I have been able to view the Sony reading devices and have to say they are surprisingly gray. I did a lot a research and even the eink website claims they use WHITE and black particles in the technology. If this is true then why is the background so dirty dishwater gray?
I read about it here
http://eink.com/technology/howitworks.html and watched the video. I understand the principle of the displays and appreciate the complexity of a device which appears to function so darn simply. But there is a contradiction in their use of white. I saw no white anywhere on the display.
Is the gray a result of the fluid used to suspend the particles? Is it from contamination of the fluid from decomposition of the black and white particles? Of course that is if there are any genuine white particles in that layer of the display. Or is it simply from the glass used as the protective overlay? Something does not make sense and nowhere have I read an explanation that could give insight for a time frame when this will be solved. Also, to be honest I am amazed they are planning color displays. That is a lot of charge manipulations to get the particles to mix correctly and form colors.
I will say I am holding off jumping into the reading device market because of this lack of true white. Even a pastel off white would be fine. But gray is not white.