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DigiTimes reports on PVI Chairman Scott Liu’s plans for 2010 -

Besides color and flexible EPDs (electrophoretic displays), Prime View International (PVI) also plans to introduce touch-capable EPDs and EPDs that support animation in 2010, according to PVI chairman Scott Liu.

Liu said that touch-capable e-book readers’ share of the market will increase significantly in 2010, and PVI is developing pressure touch sensors that can be placed behind the screen – rather than the conventional touch panel added on top of the screen – to avoid reducing transmittance.

Placing the touch sensors behind the eInk would ensure that visibility isn’t reduced and there is no glare due to the touch layer.

PVI also noted that they would have eInk screens that support animation in 2010 itself and that they would be producing flexible eInk screens using their TFT LCD equipment (with some changes).

Fast Company manage to turn it into an iPad will kill eInk story

Fast Company report on the news and find an ‘iPad will kill eInk’ angle -

The iPad has an LCD screen, LED-backlit for power efficiency, and while it doesn’t deliver the same sort of easy-on-the-eye viewing skills that e-ink’s electrophoretic technology does, what it will enable is the iPad to become a fully multimedia (books, music, video, Web) device that makes a Kindle’s tech look seriously outdated.

They sort of hedge their bets -

We’re not saying e-ink is going to disappear anytime soon, since despite its agonizingly slow refresh rates, it actually does deliver a lovely viewing experience and incredibly low power consumption. But e-ink’s position as the key display tech in e-readers may be brief,

Let’s ask a more relevant question -

Can we depend on PVI to deliver all these advances?

First, let’s look at what eInk advances we’ve had in the last two years -

1. Lower prices which in part helped push eReaders down from $399 to $259. 
2. Quite a noticeable difference in eInk refresh speed. 
3. Resolution improved from 4 shades of gray to 16 shades of gray.
4. Sony getting the Touch eInk screen – although it had the readability issue PVI are promising to fix this year.  
5. Nook and Sony Reader Pocket Edition getting screens with very good contrast.

While these are some good advances they aren’t really enough for 2 years and 3 months.

Next, let’s look at what eInk advances are being promised in 2010 -

1. Color. 
2. Flexible Displays. 
3. Touch layer that goes below the eInk layer.  
4. Animation. Perhaps even Video.

That’s an awful lot to deliver in a year – even more so when you consider what PVI has delivered in the last 2.25 years.

What if PVI doesn’t deliver?

Well, we have some interesting options expected to arrive this year -

1. Mirasol color ePaper. 
2. Liquavista color ePaper. 
3. Choleric LCD Display Technologies. 

We even have Amazon buying companies that manufacture multi-touch sensor panels.

Even if PVI fail to deliver there will be some good options for eReaders in 2010.

Filed under: Color Kindle Reader Tagged: | color kindle