E Ink Announces Large Format Display Electronic Prototype Kits
We are in an age where a new form of advertising is taking place through the use of electronic paper displays (EPD). And today, E Ink announced that it has enhanced its lineup of AM-300 EPD Prototype Kits by adding a 9.7” display to its suite of offerings, enabling development across a wider range of application sizes. This high-resolution, large-size display comes at a time when more companies are turning to EPDs for larger displays for new content delivery, including newspapers, textbooks, notepads, and business documents.
E Ink’s EPD technology offers the high contrast look of ink-on-paper and is perfect for mobile devices because it can be read in any lighting condition, including direct sunlight, and at any viewing angle. E Ink’s technology is also ideal for other consumer and industrial applications spanning handheld devices, public information and promotional signs. Customers value E Ink’s technology for its brightness, and low power - attributes that are similar to that of paper.
With a resolution of 150 pixels per inch (PPI) and the capability of displaying multiple shades of gray, the 9.7″ diagonal display has the clarity of newsprint. Once updated, the display image remains visible without energy, which reduces system power consumption by up to 90% compared to traditional LCDs. This third generation, high-resolution developer kit also contains a graphical electronic paper display with pen input.
(Source) Press
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A romantic part of me that has a sentimental attachment to books, their worn-out tactile sensation, their curdling smells, their capacity to be a repository of memories, including margin scribbles and food stains, made me loath to turn my reading into a “digital experience.”
But sentimentality had to be thrown out the window when it was clear to me that my nearsightedness had made reading, even with prescription glasses, a more tiresome experience than ever. Secondly, my office is crammed with books and I fear that one more book will sink my house through its foundation and several hundred feet under landfill.
These considerations compelled me to get the Kindle 2, an electronic book reader that is mostly successful in its objective to be a pleasurable, convenient electronic alternative to people who, for various reasons, are getting away from paper-and-glue manuscripts.
Grade for Kindle 2’s Success at Achieving My Objectives: A
I find it far easer to read the Kindle than read books. I can with one touch increase the size of the script to make reading less straining on my eyes.
Also, the Kindle can store thousands of books so my goal to keep books out of my house should be doable.
Grade for Kindle 2’s Ease of Use: A
It took me five minutes to learn four buttons: Home, Menu, Page Turning, and the 5-Way Controller for basic functions: accessing content, buying content, book-marking content, increasing font size, turning pages.
The Kindle beats printed paper manuscripts for both reading ease and page-turning. Even holding the Kindle is easier on the hands.
Note taking, highlighting select passages, audio settings have a longer learning curve, about a half hour of reading the Kindle’s User Guide.
The battery life is great so you can confidently read the Kindle all day during travel without worrying about plugging it into the included recharger.
I can download a book in five seconds from the Whisper Net anywhere in the United States. This is amazing. Proprietary publishing licensing, which differs from country to country, prevents Amazon from making the Kindle international.
One weakness is spacing. Sometimes there will be large hunks of space between two words, so there appears to be the occasional formatting glitch.
On the bottom left of the screen, the Kindle tells you what percentage of the manuscript you’ve read, so if you’re OCD you may find yourself peeking at “how far you’ve gone” more often than you want to.
Grade for Device Look and Layout: A
The device looked smaller than I expected, especially its thinness. It’s a handsome device, not too cluttered. Its aesthetic is spare, intelligent, and clean.
Grade as a Newspaper Substitute: C Plus or B Minus
I subscribed on a trial basis to the Los Angeles Times and cancelled soon. The Kindle cannot match the Internet version of the newspaper. Navigating through the different sections is easy enough, but without images, the experience is too austere. I think I might by a single newspaper if I was traveling but for a daily basis the newspaper experience is not compelling enough.
Price: B Minus
I’d like to see the Kindle 2 half of its current cost, but I have to remind myself: Amazon does not charge you monthly fees for using its Whisper Net, so you’re paying more upfront.
Conclusion
It’s apparent that Amazon wants the Kindle to be for books what the iPod is for music. The Kindle is a significant technological breakthrough that will indeed revolutionize the way we read.
On a personal note, the Kindle has helped me because I’m reading more now than I was when I was struggling with paper manuscripts. Amazon and I are both winners.