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Old 03-23-2018, 05:52 AM   #2
sjfan
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Posts: 281
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Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Bethesda, MD, USA
Device: Kobo Aura H20, Kobo Clara HD
a) A speaker or the like (for mp3 playing) would draw more power; e-readers are designed largely to maximize reading time without power being drawn by externalities;
b) Many e-reader users cite the fact that they are one-task devices as a plus (unlike general purpose tablets, there are fewer distractions on a dedicated eReader); offering extra functions would actually be considered a negative by a lot of users.
c) e-Ink, which is great for reading, has a really low refresh rate which can be bad for games or web browsing.
d) It takes a lot of effort to support outside features, especially something as complex as a web browser. You say “a simple web browser”, but they aren't actually simple: the embedded browsers on eink devices have often been pretty primitive, and haven't evolved to render sites using modern HTML5 + Javascript + CSS. Largely because such browsers are incredibly complex. Most readers would rather have the programming effort put into improving the actual book reading experience rather than making a half-assed browser work on the device.
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