I'm unimpressed by the current selection of ereaders out there at the moment, because most seem to be geared towards fiction readers. Whilst there's nothing wrong with that per say, I think there is (or would be) a much greater demand for eInk readers designed for academic use.
The reason behind this is down to just the sheer volume of literature your average university student has to trawl though to learn their particular field. Ebooks, I believe, can significantly improve the efficiency of the study process. So whilst your keen fiction reader may have a strong desire to read books in digital format, there is a clear need for more accessible digital media in academia (at least there would be, if such a need were demonstrated.. by aggressive marketing;))

Currently, tablet PCs are being touted as the 'must have' learning aid. They're good, I've got one myself. There invaluable as a reference aid and for taking notes etc, but for hardcore study, they're useless. You just can't concentrate and absorb the information because of the eye fatigue they cause.

So, I think my perfect eInk device would be a cross between a tablet pc and an eInk device. So;

Hardware Specs


Screen: Minimum of 10" EInk.


Processor: Maximum of 500Mhz - It needn't be any bigger imo. Most current readers, except the Iliad, use the Samsung 200mHz chip. It's the same chip PVI supply in their dev kit. Surely that can be improved on?


RAM: 128MB? Whatever is needed for smooth operation


Flash Memory: Minimum of 1GB. 500 for the OS, the rest for 3rd party programs.


File storage: Removable solid state, with the ability to support the latest and largest disks.


Coms: Wifi g/n, 10/100 wired, usb. The important aspect of connectivity is in the software.


Human Interface: Stylus is a must for annotation and navigation.


Sound: No! None. If I want music I'll use an mp3 player. Save on the expense and weight by remove the sound circuitry completely.


Power: Obviously soft power, soft sleep/suspend, aggressive cpu throttling, intelligent hardware control. The works.


Software Specs:


OS: Linux, totally open source. Whoever makes this device should be able to concentrate on hardware and support. Since this is aimed primarily at academia, there should be a raft of comp-sci students willing to get their hands dirty with the software.


Reader software: Some default apps, but mostly 3rd party, with an easy install method.


Interface: Give the user what they're used to; Windows, icons, the works. A simplified/modified KDE or Gnome desktop is perfectly feasible with the hardware, imo.


Network connectivity: To be really useful, it should have the software required for exploring the network FS. Picture the scene; student walks into Uni library, takes a seat, connects to the libraries Wifi, searches for and find a book, studies for a hour or so and then walks out of library with the book still on their ereader. The ereader then naturally disconnects from the LAN and the DRM in the book activates. 2 weeks? use before the book needs to be returned or renewed else it deletes itself. Simple. With a system like that, University would buy up ereaders and offer them cheap to their students, the money they'd save on paper books would more than cover the costs.


Drivers: For usb hard drives etc. Sure, they require some power, but they are useful keeping personal libraries on.

Well, I could could go on. To sum up; the functionality of a simple PC, with the readability of EInk. All of this technology is readily available and I'm pretty sure it can be implemented on a low weight, long battery life basis. So why isn't it available? Am I the only one that wants something like this?

Am I the only one that wants something like this?Absolutely not! Although I'd point out that the device you're describing would be of even greater interest to professors than students -- for every paper a student writes in a class, the prof has to read 25 or 30. Then there's the research they do themselves, watching my wife work through the end of her PhD, I can assure you that student reading/workloads are nothing to professor reading/workloads!

You're also not considering other professions, lawyers, office workers ... the potential demand for a well executed device is even more staggering than you seem to think. :yes:

Two things I'd point out, though. I really think that a 12" screen is probably a better minimum size, and Letter/A4 would be ideal, since so much is formatted to that size.

The other thing is you mention universities saving money on books by switching to e-devices -- they wouldn't, since they don't generally pay for the books now, but the students could potentially save substantially ... if the system weren't set up specifically to milk them as much as possible.

I for one, have been on this bandwagon for some time. The Sony Reader is a great leisure device, but there is a massive market for a professional grade e-ink/e-paper device. As to why no one has jumped on it (except iRex, who look like they meant to jump, but seems to have missed), I couldn't guess. It's a mystery to me too. :shrug:

Good idea but :

Flash Memory: Minimum of 1GB. 500 for the OS, the rest for 3rd party programs.

You must be kidding, 500Mb for the OS ????
You don't even need 64Mb!

Coms: Wifi g/n, 10/100 wired, usb. The important aspect of connectivity is in the software.

A great thing would be to add 3G (europe) or EDGE (us), it is less
battery-consumming and you can download books just everywhere!

