Actually the first color e-ink reader came out in January... http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2375466,00.asp#fbid=IaT7VhVYukZ
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Earl Borah Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 12:26 PM To: feistfans-l Subject: Re: Kindle/Nook e-Ink is incredible for what it is -- an electronic version of print. It doesn't do video, it doesn't do color (yet), it doesn't do backlighting so you can read in the dark. But it DOES do very low power consumption (no power at all to keep the image on the screen - only power to change the screen), high resolution and contrast, no glare, so anywhere you can read a book you can read an e-Ink device (and anywhere you'd have problems reading a book you'll have problems reading an e-Ink device). That makes those displays excellent for what they are used in -- ebook devices. The reason the new offerings from Amazon and B&N are getting so much attention, however, is that the tablet is "cool" now, and the market is dominated by the iPad, so people are wondering if the lower price points will give Apple a real competitive challenge. These devices are not simply e-books, they're intended to be video devices as well, which is why e-Ink is unsuitable for them. Frankly, the interest in these devices has almost nothing to do with their ability to be book readers, and everything to do with video content, music, games, and other apps. The long-term question is, is e-ink so much better than LCD for reading that people will tolerate a device dedicated to ebooks, or will tablets overwhelm the ebook market and be "good enough" to replace the custom devices? Seeing the convergence of the cell phone and electronic day planner over the past decade, I tend to think the days of the dedicated ebook devices are numbered, unless they become so cheap that they become almost throwaway devices.
