but I still prop it up! I have eye problems, so adjustable fonts mean I read 2x as much than before e-reader..even though I've always been a bookworm. Hope this helps.
Reply

I need honest oppinions on EYE STRAIN FROM IPAD

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.
Learn more Sign up