TOPjoy launch kickstarter for new colour ereaders

[pdurrant]

Topjoy launched a kickstarter for two new ereaders.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...creen-e-reader

These ereaders use a new display from GoodDisplay, using a modification of E-Ink technology. (See the thread in General Discussions for discussion of the display technology)

[Quoth]

Without massively bright front light or direct sunlight any passive R G B based filter on a monochrome display is rubbish.

Only some sort of as yet not invented transparent cyan, yellow and magenta displays in layers, not filters, with probably eink rear layer can ever give a decent passive display.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Topjoy launched a kickstarter for two new ereaders.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...creen-e-reader

Ten minutes to get fully funded. Now fully funded times 50. So, obviously, there is some kind of market for color eReaders.

[ottdmk]

Well, they're having a very successful Kickstarter. They wanted $10,000.00 US; they're sitting at over $500,000.00 and the campaign has 28 days to go.

I hope it turns out well for them. That's a lot of backers, a lot of pressure, and they've set an ambitious timetable of November for shipping. With all the semiconductor shortages right now...

Personally, I'll stick with Kobo. An Android e-reader doesn't really interest me much. I like that my Kobo is really focused on reading; helps keep me from getting distracted from my books.

[kyôdai]

I don't know, this campain looks kind of sketchy... There are so many red flags, in my opinion.

A new player on the market, a very short timeline, a new / unproven technology, a fake funding goal and a heavy discount.

Even if you do end up receiving a device, I would not count on it working as advertised or getting any support down the line.

[pdurrant]

I agree that this kickstarter looks more like a way to take pre-orders than a way to raise capital.

Looking at the topjoy website, they do seem to be a real manufacturer.

Currently the lack of Google Playstore on the device seems rather peculiar.

[Quoth]

You have to agree to unpleasant Google T&C and include more Google stuff than the Playstore to have the Playstore. I wish more Android stuff had the master "on-off" Google Framework setting that Boyue Likebook has (at least on Mars anyway).

[salamanderjuice]

The lack of Google Play really isn't that peculiar. Out of the box the Oynx Boox devices don't come with it enabled and there is a couple hoops you need to jump through to get it. Previous Boyue devices didn't either.

In China they don't use Google Play at all so any device designed for that market won't have it.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Ten minutes to get fully funded. Now fully funded times 50. So, obviously, there is some kind of market for color eReaders.

Of course there is. But few people understand the physics and mathematics that prove that any passive eink-like device using RGB is inherently very dim compared to printed photos or printed paper which uses C Y M (for paper C Y M K and quality printing even more shades). There is a good physical reason why inkjet and laser printers use C Y M K (or two densities of C Y M on some inkjet). R G B printing is technically possible. It has been since the Victorian era, but it's either very dark or unsaturated pastels.

Also RGB reduces the resolution to either 1/2 on both directions (Bayer) or 1/3rd in one direction. C Y M uses transparent layers which is why currently it's limited to printing, no-one has invented a panel layer that's either clear or Yellow (i.e. only blocks blue). CYM works by each layer blocking less than one third of the spectrum. RGB works by each dot blocking more than 2/3rds of the spectrum and has loss on the desired Red, Blue or Green.
It might be a little better than Triton and Kaledo, but not enough for the mass market. Only some comics/graphic novels really need colour. Regular novels and most textbooks don't. Cookbooks and typical "coffee table" coloured books will look rubbish on this and most coloured illustration actual books need a 10" display.

[JSWolf]

The screen looks way too washed out.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Quoth

C Y M uses transparent layers which is why currently it's limited to printing, no-one has invented a panel layer that's either clear or Yellow (i.e. only blocks blue).

Liquavista cells could be made transparent, and so they could have developed a CMY based colour display. But one can only assume the technology didn't work out well enough. (As Amazon seems to have abandoned development.)

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Liquavista cells could be made transparent, and so they could have developed a CMY based colour display. But one can only assume the technology didn't work out well enough. (As Amazon seems to have abandoned development.)

Or alternatively Amazon bought it so no-one else could develop it for motives that can only be guessed at. They were unlikely to do ANY in house development.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The screen looks way too washed out.

You either have washed out and darker than monochrome, or saturated and very very dark. Or a poor compromise. LCD is transparent too, but as soon as you darken it or colour it, it's not. A C Y M LCD multilayer panel is impossible as a layer uses two polarisers

[MarjaE]

Does anyone know if Topjoy's operating system allows users to stop blinking cursors? That bug keeps me from taking notes on Boyue's.

P.S. Although I'm not planning on buying another 7.8" device, even if it *does* have color and *does* allow users to stop blinking cursors.

[Quoth]

I can turn off the cursor blink in Jota, in settings. Jota on the Boyue Likebook Mars