eInk technology is fundamentally very cheap. Probably the cheapest display technology today. Of course it’s all patented up and the the company is charging heavy fees, but you can get a glimpse of its cheapness angle in this cell phone: Motorola F3 Unlocked GSM Bar Phone with Speaker Phone - Newegg.com Also, eInk is going into electronic signage and billboards, which again illustrates that its per-square-inch cost is very low.
Unfortunately, the price of eReaders is falling very slowly (down from $300 2 years ago to $200 today), and the quality of the display seemingly isn’t improving either. But that could be because excitement and demand is high. People are willing to pay this money. Once this market segment gets saturated, you will see the prices start to come down.
Btw, I already print many of my books myself. I have an auto-duplex printer that I use to make little booklets (a couple chapters at a time). I use thick 100% cotton paper for covers, and have a long-reach stapler to bind it.
After buying two Sony Readers and even writing my own software to improve PDF rendering (anyone here use RasterFarian?), I gave up and went with the booklets. They’re just better (for the magazine/book PDFs that I view). They’re higher resolution, better contrast, and turn pages instantly. Plus I feel more accomplished putting a finished one down. And they’re lighter on the wrist.
Yeah, and we could have the option of scuba diving today. Oh, wait…we do. But some of us like the certainty of…I don’t know…breathing.
Don’t confuse the world of possibilities with the preferences of economically-significant meatware marketing.
Actually, you might have had some valid point but posting and drinking don’t mix. Kids be warned.