Will paper go the way of stone tablets?
Fri, 08/27/2010 - 12:09
In a recent article in the Hamilton Spectator, titled Will paper go the way of stone tablets?, the proliferation of tablets and other portable e-readers was compared to the Chinese invention of paper 2,000 years ago which replaced the wooden blocks and bamboo slats upon which Chinese characters were written. Will these e-readers one day replace books and paper?
Supporters of the digital movement hope they might be used not only for reading novels, but for legal and business documents. However, there are still those who believe consumers aren’t quite ready to switch their paperbacks for tablet-based reading. E-reader manufacturers must also face stiff competition, including companies such as Amazon, Sony and Apple, whose iPad sales are forecast to reach nine million this year, “a figure that took e-books two years to reach,” says researcher Chris Hung of Taiwan's Institute for the Information Industry.
Scott Liu, chair of E Ink Holdings, a joint venture with the Massachusetts-based technology firm and Taiwanese display manufacturer Prime View International Co., is however optimistic about consumer’s willingness to embrace the use of e-readers, and his company’s ability to face competition from the iPad and other multi-use devices.
“People read on digital paper exactly like reading on conventional paper, using natural light in the environment. In another five years, we could see a major change in reading habits, with more people switching to electronic reading.”
The iPad while a multi-purpose device that allows users to surf the internet and play games, is not built for reading for long hours, Liu said, due to its backlit LCD display which can cause eye fatigue.
For more, visit: http://www.thespec.com/news/business/article/250745--will-paper-go-the-way-of-stone-tablets
Supporters of the digital movement hope they might be used not only for reading novels, but for legal and business documents. However, there are still those who believe consumers aren’t quite ready to switch their paperbacks for tablet-based reading. E-reader manufacturers must also face stiff competition, including companies such as Amazon, Sony and Apple, whose iPad sales are forecast to reach nine million this year, “a figure that took e-books two years to reach,” says researcher Chris Hung of Taiwan's Institute for the Information Industry.
Scott Liu, chair of E Ink Holdings, a joint venture with the Massachusetts-based technology firm and Taiwanese display manufacturer Prime View International Co., is however optimistic about consumer’s willingness to embrace the use of e-readers, and his company’s ability to face competition from the iPad and other multi-use devices.
“People read on digital paper exactly like reading on conventional paper, using natural light in the environment. In another five years, we could see a major change in reading habits, with more people switching to electronic reading.”
The iPad while a multi-purpose device that allows users to surf the internet and play games, is not built for reading for long hours, Liu said, due to its backlit LCD display which can cause eye fatigue.
For more, visit: http://www.thespec.com/news/business/article/250745--will-paper-go-the-way-of-stone-tablets
