Bend It like Paper with Plastic Logic's e-reader prototype - Page 2

nairbv · 01-05-2008, 07:16 AM

I just don't understand... what's the appeal of bendable ebooks? Is there any additional value in being able to bend it?

I mean, sure, it's a little more like paper.... it would be hard to turn pages in a book if paper didn't bend. an ebook doesn't need to literally flip pages though. So maybe you can bend it once in half and thus store it more easily? I wouldn't want a crease in my screen though. It just seems kind of silly.

tribble · 01-05-2008, 07:50 AM

The major advantage for me would be that bendable epaper is not that vulnurable. you would not have to bee that careful with it. And it should be alot cheaper.
This would make it ideal for school books.

Though there probably will not be any devices with plasticlogic screens on the market before 2009.

nairbv · 01-07-2008, 06:11 PM

I duno... I imagine a flexible screen would be more expensive not cheaper, since it would add complications.

I also think if the epaper is not mounted in a rigid case would be more vulnerable to damage, not less. Why would getting rid of the case make it safer? I don't think it would be so flexible to allow a creased fold, unless maybe in one designed in spot. They can't even make a decent flex-cable in a flip-style cell phone, so I can't imagine anyone would be able to make e-ink that would fold in a crease anywhere the user pleased, and still allow flow of electricity to all parts of the screen. If rolled in a tube and then sat on, wouldn't it just break? and the corners wouldn't have any good protection.

I think if they're implemented, it'd end up being likely to be some kind of plastic tube with a pull out e-ink scroll. They'd have to have somewhere to put the CPU anyways, so it could go in the tube. they're just making flexible e-ink, not flexible CPU's and batteries and such. Or maybe they'd also make things like e-ink wallet covers with little batteries built into the wallet. I guess on the outside of a wallet, it wouldn't be such a hard crease. Maybe they'd just cover one side in e-ink though to be on the safe side. I don't want to read off a wallet. I'd rather just have something more like the iliad or cybook.

Dylrob · 01-07-2008, 07:55 PM

Flexible screens don't have to be completely flexible to see an advantage. You'll notice that the Readius mounts its flexible display on ridged segments. It's still flexible enough to collapse in, though safe from potential creasing.

Umm, one reason ridged displays are vulnerable though is because, well, they're "ridged". What I mean is that with enough force applied, the materials that they're made of will simply *crack*. On the other hand, a screen made of flexible materials could absorb this type of abuse.

tribble · 01-08-2008, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nairbv

I duno... I imagine a flexible screen would be more expensive not cheaper, since it would add complications.

Depends on the manufacturing. Flexible displays would mean printed electronics, which are very cheap to do. Although i guess this price advantage will only be noticable once there is really a mass production.

Quote:

I also think if the epaper is not mounted in a rigid case would be more vulnerable to damage, not less. Why would getting rid of the case make it safer?

You can put your elbow on the screen or even hit on it with your shoe and the display will not break. Thats what i call less vulnurable. Although there might be other dangers to the display then.

Quote:

I don't think it would be so flexible to allow a creased fold, unless maybe in one designed in spot.

The displays are supposedly to be like laminated paper. So bendable, but only to a certain extend. I assume that folding it would damage the screen.

Quote:

If rolled in a tube and then sat on, wouldn't it just break? and the corners wouldn't have any good protection.

Depends on how they are made. Although it willl most definately leave a mark on the paper.

Quote:

they're just making flexible e-ink, not flexible CPU's and batteries and such

Thats right for the time beeing. But i could think of a book with pages, which has maybe 100 pages in it, a processor in the cover, and you can batch program these pages. Easy to flip through. But thats more the future. See the attached image for what the devices are supposed to look like.

yvanleterrible · 01-08-2008, 09:22 AM

I just hope they won't be as reflective as this one Tribble. I think the reader screens we have today reflect the heavy lighting they require too much already.

As for the foldability, in an other thread I wrote about the possibllity of a clamshell like dual display that could fold over. This bendable plastic screen could be the perfect candidate for such an application. It could make the two halves of one piece instead. The middle wouldn't have to crease, if the two halves leave some space, the screen could kind of roll into a "U" shape at the joint. The best way to describe it would be a sheet of paper pinned at each corner inside two halves of a box. The sheet rolls of floats to the shape it wants to take with no force or other restriction than the space it's set in to. You could open it part way like a laptop and have a virtual touch keyboard on one half of the display and e-media on the other half, or, the device opened flat to make a uniform display of one page, vertical or horizontal. All of which is dependant on customizable software "à la iTouch".

