MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Kobo has color e-readers coming out in April

Timboli · 04-20-2024, 02:14 PM

Personally I think Kobo have jumped the gun, and I am hoping that poor uptake won't kill color e-ink ereaders off. I also don't think Amazon have missed an opportunity. It is certainly not a guarantee that enough color e-ink readers will be regularly sold.

We need to ask ourselves, as Kobo should have - Who are these new color e-ink readers going to attract?

I've wanted a color e-ink reader for years, gotten fed up waiting for them. But I haven't been game to try any of those who have been providing for the last 6 months or so.

I do however trust Amazon or Kobo enough to dip my toes in their water.

The only problem is, there is not a lot of benefit to a color e-ink reader if it is less than 10" at a minimum. Sure, it would be nice to see covers in color, even if somewhat washed out in many cases. What I really want color for is Magazines, Graphic Novels and Comics. To that end I bought myself a 10" Samsung Tablet years ago, and it has served me well the few times I have used it. A lot of money spent though, for minimal use ... though I have used it for web browsing and watching a few videos when on holiday.

So anyway, back to my question.

Maybe Kobo are hoping to get new users, that will finally consider an e-ink reader now that they have some semblance of color. Other than that, perhaps they are also hoping to attract some Kindle users to the Kobo ecosystem. Then I guess there will be a few folk, who will have to have it because color is the latest and greatest in e-ink tech.

What I'm not so sure is going to happen, is that many existing e-ink users are going to buy yet another e-ink device, just for the minimal benefit of color on a 6" or 7" device.

It would be a different story, if we were talking 10".
I'd buy one tomorrow, but now I still have to keep waiting.
And so I reckon do most of those that have visual issues with tablets.
A 7" color e-ink device is not a tablet replacement, not for what we want to use one for.

All that said, price difference with B&W is where success of eventual uptake will likely lie. So if color is phased in and B&W gradually phased out, then color will become the new norm ... just as happened with color TVs.

So I guess it is all about production costs and any possible subsidy, due to a mutual aim. And of course tech advances are likely to continue regardless anyway ... as they have thus far, despite e-ink being more niche now, due to tablets.

04-20-2024, 02:14 PM	#63
Timboli Fanatic Posts: 578 Karma: 2095994 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: AUS Device: Kindles & Samsung Tablet	Personally I think Kobo have jumped the gun, and I am hoping that poor uptake won't kill color e-ink ereaders off. I also don't think Amazon have missed an opportunity. It is certainly not a guarantee that enough color e-ink readers will be regularly sold. We need to ask ourselves, as Kobo should have - Who are these new color e-ink readers going to attract? I've wanted a color e-ink reader for years, gotten fed up waiting for them. But I haven't been game to try any of those who have been providing for the last 6 months or so. I do however trust Amazon or Kobo enough to dip my toes in their water. The only problem is, there is not a lot of benefit to a color e-ink reader if it is less than 10" at a minimum. Sure, it would be nice to see covers in color, even if somewhat washed out in many cases. What I really want color for is Magazines, Graphic Novels and Comics. To that end I bought myself a 10" Samsung Tablet years ago, and it has served me well the few times I have used it. A lot of money spent though, for minimal use ... though I have used it for web browsing and watching a few videos when on holiday. So anyway, back to my question. Maybe Kobo are hoping to get new users, that will finally consider an e-ink reader now that they have some semblance of color. Other than that, perhaps they are also hoping to attract some Kindle users to the Kobo ecosystem. Then I guess there will be a few folk, who will have to have it because color is the latest and greatest in e-ink tech. What I'm not so sure is going to happen, is that many existing e-ink users are going to buy yet another e-ink device, just for the minimal benefit of color on a 6" or 7" device. It would be a different story, if we were talking 10". I'd buy one tomorrow, but now I still have to keep waiting. And so I reckon do most of those that have visual issues with tablets. A 7" color e-ink device is not a tablet replacement, not for what we want to use one for. All that said, price difference with B&W is where success of eventual uptake will likely lie. So if color is phased in and B&W gradually phased out, then color will become the new norm ... just as happened with color TVs. So I guess it is all about production costs and any possible subsidy, due to a mutual aim. And of course tech advances are likely to continue regardless anyway ... as they have thus far, despite e-ink being more niche now, due to tablets.