Are E-ink devices still a thing?

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Hmm...

USA:   5,346,400 Covid-19 cases
      168,904 deaths

Canada: 121,760 Covid-19 cases
              9,021 deaths

Yes, Canada's population is about 11% of the USA's population. So converting to make things fairer.

Canada: 1,092,438 equivalent Covid-19 cases
                80,137 equivalent deaths

And nearly 50,000 of those deaths were in New York and New Jersey where the governors and a mayor ordered Covid-19 infected patients into nursing homes, so it could spread among the most vulnerable. (Several northeast states made this order.)

But even taking all deaths in the U.S., most of them effect those in an age group where the yearly mortality rate is about 4% (in other words, the old and frail and those in hospice, nursing homes or home care), you're still looking at a .04% or .05% of the nation's population dying from Covid-19. So even a small percentage of those who are dying anyhow. This means you have a 99.95% chance of NOT dying from Covid-19 in the U.S. And if you're not in the at-risk groups, that percentage is even much higher. The hype is WAY overblown for political reasons.

EDIT: To show how over-hyped Covid-19 is, there was a recent poll taken, which asked "What percentage of Americans have died from Covid-19?" 9% got the most votes. That's about 33 million people they think have died from Covid-19. But who can blame them, there's constant drum beat of "panic porn" spread about the virus.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by rcentros

And nearly 50,000 of those deaths were in New York and New Jersey where the governors and a mayor ordered Covid-19 infected patients into nursing homes, so it could spread among the most vulnerable. (Several northeast states made this order.)

But even taking all deaths in the U.S., most of them effect those in an age group where the yearly mortality rate is about 4% (in other words, the old and frail and those in hospice, nursing homes or home care), you're still looking at a .04% or .05% of the nation's population dying from Covid-19. So even a small percentage of those who are dying anyhow. This means you have a 99.95% chance of NOT dying from Covid-19 in the U.S. And if you're not in the at-risk groups, that percentage is even much higher. The hype is WAY overblown for political reasons.

EDIT: To show how over-hyped Covid-19 is, there was a recent poll taken, which asked "What percentage of Americans have died from Covid-19?" 9% got the most votes. That's about 33 million people they think have died from Covid-19. But who can blame them, there's constant drum beat of "panic porn" spread about the virus.

Der Tod eines Menschen: das ist eine Katastrophe. Hunderttausend Tote: das ist eine Statistik!”―Kurt Tucholsky

(The death of one man: that is a catastrophe. One hundred thousand deaths: that is a statistic!)

The earliest variant of "One death is a tragedy, a million deaths is statistics" that I am aware of.

Perhaps you might to take a look at the increase in Covid-19 infections in younger people. Going by current trends, it's fairly rapidly moving being a disease of the young. I know that deaths of older people doesn't bother you. Can you also say that for people in the twenties? People below the age of 15?

Perhaps we should start an "Old lives matter" group since you seem to feel that older people dying is nothing to be concerned about.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Perhaps we should start an "Old lives matter" group since you seem to feel that older people dying is nothing to be concerned about.

Oh, good grief. My point was that this virus is like the seasonal flu. It attacks the weak and frail — and many of those counted as "Covid deaths" actually died from other causes but were tested positive for Covid-19 (including motorcycle accidents and deaths by gunshot). Some were not even tested, they were just assumed to be positive for Covid-19. (I'm a member of the "at risk" group BTW.)

And the other point is that the death count for Covid-19 is not uniquely high. The Asian flu of 1957 was worse (percentage-wise) and they didn't shut down the country for that one.

[issybird]

Moderator Notice
Please drop the Covid-19 comments, now. You all know better. Any further comments will be deleted.

[warbrd]

My PW3 is one of my most priced possessions. I take it with me pretty much anywhere I'll get the chance to read for 30 minutes. I've ordered the reMarkable 2 and it will arrive in october. So yeah, new innovation is happening, and new devices are comming out. I can never go back to reading books on a regular screen. It has to be eInk or paper. I think it always will be a niche market for eInk readers.

[Gandulf]

Originally Posted by warbrd

I think it always will be a niche market for eInk readers.

Is it not just fewer people read nowadays? Was told by someone they read FB now not books

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by warbrd

I think it always will be a niche market for eInk readers.