And bluetooth would be great instead of USB.

eInk doesn't have the response time to be useful as a main display for a full-blown computer! Yes - EVENTUALLY we will see eInk displays which update fast enough to catch and update the screen to keep up with keystrokes. But until that is the case, they are darned well *WORTHLESS* for anything other than *READING*! Which is why the current crop of ebook readers don't have tons of handwriting capture capability or on-screen, virtual keyboards.

So for the nonce, the next great device for portable note-taking/researching/computing will probably be ASUS' EEE PC. 7" screen unit will run $200 and 10" screen will run $300 - approximately. And we should all be able to get our hands on one come August.

Derek

You must be kidding, 500Mb for the OS ????
You don't even need 64Mb!

A fully featured linux OS would easily require 500mb of Drive space. But, even a slimmed down version would find it useful for future expanibility.



A great thing would be to add 3G (europe) or EDGE (us), it is less
battery-consuming and you can download books just everywhere!
And bluetooth would be great instead of USB.
3G and Edge require cash, lots of it in fact. Students can't afford expensive mobile network contracts. Business people, yes, but that's a different niche.
Bluetooth though, yes. Why not IR too, just for legacy compatibility. So long as you have an intelligent power management system that can totally power these things off to save battery power and they don't add too much weight, then there no downside.

eInk doesn't have the response time to be useful as a main display for a full-blown computer!
Derek

I disagree. You just have to limit the on screen movement of windows and such. I'm not talking about full-blown multimedia here. Just the ability to have multiple windows, drag and drop( or rather click to cut/click to paste). All of the basic functions of an simple graphical desktop can be done without heavy on-screen action, imo.

1gig ram for the OS and the data would be fine. It needs a larger then 10" screen (12" min) in order to handle US Letter size PDF. And the PDF display software should allow zoom if the reader wants so people with not so good eyesight can read the PDF just fine. It should support PDF, DE, LIT, KRF, MobiPocket, and eReader, RTF with full graphics support and bookmark support. and full HTML/XML.

16 shades would be enough for the diagrams/illustrations/pictures. I'd also like to have proper font support. Meaning you can install whatever fonts you want to use. I don't know which book format is best but I want it to come with software to allow me to make books and take advantage of the full format capabilities of whichever format I choose to output. I want a fast enough processor that will allow embedded fonts not to slow down page turns.

For extra storage, make it compatible with Compact Flash. The type that allows the hard drives. Forget SD and memory stick.

A keyboard on board like the Libre has with the ability to plug in an external keyboard.

Fully open so anyone can develop anything for the device with the ability to boot back to a working system if it bricks.

When it's plugged into the USB port, it should be another drive with the ability to have a hierarchical file system.

wfi with 802.11g would be fine. No need for wired.

A stylus to replace the mouse.

And an easily replaceable rechargeable battery so if we want we can carry around an extra battery.

Do without the mp3 playback. Won't ever use it or want to.

And very important.. buttons for page turns where we ACTUALLY PLACE OUR HANDS.

Two things I'd point out, though. I really think that a 12" screen is probably a better minimum size, and Letter/A4 would be ideal, since so much is formatted to that size.
That would be perfect. My tablet is a 12" and it's just right for PDFs. But, I was trying to use current technology and afaik 10" Einks are the largest available.

The other thing is you mention universities saving money on books by switching to e-devices -- they wouldn't, since they don't generally pay for the books now, but the students could potentially save substantially ... if the system weren't set up specifically to milk them as much as possible.

Well, I'd imagine it's country specific to a certain extent. Surely someone somewhere along the line pay for the books, whether it's the university, the government or the publisher through lost profits.

The rest of what you say, I totally agree with. I think there's a huge market for it, but none of the current crop of companies (sony, irex etc) seem to be geared up for it, or even considering it.

I'm thinking somewhere in between, |2eason's and delphidb96's takes on a device.

Certainly e-ink (even Vizplex) isn't up to a full computer standard, but we're also not talking about a full up computer, per se.

I think that enough folks would find it more than acceptable for a lot of everyday tasks. Reading things other than books is a no-brainer, of course (e-mail, reports, legal briefs, journal articles, etc., etc.). I also think, based on what I've seen of the iLiad's 'drawing' functions, that note-taking would be acceptable to mosts, as would marking up reports or grading papers (again etc., etc.).

I don't think it's (quite) up to multiple windows and drag and drop ... I think the ghosting would be nasty, and the lag is still to great to be able to handle precise enough object manipulation, but that's my opinion. If somebody tried it and it worked well enough for enough folks, then I'd happily count my opinion proved incorrect. :shrug:

How about dual screens? an LCD and an e-ink so you can have your compuer functions on the LCD and the reading on the e-ink

I've never warmed up to the dual screen thing. I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just saying I don't care for it. :shrug:

I don't think it's (quite) up to multiple windows and drag and drop ... I think the ghosting would be nasty, and the lag is still to great to be able to handle precise enough object manipulation, but that's my opinion.

