Quote:
Originally Posted by Hellmark
Yes, eink displays aren't cheap. Right now they are about half of the cost. $70 is the lowest i've seen quote I've seen for manufacturer cost on a eink display, and more are closer to $90.
Also, as things stand, magazines on readers *****. The format that the few digital magazines support do not lend itself well to an ereader. Plus ereaders currently lack color, which would be a big turn off.
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But given that e-ink, the actual display, has been stable for some time now, that cost to a reader manufacturer is more reflective of a desire to generate higher profits - AND that e-ink displays themselves are 'single-source' - than it reflects true e-ink manufacturing costs. By now, were e-ink screens being made by several manufacturers, you'd see the cost to an ebook-reader manufacturer hovering closer to about $40. And then there's the cost of the main CPU boards. Let us face facts. Until e-ink displays (and their controllers) can handle 256-or better-color and 30-60 frames-per-second refresh rates, it doesn't behoove manufacturers to add too many 'kitchen-sink' features. I can see where a 'Buy-the-books-wirelessly' function goes well, but how many people, as a percentage of total e-ink-readership actually uses the average e-ink reader to play music? Don't need that 'feature'. And there's no need for a simple 'book *READER*' to have a full keyboard - especially not with a touch-screen - that reduces the cost of a basic reader even more.
Derek