Last night I was thinking about interfaces for ePaper applications, and was wondering what other developers have to say. I have never played with an iLiad or other E Ink device, so please excuse my ignorance.
"In thinking about applications for ePaper, I realized we need a whole new way of handling the UI. Readability and power efficiency are paramount. Rather than scrolling, we should stick to page flipping. Windows and dialogs feel out of place.
"For data input, I envision filling in a circle with a stylus like those multiple choice tests in school. Forms with either lines or one-letter per box. Freeform handwriting would be preferable to an onscreen keyboard, but takes a lot of processing power unless there is a standard form as with Graffiti.
"Take a page from Circus Ponies’ Notebook, which uses a dynamically generated index as an alternative to the built in search feature. A Bible application could have a good old concordance at the back.
A device with a paper display needs software that bridges the gap, creating an interface that feels like paper, but still has the dynamic abilities of an application."
The full article is on my
blog.