For the digital readers, on which platform do you read and why?

Phone, eReader, tablet, iPad etc.

I personally have been reading on my iPhone but it feels a bit… off lately. Can’t pinpoint what exactly it is.

Was thinking to purchase a tablet or eReader but uncertain which one and if they’re worth to get for only reading.

EDIT: Thanks for all the responses! I’ll look into them all!

  • Thalfon@sh.itjust.works
    3·
    2 years ago

    Another Kobo user, I have the Clara HD. I like having an eInk device for ease on the eyes, it has a good backlight with a natural light setting for warmer usage at night which is nice.

    I suspect most basic ebook readers would be similar. I just wanted something feature-light that was purely for reading.

    I did specifically want to avoid Amazon. Basically every other retailer uses the same ebook format: Epub, either DRM free or with Adobe Digital Editions DRM. This means most ereaders can use books from most retailers. The exception is Amazon - they use their own proprietary format with its own DRM to lock you into the Kindle ecosystem. Kindles can now read non-Amazon ebooks but non-Kindles can’t read Amazon ones due to this. I find that particularly scummy and want nothing to do with supporting it, especially when most books I buy through Kobo or other sites are completely DRM free by comparison.

    (There are ways to get Amazon books you own onto other devices in a pinch if you do some searching. Questionable legality, even if you own the book, which is crazy to me, but it’s not impossible. Amazon has been updating their DRM against it, but it’s still doable.)

  • ghost_laptop@lemmy.mlM
    41·
    2 years ago

    I have an e-reader and for me it’s something else, I have access to basically all of what LibGen can offer me so it expanded my reading possibilities a lot more, and it is way more comfortable than reading on the PC since there are countless distractions there. I would go with a Kobo, that’s what I have, since Amazon is a lot more shitty in terms of privacy, but I can’t say much more than that.

  • AnonStoleMyPants@sopuli.xyz
    2·
    2 years ago

    I read through Kobo app, and Libby on my phone, and I also have a Kobo e-reader (I think it’d Clara but not sure). I actually use my phone more than the reader though, just because I always have it with me. Both are great imo!

  • Serval@sh.itjust.works
    2·
    2 years ago

    I have a Kobo eReader (idk the specific model) and it has many advantages:

    • Since its only purpose is reading, the battery lasts a lot more than the phone’s one. I usually charge it once a week. (A side effect of the single purpose thing is that there are no notifications, so there are less distractions too).
    • You can read no matter the light conditions, both in the dark and in intense light.
    • The screen is larger than a phone’s one, yet the eReader itself is small enough to fit most pockets.
    • I have no problem reading on the phone, but some people feel that their eyesight tires more easily than on paper. Apparently eReaders fix this.
    • It has an embedded offline dictionary and you can download more in other languages.

    Some cons are:

    • There is no dark mode, at least on my model.
    • The screen, because of its being different from the phone’s, is only black and white.
    • To upload books I didn’t buy through the Kobo store I need to connect the eReader to a computer. However, it has a lot of memory, so you can upload all the books you may want to read and you won’t need to touch it for months.
    • It’s quite slow. Normally I don’t even notice it, but it’s very annoying if I want to read PDFs where I need to zoom in.
    • I don’t know if it’s a problem of my device, but it’s also slightly buggy. Again, it’s not a thing I usually notice, just when I need to highlight something or take notes. It shouldn’t be a problem if you use those features only once in a while, otherwise I suggest to keep close to you the phone/notebook for your annotations or to use a more comfortable device.

    I hope this helps :)

  • renant@lemmy.world
    1·
    2 years ago

    I use an Android Tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e). Most of my reading is through the Libby app and Google Play Books.

    An Android tablet is overall a more versatile device. I can also use it to browse the web and watch Netflix (especially while traveling). The downside is it’s on the larger side (10 inch). Would love to get a smaller 7 or 8 inch tablet, but the specs for those are usually really low end. Like not even a 1080p screen.

  • learnbyexample@programming.devEnglish
    1·
    2 years ago

    I bought a Kindle but hardly ever use it. I was using the web app on my large desktop monitor and I found that comfortable (especially the solarized-like theme) compared to the Kindle device.

  • Wren@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    1·
    2 years ago

    I alternate between an ipad and my phone, depending on the situation

    Kindle Paperwhites are amazing for reading, if you’re thinking about getting one. I really miss mine. I got so much more reading done with my paperwhite than anything else

  • zakomo@beehaw.org
    1·
    2 years ago

    I had a kindle and now I have a Kobo, I still read oj my phone if I get stuck somewhere and I don’t have my e-reader with me, but e-readers are so much better. Less eye strain, less distractions from notifications or random thoughts. IMO if you read more than a book a year you probably should have an e-reader. Just my 2 cents.

  • emma@beehaw.org
    1·
    2 years ago

    My tablet, in part because I didn’t expect to take to ebooks so well (yay dark mode!) and because I don’t want more devices (cost to the environment + need to keep charged etc). An e-ink I can also listen to podcasts on might be my ideal. I use a laptop for social media and general internetting, which means minimal distraction problem on the tablet.