I think it all depends on how you, or rather the software, deals with it. For instance;
Moving a window; Single click on the window header bar once, then slingle click on the desktop were you want it to be - One screen refresh required
Resizing a window; single click on the corner, single click on where you want it to be - one refresh
Drag and drop: As I said; single click to cut, single click to paste: one refresh.

You could even go further and just have immovable windows with a maximum of four, one in each screen segment. Even that would provide enough scope for file manipulation.

Ultimately, the important thing is to give the user access to large, remote libraries via the internet or LAN without the need for an intermediate PC or snickernet. If that can be done with an intuitive non-standard interface, then I'd be happy with that.

How about dual screens? an LCD and an e-ink so you can have your compuer functions on the LCD and the reading on the e-ink

You'd start running into weight issues then I think. LCDs are heavy as are the batteries to power them. Of course, I'd imagine in the not to distant future they'll invent an all-in-one, dual use panel that can switch between high speed refresh and bi-stable modes at the drop of a hat. That would be something.

Eink is in its infancy even if its technology is at a higher step than the first watch displays were from today's computer displays.
I think Sony was clever to find it its present function. It is a perfectly marketable iteration and there should it stay.

Study devices exist in the form of LCD Tablet computers and laptops. It is the manufacturers of those devices that have to hone their markets and produce a more adequate product. When technology permits, eink will join in the fray. For now only the Iliad allows the necessary search and input functions required for study and business and it does not reflect the power management eink is regarded for.

screen min 12" is a must, resolution min 600 DPI, gray scale 16

I'm unimpressed by the current selection of ereaders out there at the moment, because most seem to be geared towards fiction readers. Whilst there's nothing wrong with that per say, I think there is (or would be) a much greater demand for eInk readers designed for academic use.


I completely disagree with you. There certainly is a market for a larger-format device (A4 screen would be logical), but it's a different market to the one the Sony Reader and friends are intended for. I think myself that the market for fiction reading is enormously larger than the academic market. Compare the number of fiction books sold to the number of textbooks!

I for one, have been on this bandwagon for some time. The Sony Reader is a great leisure device, but there is a massive market for a professional grade e-ink/e-paper device. As to why no one has jumped on it (except iRex, who look like they meant to jump, but seems to have missed), I couldn't guess. It's a mystery to me too. :shrug:

No "mystery" at all. The answer is simply, I suspect, that A4 eInk screens don't exist, and the manufacturing yield for them would probably make them prohibitively expensive at present.

People have been quoting around $200-ish to get the screen on a Sony Reader replaced. That screen has around a sixth the area of an A4 screen. Let's be generous and suppose that the cost is proportional to the screen area (it probably increases at a much higher ratio, in reality!). Would you pay $1200 for an A4 screen?

I'm sure that we will see A4-format devices as larger screens become cheaper to manufacture.

I completely disagree with you. There certainly is a market for a larger-format device (A4 screen would be logical), but it's a different market to the one the Sony Reader and friends are intended for. I think myself that the market for fiction reading is enormously larger than the academic market. Compare the number of fiction books sold to the number of textbooks!

True, A4 is perfect for academic, newspapers and comics. What we need though is a flexible display for A4 devices: much easier to carry such a device. Plastic Logic ? 2008 ?

If I needed to read PDF that badly, for $1200 I'd get a good laptop and have leftover money as well.

Or a tablet for that price ... if you like them that is.

I completely disagree with you. There certainly is a market for a larger-format device (A4 screen would be logical), but it's a different market to the one the Sony Reader and friends are intended for.
Yes, that's what I said. It is a distinct market, a market with potential, so why are we not seeing movement/development

I think myself that the market for fiction reading is enormously larger than the academic market. Compare the number of fiction books sold to the number of textbooks!
Whilst quantity is certainly in important factor, it doesn't define the usefulness and therefore market potential of each niche.

To me, there is little benefit to spending $400 dollars on a reading device just for reading fiction books; books that would cost the same as pbooks, books that I may have to spend time converting formats and such. I have no need for a device that can store hundreds of fiction books, because I read only one at a time. The most I'd need is the amount I could fit in a corner of my suitcase. To me it is neither cost effective nor time effective. You might disagree (in fact I expect flames), but I'd challenge you to put yourself in the shoes of an average reader who may read a book a week and only has a small grasp of computers and try to justify the expense of an ereader and 'hassle' that goes with it. (I know, that 'hassle' is the fun part for some).

