Kyobo Mirasol-based ebook reader launched in South Korea - Page 3

monkeyluis · 11-23-2011, 12:20 AM

I'm sorry but this market will never take off. Or sell very few units. Tablets are going to be the dominant force in color reading, especially with all of the other features they have. Do any search with iPad & school, we can see that these devices are clearly the preferred medium. I urgently get my school books on my iPad. It's eithe eink as we have it now or tablet. That's my unprofessional opinion.

Joy736 · 11-23-2011, 12:38 AM

I was just about to make a thread about this, when I saw this one.
I think this is a great development. I'm curious to see if this will be the end of e-ink (bear in mind, the only thing I've read are: color, moving images, just as easy to read in the sun as e-ink and weeks of battery-life. If this is all realy true, e-ink can't compare).

pdurrant · 11-23-2011, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joy736

I was just about to make a thread about this, when I saw this one.
I think this is a great development. I'm curious to see if this will be the end of e-ink (bear in mind, the only thing I've read are: color, moving images, just as easy to read in the sun as e-ink and weeks of battery-life. If this is all realy true, e-ink can't compare).

We still haven't got details on B&W contrast ratio compared to the latest eInk, nor any data on robustness (although it seems unlikely to be more fragile than the glass substrate of current eInk screens).

What it might do is encourage the deployment of robust eInk with a plastic substrate.

HansTWN · 11-23-2011, 03:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeyluis

I'm sorry but this market will never take off. Or sell very few units. Tablets are going to be the dominant force in color reading, especially with all of the other features they have. Do any search with iPad & school, we can see that these devices are clearly the preferred medium. I urgently get my school books on my iPad. It's eithe eink as we have it now or tablet. That's my unprofessional opinion.

For now, yes. But this may well be the next generations of color displays. The technological breakthrough that will replace LCD/LEDs on computers, phones, and tablets. And then again it may just be a flash in the pan. We don't know enough about it at this point. But just for reading it may be a big enough niche market, too.

pdurrant · 11-23-2011, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Unfortunately it's too small. 5.7" is too small.

5.7" too small, but 6" is just right?

I'll take a 5.7" 223ppi display over a 6.0" 160ppi display anytime.

kartu · 11-23-2011, 04:44 AM

A guy commented on the-ebook forum, stating that he has seen prototypes a while ago and they had much higher constrast than e-ink. He also mentioned good viewing angles. AND background being nearly white. Uhm.

Judging from video, they seem to use built-in light, the same thing that Sony did on failed PRS 700 model (additional layer degraded screen quality a lot).

Lbooker · 11-23-2011, 05:25 AM

First video of a demo unit in a Kyobo store : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rYg9-VJ2Ys
A few seconds before the end, it looks like the person who shot this video disabled the backlight (or frontlight ?); then the screen looks quite dark, and the colors are not attractive anymore. From the weight (338g) and the the look of it, I guess the Kyobo uses backlight.

pdurrant · 11-23-2011, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lbooker

I guess the Kyobo uses backlight.

It does have a built-in light, but it's a front-light. Like eInk, the Mirasol display is opaque. A back-light doesn't work.

pdurrant · 11-23-2011, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lbooker

First video of a demo unit in a Kyobo store : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rYg9-VJ2Ys
A few seconds before the end, it looks like the person who shot this video disabled the backlight (or frontlight ?); then the screen looks quite dark, and the colors are not attractive anymore.

This happens at about 1:20 and 1:48. What impresses me is how white the background looks when the frontlight is turned off. Note that the middle is dark because of the shadow of the person filming.

What this video does seem to show (from reflections on the unit) is that they seem to have put a sheet of glass over the entire front of the unit. I wonder if this was necessary for the front light, or just a design decision.

I would expect that the front glass adds a bit to the weight. I think I'd prefer a model without glass or front light. But perhaps it's because the screen itself isn't sturdy enough to be directly touched?

All details that I'm sure will come out over the next few weeks, but it's fun speculating.

Greg Anos · 11-23-2011, 06:58 AM

I suspect the battery life issue is due to the add-ons (front light, wi-fi, ect.). Personally, I'd like a more bare-bones reader, but one should be able to turn all those extra features off.

You have to start somewhere...

idle · 11-23-2011, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pata

that's light...

Is it? There are 6-inch e-readers below 200 grams. This is twice the weight of Sony T1. For some people it might not matter, but I do feel the difference.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I would expect that the front glass adds a bit to the weight. I think I'd prefer a model without glass or front light. But perhaps it's because the screen itself isn't sturdy enough to be directly touched?

Could be. I guess we'll see from future models which parts are necessary for the technology and which ones are just individual design.

mbovenka · 11-23-2011, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by idle

Is it? There are 6-inch e-readers below 200 grams. This is twice the weight of Sony T1. For some people it might not matter, but I do feel the difference.

