Hello paperless world!!!!

[Jammrock]

Environmentalists and very geeky people rejoice! Philips Research in the Netherlands has devopled an electronic screen with clarity and contrast almost paper-like. Not only that, but it's flexible and very low voltage.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/09/24/epaper.new.reut/index.html

The eBook just took one more step towards becoming pheasible and realistic.

Jammrock

[Chrono_Wanderer]

LOL this is so cool! (and I also love the half-holographic monitor thing that projects image into the air that was mentioned last time on MURC )

[Jammrock]

On Philips news page they have the official press release:

http://www.newscenter.philips.com/InformationCenter/NewsCenter/FList.asp?lNodeId=13&lArticleId=

Just click on the top link.

Jammrock

[Tempest]

Reasonably priced electronic "paper" would be THE technological breakthrough for many things that we can't even think of yet. I know that the technology will eventually make it, but I'm just hoping that they can make it function at low temperatures as well - because not everyone lives in conditions where the temps are +20'C all year.

So, I like the idea, but something that I am not very fond of is the thought of blinking, animated ads and popup windows while reading my morning paper...

[KvHagedorn]

Environmentalists rejoice? That's pretty silly.. throw out a permanent media that lasts 1000+ years without need of power or compatibility with whatever electronic doodad is most current, and replace it with a glorified computer that requires some fuel source and costs many times as much to begin with? This is bullshit. I'm not replacing my books with this over-engineered crap. If it isn't broken, DON'T FIX IT!

[thop]

Agreed with KvH.

[Wulfman]

Originally posted by KvHagedorn
Environmentalists rejoice? That's pretty silly.. throw out a permanent media that lasts 1000+ years without need of power or compatibility with whatever electronic doodad is most current, and replace it with a glorified computer that requires some fuel source and costs many times as much to begin with? This is bullshit. I'm not replacing my books with this over-engineered crap. If it isn't broken, DON'T FIX IT!

I can partly agree with that, but I would have no problem exchanging my daily newspaper with such a thing. I throw it away anyway, so why bother?
but books - no. you cannot beat the feeling of a real book.

mfg
wulfman

[KvHagedorn]

Yes, but so many people already get their news electronically.. online every day. I occasionally look at the local paper for certain things, and there needs to be a more permanent archiving capability for these things too, like the microfiche system (unfortunately not as permanent as non-acid high rag content paper) How many of us will have our very existences forgotten because of the failure to properly archive things? What if your great great great granddaughter wants to research her family history and the records are either gone or unreadable? The local paper might have had your obituary way back when, but of course that hard drive eventually got a bad sector.. so sorry. I imagine a huge number of these paper records were burned up in wars as well, so there is really little that is so permanent. Even cunieform tablets can be pounded into dust...

[Tempest]

I understand that many people don't have all that positive feelings about electronic paper. Electronic media doesn't last as long, and (if all of your books were substituted with just one book) can't be laid out on the desk for cross reference. A single book doesn't do much for interior decorating either.

Of course the days of the paper book wouldn't be numbered - many people would still prefer the traditional media, and for some publications it would even make sense. But thinking of all the newspapers and other throw-away media that is printed in millions, wouldn't there be a better alternative? And a thin, flexible, contrast-rich and power-saving display material itself is definitely worth developing (think wall-sized TV displays, medical applications, HUDs in vehicles, color-changing clothes etc.)

When the technology improves, electronic paper will be more and more like traditional paper - except that the ink won't itch or stain your fingers, and you only need one sheet of paper. Combine that with wireless technology, and your single sheet of paper can give you all the books, magazines, movies and games in the world, wherever you are.

[Jammrock]

I think it's wonderful, personally. All daily/weekly/monthly publication could be easily distributed and read, without producing tons of paper waste every day. For archive you can print acid free archival editions, or store them on archival microfiche, etc. Not to mention a fault-tollerent storage array.

It would also be much more handy to read the paper off a small, thin device, maybe even your coat sleeve, on public transportation than it would be to carry around a big newspaper.

As for waste ... that's what recycling is for. And though a lot of people won't do it, like a lot of people don't recycle their current media, with enough awareness you could drastically reduce waste. Plus, newspaper isn't decomposing like people think, either. Scientists have gone into landfills, dug deep, and found perfectly readable newspapers from the 1950's.

Books I can see most people resisting the switch. There is nice comfy feel to curling up with a good book. THough I personally wouldn't mind an e-read.

Jammrock

[thop]

Question is: Can you take an e-book in your tub?
However i must agree that there is one advantage: search function. I've already caught myself numerous times that i wanted to use a search function when i was looking through an older book to find a certain passage.

[Gurm]

If it TRULY had the contrast, even in broad daylight, that a book has... I'd be willing to try ebooks. I'd still collect the hardbacks though. When we finally get a house our library will be pretty impressive already.

- Gurm

[az]

I'd like to have such a device connected wirelessly to my PC, as a secondary display, that I can take to the loo

Kinda like webpads now, only thinner, not self-illuminated, with higher resolution and contrast, more battery life, bendable, and a lot cheaper.

AZ

[Greebe]

Originally posted by Chrono_Wanderer
LOL this is so cool! (and I also love the half-holographic monitor thing that projects image into the air...

Rather have it beamed onto my lap

[Jammrock]

Originally posted by Greebe
Rather have it beamed onto my lap

Jammrock cues the pr0n music...