However, as a student, the literature I read is free (after journal subscriptions are paid of course) so cost of e-books aren't a problem. And, to hell with the cost of the reader, I'm thousands in debt already. If it help me get a first class honors, then it's cost effective. And if it were powerful enough to replace my computer? then hell yeah! Also, I need to read many books concurrently, so the ability of an ebook device would prove essential (no more walking round campus with a bag that weighs a ton). The books I read aren't available next to the bestsellers at the local bookstore, so it would be of benefit to me to find hard to find titles on the internet. Anyways, the list goes on..

Point is, whilst maybe 1 in 100 fiction book readers would find a ereader useful, pretty much all students would, as well as teachers, professors etc. So the markets are comparable imo.


Would you pay $1200 for an A4 screen?

YES!

ETA; I remember hearing about a study done to show the difference between learning from books and a computer. It showed that those studying from a computer screen showed much less recall and comprehension. I'd be interested to see a similar study comparing computer to EInk, with books as a control.

(in fact I expect flames)Actually, we maintain a pretty low flame environment around here, I'm proud to say. Disagreed with? Yeah, you'll get lots of that, but folks are generally pretty respectful about it. That's the reason I've hung around so long. :nice:

I'd be interested to see a similar study comparing computer to EInk, with books as a control.That would be a very interesting study, I think. :yes:

It would have to allow some time to let the e-ink group get past the "wow-cool" phase, that impaired my own e-ink reading for a week or two. :shrug:

screen min 12" is a must, resolution min 600 DPI, gray scale 16

I don't think you'll have a 600dpi screen before long, current e-ink vizplex
screens hardly reach 170dpi.

Doubling current res. so as to reach 360dpi would already be a BIG step!


To me, there is little benefit to spending $400 dollars on a reading device just for reading fiction books; books that would cost the same as pbooks, books that I may have to spend time converting formats and such.

You don't know what you are talking about. There are thousands of free ebooks
available on the internet. If you had to buy paperback editions you would spend
way more than 400$.
Of course maybe you are one of those who only read one fiction book a year,
during summer at the beach, but that's not the case of everyone here.

You could even go further and just have immovable windows with a maximum of four, one in each screen segment. Even that would provide enough scope for file manipulation.

Ultimately, the important thing is to give the user access to large, remote libraries via the internet or LAN without the need for an intermediate PC or snickernet. If that can be done with an intuitive non-standard interface, then I'd be happy with that.
We used to do quite a lot with the Model 33 teletype as an interface. I think you are correct in saying that a usable interface can be devised. We can adapt the software to the slow screen.
You might disagree (in fact I expect flames) . . .
It is good to hear your ideas. Many have expressed similar sentiments in the past. We all have a wish list. I hope the designers are lurking here. This is the place to stand up for innovation. Where else can we do it?

My daughter got a new Sony CZ370P/C yesterday. It is amazingly light. It feels like a hardcover book. I can imagine reading with it for long periods. Now we will have the Asus EEE for a really cheap reader -- and lightweight too!

We are on the cusp of a convergence. Soon we will have light fast devices that can do everything we need and can be toted in a book bag. They will combine most of the features described in this thread, and more. We probably won't call them eReaders because the new technology will offer all of the functionality of today's readers, plus the ability to access the internet, remote file systems, and more. And we will see our PDFs in full-page color.

Someday we will look at our Sony Reader and think, "Just for reading? How quaint!"

@guguy
AFAIK, the majority of books available free online are 'out of copyright' and do not account for the majority of the market.
And, I read more than 1 fiction book a year. Maybe 1 a month. But, that's more than the American average of 6 a year. Of course that's less than most here, but then most here do not represent the 'average reader'. I think my point stands.
I'm curious though, what would YOU consider to be your perfect reader; ie the perfect reader for fiction? Surely the sony isn't it? Or is it?

I can't speak for guguy, of course, but the Sony gets about 90~95% of it for me -- my primary interest is in reading, though, so I don't particularly miss features such as annotations or searching. :shrug:

What's it lacking, for me? I think the biggest deal is some of the quirks of the OS/Apps, no folders, no "go to page," etc. Though I expect someone will figure out how to change those from home before too long. :nice: I would like a slightly larger display, but not too much larger, I like the overall size of the device for reading purposes. :pleased: A built in front-light that I could turn on only when I needed it is about the wildest want I have on it (I know it would hose the battery life, but it shouldn't be too bad, what with the availability of low-power LEDs -- so what if I have to recharge it after 2 weeks if I use the light much, that's still not that burdensome to me). :smug:

My perfect reader would support: Epub, PDF, Mobipocket, HTML and RTF
Screen size: A4
But based on a flexible screen ! This way, you can easily travel with it, AND you can easily read any PDF available on the Internet (academic, newspaper etc...).

I don't really need wireless connection or a touch screen, they drain too much power out of the battery.

