PocketBook announces frontlit color eInk for June 2013

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

They really don't have to, they won't expect to sell more than a few 100,000 units, anyway --- and don't expect this to cost less than $3-400. And unless Samsung brings a tablet with electro-wetting display to market by then all the others will still just be some variation of LCD/LED, so there is no real competition for a device like this. And this device will never competitive with regular tablets in the eyes of those who don't care about e-ink. Let us hope Amazon does something similar, then prices will come down to a reasonable level.

Agree, 95%.
But you're off by an order of magnitude on the sales volume.
At its likely price of US$300+ they'll be lucky to move 100K per year. And that is *if* they get some more government pilots. Without them...
I'm not sure it'll show up much further west than Kiev...

As Harry said, it's not really color eink--they're still using b&W electrophoretic film--and that is why they have saturation problems. The front light should help with contrast but the thing is still going to (literally) pale before much cheaper LCD. Without plastic substrate to let them target the K-6 education market the image quality is going to limit its uses.
Alas.

[Corkobo]

Originally Posted by rogue_librarian

I keep waiting for "unbreakable" plastic readers. Pocketbooks was to introduce them two years (or so) ago.

Unbreakable e-readers would be good but waterproof ones would be very good as well, for reading in the bath or at the beach.

[Dulin's Books]

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

[VaultBoy]

Color eInk? As long as the colors look good, I'm game.

[HarryT]

As I explained above, it's not really "colour eInk" at all, and the colours will not look good.

[Kumabjorn]

The resolution also seems at least a generation behind. Would a better resolution offset the color limitations?

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

The resolution also seems at least a generation behind. Would a better resolution offset the color limitations?

Actually, the resolution is a generation ahead; the basic monochrome resolution is 1600x1200. It's just the process of creating the color that halves the effective resolution in both directions, like Harry says

I'd love me a 1600x1200 E-ink screen

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by SeaKing

I keep waiting for the color eInk. Then they might be able to pry my keyboard Kindle from my fingers.

Good color. Good contrast. Good black. Good white. Good battery life. Good resolution.

Good Lord!

I only need color and contrast to be as high as my old comic books were in the sixties and seventies, with enough resolution to enjoy them. My bar isn't set very high, if you remember comics from that era.

[VaultBoy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

As I explained above, it's not really "colour eInk" at all, and the colours will not look good.

That's subjective. The colors may be suitable for some, but not necessarily for you.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by VaultBoy

That's subjective. The colors may be suitable for some, but not necessarily for you.

I simply meant that the colours won't look good compared to a colour LCD screen, and that's going to be the comparison that people will inevitably make.

[VaultBoy]

Understandable with that comparison. But, I would be more inclined to think that people who are looking for color eInk will be more in-tune with what they're getting in to, and not necessarily judge it against an LCD.

[andyh2000]

Originally Posted by VaultBoy

Understandable with that comparison. But, I would be more inclined to think that people who are looking for color eInk will be more in-tune with what they're getting in to, and not necessarily judge it against an LCD.

That partly depends on how it's advertised. If they (PocketBook) take a leaf out of Ectaco's book then people will be expecting gloriously bright, saturated colours.

Advert (from http://www.ectaco.com/jetBook_Color/):



Reality:



Andrew

[LandSurveyor]

Crap. I read the title and thought the unicorn had finally been found. The price would be OK considering the capability, if it delivers on its promise. I think 8 inches would be about minimum for magazine reading, which is really the only reason I would hold out for a color device, anyway.

[Quexos]

Nice but until the middle of 2013 there is still a lot of time to wait, plus I don't want to go back to a 800 x 600 reader and I just got a new reader not even a month ago so I'll just wait for something HD, fast, front-lit and color.