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Sony Shows Off Prototype Flexible Electronic Paper Display	DonaldL.	News	12	09-16-2010 09:00 PM
video of Plastic Logic's QUE	P.X. Fort	News	3	01-11-2010 06:41 AM
Nemoptic offers prototype kit of BiNem e-paper	Alexander Turcic	News	12	02-04-2007 07:19 AM
Plastic Logic's flexible e-paper may be available in 2008	Alexander Turcic	News	18	10-30-2006 04:53 AM
Fujitsu - Prototype Colour Ebook Reader	Stuart Young	News	1	10-06-2006 09:27 AM

01-05-2008, 07:16 AM	#16
nairbv Connoisseur Posts: 88 Karma: 15 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: still looking for an ebook reader device	I just don't understand... what's the appeal of bendable ebooks? Is there any additional value in being able to bend it? I mean, sure, it's a little more like paper.... it would be hard to turn pages in a book if paper didn't bend. an ebook doesn't need to literally flip pages though. So maybe you can bend it once in half and thus store it more easily? I wouldn't want a crease in my screen though. It just seems kind of silly.

01-05-2008, 07:50 AM	#17
tribble iLiad Maniac Posts: 1,382 Karma: 2369 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Germany Device: Bookeen Opus (i love that thing) and iPad (what an irony)	The major advantage for me would be that bendable epaper is not that vulnurable. you would not have to bee that careful with it. And it should be alot cheaper. This would make it ideal for school books. Though there probably will not be any devices with plasticlogic screens on the market before 2009.

01-07-2008, 06:11 PM	#18
nairbv Connoisseur Posts: 88 Karma: 15 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: still looking for an ebook reader device	I duno... I imagine a flexible screen would be more expensive not cheaper, since it would add complications. I also think if the epaper is not mounted in a rigid case would be more vulnerable to damage, not less. Why would getting rid of the case make it safer? I don't think it would be so flexible to allow a creased fold, unless maybe in one designed in spot. They can't even make a decent flex-cable in a flip-style cell phone, so I can't imagine anyone would be able to make e-ink that would fold in a crease anywhere the user pleased, and still allow flow of electricity to all parts of the screen. If rolled in a tube and then sat on, wouldn't it just break? and the corners wouldn't have any good protection. I think if they're implemented, it'd end up being likely to be some kind of plastic tube with a pull out e-ink scroll. They'd have to have somewhere to put the CPU anyways, so it could go in the tube. they're just making flexible e-ink, not flexible CPU's and batteries and such. Or maybe they'd also make things like e-ink wallet covers with little batteries built into the wallet. I guess on the outside of a wallet, it wouldn't be such a hard crease. Maybe they'd just cover one side in e-ink though to be on the safe side. I don't want to read off a wallet. I'd rather just have something more like the iliad or cybook.

01-07-2008, 07:55 PM	#19
Dylrob Murderous Mustela Posts: 10,234 Karma: 48000000 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The other land of schnitzel and beer Device: iPad M1 Pro, Kindle Paperwhite	Flexible screens don't have to be completely flexible to see an advantage. You'll notice that the Readius mounts its flexible display on ridged segments. It's still flexible enough to collapse in, though safe from potential creasing. Umm, one reason ridged displays are vulnerable though is because, well, they're "ridged". What I mean is that with enough force applied, the materials that they're made of will simply crack. On the other hand, a screen made of flexible materials could absorb this type of abuse.

01-08-2008, 09:22 AM	#21
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	I just hope they won't be as reflective as this one Tribble. I think the reader screens we have today reflect the heavy lighting they require too much already. As for the foldability, in an other thread I wrote about the possibllity of a clamshell like dual display that could fold over. This bendable plastic screen could be the perfect candidate for such an application. It could make the two halves of one piece instead. The middle wouldn't have to crease, if the two halves leave some space, the screen could kind of roll into a "U" shape at the joint. The best way to describe it would be a sheet of paper pinned at each corner inside two halves of a box. The sheet rolls of floats to the shape it wants to take with no force or other restriction than the space it's set in to. You could open it part way like a laptop and have a virtual touch keyboard on one half of the display and e-media on the other half, or, the device opened flat to make a uniform display of one page, vertical or horizontal. All of which is dependant on customizable software "à la iTouch".