The right choice would be 2 versions of such a device, one just for reading, the other with a touch screen and wireless connection.
With the right software and content available, wireless connection is pretty neat: download new books while you're sitting in a café, read your daily newspaper/website (the book and RSS part should already work on the iLiad, but not enough newspapers yet, although the e-paper version for Les Echos looks fantastic: http://aldus2006.typepad.fr/mon_weblog/2007/07/les-echos.html )
I don't need a touch screen that much but it can be useful for those who need annotations or more advanced software (nothing too interactive for the moment, but an email client could work for example).

Quite a number of comments, I notice, center on the size and type of screen that should be used/is preferred.

Maybe modularity won't help matters, but it occurs to me that if the screen was an accessory to the device, users could purchase the screen that's best for them, whether it be LCD or e-ink, large, small, flexible, fast-refresh for motion/animation content, etc.

The device itself, without the screen, could easily be cellphone-sized, easy to take anywhere. You could even buy multiple screens depending on different uses at different times/places.

That's an interesting idea, Steve ... it would allow a lot of flexibility with the same base unit. It would also allow upgrading the base unit without replacing the displays. I like it. :yes:

My perfect reader would support: Epub, PDF, Mobipocket, HTML and RTF
Screen size: A4
But based on a flexible screen ! This way, you can easily travel with it, AND you can easily read any PDF available on the Internet (academic, newspaper etc...).

I don't really need wireless connection or a touch screen, they drain too much power out of the battery.
I'd go for the wifi and the touch screen as long as we can turn them off so we can save battery life.

Quite a number of comments, I notice, center on the size and type of screen that should be used/is preferred.

Maybe modularity won't help matters, but it occurs to me that if the screen was an accessory to the device, users could purchase the screen that's best for them, whether it be LCD or e-ink, large, small, flexible, fast-refresh for motion/animation content, etc.

The device itself, without the screen, could easily be cellphone-sized, easy to take anywhere. You could even buy multiple screens depending on different uses at different times/places.

Sounds good on paper, but it's a pretty bad business idea.
It's a lot tougher to market something divided into different parts + you need a lot more components to create such a device.
The device itself would be more expensive, bigger and heavier than a normal device.

If you change the screen, you somehow need to change the software too. This is quite different from a computer where you always have color, fast refresh etc... These technologies are completely different and you don't code your software the same way for an eInk screen and for a LCD screen.

In the end, you'd have a device that might work with every kind of screen, but don't expect it to work as well than your basic device.
Such flexible design is great for software, where you can basically change every part easily if it's got a good API, input/output etc...
But hardware is something quite different from software !

I like Steve's idea. I've had the thought before, that I'd like all of the hardware put into a pocket sized device and have the screen and it's controller chips and battery separated from it, but streamed data via a short range, high-speed wi-fi link. The overall weight would be higher, but the weight in your hands would be less.

An EInk display would be different to an LCD. But, one solution would be to run the display from within a dedicated application which only exposed select elements of the OS to the screen. That technology exists today. This (http://www.ricavision.com/ricavision_webupdate/ereader.html) EInk display runs exclusively from within a Vista sideshow Gadget.

Sounds good on paper, but it's a pretty bad business idea.
It's a lot tougher to market something divided into different parts + you need a lot more components to create such a device.
The device itself would be more expensive, bigger and heavier than a normal device.

Never underestimate the value consumers put on flexibility. Remember component stereos? Besides, you're putting the central device in your pocket, and carrying around a separate screen. I'm not sure that has to be heavier than an all-in-one.

If you change the screen, you somehow need to change the software too.

No: You have the book data stored on the central device, in a universal format. The screen carries the software required to translate the stored data into its own display format, and no more. This leaves your display options free of your central device, and almost infinitely changeable!

(My patent filing is in the mail!)

No: You have the book data stored on the central device, in a universal format. The screen carries the software required to translate the stored data into its own display format, and no more. This leaves your display options free of your central device, and almost infinitely changeable!

(My patent filing is in the mail!)

Don't fill any patent: I've seen people mentioning this idea dozens of time already (for example the video where an iPod is used as the storage, with multiple screen-docks for it, transforming the iPod into a reading device).

Once again, that's software/hardware designer hell, and I'm against the whole idea being an engineer myself.
Hardware is not as flexible as software, and this idea fall in the same category than the "one device to rule them all" category. One very short example (there's dozens of them): you don't design your UI the same way if your refresh time is a full second or a few ms.

Don't fill any patent: I've seen people mentioning this idea dozens of time already (for example the video where an iPod is used as the storage, with multiple screen-docks for it, transforming the iPod into a reading device).

Daig!

You're also not considering other professions, lawyers, office workers ... the potential demand for a well executed device is even more staggering than you seem to think. :yes:




Medical professionals (me included) would be all over a piece of kit like this!

