Why no netbooks/laptops with e-ink screens

[coolVariable]

Why are there no netbooks/small laptops with e-ink screens.
Working in the sun with a normal laptop svcks big time.
Yes - I know it would be greyscale and the response time sucks.
But trying to work in direct sunlight (e.g. the beach) with a laptop sucks even more.

These netbooks are pretty useless if you ask me. But what would be awesome would be a netbook, that could be used as an outdoor computer.
e-ink screen, netbook form factor and speed, SSD storage, passive cooling, long battery (6+ hours min), maybe even water resistant ...

THAT would actually be a useful netbook.

 

[corkyg]

The market will determine this. E-ink is a proprietary patented display - so a note/net/book OEM would have to pay a royalty to use it, and their margins are extremely tight right now. I see it as a niche market - don't hold your breath.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Using a touch pad with a screen refresh rate below 1 fps would be hell. Typing with a 1 fps refresh would be annoying too.

 

[Knavish]

Yeah when I used the 1st gen Kindle I was amazed at how long it took to (re)draw the screen.

What about the special LCD screen developed for the One-Laptop-Per-Child laptop? It was a color screen that appeared black and white (but still readable) in the sun.

After some googling, it looks like that LCD tech is now developed by a company: http://www.pixelqi.com/

 

[mmntech]

The big problems with electronic paper screens (aka e-ink) is that they're not available in colour yet, and the refresh rate on them is also significantly slower than LCD.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E...ic_paper#Disadvantages

 

[s44]

Well, the devices are converging, but so far it looks to be full color.

 

[alyarb]

LG has an LCD that can switch from a transmission mode to a transflective mode, reflecting sunlight internally and using it as a backlight. i'd give it two or three years to show up in large-screened mobile devices.

 

[coolVariable]

LCDs in sunlight are just crap.
I have one of those lenovo's with the "outdoor screen" which supposedly uses the sun's light to reflect more light back ... it is utterly unusable in sunny socal. Total crap.
I understand that response time would be crap but something really needs to be done in that area.
Even using a cell in the full sun is a pain in the ass and more of a guessing game then actually seeing anything.
WTF!

 

[corkyg]

You are right about the effect of sun. But, until a better screen technology emerges, consider something like this:

Sun

 

[0roo0roo]

because a laptop with a display that looks like a monochrome calculator is worth about 20 dollars to the consumer. not viable.

 

[acheron]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
because a laptop with a display that looks like a monochrome calculator is worth about 20 dollars to the consumer. not viable.

Which is why no one owns a Kindle.

Oh wait.

 

[mmntech]

Originally posted by: s44
Well, the devices are converging, but so far it looks to be full color.

Colour ones are still in the prototype stage AFAIK. It will be sweet when they finally come out though. I'd be the first to buy one of these just to get rid of the mountain of paper (mostly flyers) that ends up in my mailbox.

 

[ecom]

A Dell Latitude D630 ATG is usable outdoors IMO. The screen is glossy, but a non-issue even in sunlight.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: acheron

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
because a laptop with a display that looks like a monochrome calculator is worth about 20 dollars to the consumer. not viable.

Which is why no one owns a Kindle.

Oh wait.

thats different isn't it. its an "ebook" and has nothing to do with a netbooks requirements or usage.
a netbook with a kindle display would be so gimped that it would simply be a retarded product. even you wouldn't buy one.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo

Originally posted by: acheron

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
because a laptop with a display that looks like a monochrome calculator is worth about 20 dollars to the consumer. not viable.

Which is why no one owns a Kindle.

Oh wait.

thats different isn't it. its an "ebook" and has nothing to do with a netbooks requirements or usage.
a netbook with a kindle display would be so gimped that it would simply be a retarded product. even you wouldn't buy one.

That pretty well sums it up.