Why is there no e-ink innovation in the USA?

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by leebase

I'd say it's because Amazon has the US market locked up and doesn't allow other eInk devices to work with it's content. I think the ebook/book store tie up makes a lot of sense to Americans. So Amazon has it's kindle line, B&N came out with it's Nook, and Borders teamed up with...was it Kobo?

Anyhow, there just isn't a demand for a "buy a device from company A, shop around to various sources B,C,D FOR your content" in light of the excellent/subsidized pricing that Amazon launched with it's Kindle and ebooks.

Unfortunately, the book stores did not do nearly as good a job as Amazon.

So to launch an ebook reader is to also launch an ebook store that has to be able to compete with Amazon who willingly takes a loss on every popular book it sells. Even Apple wouldn't touch the ebook market without the business model of Amazon being changed. And yeah, that turned out to be illegal.

So, there you have it. It's tough to foster new entrants into a market owned by a monopoly with the funds to use the product you hope to make money on as a loss leader for their other businesses.

I agree with that. If the other stores had got together like Tolino in Germany, they could have offered an alternative.

But I'm not sure that explains why we are not seeing store-independent e-readers like Boyue and Onyx entering the US market, which include larger screens. There is clearly a demand for large e-ink readers that can be doubled as a monitor or a pdf-reader. Also what about e-ink monitors being developed like the Dasung?

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Rizla

That (color) would be the big game-changer, that and a truly flexible paper-like e-ink display.

I'm not so sure about that. E-ink works best for displaying books (there's a reason the e-ink web browsing experience is awful). Books for the most part do not require color.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love a color e-ink device to read comics on. But I don't see the world beating down the door of a color e-ink device manufacturer. Serious comic readers (those that would buy a separate device to read them on rather than just using their tablet) are so miniscule a niche that it makes e-ink devotees seem like a vast horde.

I think a flexible e-ink display would be neat. But it would be neat the same way the Fire Phone's 3D screen is neat.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Rizla

I agree with that. If the other stores had got together like Tolino in Germany, they could have offered an alternative.

But I'm not sure that explains why we are not seeing store-independent e-readers like Boyue and Onyx entering the US market, which include larger screens. There is clearly a demand for large e-ink readers that can be doubled as a monitor or a pdf-reader. Also what about e-ink monitors being developed like the Dasung?

There is certainly *a* demand. How much of a demand is questionable.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I'm not so sure about that. E-ink works best for displaying books (there's a reason the e-ink web browsing experience is awful). Books for the most part do not require color.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love a color e-ink device to read comics on. But I don't see the world beating down the door of a color e-ink device manufacturer. Serious comic readers (those that would buy a separate device to read them on rather than just using their tablet) are so miniscule a niche that it makes e-ink devotees seem like a vast horde.

I think a flexible e-ink display would be neat. But it would be neat the same way the Fire Phone's 3D screen is neat.

E-Ink works best for displaying books largely static content, because there are no* color E-Ink screens. If there were color E-Ink screens, they would be used, e.g. they could compete against LCD as a display tech for mainstream tablets.

LCD works great, but c'mon -- everyone is always wanting better battery life. Color E-Ink could offer advantages in that area. (Granted, there are several technologies being researched to fill that need.)
Also, I am sure many people would like to use their tablets outdoors.


The terrible browsing experience on an E-Ink device is because of the lack of RAM (what does ereader software need with 1GB RAM) and the fact that the screen is artificially slowed down to further improve battery life. That is not inherent to E-Ink, it is simply the current manufacturer design.

* -- technically the are, but you know what I mean

[ingmar]

Originally Posted by patrickt

I'm admittedly not a technically savvy as some so let me know what innovations we're waiting for.

Waterproof devices. (Yes, there's the Kobo Auro H2O and the Pocketbook Aqua, but the latter's not even got a backlight, if memory serves.) Unbreakable substrates (plastic instead of glass). Better interface and software (Better Calibre integration, complete with tags etc. It's happening, but slowly.) And, of course, color.

Innovation happens, just not at the pace that it could.

[eschwartz]

We already have waterproofing tech.
We already have plastic.

Seems to me some people are increasingly confusing "innovation" with "choosing to incorporate specific pre-existing and quite frankly mainstream tech".

[ingmar]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

We already have waterproofing tech.
We already have plastic.

Now they only need to to actually bring it to the market, especially the latter. I'm certain they would if it'd be ready to go into mass production.

Seems to me some people are increasingly confusing "innovation" with "choosing to incorporate specific pre-existing and quite frankly mainstream tech".

Seems we don't quite see eye to eye regarding "mainstream technology". By your definition non-LCD color screens wouldn't be much of an innovation, because they have been shown to work in a lab somewhere, so what's new? I have yet to see an ereader that survives a drop from the kitchen table, and yes, I'd call that innovative. YMMV.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by ingmar

Waterproof devices. (Yes, there's the Kobo Auro H2O and the Pocketbook Aqua, but the latter's not even got a backlight, if memory serves.) Unbreakable substrates (plastic instead of glass). Better interface and software (Better Calibre integration, complete with tags etc. It's happening, but slowly.) And, of course, color.

A reader with H2O-like or better specs (or Glo HD if you like 6"), running Android, Calibre Companion and a reader program like Mantano or Moon+ out of the box would be a sweet piece of kit. Something like a Boyue T62+ or Onyx T68 is about as good as it gets now.

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

(there's a reason the e-ink web browsing experience is awful).

Have you attempted to browse using e-ink? I regularly browse mobileread using a rooted Nook ST. It works very well.

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

There is certainly *a* demand. How much of a demand is questionable.

Considering larger-screen tech has been available for a long time (i.e. the DX), I doubt development costs are prohibitive to bring the larger screens to market. The small company Onyx is doing it, and has been for some time, and there are others, so their is clearly a demand large enough to allow these companies to innovate. The question remains: Why not in America?

[cvkemp]

Originally Posted by Rizla

Considering larger-screen tech has been available for a long time (i.e. the DX), I doubt development costs are prohibitive to bring the larger screens to market. The small company Onyx is doing it, and has been for some time, and there are others. The question remains: Why not in America?

It seems to be that the companies do not believe there is that much of a market for the larger screen e-ink readers. The US market only reacts to market share and numbers. If the companies do not see high enough numbers of sales they are just not going to make it available.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Rizla

Considering larger-screen tech has been available for a long time (i.e. the DX), I doubt development costs are prohibitive to bring the larger screens to market. The small company Onyx is doing it, and has been for some time, and there are others, so their is clearly a demand large enough to allow these companies to innovate. The question remains: Why not in America?

I think the question's already been answered: it's cheaper to do it elsewhere.

[ingmar]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I think the question's already been answered: it's cheaper to do it elsewhere.

I read that to mean why not market those devices in the US? the answer is similar, though: (perceived) insufficient demand.

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Books for the most part do not require color.

With respect, I don't think that's the point. If a fast (enough) color e-ink screen could be created, it would revolutionize the market. E-readers and tablets would combine. LCD would lose much of the market and even vanish if e-ink proved fast enough. And actually, monochrome e-ink is proven to be fast to display moving video.

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by ingmar

I read that to mean why not market those devices in the US? the answer is similar, though: (perceived) insufficient demand.

And yet outside the USA demand has proved adequate to support companies producing e-ink screens of 8" and more.