14 DAY TRIAL // It really seems that the most important eBook reader manufacturers out there are keen on taking this brand of products to a whole new level, with Sony being quite in front of the pack, since they've recently showcased at the Eco-Products 2010 trade show in Japan a prototype reader featuring a 13.3-inch flexible e-paper module.
Unfortunately, according to TechOn, the Japanese company has only showcased this thing as some sort of “proof of concept” (in other words, trying to get some time in the media spotlight), because they've refrained from providing any technical details regarding the flexible ePaper module (no resolution or backplane details have been provided).
The prototype reader apparently gets E Ink Corp's e-paper using microcapsules, but that's as far as Sony allowed itself to go, in terms of technical details.
This is not the first flexible ePaper display Sony's showcased, the company prototyping a while ago 4.8-inch e-paper device with organic TFTs (thin-film transistors) that use the "PXX," an organic semiconductor material stable to oxygen, moisture and light.
Beside this flexible ePaper prototype, Sony brought to Eco-Products 2010 one of their better-known solutions, namely an eReader featuring a flexible OLED panel and an urethane-based chassis, which apparently deliver a reading experience more similar to that of a real book.
All in all, it would seem that eBook reader manufacturers are doing their best in order to come up with new products that resemble as much as possible the classical books, proving, once more, that, in order to convince a lot more people to adopt this portable eBook reader trend, they'll have to make them as similar to real books as possible.
However, there's still a long way to go before that goal is reached, but, as we can plainly see, at least a couple of companies are on the right track and hopefully will get there, sooner or later.