Foldable e-ink screens : Yay or Nay ?

TeaBot · 08-26-2022, 05:45 AM

With the advent of foldable touchscreens, there has been hints of e-ink screens foldable here and there for a couple of years now.

I remember this from a presentation in Tokyo in 2020:
https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/10/2...pe-note-taking

And looking into it this morning, found this:
https://goodereader.com/blog/electro...oldable-kindle
https://gizmodo.com/e-ink-kaleido-3-...ers-1848842166

First of all, if anyone has more info on the subject, please don't hesitate to share as I am interested in this tech.

Are y'all interested in this or nah ?

Would you want to switch, or would you think the regular screen would fit you better ?

For my part, I would very much like to have this.
Not so much the whole close it to turn pages (gizmodo article), as that sounds annoying to me, but similar to the Tokyo prototype, a regular swipe to turn pages.

I'd like the whole holding it from the middle and having angles on both sides, like a physical book.

And the folding in half to put in my pocket sounds very pleasant as well.

I'm excited to see where this goes.
I'm less excited to see them probably selling it for a fortune.

What's everyone thoughts ?

Is it a tech that has potential on e-ink screen ? I'm less familiar wih the e-ink tech than the touchscreen tech.

JBaby · 08-26-2022, 07:01 AM

No thank you. It’s not for me. Besides I can only read one page at a time.

JSWolf · 08-26-2022, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBaby

No thank you. It’s not for me. Besides I can only read one page at a time.

At the moment, I see nothing special with A foldable eInk screen. But maybe that could change if it was ever a reality (a consumer product able to actually be purchased).

Apache · 08-26-2022, 08:38 AM

Not interested in any foldable device right now.
Apache

John F · 08-26-2022, 08:42 AM

For an ereader, the reason I would want a foldable screen is to make it "smaller" to carry around. It isn't a very high priority for me. And I wouldn't want 2 screens.

jhowell · 08-26-2022, 08:59 AM

Not for me. I mostly read on my kindle at home. The main time I bring it out is going to the beach and I would worry about sand getting into the folding mechanism.

gmw · 08-26-2022, 11:36 AM

Eventually perhaps. I can imagine some clever things that might be possible when the technology progresses further, but for now I'm happy just reading about them on a non-foldable screen.

tomsem · 08-26-2022, 12:28 PM

Naw, I'll wait for the e-ink VR headset.

Deskisamess · 08-26-2022, 12:46 PM

No, not interested. I prefer the 1 page at a time function of current e-ink readers. Wider & hinged just makes it more difficult to hold one handed, and as already stated, you can only read 1 page at a time.

Quoth · 08-26-2022, 02:25 PM

There was a roll up eink phone maybe 12 years ago as a demo. Too fat.
Unless the basic device is about 8mm max thick and works like a 6" and can pull out "Earth Final Conflict" handset style to about 10", there is no point. Or if it was the size of about a Sony PRS-350 and unfolded to twice size and locked open.

Neither of those technologies exist and the foldable OLED phone has poor display life. It's still at the gimmick stage.

There are bendable eInk and has been for years. But it's roll up at quite large internal diameter. There is no use case for it?

Renate · 08-26-2022, 07:40 PM

With all the foo-fa-fah over the Samsung Galaxy 4 Flip I told everybody that I was still waiting for the tri-fold.

meeera · 08-26-2022, 09:22 PM

No interest at all.

haertig · 08-26-2022, 11:34 PM

I have no interest for reading books on such a thing.

However, I would be interested if they made an eInk device large enough to display several full sized pages of piano sheet music on. This wouldn't need to be one giant folding screen though. It could be several smaller screens with hinges between them. By "smaller screen", I still mean the size of a page a sheet music, somewhere around 10" x 12". Three of those side-by-side, either hinged or folding. Battery powered. Illuminated, variable intensity. And a foot pedal with a long cord (or bluetooth) for turning the pages.

I do think they make something like this already, but I don't think it is eInk. And it probably costs as much as a Bösendorfer piano.

binaryhermit · 08-27-2022, 12:03 AM

I'd be more interested potentially in something along the lines of 2 kindles (screens facing internally) with a laptop style hinge since it seems like it'd be more durable than a folding eink screen and I don't see the benefit of an actual folding eink screen

JSWolf · 08-27-2022, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haertig

I have no interest for reading books on such a thing.

However, I would be interested if they made an eInk device large enough to display several full sized pages of piano sheet music on. This wouldn't need to be one giant folding screen though. It could be several smaller screens with hinges between them. By "smaller screen", I still mean the size of a page a sheet music, somewhere around 10" x 12". Three of those side-by-side, either hinged or folding. Battery powered. Illuminated, variable intensity. And a foot pedal with a long cord (or bluetooth) for turning the pages.

I do think they make something like this already, but I don't think it is eInk. And it probably costs as much as a Bösendorfer piano.

Is a 13.3" screen large enough for sheets of music?

