Fujitsu to set up color e-book reader production plant in Taiwan

[jankovicgood]

update

[Hellmark]

That would be cool for comics and the like, but for basic book reading, I really do not see the point in a color display. It's only when you throw in images that it starts to matter.

[giedre]

Yeah, but wouldn't it be great to be able to read magazines in color on it?!

[Hellmark]

Oh, heh, didn't think about magazines. Those tend to be fairly image heavy, and would be awesome for a device with color

[Abecedary]

Note that they're talking about producing only 10,000 units a year at full production capacity once they're set up. That's not a whole lot. It's either going to be for fairly specialized devices, or we won't be seeing this in the mainstream for a number of years.

[jankovicgood]

I think that color displays could open a new market for ebook readers. Children books have color drawings, also comics and manga. I guess if kids are learning to read, why don't get them used to read on ebook reader devices?

[brecklundin]

excellent news...color needs to and will happen fairly soon I imagine and by soon I expect to see decent color options next year. I thought we might see them late this year or very early next year but with the economy and energy costs, the cost to build new plants is just out-there right now. So, development slows in terms of actual production.

As for why color, for me I want to be able to carry my tech references with full color references (photo's, diagrams, etc)...I don't see myself ever subscribing to magazines. I mean I already do not subscribe to any unless they are free and those I donate to our convalescent care center here in town without ever reading them. Better info on websites dedicated to what ever area of interest.

And while viewing web content would be a really nice thing and I know it will also happen for this type of display, I am content with static content readers of I get all my reference manuals and such on a single device...and I want a good 11" in display cuz these eyeballs just ain't what they usedtawuz... So, for me pocket portability is not a must have, unless of course we get a "scroll" sort of reader that rolls up into a cylinder with some sort of flip out frame.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by Abecedary

Note that they're talking about producing only 10,000 units a year at full production capacity once they're set up. That's not a whole lot. It's either going to be for fairly specialized devices, or we won't be seeing this in the mainstream for a number of years.

Given the sluggish refresh rate of this technology (even when compared to eInk), I'm not sure I could see there being much demand outside of specialized areas anyways.

[igorsk]

In other news, it doesn't look like any Flepia units shipped yet. In March, when it became available for ordering, they said "expected end of May". Now site says "expected end of August". I could only find one review of a unit besides the PR photos:
http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2...7/fujitsuf.htm

[Abecedary]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

Given the sluggish refresh rate of this technology (even when compared to eInk), I'm not sure I could see there being much demand outside of specialized areas anyways.

Oh, is this the tech that takes ~8 secs for a page refresh?

[ma2tak]

Originally Posted by igorsk

In other news, it doesn't look like any Flepia units shipped yet. In March, when it became available for ordering, they said "expected end of May". Now site says "expected end of August". I could only find one review of a unit besides the PR photos:
http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2...7/fujitsuf.htm

I read this Japanese page. http://www.frontech.fujitsu.com/serv.../paper/flepia/. We can buy it. It costs 99,750 yen(about 1000 $). Very expensive. If you order now, it will be ship the end of august 2009.Do you buy it ?

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Abecedary

Oh, is this the tech that takes ~8 secs for a page refresh?

Unless this is talking about something new, then yes. The device Fujitsu has been talking about for a while now is the Flepia, based on a variant of LCD. The article doesn't say that the new manufacturing plant is for the Flepia, but I would assume so.

Last time I saw any specs on it, in full color mode it had an 8 second refresh.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by jankovicgood

Fujitsu to set up color e-book reader production plant in Taiwan

Japan-based Fujitsu will work with a Taiwan-based company to set up a plant in Taiwan to produce cholesteric liquid crystal color e-book readers, according to Liao Chi-Chang, manager of FLEXLCD, an organization dedicated to promoting flexible LCD display.

Fujitsu will help the Taiwan company transform its STN and roll-to-roll equipment for cholesteric liquid crystal display production, and will set up an R&D center in Taiwan, Liao noted.

Fujitsu will first set up back-end e-book reader module production lines in 3-4 month, and then a complete line incorporating front- to back-end production in one year for an annual output of 10,000 color e-book readers, Liao said.

FLEXLCD, established in 2007, is managed by Liao from the Electronics and Optoelectronics Research Laboratories (EOL) of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). FLEXLCD members include LCD panel maker Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO), equipment maker Contrel Technology and Kuo Sen Enterprise, and flexible copper clad laminate (FCCL) maker Taiflex Scientific.

Source: http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090818PD215.html

It's on the Frankfurt Book Fairs: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...32&postcount=1

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

Unless this is talking about something new, then yes. The device Fujitsu has been talking about for a while now is the Flepia, based on a variant of LCD. The article doesn't say that the new manufacturing plant is for the Flepia, but I would assume so.

Last time I saw any specs on it, in full color mode it had an 8 second refresh.

hahaha...nothing like a reader you can time page turns using a sundial.

e-ink as not exactly quick when it was new either, am I remember that right? I think it took a few seconds per page turn originally??