Significance of line length for tablet PC users

Waqas Ali Sahito*, Hashim Iqbal Chunpir, Zahid Hussain, Syed Raheel Hassan, Frederik Schulte

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volumeConference contributionScientificpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper presents key findings about on-screen optimal line length for tablet personal computers (PCs). It examines the effects of four different line lengths on the reading speed and reading efficiency. Seventy participants ranging between the ages of 20 and 40 participated in this study. They read four different texts with an average length of 2000 characters. The texts contained substitution words, which were to be detected by the subjects to measure reading accuracy. Moreover, the subjects were asked to subjectively vote on their reading experience in the context of subjective measures like reading speed and accuracy. The results of the study revealed that 90 characters per line (CPL) were preferred by most of the participants. Nonetheless, some participants falling between the ages of 35 and 40 years preferred 60 CPL. The findings presented in this paper are quite worthwhile as the Tablet PC are extensively used for e-reading. In essence, this study suggests optimal line length for reading on screen using Tablet PC and eventually benefiting people who use Tablet PC for reading, hailing from every walk of life.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationDesign, User Experience, and Usability
Subtitle of host publicationUsers and Interactions - 4th International Conference, DUXU 2015 Held as Part of HCI International 2015, Proceedings
EditorsAaron Marcus
PublisherSpringer
Pages587-596
Number of pages10
ISBN (Print)9783319208978
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2015
Externally publishedYes
Event4th International Conference on Design, User Experience and Usability, DUXU 2015 Held as Part of 17th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCI International 2015 - Los Angeles, United States
Duration: 2 Aug 20157 Aug 2015

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume9187
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference4th International Conference on Design, User Experience and Usability, DUXU 2015 Held as Part of 17th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCI International 2015
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityLos Angeles
Period2/08/157/08/15

Keywords

  • E-reading
  • Optimal line length
  • Reading efficiency
  • Substitution of words

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