For a 6-incher it's quite heavy, yes. Still, it's only two thirds the weight of my DXG :-)

JSWolf · 11-23-2011, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

5.7" too small, but 6" is just right?

I'll take a 5.7" 223ppi display over a 6.0" 160ppi display anytime.

I would think 7" would be a good size for a color display at the small end of the scale.

SCION · 11-23-2011, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I would think 7" would be a good size for a color display at the small end of the scale.

I would welcome that and be willing to pay. As someone who reads comfortably on LCDs of a certain quality, I can't see preferring something that's 5.7" instead of a 7" tablet. I don't really care for 6" eReaders because of the small screen. If I'm not in direct sun, I'll use a tablet.

Having a white background is certainly a plus. Finally moving on from the drab dull look of the gray background.

grumbles · 11-23-2011, 11:07 AM

No reflective display is ever going to have the contrast that active (or backlit) displays have.

I have my trusty (and ancient) Kodak Colour Dataguide gray scale beside me and the density range is from 0.00 to 1.90. That represents an 80:1 brightness range. This scale is made on a high quality semi-gloss photographic paper. No ordinary ink on paper will come close to this range.

This roughly the equivalent of a 64 level gray scale. Does anyone know the actual reflection density of the various eInk panels?

I would expect that, at best, a colour eInk display will look like high quality colour printing on good newsprint. Which I think is more than good enough. If you want rich, vibrant colour, you will need to go to an active display!

Given the choice between larger display and higher resolution, I would go with better resolution. The Sony 5" display is 200 dpi. 5.7" at 223 dpi would be excellent.

11-23-2011, 12:38 AM	#32
Joy736 Addict Posts: 311 Karma: 1078442 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Netherlands Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I was just about to make a thread about this, when I saw this one. I think this is a great development. I'm curious to see if this will be the end of e-ink (bear in mind, the only thing I've read are: color, moving images, just as easy to read in the sun as e-ink and weeks of battery-life. If this is all realy true, e-ink can't compare). Last edited by Joy736; 11-23-2011 at 12:49 AM.

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11-23-2011, 12:20 AM	#31
monkeyluis Banned Posts: 725 Karma: 656644 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Central Florida Device: iPad "3", Kindle Touch, Kindle Fire, iPhone 4S	I'm sorry but this market will never take off. Or sell very few units. Tablets are going to be the dominant force in color reading, especially with all of the other features they have. Do any search with iPad & school, we can see that these devices are clearly the preferred medium. I urgently get my school books on my iPad. It's eithe eink as we have it now or tablet. That's my unprofessional opinion.

11-23-2011, 04:44 AM	#36
kartu PRS+ author Posts: 1,637 Karma: 2446233 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Sony PRS-300, 505, 600, 650, 950	A guy commented on the-ebook forum, stating that he has seen prototypes a while ago and they had much higher constrast than e-ink. He also mentioned good viewing angles. AND background being nearly white. Uhm. Judging from video, they seem to use built-in light, the same thing that Sony did on failed PRS 700 model (additional layer degraded screen quality a lot).

11-23-2011, 05:25 AM	#37
Lbooker Addict Posts: 316 Karma: 1021312 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Sony PRS-T1	First video of a demo unit in a Kyobo store : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rYg9-VJ2Ys A few seconds before the end, it looks like the person who shot this video disabled the backlight (or frontlight ?); then the screen looks quite dark, and the colors are not attractive anymore. From the weight (338g) and the the look of it, I guess the Kyobo uses backlight.

11-23-2011, 06:58 AM	#40
Greg Anos Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,248 Karma: 35000000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Pocketbook	I suspect the battery life issue is due to the add-ons (front light, wi-fi, ect.). Personally, I'd like a more bare-bones reader, but one should be able to turn all those extra features off. You have to start somewhere...

11-23-2011, 11:07 AM	#45
grumbles Addict Posts: 238 Karma: 1500000 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Pandigital Novel (Black), T-2 and 3, Nexus 7	No reflective display is ever going to have the contrast that active (or backlit) displays have. I have my trusty (and ancient) Kodak Colour Dataguide gray scale beside me and the density range is from 0.00 to 1.90. That represents an 80:1 brightness range. This scale is made on a high quality semi-gloss photographic paper. No ordinary ink on paper will come close to this range. This roughly the equivalent of a 64 level gray scale. Does anyone know the actual reflection density of the various eInk panels? I would expect that, at best, a colour eInk display will look like high quality colour printing on good newsprint. Which I think is more than good enough. If you want rich, vibrant colour, you will need to go to an active display! Given the choice between larger display and higher resolution, I would go with better resolution. The Sony 5" display is 200 dpi. 5.7" at 223 dpi would be excellent.

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