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Here's a feature of some ebook readers that I have a mixed reaction to: autoscrolling. Autoscrolling is simply automatically moving the content so you don't have to scroll or page through it manually.
I find that autoscrolling can work very well for me in two cases: I'm reading for about three to five minutes, and I'm using a device with an excellent screen (an iPhone or an N95, for example). The time constraint is simply about eyestrain; something about reading text that's autoscrolling seems to make my eyes work harder. Maybe some readability experts out there can explain this?
The screen issue is pretty obvious; the text isn't really moving, of course; it's an effect caused by controlling the pixels. With lower resolution, that motion is less "convincing" and I find it a bit distracting.
By the way, an autoscrolling effect can be done in a browser window via JavaScript. There are many libraries available and I haven't enough of them to give a recommendation. If you're interested, search the web for "javascript autoscroll" and you'll get thousands of hits.
Comments
I agree with the looking around...
Also - I've tried using auto scrolling and never manage to find a comfortable speed. Plus I often read in bed - there, autoscrolling is definitley no good, as I often doze off during reading ... Last thing I want is to wake up and find I missed the last three chapters :-)
Posted by: Steve | February 28, 2008 09:51 PMYou can test it on rss.speedymarks.com
Posted by: Piet Jonas | February 28, 2008 11:01 AMMy layman's theory for the eyestrain would be that autoscrolling gives your eyes less opportunity to "wander" around because you might miss something, so you are forced (or feel forced) to keep the same area of the screen in focus all the time.
When reading at my own pace, I always find myself looking up for a moment if I need a sentence that I have just read to properly "sink in", and probably that this gives both my mind and my eyes a rest before I get back to the text - this is a luxury you may not sufficiently allow yourself when looking at scrolling text...
Posted by: Marcus Groeber