Yes, the key to all of these is electronic paper. The most popular form is the technology from eInk, though there are several competing technologies that may hit the market soon. Electronic paper is special because it requires *no* power to keep the image and has a reflective surface instead of emissive. Being reflective means you get greater contrast and the brightness is a function of the ambient light around you, just like real paper. Since it requires power only when changing the image, not to hold it, an ebook reader can last for weeks even with continual use.
About ten years ago I had a chance to see some early epaper technology at Xerox PARC. The contrast was horrible, it was heavy, and the pixels were about a quarter inch each. But I could tell that one day this stuff would be everywhere. Now that the production is ramping up I predict a netbook or PDA using this tech within 5 years, and active wallpaper within 20. (yes, you may have banner ads in your wallpaper :) - Josh On SatDec 26, 2009, at 4:03 AM, Rakesh wrote: > what everyone is forgetting is that the ebook readers have a special > technology for prolonged reading. > > Using iphones/laptops/monitors is fine for reading for short periods > but extended reading is not comfortable, hence e-ink or whatever its > called. > > I have a Sony PRS-505. The main issue is that pdfs don't render well > at all. Thankfully I can usually get ePub format books. > > R > > On Sat, Dec 26, 2009 at 3:02 AM, Robert Casto <casto.rob...@gmail.com> wrote: >> I have to agree. For the money I decided to get a really nice ASUS IEEE >> laptop with the extra memory. The thing can run some pretty cool stuff if >> you are patient. Also, Amazon has released the Kindle software for the PC >> which I have loaded up onto the IEEE. I don't get the same battery life or >> experience, but I can view PDF's, watch movies, write code, and much more >> for just a bit more money. >> >> On Fri, Dec 25, 2009 at 9:34 PM, Henrique de Miranda Gontijo >> <henri...@gontijo.org> wrote: >>> >>> Sorry, this isn't the main topic of this thread, but sincerely i can't see >>> a reason to buy a ebook gadget in times of small and cheap >>> notebooks/cellphones where you can do it easily. >>> In Brazil, this kind of gadget is almost unknown. >>> On Fri, Dec 25, 2009 at 7:20 PM, Jan Goyvaerts <java.arti...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>>> >>>> Maybe this is usable as ebook reader too ? >>>> >>>> >>>> http://www.slashgear.com/notion-ink-tegra-android-smartpad-uses-pixel-qi-display-1866308/ >>>> >>>> On Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 16:57, Jan Goyvaerts <java.arti...@gmail.com> >>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> What about annotating a pdf ? >>>>> >>>>> On Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 15:57, Mark Volkmann <r.mark.volkm...@gmail.com> >>>>> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> On Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 8:55 AM, Kfir Shay <kfir.s...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>>>> Mark, how is the interface to load pre owned pdf and what is the >>>>>>> quality once its loaded >>>>>> >>>>>> You attach the Kindle to your computer using a USB cable. The Kindle >>>>>> appears as a hard drive. You just copy PDF files over to it. They look >>>>>> great on the Kindle. The only issue is that you can't change the font >>>>>> size or zoom on PDFs. You can rotate the display 90 degrees though and >>>>>> that makes the text larger. >>>>>> >>>>>>> On Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 9:52 AM, Mark Volkmann >>>>>>> <r.mark.volkm...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>>>>> The Kindle 2 supports PDF now. I have one and like it a lot! >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>> R. Mark Volkmann >>>>>>>> Object Computing, Inc. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>>>> Groups "The Java Posse" group. >>>>>>>> To post to this group, send email to javapo...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>>>>> javaposse+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> >>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>>> Groups "The Java Posse" group. >>>>>>> To post to this group, send email to javapo...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>>>> javaposse+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> R. Mark Volkmann >>>>>> Object Computing, Inc. >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> >>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>> Groups "The Java Posse" group. >>>>>> To post to this group, send email to javapo...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>>>> javaposse+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>> "The Java Posse" group. >>>> To post to this group, send email to javapo...@googlegroups.com. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>> javaposse+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>> http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. >>> >>> -- >>> >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "The Java Posse" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to javapo...@googlegroups.com. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> javaposse+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. >> >> >> >> -- >> Robert Casto >> www.IWantFreeShipping.com >> Find Amazon Filler Items easily! >> >> -- >> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "The Java Posse" group. >> To post to this group, send email to javapo...@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> javaposse+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. >> > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "The Java Posse" group. > To post to this group, send email to javapo...@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > javaposse+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Java Posse" group. To post to this group, send email to javapo...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to javaposse+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en.