--ryan

So out of curiosity, what do medical professionals really want out of an e-book reader? Something to read charts, look at x-rays, etc? What do you need?

And out of curiosity, what's the big deal out of having two screens, anyways? There are lots of books that are like...well...two half sheets of paper; most paperback fiction books are, at any rate, and I don't see most people have issues with that...

There is already an eink device for medical pros. It is basically the same spec as an iliad except it runs on windows ce, it's washable and it costs $5000. For that price, the difference a larger screen would make to the cost would be small.

As for having two screens, weight is the primary downside. It would require twice as much battery power too. Personally, I really don't see a need for having two screens on an eink device.

As I remember from years back (when medical professionals were using devices like Apple Newtons for the same thing), medicos can use them to access more complete hospital databases on patients' charts and test results, up-to-date pharmaceutical data and treatment options, hospital supply and inventory, etc, that would be updated in a central location and accessible by wireless updating at any point in the hospital.

Patient charts are notorious for being incomplete or badly/illegibly filled out in many hospitals, and treatments/options can change so fast that it can be hard for a doctor to keep track and provide on-the-spot diagnosis and proper therapies. UMPCs (or PDAs) would theoretically put more hard data at their fingertips at all times, improving their work, and saving them research time.

How'm I doin', johnnaryry?

As for having two screens, weight is the primary downside. It would require twice as much battery power too. Personally, I really don't see a need for having two screens on an eink device.

The idea here was having a component screen separate from the device, so you could choose the screen you wanted to use depending on how you read/what you are comfortable with, or buy more than one if certain screen types were better suited to different uses... say, an eInk screen for daytime reading, and an LCD screen for nighttime use.

Yeah, sorry I should of been clearer on that since there's been two different suggestions related to having two screens. If your idea were feasible steve, I'd be all for it. I was refering to the idea of having both an lcd and eink on the same device.

Hi all, my first post here so bear with me.

I've been following the technology for a few years but have yet to take the plunge and purchase a device - I'm leaning toward the Cybook when it comes out but will wait for other's reviews before making the investment.

I've read about flexible e-ink displays but not sure how close these are to reality yet. My perfect device would be be US letter size with a flexible screen so that the device is foldable. I would want the screen to be versatile with the following viewing options:

- Full letter size display in portrait or landscape mode

- Side by side pages in both landscape mode (kind of like holding a regular paperback book) and portrait mode

- Top and bottom or side by side page functionality would display the content on one of the screens with text entry and annotation on the other screen, which may or may not linked to the page being annotated. Would be great to use one screen for writing flash cards or study notes while reading the other screen.

Interested whether people thing this is feasible given the state of flexible e-ink technology.

Thanks!

|2eason: If you could get a full page for like...a pound - would it be too heavy? A pound doesn't seem like much at all...

If, say, it cost $200 more than an iLiad to slam on a second eInk screen (so it looks like a page of paper), wouldn't that be better? Or is that just the 'better gadget' syndrome?

Also - yes, the power consumption may be doubled for driving two, but isn't the point of the eInk is that there is no constant power consumptions; granted, it halves the total number of page turns, but if you have to only turn half as many pages, doesn't that make more sense?

Furthermore, it seems like you really don't like CE - if you could, like...install MobiPocket reader or something on that medical tablet, doesn't that solve all your compatibility problems? Things for the PocketPC (i.e. WinCE) have been out for a long time...

Linux is great and all, but is Microsoft really that bad of a core? There are always lots of problems with getting drivers for some stuff, and if you've got some weird stuff, well...

Steve - Modularity increases chances for mechanical failure, doesn't it? LCDs also slaughter battery life, but if you don't care... it does sound like a valid point, though...

I've shadowed doctors at Duke University...it personally amuses me how the doctors are supposed to do stuff on a piddling little HP iPaq screen or something. There's no *room*!

Snatchos - Flexible e-ink is gonna be absurdly expensive - and it won't be commercially out for another few years...without including dev time.

I understand why shell/kernel access is important, but if people like WinCE PDAs, what would be wrong with it?

Linux != easier, right?

|Steve - Modularity increases chances for mechanical failure, doesn't it? LCDs also slaughter battery life, but if you don't care... it does sound like a valid point, though...

As Hadrien pointed out, modularity can cause additional problems, but issues of mechanical failure might depend on how the modules connect, or if at all... for instance, if they connect wirelessly, there is no "mechanical" element between them to fail.

The biggest issue in the case of modularity would be the creation of an I/O that all components would understand and could use... in other words, the same text output could be used by a color LCD screen and a B/W e-Ink screen. That is, I think, Hadrien's biggest concern, and in this age of proprietary SW, it's a valid one... but it's one that, I think, ought to be dealt with anyway. Universality is the sister of Harmony. ;)

And yes, LCDs (or any other display tech) won't last nearly as long as e-ink. But again, your typical usage might include regular opportunities to recharge the device, so LCD might be fine for you. Or if you're mostly outside, away from power outlets, use the e-Ink screen during the day, and save the LCD for evenings at home.

