Plastic Logic QUE event (Thu 7:30 am PT)

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by kazbates

The Que has some attractive features it's just a shame it's priced so high. I'm still waiting to see what's coming soon. The mirasol technology has me very intrigued.

I'm still waiting on Pixel Qi as well.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

"The Kindle Chronicles" site has a nearly 10 minute Que demo video from CES. near the end, Maureen Mellon, senior director of product marketing at Plastic Logic explains the difference between the touch screens on the Que and Sony Readers and why the Que does not have the glare.

Yes... good info... there is NO glass in the Que... she explained how it was all plastic. At least, that's how it sounded to me.

BOb

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Yes... good info... there is NO glass in the Que... she explained how it was all plastic. At least, that's how it sounded to me.

BOb

Seemed too light to have a glass screen, anyway. So the only concerns I have are no expansion card slot and text entry. No USB keyboard, no bluetooth keyboard, just that onscreen one.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

"The Kindle Chronicles" site has a nearly 10 minute Que demo video from CES. near the end, Maureen Mellon, senior director of product marketing at Plastic Logic explains the difference between the touch screens on the Que and Sony Readers and why the Que does not have the glare.

Nice demo. Thanks. Where do I order?

[kazbates]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

I'm still waiting on Pixel Qi as well.

I agree! That was why I was so disappointed in a lot of the new readers displayed at the show, they hadn't seemed to incorporate much new technology and certainly nothing really innovative. It was either a variation of Eink or an LCD display. Some companies are making inroads into battery life, but for the most part, it was been there done that.

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Yes... good info... there is NO glass in the Que... she explained how it was all plastic. At least, that's how it sounded to me.

BOb

Thank goodness that's cleared up. Obviously, I'm glass/plastic challenged.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by kazbates

Thank goodness that's cleared up. Obviously, I'm glass/plastic challenged.

No worries.... you could have worse problems.

BOb

(sorry 'bout the Bengals)

[badbob001]

From the videos, anyone notice that the device is so slow? When you open a document or change a page, it takes at least 5 seconds and only about a second of that involves the e-ink refresh. For $650-$800, I think they can afford to put in some more ram or faster cpu plus a bigger battery to compensate for those enhancements. I can imagine a company executive double or triple tapping something impatiently and ending up far from where intended.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by badbob001

From the videos, anyone notice that the device is so slow? When you open a document or change a page, it takes at least 5 seconds and only about a second of that involves the e-ink refresh. For $650-$800, I think they can afford to put in some more ram or faster cpu plus a bigger battery to compensate for those enhancements. I can imagine a company executive double or triple tapping something impatiently and ending up far from where intended.

Remember, it's still what 6 months away from release. It is probably running beta software. Many times beta software hasn't been optimized. As a developer I know most of our industry follows this path to release:

1. Make it work.
2. Make it fast.

Also, many times beta software still has debug code in it and runs in debug/logging mode which can add overhead.

BOb

[kazbates]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

No worries.... you could have worse problems.

BOb

(sorry 'bout the Bengals)

Thanks. They had way too many of thier key people out with injuries. Now we're just waiting to see what happens with his contract negotiations. There's been a lot of buzz about him coming here to DC which would be nice but nothing has really happened with that yet (and can't, at least for another week). We still have the Saints to cheer for, though!

[kazbates]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Remember, it's still what 6 months away from release. It is probably running beta software. Many times beta software hasn't been optimized. As a developer I know most of our industry follows this path to release:

1. Make it work.
2. Make it fast.

Also, many times beta software still has debug code in it and runs in debug/logging mode which can add overhead.

BOb

I don't know about other e-ink devices, but with the Sony, the lag time between pages is noticable. I seemed to remember comments that that's just something inherent with e-ink. I did think the page turns with the Que were a bit slow, but not any slower than other e-ink devices.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Remember, it's still what 6 months away from release.

Four months away (April 15, 2010). They better work fast.

[badbob001]

If you look at this clip: http://blip.tv/file/3059771, which was previously posted, and go to the 7:31 mark, the Plastic Logic rep talks about the screen, where it is composed of four layers:

• anti-scratch layer with UV coating
• capacitive touchscreen
• e-ink
• plastic backplane

She then explains that there is glare on Sony readers is because of their use of a resistive touchscreen, which requires an air-gap to function and thus the extra glare. I'm curious how the Que compares to readers with no top touch screen, such as the Nook or DR800GS. I wonder if those other readers have an anti-scratch layer or are you directly touching the e-ink.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by badbob001

She then explains that there is glare on Sony readers is because of their use of a resistive touchscreen, which requires an air-gap to function and thus the extra glare.

Hmm... I thought when she talked about the air gap she was explaining that is why the sharpness and contrast on the Sony suffers... rather than about glare. Since there is no "air gap" on the Que it doesn't suffer this lack of clarity.

Perhaps I will have to listen to it again.

BOb

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by badbob001

She then explains that there is glare on Sony readers is because of their use of a resistive touchscreen, which requires an air-gap to function and thus the extra glare. I'm curious how the Que compares to readers with no top touch screen, such as the Nook or DR800GS. I wonder if those other readers have an anti-scratch layer or are you directly touching the e-ink.

My understanding is that all e-ink screens have plastic top layer. All except the Que have a glass substrate.

The nook e-ink screen has plastic on top and does not have touch capabilities. The LCD screen on the bottom of the nook does have glare but it's also back lit.

I've never touched and iRex product, so I'm not sure. I believe they use Wacom technology.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

I've never touched and iRex product, so I'm not sure. I believe they use Wacom technology.

Correct... so there is not "touch" layer on the iRex units. The wacam tables is under the eink screen. Of course, you can only use a digitizing stylus with them. The Edge also has this on the eInk screen where the LCD side is a capacitive touch screen where you can't use the stylus. I bet a lot of Edge users are going to try to use the Stylus on the LCD side and be confused as to why it doesn't work.

BOb