The efficiency of reading

NPR’s Lynn Sydell reports that Dr. Jakob Nielsen, a product usability specialist, asked 24 individuals to read a collection of Hemingway stories  in traditional and non-traditional ways (”Reading A Book On An iPad Or Kindle? It Might Take Longer”). His small scale study indicates that the group took more time to read on an iPad (6.2% longer) and Kindle (10.7% longer) than they did with printed text. However, there was no significant difference in reading comprehension.

The reasons for the lengthier read time are not clear, but Nielsen points to readers’ feedback that the iPad was too heavy and the Kindle’s gray-on-gray lettering a bit hard on the eyes.

For traditionalists, this quick study confirms that the experience of a good read is sensory. Turning the page on a bound book feels much different than watching the virtual page curl (albeit beautiful). This is good news for everyone — the printed book and its electronic version will thrive, as long as everyone keeps reading.