Colour e-readers with video

[GeoffC]

Link from BBC Web-site

A colour e-reader that supports video and potentially web browsing has been shown off by Dutch researchers.

The prototype uses screen technology - based on century-old science - that its makers say is up to four times more energy efficient than LCD screens.

Once established in the e-reader market, Dutch firm Liquavista hope to see its displays integrated into other devices in the future.

But analysts question whether consumers will be enticed by the greener gadgets.

Liquavista said it expects the first e-readers using the "electrowetting" technology to be available by the middle of 2011 and the technology to then become more widespread.

[Worldwalker]

I don't want a TV and a Web browser. I have my netbook for that.

I just want a book.

[Godzil]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

Liquavista said it expects the first e-readers using the "electrowetting" technology to be available by the middle of 2011 and the technology to then become more widespread. [/COLOR][/I]

I don't expect LiquaVista screen in mass market product until the end of 2011, and maybe later, the first device that will use their screen will be really expensive..

[Magnesus]

Maybe Mirasol will be sooner? End of the year some say.

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

I don't want a TV and a Web browser. I have my netbook for that.

I just want a book.

So an ebook reader with a superior screen can't function as a book?

[DawnFalcon]

By the time you've bought an extremely expensive ereader, you might as well of got a long-battery life netbook and a couple of batteries for a fraction of the price. And it'll do far more.

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by DawnFalcon

By the time you've bought an extremely expensive ereader, you might as well of got a long-battery life netbook and a couple of batteries for a fraction of the price. And it'll do far more.

We don't really have any idea how much of a gouging the first generation of these screens will be

Netbooks aren't tablets though. When more convincing convertibles are available though, sure.

[Godzil]

Originally Posted by Magnesus

Maybe Mirasol will be sooner? End of the year some say.

End of the year is the possible disponibility of the screen, not devices.

[Worldwalker]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

So an ebook reader with a superior screen can't function as a book?

A lot of things can function as a book. A stadium-sized Jumbotron can function as a book, if you really want to go all the way (y'know, that would be cool for a "one city, one book" reading event).

I have a strong preference for devices that are designed to do one thing, and do it in the best way possible for that function. I want an ebook reader to replace printed books. Having a Web browser, a full-motion video display, or a Swiss Army knife built into it will not improve its ability to replace printed books. My paper books don't move, nor browse the Web. Adding those capabilities is going away from the design goal: replace printed books. And in order to do so, they will impose their own costs: battery life, purchase price, reliability, tradeoffs of sharpness for more colors, etc. I do not think that adding features that do not serve the purpose of replacing printed books would be worth the costs I mentioned.

You can supply some of the features all users want, or all of the features some users want, but you can't supply all of the features all users want in any non-trivial device.

[HarryT]

Surely all book readers already support video? If they didn't have a video display, you couldn't read them. Is this referring specifically to "moving pictures"?

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

A lot of things can function as a book. A stadium-sized Jumbotron can function as a book, if you really want to go all the way (y'know, that would be cool for a "one city, one book" reading event).

I have a strong preference for devices that are designed to do one thing, and do it in the best way possible for that function. I want an ebook reader to replace printed books. Having a Web browser, a full-motion video display, or a Swiss Army knife built into it will not improve its ability to replace printed books. My paper books don't move, nor browse the Web. Adding those capabilities is going away from the design goal: replace printed books. And in order to do so, they will impose their own costs: battery life, purchase price, reliability, tradeoffs of sharpness for more colors, etc. I do not think that adding features that do not serve the purpose of replacing printed books would be worth the costs I mentioned.

You can supply some of the features all users want, or all of the features some users want, but you can't supply all of the features all users want in any non-trivial device.

For books, I want something a hell of a lot faster and better than E-Ink. Rapid refresh capability that is associated with video playback is a must. Color to display diagrams is nice for a lot of reading, but yeah pretty superfluous for general fiction.

If slow, mediocre e-ink is satisfactory to you, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about because there are enough Chinese cookie-cutter readers out there to last a few lifetimes. Unfortunately, there aren't any good ebook readers out there for people like me yet, and fast, possibly color screens will be a nice (if small) step forward in pretty much every conceivable way.

And ebook readers are only given extremely minimal design consideration as replacements for paper books. They're terribly unrefined and are built around crude hardware with even worse software. Their suitability for books seems largely a consequence of being bad at everything.

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Surely all book readers already support video? If they didn't have a video display, you couldn't read them. Is this referring specifically to "moving pictures"?

No, the pictures just sit there-- no scrolling around. Is this referring specifically to "lots of photos shown really quickly?"

/me can also be a pedant...

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by DawnFalcon

By the time you've bought an extremely expensive ereader, you might as well of got a long-battery life netbook and a couple of batteries for a fraction of the price. And it'll do far more.

These do something permenantly beyond the capability of a netbook.

[DawnFalcon]

Which is?