With the development of technology, the proportion of electronic reading has far exceeded physical books in recent years. However, there is a significant difference in reading experience and corresponding reading habits on different platforms. Here, I will briefly record them.
PC#
There is a vertical screen in the office for reading documents, which is almost impossible to replace with other devices because only on a PC can you switch reading content at any time, retrieve relevant information, translate, or write on another screen.
The Mac version of WeChat Reading is a migration of the iPad version in terms of design experience and has not been redesigned to cater to the habits of PC users. The experience of reading non-professional books and serialized novels on it is average, and having too many work windows open makes it difficult to focus on reading.
iPad#
The experience of reading non-professional books on a tablet is very good, with top-notch screen quality, large enough pages, smooth page-turning, and an electronic environment undisturbed by social software (presumably no one likes to reply to messages on a tablet).
The experience of reading professional books on a tablet is second only to that of a PC. The biggest drawback is that it is too heavy to hold for a long time and the cumbersome operation of split-screen.
E-Reader#
Due to reading habits, I use a 10-inch e-ink device, which I chose because it can simultaneously meet the needs of reading PDF documents and using WeChat Reading.
In actual experience, reading documents is somewhat difficult because the split pages require constant switching to understand the context, while not splitting the pages strains the eyes. For example, when I was reading a market research article called "The Wisdom of the Few" that was over ten pages long, I had to flip back and forth more than a hundred times.
Reading non-professional books and serialized novels on an e-reader is a perfect experience. Compared to iPads and physical books, e-readers are more portable, do not require external lighting conditions, have long battery life, and are easy to focus on reading. WeChat Reading's e-reader version is also well-designed, and you can download hundreds of books for offline reading without feeling like you're using a mobile app. This is rare in the current Chinese internet application market.
Mobile Phone#
Mobile phones are almost only suitable for reading serialized novels, not only because of hardware limitations but also due to user habits.
Because the vast majority of users read on their phones, recent serialized novels have very short sections, almost abandoning long sentences and contextual narratives to cater to the habit of quick reading on mobile phones. After getting used to reading several paragraphs on one screen, it becomes increasingly difficult to read non-professional books on mobile phones, as they often have long sections that require several pages to complete, making it hard for mobile phone users to keep up with the pace.
The information flow design of most mobile apps is aimed at allowing users to "finish reading on one screen" because we have already become accustomed to quickly switching between information sources and shallow reading. After reading a few dozen pages on my phone, I have the urge to check other apps, resulting in lower reading efficiency compared to other devices.
Conclusion#
From my personal experience, there is a mutual selection between reading devices and reading habits. Choosing the right platform and tools can help adjust reading habits and filter information sources.
In summary, it is still important to read more books and good articles with a high signal-to-noise ratio and to read fewer recommendation feeds filled with short-term information and emotions, especially when we are in the Chinese internet environment where inferior products drive out superior ones.
Recent Reading Recommendations
Professional Literature/Books:
High-resolution image reconstruction with latent diffusion models from human brain activity
Augmented Language Models: a Survey
Impromptu: Amplifying Our Humanity Through AI
Non-professional Books:
The Bait of Luck
Experience Engine: A Panoramic Exploration of Game Design
A Movie for One
Understanding China's Reform: The Strategy and Roadmap of a New Round of Reform
Fly Towards Your Mountain Like a Bird
Serialized Novels:
The World's Double Harmony