Oh, I sooo hope not... Light and thin is important up to some point, and when you reach that point, it only matters when it's foldable screen. I can only comment on Cybook - a very light and thin device. I was literally afraid to hold it without a cover (even when I saw it in the pictures, I decided that there is no point in buying it without a cover, as it would be uncomfortable). It was less comfortable to hold for a long periods of time that my RCA 1100, despite being much lighter and thinner. And I have small hands
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RCA has a bulge on one side, and it's rubberized - does not slip in your grip, and the bulge makes a good gripping point (that's where the battery is, I guess). I understand that the necessity of using a cover changes things a bit, but maybe you could design a rubberized cover that somehow resemble RCA and that fits a thin and light device? As an option? Anybody who likes light and thin, can have a different cover. I'd rather have a hefty rubberized cover, and I think that might be a cheaper way to go in the development.
And let's not forget the screen protection - Cybook cover did not have any - so even when the device was covered, during reading the screen was susceptible to scratches and pressure. I think with the eink it would be good to offer a clear plastic screen cover that could be attached to the device cover, that would not reduce print quality by much, but offer some protection (and yes, I understand that for the touch-screen that is useless). And also, you could offer those thin film covers, that only protect from scratches (my Cybook is untouched, but my RCA has scratches, as I could not find a film cover that would fit).
But, if a design of the device itself could be affected, think of the battery possibilities... Obviously, all the batteries in the ereaders on the market now are light and thin... If you could put a really large one in the bulge - it could have weeks of use, rather than days offered now. I, for instance, would go for that, rather than lightness and thinness. Also, if that could be side-lighted, to read in the dark, with larger battery this could be doable without reducing the reading time to several hours... My RCA has a good 20 reading hours in it (it's turned low), so with the new technology, you could have days even with side-lighting, if there was a way to put a larger battery in.
Sorry for a long post... Daydreaming, I think. But, Robert, you might be our only hope... Nobody else is really listening.
As for in-person participation in CES, even thought I live in the US, I really can't (vacation time is scarce and hard to come by, and I'm on the East Coast). But anytime you are in NY please let me know, I'll be delighted to lay my hands on the actual prototypes and complain...
Dorota