Quote:
Originally Posted by Alisa
I think that once we have the right display and battery technology there will be no reason that a multifunction device couldn't be every bit as good as a dedicated reader.
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It's going to be a long time before anyone makes a light, power-sipping device that really excels at both dynamic and static content. By that time, epaper will likely be a) super-thin, b) super-light, c) fairly cheap, d) fully flexible and e) will still have a tremendous battery life advantage. Keep in mind that
both dynamic and epaper displays will advance in various ways.
It's also unclear really if tablets are going to truly take off. IMO it's more a geek
idée fixe than something Joe Average slavers over, especially given the ability of smartphones to perform the same jobs in a far more convenient and portable package.
Plus, there are design advantages, like fewer distractions. Let's say you are a teacher, and you have the option between giving the students one of two devices. One can play movies, surf the web, send and receive email, chat via IM, interface with Twitter, play games, and the battery might not make it a full day; on the other one, you can read (and only read) for 3-4 days without a charge. Which is better suited for use in a classroom?
I expect there will be tablets that will be
sufficient as reading devices, and could work just fine for some readers. But it's unlikely they will match or surpass the quality, unless the epaper manufacturers really drop the ball.