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Originally Posted by n@meless1
Then how much difference really exists between an e-paper and a classic lcd\tft display? How far is it from a "paper" book? Which are the fundamental "quality" aspects of an e-paper? Resolution, grayscale..?
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That kinda all depends on what type of "e-paper". The term is used to refer to several different display technologies. The fundamental thing they all share in common is that they are bistable... meaning power is only needed to refresh the screen, not to maintain it.
Umm, most devices coming on right now however use a a form of e-paper technology called "eInk". This actually uses fluid filled capsules. Suspended in this fluid are black and white ink particles, each with a different electrical charge. When one applies a charge to the top and bottom of the capsule, it draws a controlled amount of black or white particles to the top and bottom. Anyways, the visible difference between this and an LCD is that eInk is actually surface reflective (whereas LCD either emits or reflects light from behind the screen). The result is a screen whose contrast actually gets better with more light. Compared to a paper book, the background is more grayish... though not horribly so... and there is just a tad bit of glare, which is actually reminiscent to a laminated sheet. Oh, and the resolution at least for the 6" displays is around 166dpi, and the depth of grayscale can range from 4 to 16 shades depending on the device.
Oh, on more distinction with eInk is that, while the currently mass produced screens are all rigid, it can in fact be made flexible. This is demonstrated with the Readius, or Cellular book, which has a 5" display and yet can fold down to fit in a pocket or a small purse.