Electrowetting color displays coming up in 2008

[Timoleon]

Will the electrowetting displays be out before colored eInk displays make an appearance to the general public? I agree that reading in black and white, or shades of gray, is easiest on the eyes and least obtrusive, but it would be *great* to be able to highlight and annotate text in color. Also, color illustrations would be great...

[Alisa]

I think a larger, color screen could be a great lift to the industry because that would open it up for not only things like textbooks but also magazines. These are two markets that could put readers in every home if the price was right. Imagine if they were responsive enough to make a good lightweight tablet PC with great battery life and the readability of electronic ink. People in so many industries would have them. If they already have the hardware, ebooks and other publications become way more attractive.

[NatCh]

Do we have any estimation of the power consumption of these electrowetting displays? I didn't see anything in the quick look I gave it, but it was a quick look and I was looking for the "how it works" details at the time.

We seem to be assuming that these have low power consumption similar to e-ink, and I'm wondering what foundation we have for the assumption.

[NatCh]

Ah, yes, I see it now: http://www.liquavista.com/benefits/power.asp

[HarryT]

I do note, however, that it says:

Because the displays are so significantly brighter than competing techniques, they require less supplimentary illumination.

(emphasis mine). This is clearly a "light emitting" technology which requires lighting, albeit less lighting than an LCD screen. It's not a "zero power" static image technology such as eInk.

Reading the site, the impression I get is that this is technology aimed at applications like TV, mobile phones, etc. I'm not at all sure it would be good for a book reader because it is a "backlit" technology like LCD.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by HarryT

This is clearly a "light emitting" technology which requires lighting, albeit less lighting than an LCD screen. It's not a "zero power" static image technology such as eInk.

Reading the site, the impression I get is that this is technology aimed at applications like TV, mobile phones, etc. I'm not at all sure it would be good for a book reader because it is a "backlit" technology like LCD.

or, alternatively, it will not be good for everyone who likes e-ink and the comfort of non-backlit screens, however all the eb1150 / pda / computer users screaming for new backlit devices are going to be overjoyed... i just hope ETI doesn't go in this direction *instead* of e-ink for their new model. *as well as* e-ink would be fine with me.

[MaggieScratch]

That was my thinking when I expressed concern earlier in the thread. Will it be backlit? Will it be constantly refreshing like a computer screen? Will it be as comfortable to read as eInk? I'm pretty agnostic on the technology, anything that will work well is okay with me. I'm more concerned with the results.

[axel77]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Reading the site, the impression I get is that this is technology aimed at applications like TV, mobile phones, etc. I'm not at all sure it would be good for a book reader because it is a "backlit" technology like LCD.

Ohh disappointment, well then IMHO it disqualifies as e-book technology as contestant to e-Ink. I want *passive* displays. (and yes a passive TV-sized display would IMHO be the uber-thing. I first thought one day this could replace projectors... especially out-door projecters. But beeing a classic backlight tech... oh nothing extraordinary to me

[bgalbrecht]

From one of the Liquavista webpages:

Liquavista’s application of electrowetting pixel designs have no intrinsic limitations on viewing angle, and do not require any form of polarisation. As a result, even in purely reflective mode, our displays provide excellent performance under almost all usage cases. Whilst in high ambient light environments, they perform as vividly as high quality, colour print would.

It sounds to me like the backlighting is only so that it will be still usable in low light situations.

I'd like to know if the screens can be flexible. I'm sure it's too much to hope for, but I'd like my ebook reader to be the size of a fat pen, with a screen that unrolls (or unfolds) to the size of a paperback or maybe even hardback.

[nekokami]

Originally Posted by bgalbrecht

I'd like to know if the screens can be flexible. I'm sure it's too much to hope for, but I'd like my ebook reader to be the size of a fat pen, with a screen that unrolls (or unfolds) to the size of a paperback or maybe even hardback.

I'd settle for something the thickness of a rolled-up newspaper that could be pulled out to magazine size.

(This from another techie in an unlit office -- though to be fair, I have a nice large window and get plenty of daylight. )

[axel77]

Funny how this unroll stuff becomes to be hipe.

I'd be happy with a reader device i can *OPEN* just like a book. DIN A5 in closed format, DIN A4 in open. I'd also would protect the screen much better if closed... much like the notebook screen is inside of it when transported..

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by axel77

I'd be happy with a reader device i can *OPEN* just like a book. DIN A5 in closed format, DIN A4 in open. I'd also would protect the screen much better if closed... much like the notebook screen is inside of it when transported..

That sounds ideal, especially if you could hold it in landscape orientation and have it display two pages side-by-side for a novel or hold it in portrait orientation and have it display a full A4 page. If it were thin and light enough, it would still be quite portable.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Alisa

That sounds ideal, especially if you could hold it in landscape orientation and have it display two pages side-by-side for a novel or hold it in portrait orientation and have it display a full A4 page. If it were thin and light enough, it would still be quite portable.

...and as long as you could also fold it in half with the screen on the outside, and use only one surface, like the small tablet style we have now, for times when you can use only one hand, or a smaller form is more convenient, or whatever... if that's not the case, i'm not sure i would want either the scroll format or the book format. well, except for the fact that both would be really stylie gadgets.

[m-reader]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

Is it just me or does "Electrowetting" sound, well, a tad, ummm...naughty?

You're not alone. I personally can't say Electrowetting without chuckling.

I don't think the marketing department thought this one through

Then again, I chuckle when someone says "buns"

[axel77]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

...and as long as you could also fold it in half with the screen on the outside, and use only one surface, like the small tablet style we have now, for times when you can use only one hand, or a smaller form is more convenient, or whatever... if that's not the case, i'm not sure i would want either the scroll format or the book format. well, except for the fact that both would be really stylie gadgets.

Cool idea, when do we start our company?