Amongst all the usually excessive hype about the launch of any new Apple product (this time the iPhone4), to me its new display (which does sound stunning) is really the only big deal. With that in mind e-books are being mentioned again as the new future of publishing (which it isn't) and the savour of traditional media (which it also isn't), but one area that never gets discussed is the reality of sitting every night reading a book on one of these devices.

Apart from the obvious masochistic nature of those who wish to scroll around a tiny display, there are problems of holding something up that is heavy but beyond that the issue of increasing eyestrain and even possible problems with sleep issues (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/04/ipad-kindle-ebook-sleep.html).

As someone who spends a vast majority of their day in front of a screen I find it a relief to relax with a book at bedtime, to read the newspaper on the weekend and to get my monthly subscriptions to both Wired UK and Wired US. I can't see that changing until we have truly electronic paper that looks and feels like regular paper.

The only thing that I wish I could do with print magazines is save and tag articles for future reference, but that need is not outweighed by just wanting to give my eyes a break every once in a while.