Seiko e-ink E book reader unveiled

Seiko and Epson have joined forces to produce this beautiful looking ebook reader, the e-ink. Measuring at only 3mm thick, Seiko’s E-Ink is the thinnest E-book reader in the world. It has a big display, 1200×1600, reviewers have deemed the display to be a tad too sharp for the eye which I find a little difficult to understand – it’s a little like saying a Ferrari is too fast. The e-ink is still in its prototype stages. No word on when it will be out yet but we are hoping it will reach production late 2008.

Anyway, here are the specs: Terminal measures 180×120mm (B6 size) * Thickness: 3mm * Weight: 57g * Contrast ratio: 8:1 * Reflectivity: 43% * Redrawing time: 0.7s * Battery: one CR1220 button cell battery (1′400 screen redraws)

Rumors are suggesting that the e-ink redefines the concept of the pixel, producing a chemical display that doesn’t need a constant flow of electricity to maintain itself. Apparently, the product was developed by combining the electrophoretic ink developed by E Ink Corp with Seiko Epson’s proprietary low-temperature poly-Si TFT formed on a glass substrate. The glass substrate was made this thin by a new etching process. All we can hope is that this particular device leans towards Seiko’s legendary reliability rather than Epson’s. Bear in mind that this little device is actually not much bigger than a few sheets of paper and the final production will likely include a lithium ion rechargeable battery rather than the battery included in the prototype.

Here are some e-readers from amazon.com:

And don’t forget about Kindle: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device