Reading from small displays

Jakob Nielsen, emphatically, on the difficulty of reading complex texts (such as privacy agreements) from iPhone-size displays. Citing research by R.I. Singh and colleagues Nielsen notes that texts are more difficult to read on small displays because the smaller window of information means greater reliance on the reader's memory and because navigating to access more information both distracts from the reading task and introduces the new task of 'reacquiring location' in the text.

(And, yes, he's aware that most people never read privacy agreements in any case.)

[via InfoDesign]