PocketBook announces frontlit color eInk for June 2013

[Fourl29]

this one is not it, if it were it, amazon and/or b&n would have had it instead, or at least kobo would.

[JakeBadlands]

Personally, as a software engineer, I feel myself very excited about this device.
It could be a great choice for reading textbooks, technical literature and other serious books -
because it is highly uncomfortable to look at color images, charts and graphs in black-white mode!

I have been waiting for E-Ink Triton 2nd generation devices for quite long,
and, finally, happy to see an interesting product that worths the attention

Here is an interesting video from the introduction of Pocketbook Color Lux:


(enable "Captions" to watch with English subtitles )

[pendragginp]

I've seen the light referred to both as a backlight - as in this video - and as a front light. Do we know for sure which it is?

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by pendragginp

I've seen the light referred to both as a backlight - as in this video - and as a front light. Do we know for sure which it is?

The E-Ink layer is not transparent, so it can't use a backlight. It's not like LCD, which can switch between transparent and black with an applied voltage. It's more like little balls that are white on one side and black on the other, and that rotate one way or the other to get the right colour towards the front.

[Dulin's Books]

it is front lit.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

Currently employed at Microsoft as a Product Advisor

Can you please advise Microsoft to do away with Windows 8?

[frahse]

Well, I guess we can only wait for more info, more reviews, more exhibitions and of course customer reactions and testaments.

The idea has been around for some time, but the beast itself is like reports of that rare or extinct wood pecker in the Mid West. Very elusive.

[Ken Maltby]

It is my understanding that the Kobo Aura HD display is made by "eInk" as one complete
unit, with the eInk panel, and the IR touchscreen, and the frontlight included in the packaged unit.

Given that "eInk" has demonstrated that they can integrate a high quality frontlight
over an HD version of their B&W eInk display, How hard would it be for them to put
one together with their Triton Color display?

Luck;
Ken

[kevinp]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Can you please advise Microsoft to do away with Windows 8?

[pendragginp]

Thanks for the clarification everyone. =)

[Fourl29]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

It is my understanding that the Kobo Aura HD display is made by "eInk" as one complete
unit, with the eInk panel, and the IR touchscreen, and the frontlight included in the packaged unit.

Given that "eInk" has demonstrated that they can integrate a high quality frontlight
over an HD version of their B&W eInk display, How hard would it be for them to put
one together with their Triton Color display?

Luck;
Ken

Ken I was wondering if eink had already incorporated the light for kobo, because I 'd seen their technology preview videos showing a pre incorporated light guide layer on the new eink panels. I am not so sure though about ir since this seems to come from neodone, but I could be wrong. If the complete package is indeed coming from eink itself (with the weakest link imho being the ir touchscreen) then kobo it seems are just adding bad plastics, poor software and poor customer service to the package.

In terms of triton I wouldn't think it would be that hard to add a light layer there too, although I am not sure if the added colour layer which is the difference from the greyscale version, makes for one layer too many when factoring in the layer for the light too. Surely a more precise execution must be required (thinner light layer perhaps, better lamination of the various layers) so the piling up of layers doesn't end up hurting the image quality.

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by Fourl29

Ken I was wondering if eink had already incorporated the light for kobo, because I 'd seen their technology preview videos showing a pre incorporated light guide layer on the new eink panels. I am not so sure though about ir since this seems to come from neodone, but I could be wrong. If the complete package is indeed coming from eink itself (with the weakest link imho being the ir touchscreen) then kobo it seems are just adding bad plastics, poor software and poor customer service to the package.

In terms of triton I wouldn't think it would be that hard to add a light layer there too, although I am not sure if the added colour layer which is the difference from the greyscale version, makes for one layer too many when factoring in the layer for the light too. Surely a more precise execution must be required (thinner light layer perhaps, better lamination of the various layers) so the piling up of layers doesn't end up hurting the image quality.

Hmm... it might be interesting to see what all is included with the SDK they
provided Kobo? Not been to the eInk site in awhile, is there one for a combined
package such as Kobo received?

Luck;
Ken

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

Hmm... it might be interesting to see what all is included with the SDK they
provided Kobo? Not been to the eInk site in awhile, is there one for a combined
package such as Kobo received?

Luck;
Ken

According to their website, these are their standard modules:

Size 	Resolution 	Touch Technology 	Front Light Technology
5" 	800 x 600 	        n/a 	                n/a
6" 	800 x 600 	        n/a 	                n/a
6" 	800 x 600 	        Capacitive 	        n/a
6" 	1024 x 758 	        n/a 	                n/a
6" 	1024 x 758 	        Capacitive 	        n/a
6" 	1024 x 758 	        Capacitive 	        With Front Light
9.7" 	1200 x 825 	        n/a 	                n/a
9.7" 	1600 x 1200             n/a 	                n/a
9.7" 	2400 x 1650             n/a 	                n/a

Everything else is custom, I guess.

[JakeBadlands]

Here is an interesting video review of Pocketbook Color Lux:


(enable "Captions" to watch with English subtitles )

On this video, you could see this excellent new-era E-Book reader in action!

[JakeBadlands]

Originally Posted by pendragginp

I've seen the light referred to both as a backlight - as in this video - and as a front light. Do we know for sure which it is?

Originally Posted by rkomar

The E-Ink layer is not transparent, so it can't use a backlight. It's not like LCD, which can switch between transparent and black with an applied voltage. It's more like little balls that are white on one side and black on the other, and that rotate one way or the other to get the right colour towards the front.

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

it is front lit.

Yes, if to talk precisely, it is a front lit. Its called backlight in some articles
because it is a more common term, but this leads to a confusion