iPad versus hardcopy book

A German study has shown some elderly people can read three-times faster on iPads than using traditional books as the tablet’s screen reportedly helps them to process the information on the page.

Despite previous criticisms the LED screen “hurts” the readers’ eyes, the team from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz disputed claims traditional books were “easiest on the eyes”.

Volunteers who participated in the study were asked to read different texts of varying difficulty levels on tablet computers such as Kindles and iPads, and then on traditional paper book.

Reading behaviour was measured by tracking volunteers’ eye movements and monitoring levels of electro-physical brain activity.

Professor Stephan Fussel, who was one of the study’s lead researchers, told the Daily Mail in Britain, the study provided “scientific basis for dispelling the widespread misconception that reading from a screen had negative effects”.

Researchers said while almost all of the participants stated they preferred reading a printed book, their responses did not match with the data obtained from the study.

“In fact, tablet PCs actually provide an advantage over e-ink readers and the printed page that is not consciously perceivable – the information is processed more easily when a tablet PC is employed,” researcher, Professor Matthias Schlesewsky, said.

Based on their analysis, Dr Schlesewsky claimed reading printed books did not determine the pace of reading.

“We have thus demonstrated that the subjective preference for the printed book is not an indicator of how fast and how well the information is processed,” he added.

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