You could be forgiven for thinking that an ebook reader is a substitute for a paper book; after all the text's information is the same and the devices are about the same size. However, ebooks are not just digital version of printed books anymore than a digital thermometer is a version of a mercury thermometer. The Achilles’ heel of digital readers is photos and images. Why can't ebook readers show pictures as well as paper books? They aren't using ink. Instead, they are using electronic dots.
An Overview of E Ink in eReaders
Dedicated ereaders use electronic displays, and most ereaders use E Ink by E Ink Holdings. This is not the same technology used on a tablet, such as an iPad. An iPad will not have any problems with images in ebooks; in fact, art and photos can look gorgeous on the iPad's backlit LED screen. Images are of secondary importance on an ebook readers; E Ink has the advantages of energy efficient and easy to read, and those are primary concerns for ereaders.
The Pearl E Ink used on the Kindle 3 is designed to make words in various types of light. E Ink is really little black and white dots that are forming the image of a word. Instead of having a light behind the dots, the E Ink and the E Paper can reflect the light around the room, just like words on paper. These dots, called microcapsules, make words look crisp and precise, but images are almost overly precise. You can see shading where you would expect to see consistency.
Future of E Ink Technology
For ereaders to be able to show pictures well, they have to escape the limitations of grayscale images. This technology has been introduced with Triton Color E Ink. Wired author Tim Carmody wrote about his November, 2010 interview with Lawrence Schwartz when Triton Color E Ink made headlines. Schwartz explained why color E Ink is a priority for the E Ink corporation.
“What’s unique about color in reading,” Schwartz told Carmody, “is that while most textual content is still in monochrome, we can introduce color into cover art, children’s books, newspapers, and textbooks — places still in the reading field where color is at a premium.” Color E Ink is available on some devices, but the priority is not for general images as much as for books that require diagrams and illustrations (such as textbooks) or art (such as children's books).
On May 11, 2011, Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos talked about Kindle tablets and color E Ink with Consumer Reports editor Paul Reynolds. When Bezos was asked about color E Ink, he said that the it “is not ready for prime time [because] the colors are very pale.” Bezos is clearly interested in color ink on his Kindle ereaders, because he said, “it makes a lot of sense for there to be a low-power, reflective color display. I think that’s something you could build a fantastic product around.”
When color E Ink is ready for images in books, such as photos found in a celebrity's autobiography, it is a safe bet that Amazon will emerge with a new generation of color Kindles. Until then, the best bet for someone who reads a lot of art books, books with diagrams and photos, or children's books is to use a tablet with ebook apps.
Sources:
- "How E Ink's Triton Color Displays Work, In E-Readers and Beyond" was written by TIm Carmody for Wired. It was published in "The Gadget Lab" section on November 9, 2010.
- "Will Amazon Make a Tablet? 'Stay Tuned," Says Jeff Bezos" was written by Paul Reynolds for Consumer Reports. The online article was published on May 11, 2011.
Alex Sharp - Alex Sharp is a teacher who has been keeping Suite101 readers up to date with the latest in audio- and e-book gadgetry since 2008.
