Computer Driver License

2009 has been an exciting year for ereaders and the readers who love them. Not only did we have a variety of new models with ever improving features and technology, but also it has been a year in which the ereader has really started to make its presence known to the mass consciousness. We have also seen prices driven down by the ever-increasing competition in the ebook reader market.

2010 promises even more technical advances and increased adaptation by the general public. I will take a quick look at what I feel are some of the new technologies that will make the most impact on ereaders in 2010.

Faster Chips

Faster chipsets for ereaders will mean faster page turns and quicker and easier library management and navigation. Marvell has developed a new System-on-a-Chip that is much faster than the chipsets that current ereaders are using. Marvell's Armada 166E SoC will not only triple page turning speeds when compared to today's ereaders; it also will help lower manufacturing costs, as it integrates features including WiFi, Bluetooth, a 3G modem and other features onto one SoC. This should help to continue bringing the prices of ereaders down.

Marvell's Armada SoC is also designed to make fast renderings of high-resolution PDF documents, so we can probably expect to see improved PDF handling in next-gen ereaders.

Marvell has partnered with e-Ink, which makes ereader display screens, to integrate their products. A few ereaders have already been announced that make use of the Armada 166E SoC. These include the Plastic Logic Que, Spring Design's Alex and the enTourage eDGe. I would also expect the next generation of Kindle ereaders to make use of this new chipset.

Flexible Displays

Flexible display technology as applied to ereaders probably doesn't mean something that you can wrap around your wrist (though someone will probably make that too); rather I'm referring to shatterproof plastic based displays instead of the relatively easily cracked glass screens found on today's ereaders.

A more durable display is necessary to bring ereaders to children, Kindles for Kids and to usher in the widespread use of ereaders in schools.

Several manufacturers are working on flexible ereader displays, including e-Ink and even Bridgestone. Plastic Logic's Que ereader will have a shatterproof screen and is due out in the first part of 2010.

Color eReaders

There are a number of manufacturers that are working on color display technology for ereaders. I don't expect any of this tech to be in production until the third or fourth quarter of 2010, and it remains to be seen whether or not color ereaders can actually make it to market by Christmas 2010.

E-Ink, which makes most of the displays for the ereaders currently on the market, is working on color but has said it will probably be 2011 before it can bring a color product to market. Perhaps one of the most interesting color display technologies and one with the best chance of making it to market by holiday season 2010 is Qualcomm's Mirasol. This technology, which was apparently inspired by the iridescence of butterfly wings, also has very good video capabilities.

Pixel Qi

Pixel Qi is based on LCD technology, but has the ability to switch between transmissive (like a regular LCD) and transflective (like e-ink) modes. Production has already begun at the end of 2009, but devices using Pixel Qi displays have not been announced as of yet. Probably there will be a few at CES.

It remains to be seen if any dedicated ereaders will use Pixel Qi, but this type of display could serve to turn netbooks, notebooks and tablets into very viable ebook readers. While using an LCD screen for casual reading is fine, the backlighting can cause eyestrain and discomfort when used for longer periods of time. Pixel Qi should have the capability to solve this problem.

We should see more multifunction and convergent devices with ereader capabilities introduced in the coming year, and Pixel Qi displays will probably play an important role in this type of device.

An Increasingly Crowded eReader Market

Consumer demand for ebook readers will be increasing next year, and consumers will likely be barraged with a flood of me-too ereader clones with few standout features to differentiate themselves from the competition. While perhaps being confusing to the consumer, this increased competition between devices should help to bring prices down even further and continue to drive innovation.

If you will be in the market for an ereader in the coming year, there are a couple of important things to keep in mind.

First of all, an ereader is primarily for reading books - so if you are a serious reader you will want a non-backlit display that you can read for long periods of time without eyestrain. You also don't want a device that keeps distracting you from your reading. Multipurpose devices are great, but in many cases they don't perform as well at particular tasks as do devices designed for dedicated purposes.

Also keep in mind that an ereader is only as good as the ebook stores that it is tied to. Most ereaders will have a good supply of public domain ebooks, but what about DRM'ed current titles? Currently I think that Amazon's Kindle store has the widest selection and best ebook prices, but that could change.