[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by Acreo Aeneas

Aging. Okay, perhaps if I were 50+, but I'm not, only 24. And when I say stronger prescription, I mean prescription lenses since I was not born with regular ol' 20/20 eye sight (far from it). Being a technology person (programmer), I spend a lot of my time on the computer. A aging person's eye sight will slowly deteriorate over time, but not at a rapid pace unless something's seriously or some other factor is at play (like backlit displays).

It's still aging. With growth hormone etc. your eyes get worse as you age/grow then level off until your near site starts to go.

I've always worn glasses as well, and my prescriptions kept getting worse until I was in my early 20s.

It's leveled off sense then and seldom has changed since (I'm 31 now)--think one eye is -.50 worse in contact prescription than it was 10 years ago, other eye is still the same. And I have spent MUCH, MUCH more time since then looking at back lit displays due to always being around a PC with grad school work and an academic career after graduating.

I don't think backlighting is going to degrade one's vision as long as they're working in properly lit environments, sitting proper distances from the screen etc. At least not anymore than any other kind of work that involves using mostly near site and not looking at distances very often during the day.

I agree that we need to take a more moderate stand and take a look at the bigger picture. However, one screen type does not make it versatile for every use (whether or not it can or is used for everything under the sun).

Yep, and some people have no need for whatever bothers another person about a screen. I never read in the sunlight, don't read for hours on end etc. so the benefits of e-ink are hugely important to me. To others they are, and I respect that and respect the use of the technology. No need for me to bash the tech like some due--and no reason for fans of e-ink to bash other tech--it's enough to just say that it's not for them IMO.

As it stands, I personally do not want to see a failure of e-ink based ereaders (or some other reflective screen type) and the (once again) mass adoption of portable backlit displays for reading books. At the same time, neither should we toss aside today's conventional screens. Both have their merits and their uses.

Agree 100%. I'll probably not buy another e-ink device after my Kindle, but e-ink or other equally good (or better) reflective screen readers should remain on the market for the avid readers who want them.

And I think they will. We live in a money driven world. As long as there's a sizable niche of people who want a product, some companies will make them as people aren't going to totally ignore avenues to make money.

There's plenty of room in the market for simple, dedicated readers with screens ideal for long-term reading, to LCD tablets and everything in between. It's not some zero sum endgame where only one screen technology can survive. E-books are very simple software wise, there will always be tons of different options for reading them.