Quote:
Originally Posted by jasonkchapman
I think it depends on how large the market gets. Laptops hit a floor, originally, while desktops just kept falling. That's because laptops were a relatively small portion of the personal computer market. Once they reached a significant share, the same market forces that pushed desktops down started working on laptops. Now a manufacturer can produce a feature-limited laptop with a $599 retail price and make money.
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Laptops' price decline also depended a lot on technology improvements, particularly in displays. For years, laptop displays (LCDs) were in constant design flux, meaning manufacturing plants were retooling every 2-3 years, and prices stayed up. LCD display tech has since stabilized, constant plant retooling has not been necessary, and so prices have come down significantly.
We should expect that, as more companies manufacture e-ink, and once the design stabilizes (hopefully on a faster-refresh color variant), e-ink screen prices should drop, too. But, just as with laptops, it could take awhile.