08-26-2022, 05:45 AM	#1
TeaBot Jailer of SD cards Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2022 Location: Rennes, FR Device: Kobo Nia, Kobo Clara 2E	Foldable e-ink screens : Yay or Nay ? With the advent of foldable touchscreens, there has been hints of e-ink screens foldable here and there for a couple of years now. I remember this from a presentation in Tokyo in 2020: https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/10/2...pe-note-taking And looking into it this morning, found this: https://goodereader.com/blog/electro...oldable-kindle https://gizmodo.com/e-ink-kaleido-3-...ers-1848842166 First of all, if anyone has more info on the subject, please don't hesitate to share as I am interested in this tech. Are y'all interested in this or nah ? Would you want to switch, or would you think the regular screen would fit you better ? For my part, I would very much like to have this. Not so much the whole close it to turn pages (gizmodo article), as that sounds annoying to me, but similar to the Tokyo prototype, a regular swipe to turn pages. I'd like the whole holding it from the middle and having angles on both sides, like a physical book. And the folding in half to put in my pocket sounds very pleasant as well. I'm excited to see where this goes. I'm less excited to see them probably selling it for a fortune. What's everyone thoughts ? Is it a tech that has potential on e-ink screen ? I'm less familiar wih the e-ink tech than the touchscreen tech.

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08-26-2022, 07:01 AM	#2
JBaby Addict Posts: 248 Karma: 3755662 Join Date: May 2013 Location: Parsons, KS Device: 1st Gen Colorsoft SE, 2024 11” M4 iPad Pro & iPhone 15 Pro Max	No thank you. It’s not for me. Besides I can only read one page at a time.

08-26-2022, 08:38 AM	#4
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,306 Karma: 90981752 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	Not interested in any foldable device right now. Apache

08-26-2022, 08:42 AM	#5
John F Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,003 Karma: 71261339 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo Clara 2E	For an ereader, the reason I would want a foldable screen is to make it "smaller" to carry around. It isn't a very high priority for me. And I wouldn't want 2 screens.

08-26-2022, 08:59 AM	#6
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,157 Karma: 92500001 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlottesville, VA Device: Kindles	Not for me. I mostly read on my kindle at home. The main time I bring it out is going to the beach and I would worry about sand getting into the folding mechanism.

08-26-2022, 11:36 AM	#7
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,818 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	Eventually perhaps. I can imagine some clever things that might be possible when the technology progresses further, but for now I'm happy just reading about them on a non-foldable screen.

08-26-2022, 12:28 PM	#8
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,007 Karma: 27060353 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	Naw, I'll wait for the e-ink VR headset.

08-26-2022, 12:46 PM	#9
Deskisamess Wizard Posts: 2,775 Karma: 45827761 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Ohio Device: iPhone 13 Pro, iPad mini, iPad Pro 12.9",Paperwhite 6.8", Scribe 2022	No, not interested. I prefer the 1 page at a time function of current e-ink readers. Wider & hinged just makes it more difficult to hold one handed, and as already stated, you can only read 1 page at a time.

08-26-2022, 02:25 PM	#10
Quoth Still reading Posts: 14,975 Karma: 111111111 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	There was a roll up eink phone maybe 12 years ago as a demo. Too fat. Unless the basic device is about 8mm max thick and works like a 6" and can pull out "Earth Final Conflict" handset style to about 10", there is no point. Or if it was the size of about a Sony PRS-350 and unfolded to twice size and locked open. Neither of those technologies exist and the foldable OLED phone has poor display life. It's still at the gimmick stage. There are bendable eInk and has been for years. But it's roll up at quite large internal diameter. There is no use case for it?

08-26-2022, 07:40 PM	#11
Renate Onyx-maniac Posts: 4,119 Karma: 18764971 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5, Go6	With all the foo-fa-fah over the Samsung Galaxy 4 Flip I told everybody that I was still waiting for the tri-fold.

08-26-2022, 09:22 PM	#12
meeera Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,862 Karma: 68407974 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles	No interest at all.

08-26-2022, 11:34 PM	#13
haertig Wizard Posts: 1,939 Karma: 34855886 Join Date: Sep 2017 Device: PW3, Galaxy Tab A9+, Moto G7	I have no interest for reading books on such a thing. However, I would be interested if they made an eInk device large enough to display several full sized pages of piano sheet music on. This wouldn't need to be one giant folding screen though. It could be several smaller screens with hinges between them. By "smaller screen", I still mean the size of a page a sheet music, somewhere around 10" x 12". Three of those side-by-side, either hinged or folding. Battery powered. Illuminated, variable intensity. And a foot pedal with a long cord (or bluetooth) for turning the pages. I do think they make something like this already, but I don't think it is eInk. And it probably costs as much as a Bösendorfer piano.

08-27-2022, 12:03 AM	#14
binaryhermit Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,732 Karma: 20469902 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Lockport, IL Device: Kindle PW4, Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	I'd be more interested potentially in something along the lines of 2 kindles (screens facing internally) with a laptop style hinge since it seems like it'd be more durable than a folding eink screen and I don't see the benefit of an actual folding eink screen