Ergonomic evaluation of three kinds of e-book displaying devices

This study evaluated three e-book displaying devices by ergonomic approaches. These three devices were personal digital assistance (PDA), e-book reader (MiniBu), and portable computer (NB). Twenty-six young subjects were conducted to use three devices to read novels on separate three days (100 min per day). The collected variables included perceived fatigue, critical flicker frequency (CFF), preference ratings, and reading performance. The results of the CFF data indicated that MiniBu was superior to PDA and NB. It implied that MiniBu led less visual fatigue compared with the other two devices studied. The NB had the highest preference ratings. The reading performances of the three devices were similar. It was recommended that MiniBu was the first choice for reading electronic media for about 50 minutes.