Friday, February 01, 2008

The secret’s in the ink – the partnership of “E Ink” and Kindle

You may have heard of e-books, but the technology of reading them has not been able to make electronic books accessible. Critics of e-books have cited sensory connection problems as the culprit for the lack of adoption. Books have a certain feel, a certain smell, and there is just something about turning a page. But it was the visual element that caused the biggest problem. Reading a book on a computer screen was hard on the eyes.

Enter E Ink Corporation, who creates “electronic paper display (EPD) technologies. Products made with E Ink's revolutionary electronic ink possess a paper-like high contrast appearance, ultra-low power consumption and a thin, light form.” The applications of this product go far beyond e-book technology, from signs to marquis and beyond.

But the innovations don’t stop there. Kindle is a pretty simple collection of existing technologies. It is a portable computer – nothing new. It is a web browser – nothing new. And it uses a cellular modem – nothing new. What is new is the whole package – a portable dedicated web browser that connects you to the internet and allows you to download and read books, newspapers, and blogs on a screen that reads like ink on paper. What’s more, you can bookmark pages and even make notes in the text.

What a package!

No comments: