The ability to load hundreds of books onto an e-reader has made these devices popular but according to the latest research, if you’re wanting the fastest way to get through a book, it’s not a shoe-in that an e-reader will do it for you.
Studies carried out by Dr. Jakob Neilsen of Neilsen Norman Group show that paper is still the fastest medium for reading speeds.
The study included readibility tests using an Apple iPad, an Amazon Kindle, a PC and printed book with each user in the study reading a short story by Ernest Hemmingway.
According to the research, the average time was 17mins20secs with iPad reading 6.2% slower than paper while the Kindle was 10.7% slower than paper. Dr. Neilsen isn’t ready to come out and say which is the fastest option except he is willing to say that tablets haven’t beaten printed books for speed.
In terms of usability, it should be no surprise that most users rated reading paper, the iPad or Kindle highly. On a scale of 1 to 7, users in the study rated these 5.6, 5.7, 5.8 respectively on average.
The PC rated at 3.6.
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