But wireless would be a massive power drain, and the speed of data transfer would be highly limiting....

You'd also need a battery for the screen AND the processor AND the wireless microcontrollers to do the data transfer AND the controller chip and...
Haha - I'm a embedded engineer. If I have enough time on the side, perhaps I might whip up something to make us all happy - that is, if life doesn't swamp me first. ...It's got a rather annoying capability to do that...-_-'.

The only problem is that I looked at the eInk play kits - they're EXPENSIVE!!!

Besides, I/O standards are beasts.

You'd also need a battery for the screen AND the processor AND the wireless microcontrollers to do the data transfer AND the controller chip and...
Haha - I'm a embedded engineer. If I have enough time on the side, perhaps I might whip up something to make us all happy - that is, if life doesn't swamp me first. ...It's got a rather annoying capability to do that...-_-'.
I have the same background and a similar urge -- to build something.

I think the dumb screen idea has wider applications. When we attach a monitor to our PC, the OS figures out the available modes through a plug 'n play protocol. Wireless USB will give us the bandwidth to run a monitor with a not-too-outrageous power expenditure. If there were dumb screens available, they could come in different sizes and technologies. They could be flexible or not. They could have touch screens or not. They could be color or monochrome. They could work with pocket devices and desktop devices, and even switch back and forth.

The eReader could come with a screen of its own, but give us the option of using a dumb screen accessory -- or not.

When I add a component to my PC, I have a wide range of prices and technologies. That is why I run PCs, not Macs. That is the issue that killed the Amiga. Creating a world of modularity for eReaders can benefit us all.

Wireless modularity is pretty sweet. But then you hit another problem.

As an embedded engineer, you should realize that throwing more power after something isn't the 'best' way to solve it - you give it just what it needs, and a little more. It drives down both cost and power consumption.

The biggest problem with wireless interconnectivity is that sitting there *still* expends power.

In comparison, the biggest *draw* to eInk is that I can flip a screen today, flip it again tomorrow, and ten days from now still have pretty much enough juice to crank through 9,998 more pages...well, that's if the engineer's specs don't lie. =P

Wasn't that the real selling point of e-Ink anyways?

I'd call that more of a fringe benefit... the primary selling point was that it was "more like paper" to the eye.

I'm not downplaying power drain, but if it's that important, add the option of connecting the device and the screen via a USB cable.

When the Palm PDAs came out in color, they featured built-in rechargeable batteries. I haven't gone that route myself, though I have been tempted by the T|X. Customers seemed satisfied to keep the device on a charging cradle when it wasn't in use.

For those for whom long battery life is important, there would be USB eInk dumbscreens. For those who want backlit screens or wireless, there would be a charging cradle or more capacious batteries.

Open standards, plug 'n play and modularity allow many devices to interoperate. It also drives down prices by tempting more manufacturers to participate in creating peripherals. We are also approaching the day when rapid-charge capacitor storage will be practical for handhelds, giving us practically instant recharges, long battery life and many more recharge cycles. Convergence is another factor that makes modularity more attractive. When your reader is also your handheld PDA and your desktop machine too, the ability to connect to different screens, keyboards, pointing devices, storage, network adapters and printers will be very useful.

:tup: What he said!

I understand why shell/kernel access is important, but if people like WinCE PDAs, what would be wrong with it?

Linux != easier, right?

My perfect device would be my HP iPaq Pocket PC with a large, eInk screen. That would open up a huge range of different book-reading apps, including my favourite "uBook".

So out of curiosity, what do medical professionals really want out of an e-book reader? Something to read charts, look at x-rays, etc? What do you need?

For me, I want something that will give me portable, reliable and usable access to the many medical reference sources I use in my discipline (psychiatry). Carrying my T3 lets me pack 65lbs. worth of books in my hip pocket. What gets difficult with the Palm is gathering a collaborative consult with others around it's tiny screen, it's plenty big enough for me when I'm working alone, but often the situation is sharing an opinion or clinical info with three or more staff members at once. Having a large, bright, highly portable screen, something that could be passed around would be great in those situations. It would need to have great battery life, bulletproof construction and an idiot-proof interface/OS...

:cool: --ryan

As I remember from years back (when medical professionals were using devices like Apple Newtons for the same thing), medicos can use them to access more complete hospital databases on patients' charts and test results, up-to-date pharmaceutical data and treatment options, hospital supply and inventory, etc, that would be updated in a central location and accessible by wireless updating at any point in the hospital.

