Tablets won

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Sorry, but tablets will never win with the majority of committed readers.

If your idea of "committed readers" includes those who won't ever embrace ebooks and continue to read pbooks (as well as those who prefer eInk), then you could be right. But otherwise, like ApK says, never is a long time. I certainly wouldn't bet the farm on your prediction, if "committed readers" only comprises "committed eReaders" (whatever "committed" entails). The question should be: as long as you have the choice to buy (and read on) on eInk, why would you care what the "majority" of some vaguely defined demographic goes with in the future?

This "committed readers will always choose eInk" nonsense smacks of the very same "real readers will never embrace electronic books" elitism we all experienced (and still do) by being early adopters of ebooks. How quickly we forget, huh?

I still object to the word "win" (mainly because I don't see much in the way of serious consequences for the "loser" for a long, long time [if ever]).

I understand preferring eInk... I really do. What I don't understand is the strange compulsion some seem to have to associate that preference with the "seriousness/committedness/realness" of the group of readers who prefer it. It's kind of creepy, really.

[WillAdams]

Tablets won in the same way that magazines won --- they're a more affordable, available, easy-access reading venue which can have colour images.

[kennyc]

....

"If a tornado is imminent the clouds will turn green, there will be an eerie stillness to everything, and the electricity in the air will be palpable causing the hair to stand up on the back of your neck. Seek shelter. Tornados always win."

[zinj]

I'm glad I bought one of the very few Mirasol readers ever produced. I've used eInk readers since the beginning (Sony PRS-500) and I use tablets every day for things other than reading. Then I got the Kyobo Mirasol ereader and I seriously can't find any fault with it. I'm an intense reader and can get 3 weeks out of it before charging. It's not quite as comfortable as eInk but a whole lot better than LCD, and I often read outdoors in bright sunlight. If I want to take a break from reading a novel I can switch to a magazine pdf and get the full magazine experience in color. I can also flip on the wifi and surf or check email. It even does an acceptable job with video.

[RHWright]

The future in e-Ink and other e-paper type technologies maybe outside the traditional reader realm. Many Kohl's stores are using Altierre's b&w LCD version, but according to this article & press release, Altierre has also shown off an eink option:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/te...ight.html?_r=0
http://www.altierre.com/pr_e-paper.html

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by jbjb

"Bogus" probably came across as more dismissive than I meant - apologies if that caused offence - what I was referring to is the argument some people make that eye strain is caused by light being shone into your eyes by the backlight, and that in some way light reaching your eyes via reflection is different and more benign. Direct light bad, reflected light good.

Reflection can indeed change the nature of the light (e.g. it can be polarized to a greater or lesser extent depending on how near the angle of incidence is to the Brewster angle), but the eye can't detect polarization so it seems unlikely this could cause a problem.

I do believe that at least the vast majority of eye strain issues with backlit LCDs is down to inappropriate brightness.

/JB

Yes - precisely my argument.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by zinj

Can you name any?

Google names Pixel Qi.

It's a start, at least.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by ApK

Are you perhaps referring to the Ricoh eQuill?

Nope...another one. Man, I couldn't even find it via google. It was big (or going to be big). Aimed at business. Sleek website and marketing videos.

I'm getting old

[leebase]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Sorry, but tablets will never win with the majority of committed readers.

They already have. Of those who read ebooks, more than 50% were reading on tablets...according to the article. And the younger, the more likely to be reading on a tablet than an eInk device.

I'd love for more definitive data on this. Right now we just have your anecdotes vs. mine. I read 50 or so fiction ebooks a year...all on my iPad/iPhone. Have no problem reading for hours and hours on my devices.

eInk readers came "first" (before the iPad). Then eInk readers dropped in price first.

Now with cheap tablets and large screen smartphones....there's fewer and fewer places for eInk to gain the advantage beyond "reading in sun".

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by leebase

Now with cheap tablets and large screen smartphones....there's fewer and fewer places for eInk to gain the advantage beyond "reading in sun".

There is one big thing that is always forgotten.

E-ink looks different. A tablet *always* looks lighted, as it always needs to be brighter than the ambient light to be able to see anything.

A non-lit ereader obviously never looks lighted, and can be read as-is in bright light. A lit e-reader can be set in such a way that the front-light supplements the ambient light, in such a way that the device just appears brighter, but still not looks like its lighted as a tablet will.

In short, a tablet always looks like a screen. An e-ink device doesn't, or at least doesn't have to. Believe it or not, for many people this is a big factor for preferring e-ink.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

There is one big thing that is always forgotten.

E-ink looks different. A tablet *always* looks lighted, as it always needs to be brighter than the ambient light to be able to see anything.

A tablet with a backlit LCD screen does, certainly, but bear in mind that not all LCD screens are backlit. There are reflective LCD displays which don't have a backlight. The original "Jetbook" is an example of such a device. They're not terribly good, but they do exist, and there's no reason that in the future someone couldn't make a tablet with a reflective LCD and a frontlight - similar to the technology used for current illuminated eInk devices.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by HarryT

A tablet with a backlit LCD screen does, certainly, but bear in mind that not all LCD screens are backlit. There are reflective LCD displays which don't have a backlight. The original "Jetbook" is an example of such a device. They're not terribly good, but they do exist, and there's no reason that in the future someone couldn't make a tablet with a reflective LCD and a frontlight - similar to the technology used for current illuminated eInk devices.

I know. I already mentioned this in a previous post; and I actually do think that the smaller tablets and e-readers will at some point converge into one device that will have a screen that can do what LCD and e-ink now do seperately.

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Sorry, but tablets will never win with the majority of committed readers.
Don

Sorry, but you shouldn't make such definitive statements like this.

This "committed" reader is happy as can be reading off of her 22 inch Asus monitor, Note 2, Nexus 7(2012) and her Samsung GMP 5.0 player! The only time I touch my Sony PRS2 is if there is bright sunshine coming through my windows when I happen to be home to read from it.

There are no losers no matter what you choose to read on just different preferences.

The sooner you snobs drop your elitist BS the better of everyone will be!

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by ApK

Never is a long time. Why would they not "win" if they get down to the size, weight, price, battery life and reading display quality as dedicated eink readers?

You're right! Never is a long time.



Don

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

Sorry, but you shouldn't make such definitive statements like this.

This "committed" reader is happy as can be reading off of her 22 inch Asus monitor, Note 2, Nexus 7(2012) and her Samsung GMP 5.0 player! The only time I touch my Sony PRS2 is if there is bright sunshine coming through my windows when I happen to be home to read from it.

There are no losers no matter what you choose to read on just different preferences.

The sooner you snobs drop your elitist BS the better of everyone will be!

You're right.



Don