# E-ink laptop?



## A.D. Bloom (Apr 2, 2011)

Does anybody else ever wish for an e-ink laptop? 
The battery life would be epic, and I can't imagine a more comfortable screen to stare at while writing.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Not until they speed up the display response and do not require the black/white screen flash to avoid image/text ghosting.

While it might save _some_ power, a laptop in typical use is doing a lot more in terms of CPU power, drive access, network access, etc., etc., than a Kindle is when just reading a book. In fact, just play a few games of Monopoly on your Kindle and watch the battery go from full to half full in 2-3 hours.  )


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## A.D. Bloom (Apr 2, 2011)

NogDog said:


> Not until they speed up the display response and do not require the black/white screen flash to avoid image/text ghosting.
> 
> While it might save _some_ power, a laptop in typical use is doing a lot more in terms of CPU power, drive access, network access, etc., etc., than a Kindle is when just reading a book. In fact, just play a few games of Monopoly on your Kindle and watch the battery go from full to half full in 2-3 hours.  )


Yeah, the drain goes up when the processor has to work hard, but a kindle battery is around 1500 mAh and a laptop battery is much bigger. I think my thinkpad has a 6600 mAh battery.


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## Jenni (Feb 20, 2011)

What would be great is the ability to switch to e-Ink on something like an iPad. I got the original Kindle when they first came out and I love it. A few weeks ago I got an iPad and I love that too, but not for reading. But, if I could switch to e-ink when I want to just relax and read a book, now that would be the best of both worlds!


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

A black & white laptop?  I doubt if e ink would display half of what is viewed on line very well.....much less work documents....

I like to compute on my computer; read on my e reader......I really do not see the need to merge these two devices??


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## A.D. Bloom (Apr 2, 2011)

I just wish I could do my word processing (writing) on an e-ink screen. That would be so easy on the eyes...


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## Guest (Jun 4, 2011)

Have you considered an AlphaSmart?  You can pick them up used on ebay DIRT CHEAP.


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## A.D. Bloom (Apr 2, 2011)

oliewankanobe said:


> Have you considered an AlphaSmart? You can pick them up used on ebay DIRT CHEAP.


Hehe. I am the proud owner of an Alphasmart Dana with an ass-kicking twenty hour battery life. Man, I love that thing. I write all my short fiction on it, but I need to fall back on my Thinkpad to work on novels. Bless the Alphasmart Dana, though. Darn thing will run on AA batteries if you want. And yes, they are almost free on ebay.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

e-ink for things like tablets would be good.  Not sure I would want it on my PC, but then again, as I type this, I was thinking that being able to switch back and forth might be good.


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## Jenni (Feb 20, 2011)

Not sure I'd like to write on E-Ink. I use a few different programs when I write, like my color-coded spreadsheet and I use Scrivener for the cork board feature for notes on writing and rewriting, so I think E-Ink would through me.


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## deltawing (Jun 10, 2011)

A.D. Bloom said:


> Does anybody else ever wish for an e-ink laptop?
> The battery life would be epic, and I can't imagine a more comfortable screen to stare at while writing.


Yes I would. Whatever I do on my computer, telephone, terminal except for watching movies I do not need a colour tv. At least I need the colour tv less than getting rid of the heating unit, carrying the ugly power supplies and depending on power outlets. Also, when I look at my very clever phone it has no information at all until I pet it and make the colour tv light up.

As of the screen flashing to wipe itself clean did complaining friends ever consider that their eyes are blinking thousands of times a day, switching between dark and light. Did it ever bother you?


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## BMathison (Feb 4, 2011)

I'd also like to try writing on an e-ink laptop.

I take my regular laptop in the back yard & the glare is just too much, and I don't want to spring for an anti-glare screen.

It would be awesome if they (the techo powers that be...) would develop a full-color e-ink tablet that had full power all day.


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## Cindy Borgne (Mar 21, 2011)

I agree with the idea about being able to switch back and forth. Choices are always good.


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## *DrDLN* (dr.s.dhillon) (Jan 19, 2011)

BMathison said:


> I'd also like to try writing on an e-ink laptop.
> I take my regular laptop in the back yard & the glare is just too much, and I don't want to spring for an anti-glare screen.


Excuse my ignorance. What is e-Ink laptop.

I totally agree with the glare part. It's so bad that I can't even use my laptop outdoors.

Is there anything I can do to make my existing screen anti-glare? I don't mind buying hard ware if it exists. But I am not ready to change my computer. I use sony.


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## scl (Feb 19, 2011)

How about an SVGA E-ink display with 1024 by 768 pixels that you could connect to your laptop
or desktop PC for when you wanted an E-ink display.  It shouldn't have to cost much different from
a Kindle.  You might even be able to hack a Kindle to display images it got over it's usb port, although
that would require an appropriate driver on the PC end.  E-Ink is strictly black/white so to get the
1024 by 768 pixels with grey levels would take more pixels than that as you would need some sort
of a half-tone screen effect using several pixels to get passable greys.


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## Laci (Jan 15, 2013)

Wow, that would be awesome! Staring that the computer all day makes my eyes buggy!


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

I agree with scl. Rather than a dedicated computer/laptop, an e-ink monitor would be great!


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Interesting idea, but probably not quite practical.


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