Development of E-Readers - Next big thing?

[The Terminator]

Originally Posted by HappyMartin

I would like a whiter white, the black is OK for me.
Waterproof
More robust, a lot more.
I want something I can stick in the back pocket of a cycling jersey and head off into a rainstorm.

Have you seen the Pearl screens? They are very white, not sure what model of the Kindle you have.

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

i think the next huge step will be e-ink paper and flexible screens. instead of being a relatively chunky device it'll be wafer thin.

+1
You will be able to fold it and unfold it as needed, make it larger for reading a newspaper and smaller for a book, it will mimick actual paper not only for print but also for size.

[colinsky]

I'm hoping that the improvements are display based--layout of footnotes, automatic hyphenation, and the like. That's where the improvements to the feel of reading will come in.

[Fbone]

The next "Big Thing" will undoubtedly require Big Money to develop. Not sure who has and is willing to spend it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

disposable, solar powered, thin eink screens, wirelessly connected to the network. An end to the ridiculous notion of copyright.

Before we mess with copyright, lets get rid of the agency model.

I think the next big development will be larger e-ink displays. After that, we will get color e-ink. Somewhere along the line, someone is also going to figure out how to make an e-reader that never needs charging.

In terms of software features, we will probably be more of an evolution. Support for newer file formats, tweaks to the UI, research tools, and collaboration tools. I doubt that we will see much outside of that though since (I'm guessing) that people who buy e-readers are looking for dedicated devices to start with.

[spellbanisher]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

disposable, solar powered, thin eink screens, wirelessly connected to the network. An end to the ridiculous notion of copyright.

I don't think you understand what the word "ridiculous" means.

[carpetmojo]

Couldn't we just have a reader that could be dropped without harm, like my dinosaur Nokia phone, and one where we needn't worry about the screen getting scratched, or water get in, or me roll over on it in the night, or the dog or the baby taking an interest in it....

Oh, I forgot, then it would be sort of robust and reliable.

Don't want to get too silly with our imaginings, do we........

[Kumabjorn]

Kindle - The Armed Services Edition?

[spellbanisher]

Convergence...it's all about convergence. I mean how ridiculous is it that I have to carry around an ereader, tablet, cell phone, gun,water bottle, pen, lighter, and pocketknife? The next next big thing is a device that has all these things in one.

[Alohamora]

Originally Posted by BWinmill

I think the next big development will be larger e-ink displays. After that, we will get color e-ink. Somewhere along the line, someone is also going to figure out how to make an e-reader that never needs charging.

I'd rather see a smaller e-ink screen. Maybe 4 to 4.5 inches and sturdy enough to carry in a front jeans/pants/trousers pocket.

Also on my wish-list

built in side-lighting for lowlight use
faster page turns
no black refresh flash

[edit] I forgot a very important wish-list item - whiter backgrounds. Even with Pearl the background is still grayish in anything less than very bright lighting.

[VicLavigne]

What I currently like about my e-ink readers is the battery life, size of screen, and expansion capability. It is also nice having wi-fi access. I think the next big jump that would have me salivating would be a nice color e-ink screen. Now, I get that most readers don't need more than B&W to read, but it would be nice to view the book cover the way it is meant to be viewed, as well as the occasional embeded pictures that really need color to see it right. Also, magazines and newsletters may be more attractive in color.

Ohhh, and a folding ebook so that 2 screens face each other but fold flat like a real book.... might be a good idea.

[The Terminator]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Before we mess with copyright, lets get rid of the agency model.

+1 to that.


Without copyright Ebooks would be dead.

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

+1
You will be able to fold it and unfold it as needed, make it larger for reading a newspaper and smaller for a book, it will mimick actual paper not only for print but also for size.

to me thats the obvious endgame: pretty much a piece of indestructible paper or a mat that you can roll up or fold. definitely more adaptable than the solid state devices we've got now.

[Kevin2960]

What we really need is very much more ruggedised eReaders whilst still retaing thier size and weight as is ... and an Unbreakable screen would be a fantastic advance!