No shortage of E-Ink screens?

wallcraft · 03-14-2008, 05:24 PM

A Teleread comment references the USA Today article Short Kindle supply is keeping e-book fans waiting which says:

Quote:

There are no apparent shortages in the display technologies that go into e-book readers, says Vinita Jakhanwal, a principal analyst for mobile displays at iSuppli. Her firm projected worldwide display orders for all e-books to reach 225,000 in 2008 and 1.1 million in 2012, up from 150,000 in 2007. And the numbers could go even higher, she says.

The "no apparent shortages" statement could only be correct (if at all) on the time scale of 3-6 months, and if the 150,000 number is right for 2007 the 225,000 seems very low for 2008.

vivaldirules · 03-15-2008, 03:42 PM

Nice post, wallcraft. And I agree with you - a projected 50% increase from last year seems way too low given the release of the Kindle and the Sony 505 late in 2007.

Ervserver · 03-15-2008, 07:20 PM

Many assume Amazon is selling a great number of Kindles because they are always on backorder....hmmmm

binzer · 03-15-2008, 07:38 PM

we discussed the possibility of a fake shortage in a different thread, but everyone was mean to me so I'm gonna stay out of it

vivaldirules · 03-15-2008, 07:42 PM

I think delays in getting an adequate supply of a new product could be caused by lots of things besides the display availability. Number one, not having any idea how many of these things people are going to want to buy and being prepared for that.

Binzer, as one dog to another, rest assured that it wasn't me that was mean to you. But, hey, is that a stick you've got there? ARF! ARF!

JSWolf · 03-15-2008, 10:44 PM

I just read the blog post and someone mentioned the that the EB-100is probably going to run a bootlegged Linux. Does this mean that the Cybook Gen3 is illegally being sold since Bookeen is unable to satisfy the GPL license?

I it is true that there is no shortage of eink screens, then what is keeping these devices in such short supply?

wallcraft · 03-16-2008, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I just read the blog post and someone mentioned the that the EB-100is probably going to run a bootlegged Linux. Does this mean that the Cybook Gen3 is illegally being sold since Bookeen is unable to satisfy the GPL license?

The Cybook Gen3 is running a bootlegged Linux, see GPL violation?.

It is ironic that some e-book reading devices come with a built in copyright violation. But this isn't surprising given the legal and ethical mine field that copyrights present at the moment.

HarryT · 03-16-2008, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallcraft

The "no apparent shortages" statement could only be correct (if at all) on the time scale of 3-6 months, and if the 150,000 number is right for 2007 the 225,000 seems very low for 2008.

I really don't believe this story is true.

The fact is that ALL the eInk devices are in short supply, and the common component that they all share is the screen. The screen manufacturer, PVI, have publically stated that their manufacturing capability is currently unable to keep up with demand. Do you think they are lying?

This sounds like "conspiracy theory" stuff to me

.

Alisa · 03-16-2008, 01:52 PM

I agree, and I have a hard time buying a conspiracy theory when there's no apparent incentive.

Donnageddon · 03-16-2008, 05:56 PM

What is confusing to me is this quote from the article

Quote:

Her firm projected worldwide display orders for all e-books to reach 225,000 in 2008 and 1.1 million in 2012, up from 150,000 in 2007. And the numbers could go even higher

It seems they are taking about "orders" for ebook displays, not production numbers.

yvanleterrible · 03-16-2008, 08:50 PM

In industry, a shortage of any kind that lasts more than a few months is proof of bad management or a planned scam. It can also be a collusion of different entities to keep prices up.

There is always a way of having a product outsourced to more effective speedier means, in time to fill a demand. The failure to do so is bad management or plain intent to capitalise. I will not make a guess at which it is in this case but it is the right of the owner of an invention to do so and I hope they make enough money before the market collapses for lack of sales.

HarryT · 03-17-2008, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

In industry, a shortage of any kind that lasts more than a few months is proof of bad management or a planned scam. It can also be a collusion of different entities to keep prices up.

There is always a way of having a product outsourced to more effective speedier means, in time to fill a demand. The failure to do so is bad management or plain intent to capitalise. I will not make a guess at which it is in this case but it is the right of the owner of an invention to do so and I hope they make enough money before the market collapses for lack of sales.

You can't build a manufacturing plant for something like eInk screens in "a few months". Takes more like a year to build that sort of plant.

There is no "outsourcing" available for eInk screens. There's only one company who makes them - PVI in Taiwan - and I'm sure that they are increasing their capacity as quickly as they are physically able to do so. It's in their own interests to do so - they more screens they make, the more money they make.

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03-15-2008, 03:42 PM	#2
vivaldirules When's Doughnut Day? Posts: 10,059 Karma: 13675475 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Houston, TX, US Device: Sony PRS-505, iPad	Nice post, wallcraft. And I agree with you - a projected 50% increase from last year seems way too low given the release of the Kindle and the Sony 505 late in 2007.

03-15-2008, 07:20 PM	#3
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	Many assume Amazon is selling a great number of Kindles because they are always on backorder....hmmmm

03-15-2008, 07:38 PM	#4
binzer Zealot Posts: 114 Karma: 195 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Victoria BC, Canada Device: Cybook Gen3	we discussed the possibility of a fake shortage in a different thread, but everyone was mean to me so I'm gonna stay out of it

03-15-2008, 07:42 PM	#5
vivaldirules When's Doughnut Day? Posts: 10,059 Karma: 13675475 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Houston, TX, US Device: Sony PRS-505, iPad	I think delays in getting an adequate supply of a new product could be caused by lots of things besides the display availability. Number one, not having any idea how many of these things people are going to want to buy and being prepared for that. Binzer, as one dog to another, rest assured that it wasn't me that was mean to you. But, hey, is that a stick you've got there? ARF! ARF!

03-15-2008, 10:44 PM	#6
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 78,958 Karma: 144284074 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I just read the blog post and someone mentioned the that the EB-100is probably going to run a bootlegged Linux. Does this mean that the Cybook Gen3 is illegally being sold since Bookeen is unable to satisfy the GPL license? I it is true that there is no shortage of eink screens, then what is keeping these devices in such short supply?

03-16-2008, 01:52 PM	#9
Alisa Gadget Geek Posts: 2,324 Karma: 22221 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Paperwhite, Kindle 3 (retired), Skindle 1.2 (retired)	I agree, and I have a hard time buying a conspiracy theory when there's no apparent incentive.

03-16-2008, 08:50 PM	#11
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	In industry, a shortage of any kind that lasts more than a few months is proof of bad management or a planned scam. It can also be a collusion of different entities to keep prices up. There is always a way of having a product outsourced to more effective speedier means, in time to fill a demand. The failure to do so is bad management or plain intent to capitalise. I will not make a guess at which it is in this case but it is the right of the owner of an invention to do so and I hope they make enough money before the market collapses for lack of sales.

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