Gadgets and gizmos

If you watched the Gadget Show on 5 the other night then you’ll have hopefully been as impressed with the e-readers as we were, and as impressed as Nigel Havers obviously was. While we, in the UK are left waiting for a decent device to be released it’s worth taking the time to look at the fantastic technology behind e-readers. Far from being miniature computer monitors, an e-reader uses e-paper instead.

The human brain struggles to read text on monitors. We read slower and comprehend less information when we read on a computer monitor than we do on paper, and the difference is actually a significant one. As well as the problems with monitor lighting, screen glare and dodgy resolutions hamper our ability to read effectively in this way.

E-readers use electronic paper, which looks and reads much more like normal paper. Plus, it has the convenience that you don’t have to carry your Dell desktop to bed with you, or lug it around in your hand luggage when you jet off on your hols.

Getting back to the Gadget Show coverage, the Sony ereader easily looked the best of the three and apparently handles better. The DRM and Sony format issue could hamper it severely though but we’ll just have to wait and see.