Study: E-books take longer to read than print
It takes longer to read books on a Kindle 2 or an iPad versus a printed book, Jakob Nielsen of product development consultancy Nielsen Norman Group discovered in a recent usability survey.
The study found that reading speeds declined by 6.2 percent on the iPad and 10.7 percent on theKindle compared to print. However, Nielsen conceded that the differences in reading speed between the two devices were not “statistically significant because of the data’s fairly high variability” — in other words, the study did not prove that the iPad allowed for faster reading than the Kindle.
I question this
I just finished reading an entire book on a Sony Reader. I also read an entire book on an iPod Touch within the last month. With both books I was able to have an immersive reading experience. I have the font optimized for my comfort on each device. I wonder if in this study the readers were allowed to have time before the study to become acquainted with each reading platform and get them set up the way they liked them?
The study was also 24 participants. I know the article says that 10 is normal for a usablity study but they were doing more than a usability study. They are trying to make statistically significant conclusions with this small group size. I think the different reading times are just a reflection of how used to each type of reading interface the users were. People have all had a lifetime of experience with printed books so that is why they have the advantage in an initial study. If the participants had time to practice with an ebook and optimize the font I think these differences would disappear.
I noted this line in the article “Participants also complained about the weight of the iPad and the Kindle’s weak contrast.”
The bigger you make the font on the Kindle on the Sony the less the issue of contrast. I use a large font size on both these devices and have no problem with contrast.
Books Read
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