Colour E-Ink hitting the market by the end of the year?

[boswd]

Originally Posted by bhartman36

I would be amazed if a color e-ink screen could be done economically, at this point. If a color e-ink device ends up being in the range of $600 (and that would be impressive), then comparisons to the iPad become unavoidable. And at that price point, the comparison becomes valid, which isn't a good thing for the e-book maker, because however colorful it is (and how good the colors will be is still an open question) e-ink technology is still fundamentally different from LCD technology, and an e-ink screen will never be able to do what you can do on a tablet (be it iPad, or any other tablet).

That's why I think Bezos is more right than not, when he talks about color e-ink screens being some years away. It only really makes sense to make a color e-ink reader when you can make a good one, cheaply.

great point, they can't get into a price match with the iPad, I think if they bring it the pre price war of the Kindle and Nook at $269 for a 6 inch, then it'll do OK>

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by boswd

great point, they can't get into a price match with the iPad, I think if they bring it the pre price war of the Kindle and Nook at $269 for a 6 inch, then it'll do OK>

I don't think a 6" model would have much appeal. That size is great for things like novels which don't need color. Magazines, comics and books with a lot of color diagrams don't do so well on a small screen.

[m-reader]

Originally Posted by boswd

NOW this is the game changer e-ink readers is waiting for and to get excited for.

It's going to be the race to see who get's one out first, Kindle, Nook or Sony. This is waht I'm talking about, not creating 560 replies because the Kindle came out with a wi fi edititon and everyone thinks they revolutioned the game.

Until this hits the market all the tweaking Kindle, the nook and Sony do is basically not much in enhancements.

touch screen color navigation in e ink.

Actually according to the article it would seem that Hanvon has got the dibs on the new colour screens.
Interesting, eh?

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by boswd

great point, they can't get into a price match with the iPad, I think if they bring it the pre price war of the Kindle and Nook at $269 for a 6 inch, then it'll do OK>

For the most part color would be a waste in a 6" device IMO.

[carld]

Originally Posted by jswinden

As Bezos said, that could take years. That photo of the first generation e-Ink screen looked washed out, so they have a long ways to go as far as improving the quality.

I agree. I don't think anyone is going to catch Amazon napping on the E-ink technology front.

[carld]

Originally Posted by m-reader

Battery life and eye strain shouldn't be a problem, as:
1) Battery life - screen is bi-stable same as the b/w version

However, if you're doing animation or video you'll be updating the screen at a much faster clip than current e-ink, causing a larger drain on the battery. Also, and I'm just guessing here, I expect that the color screen will require more tiny bits of plastic or whatever, to be pushed around to produce color, causing the screens themselves to draw more power.

[ppw]

Originally Posted by HarryT

No, they won't. One of the main uses of the iPad is for playing video. Colour eInk will not be doing that for many years to come.

The arena in which colour eInk will be extremely attractive is for such things as magazines. Once it's available, I can foresee a boom in the market for large-screen readers aimed primarily at the magazine-reading audience.

Magazine on a 6 inch screen is not an ideal experience. Also, have you noticed the trend of e-magazine? It has links and embedded videos. It also goes social. Check Flipboard for iPad.

If Amazon does follow this trend and add color with video capability to Kindle DX, iPad and Android tablets will surely be the ones Kindle would be compared to.

[bhartman36]

Originally Posted by Alisa

I don't think a 6" model would have much appeal. That size is great for things like novels which don't need color. Magazines, comics and books with a lot of color diagrams don't do so well on a small screen.

Yeah, I could certainly see how a 6" color e-reader would have a very limited appeal. I think the problem's going to be, if it's the same size as an iPad or a DX, then it's definitely going to be more than an iPad (at least, in the foreseeable future). By the time color e-Ink screens are competitive with an iPad at that size, Apple (and the rest of the industry) will be on to something else.

I think if you need color for your e-book reading, you're better off getting a netbook or a tablet. That would just make more sense to me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're reading comic books (aka "graphic novels"), isn't the eyestrain/glare thing less of an issue, anyway? The advantage I still think e-Ink would have in color would be for scientific textbooks and the like.

[cmdahler]

Originally Posted by HarryT

No, they won't. One of the main uses of the iPad is for playing video. Colour eInk will not be doing that for many years to come.

The arena in which colour eInk will be extremely attractive is for such things as magazines. Once it's available, I can foresee a boom in the market for large-screen readers aimed primarily at the magazine-reading audience.

Another mass market appeal for a color e-Ink screen would be digital photo frames. So long as the pixel density is high enough and the color gamut wide enough, this could replace all LCD screens in digital photo frames in very short order. With a realistic color gamut and a lack of a visible background (unlike a text page where you see lots of the grayish background around and through the text), this sort of thing could actually approach being indistinguishable from a printed picture. That would be a really nice thing to have and would probably sell very well.

[ppw]

Originally Posted by cmdahler

Another mass market appeal for a color e-Ink screen would be digital photo frames.

Digital frame function can be a nice add on. But it can not be the main appeal of the device.

[ppw]

Originally Posted by bhartman36

The advantage I still think e-Ink would have in color would be for scientific textbooks and the like.

Agree with your statement. But that market will be very limited. It's impact to the e-reader market will be small. Also, by the time Kindle School edition comes out, the capability and price point of newer generation iPad and Android tablets will be unknown.

[Kali Yuga]

Wow, you guys are getting super excited over.... a press release.

In fact it's pretty close to the same PR that E-Ink has been putting out for years.

This kind of stuff means nothing *cough* Pixel Qi *cough* Plastic Que *cough* Mirasol 2013!

Wake me when there's a shipping product.

[cmdahler]

Originally Posted by ppw

Digital frame function can be a nice add on. But it can not be the main appeal of the device.

Why can't it? The market for digital photo frames is significant.

[ppw]

Originally Posted by cmdahler

The market for digital photo frames is significant.

I have the exact opposite impressions. Also I see the market is currently already flooded with cheap made-in-china LCD models. I don't think a Lexus model matters much.

[SkyDream]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

Wake me when there's a shipping product.

AMEN !

Totally agree.