Are B/W e-ink readers becoming out of date?

[JoHunt]

More and more ebooks that I have purchased recently have color photos and chapter headings. Am I correct in understanding that it will be quite awhile until a color e-ink reader will be a viable product?

If so, as much as I hate reading on an LCD device, I'll have to seriously consider getting either a Fire or a Nexus for reading so I can fully enjoy the design of newer ebooks ...

[Penforhire]

Sounds like you are a candidate for a proper tablet (iPad, Fire, Nexus 7, Nook Color, etc.). But I wouldn't say they are becoming out of date.

You show me a color tablet with the same paper-like appearance and read-in-sunlight capability for reading plain text and THEN I'll agree E-ink shoulds see the, um, writing on the wall. Most of my reading is still plain text.

[JoHunt]

I have an iPad, but it's too large/heavy for reading. I love all of my dedicated ereaders (and keep buying more LOL), but I am put off now due to the all the color that is showing up in newer ebooks.

[CWatkinsNash]

Standard e-ink is not becoming out of date. Some publishers are simply playing to all markets - PC apps, tablet users, and e-ink readers - by adding bits of color that can only be seen on some of them. This isn't new, but it is becoming more common. But I don't see this as any different than hard-cover releases with color photo inserts that are changed to black-and-white for the paperback version.

It's different, of course, for non-fiction where the color may be essential, but non-fiction of that type was never highly compatible with e-ink readers to begin with.

For me personally, switching to LCD simply to see a prettier chapter heading or the like is not worth the tradeoff.

[QuantumIguana]

Agreed, monochrome e-ink is not out of date. I use my Kindle to read text, and monochrome works perfectly for this. Others may have different needs, and for them, a tablet may make sense. But the tradeoffs are pretty significant, weight, power consumption and price are a few of the tradeoffs. I'm not against tablets, my wife has a Kindle Fire. I can read on it well enough, It's nice for video and games, but if I just want reading, I'll stick to e-ink.

[tubemonkey]

I hope not. eInk is the only way I'll read a novel.

Are black and white books out of date? Nope, simply because there is very little reason to print most books in colour.

That being said, I can see ebooks shifting over to colour (even when it is not necessary) once a colour display with the benefits of eink becomes commercially viable.

[maxiart]

None of the books I've read recently had anything but text in them (besides maybe a map) so I'd say no, e-ink readers are not becoming out of date. Except perhaps for your reading habits/taste.

[pidgeon92]

I read fiction almost exclusively. It's rare that there are any pics in any of the books I read. I vastly prefer reading on my eink readers; I'd be quite sad if they quit making eink devices.

If I do pick up a non-fiction ebook, like a cookbook, it goes on my iPad.

[spindlegirl]

I hope not! I love the readability of text on my e-ink reader. I will keep buying them for as long as I need them.

[hidari]

All the reasons above... My Opus is only 150 grams and has a looooong battery life compared to anything in the LCD world.

Color E-ink: Have a mate that is an organic chemistry professor. He says not an easy thing to create. We have heard about the rumors of a real color e-ink screen for years on MR... to no avail.... Honestly...only Manga and comic readers would benefit...and the Irony most 99% of Manga in Japan is black and white.

As for me I prefer books in black and white... simple Let the story color my imagination not the screen.

[carpetmojo]

I agree with most other posters - I can't remember the last book I had that had any colour.

Do you read a lot of comic books, or go heavy on expensive ref books ?

And I don't need colour to read text, it would be pointless - If I "need" to read/see anything in colour, I'll put it on PC/laptop.

[fjtorres]

Actually, pretty much all my commercial ebooks have color covers and *always* have.
It has no impact on eink readability.
I've read on LCD and eink and the screen tech makes little difference to me, but the weight and battery life of the device does.

[elcreative]

No they're not...

I use an eReader for reading, recreational reading not looking at colour pictures... I use a tablet for that...

[spindlegirl]

Indeed, for me, it's all about the words. As long as I can read words, I consider myself satisfied.

I hear of whizbang technology that offers "enhanced" epubs and interactive doo-dads as an excuse to make "books" expensive. I'll be continuing to embrace the kind with words, and words only.