Quote:
Originally Posted by spinoza
People seem ready to point out that LCD displays do not work well in in direct sunlight, but these negativistas don't seem as ready point out that LCDs work infinitely better than e-ink in low or no light. I much prefer the advantage of being able to read without ambient light than with reading in direct sunlight, since I don't do the latter near as much as the former.
That being said, I understand a new transreflective kind of technology will be coming out this fall that will allow LCD displays to be used in bright sunlight just like e-ink. It supposedly will revolutionize LCD technology because it will combine the advantages of e-ink (low battery use, etc) with LCD. If this is the case, we won't have to decide between one or the other in the future.
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I bought two LCD based PDAs specifically for reading eBooks. I now own an e-ink device. If I get the spare money I may buy an iPod Touch, but it's unlikely in the near future. If I do get it, it won't replace e-ink on my primary reading device.
Even if we ignore the fact that e-ink is easier on my eyes, there are two factors which put e-ink far ahead of portable LCD devices. Battery life and screen size. I used to run out of power all the time on my LCD devices, and I don't on e-ink. I also have a 6" e-ink device, and it's hard to get LCD devices in a tablet form factor with a similar or larger screen size.
So for me it's not that e-ink is necessarily better than LCD, but that current e-ink devices are.