Originally Posted by Gandulf

Is it not just fewer people read nowadays? Was told by someone they read FB now not books

With an eInk reader, you need to have someone who reads enough to find having a specialized device worthwhile. Most of the people I know who read are a mix between pbooks and reading on their tablet/phone. As an estimate, those who own an eInk device make up about 4% of the book readers I know though that group probably buys and reads more books than the other 96%'s combined pbook and ebook purchases.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Gandulf

Is it not just fewer people read nowadays? Was told by someone they read FB now not books

Probably. None of my close family and relatives read books for pleasure. My sister did 30-40 years ago, but no longer does (less time and little interest). The others never have. The only family member who loved to read novels until the very end of her life was my maternal grandmother (she passed away 20 years ago). I often feel like a misfit in my family because I still love to read (and I have the least amount of official education of them all, only high school - that's really ironic).

[barryem]

When I was young everyone in my family read a lot. Both parents, my two brothers, my sister and I were all avid readers. Well, maybe not my sister so much. She read a book now and then but not as much as the rest of us.

Now I still read a lot. My sister listens to audiobooks when she's in the car but that's it. She hasn't actually read a book in decades. One brother still reads a bit but not a lot. My other brother doesn't read at all and hasn't since his youth. He's 78 now.

As far as I know I'm the only one in my family that's ever read an ebook.

Barry

[ilweran]

My parents both have Kindles, I have two Kindles, a Kobo and a Pocketbook, my husband has a Nook and that's it. I don't know anyone else with an ereader, though I do tell people how great they are if they ask.

I would like to see more eink smart watches like the Pebble. Perhaps if colour eink takes off we may see more rather than backlit displays that have to be constantly charged.

Outside of ereaders I guess if electronic paper signage takes off significantly it will boost eink.

[crossi]

One reason ebook reader sales might have gone down is that the people who want them already have one, or more, and are perfectly satisfied with them as they do what they want and continue to work. I haven't bought a toaster in 10 years but I wouldn't call them a thing of the past. I'll just wait till it dies to get a new one.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by crossi

One reason ebook reader sales might have gone down is that the people who want them already have one, or more, and are perfectly satisfied with them as they do what they want and continue to work. I haven't bought a toaster in 10 years but I wouldn't call them a thing of the past. I'll just wait till it dies to get a new one.

A person after my own heart. Run'em till the drop and can't be fixed.
I recently put a new battery into my K4 (the vendor sell lots of device batteries I got the one for my Garmin there) at Amazon, but NONE for Amazon devices. For those you need to go direct.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

The current state of ereaders, eink screen, front light, long battery life, small size, are absolutely perfect for me and there's no going back to reading on any other type of device for me....

I never leave the house without my ereader since I got my first one.

Oh yeah, ereaders are definitely still a thing and a big part of my daily life that I wouldn't be without. Although my preference is 6" for portability, they're also in enough various sizes to suit most everyone at this point. No improvements recently? No need as far as I'm concerned, they're perfect as is to just keep reading.

Yeah, I agree. Reading on a phone or tablet never would have convinced me to buy an ereader. There's something about eink screens that just works for me. I guess it's just because they look like paper.

I didn't pay attention to the early Kindles or Nooks. But the Nook ST with Glowlight grabbed my attention. I bought one after seeing the commercials (remember commercials for ereaders?) and immediately became an ebook reader.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by crossi

One reason ebook reader sales might have gone down is that the people who want them already have one, or more, and are perfectly satisfied with them as they do what they want and continue to work. I haven't bought a toaster in 10 years but I wouldn't call them a thing of the past. I'll just wait till it dies to get a new one.

I like this analogy. Basic toasters (and basic toaster ovens) don't change much over the years. They probably aren't as big sellers as some other newer, fancier kitchen appliances. But they never go away completely.

[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

I like this analogy. Basic toasters (and basic toaster ovens) don't change much over the years. They probably aren't as big sellers as some other newer, fancier kitchen appliances. But they never go away completely.

We are using a Sunbeam T-20 1949 toaster that belonged to my MIL. It was rewired by my husband a few years ago. Beats any other toaster we've ever used.

Edited to change retired to rewired.