Patient charts are notorious for being incomplete or badly/illegibly filled out in many hospitals, and treatments/options can change so fast that it can be hard for a doctor to keep track and provide on-the-spot diagnosis and proper therapies. UMPCs (or PDAs) would theoretically put more hard data at their fingertips at all times, improving their work, and saving them research time.

How'm I doin', johnnaryry?

:2thumbsup Right on the money! Unfortunately, most the admin at my facility are behind the 'technology curve', so they're not willing to subsidize kit like that. Of course they're quite happy to reap the benefits when I bring my high-tech gear to work...

--ryan

|2eason,you just speak out what's in my mind.
I woudn't buy a ebook reader which's screen is smaller than 12"1.

|2eason,you just speak out what's in my mind.
I woudn't buy a ebook reader which's screen is smaller than 12"1.

Unless you're reading a *LOT* of technical manuals in A4/A5 PDF format, you don't know what you're missing. My Bookeen Cybook Gen3 has the ability to select from 11 different font sizes as well as 7 different font families - all without having to re-create and re-load the ebook. So I can, with a few button presses, format the ebook for just the right viewing pleasure. And I've yet to find a novel which can't display comfortably on the 6" screen.

Really, if you have a chance to examine a Cybook, Sony PRS-500, Hanlin V3, NUUT, or iLiad, take it!

Derek

Welcome to MobileRead, cdland! :hatsoff:

I woudn't buy a ebook reader which's screen is smaller than 12"1.:zoiks:
Your opinion is your own, of course, cdland, and I wouldn't try to deny it to you, but, egads! I wouldn't want a book that was 12.1" diagonal! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was plenty big enough at ~10", thank you! :grin:

I'm quite content with my Sony Reader (the same 6" display as delphidb96's Cybook), it's not much smaller than a standard paperback, and that's plenty of text in a chunk for me. :nice:

imo, ebook reader will be combined with laptop/pda/phone/media player

there will be devices that will have all those features

imo, ebook reader will be combined with laptop/pda/phone/media player

there will be devices that will have all those features

Don't you think that the aims of some of these are rather contradictory? I wouldn't want to carry around an "A4" sized phone, or read on a 1" screen :).

The flexible, "roll out" plastic screens we should start seeing in a couple of years will probably make "converged" devices a lot more practical (eg a pocket sized bookreader with a roll-out screen), but as long as screens are rigid, there's a clear separate between devices you want to be very small (phones, music players) and those you want to be large (book readers, video players).

I think the niche for the roll-out screen will be as a novelty item, e.g. a pen that rolls out to a paperback page size. Do you want to hold the scroll with both hands to keep it straight? Maybe we will have a telescopic support that locks the roll-out screen into a rigid page.

But what then of the paperback-sized screen we want to roll-out in two dimensions to create an A4 sized screen? How is the screen folded to begin with? There are some conceptual problems here that may make the two dimensional roll-out impractical.

I would like a pen that becomes a book. Maybe as a low-end device it could be very cheap, once eInk itself comes down in price.

Whatever happened to the heads-up display that could appear to be a four foot screen out in front of us? Now that would be a portable reader!

Don't you think that the aims of some of these are rather contradictory? I wouldn't want to carry around an "A4" sized phone, or read on a 1" screen :).

dear, it will be foldable ;) (http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/06/polymer-vision-plans-to-commercialize-foldable-paper-this-year/)

anyway, ofcourse you would like your ebook reader to have GPS to check out maps, to have EGDE to check your email on the go, etc etc

I think the niche for the roll-out screen will be as a novelty item, e.g. a pen that rolls out to a paperback page size. Do you want to hold the scroll with both hands to keep it straight? Maybe we will have a telescopic support that locks the roll-out screen into a rigid page.

But what then of the paperback-sized screen we want to roll-out in two dimensions to create an A4 sized screen? How is the screen folded to begin with? There are some conceptual problems here that may make the two dimensional roll-out impractical.

I would like a pen that becomes a book. Maybe as a low-end device it could be very cheap, once eInk itself comes down in price.

Whatever happened to the heads-up display that could appear to be a four foot screen out in front of us? Now that would be a portable reader!
If you follow these device's approach you could apply them to present large draft paper carrying tubes. But they do look fragile unless the first one is taken.

Ivan, the second and third look viable. I seriously doubt you could fold one of these and have any reasonable product life.

Isn't the 3rd (and the 4th for that matter) an actual commercial product in Italy? Or was it Spain? :chinscratch:

Third and fourth are the same. It's the Readius, we've discussed (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9647&highlight=readius) it here before. Sorry guys I should have URL'd the sources. The other two I've lost. I have a habit of collecting the pictures of new devices, I should rename them with the proper URL.