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Ask HN: Why are e-ink note-taking devices so expensive compared to iPads?

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Re: Ask HN: Why are e-ink note-taking devices so expensive compared to iPads?

#51

Post by adamrmcd »

zepto wrote: post #40
pidg wrote: post #10

I own a reMarkable 2. There is certainly enough to justify the cost, if you are a prolific note-taker. Conversely, I find it hard to justify the cost of an iPad, becuase I already have a phone and several laptops. I can't see a situation where a tablet would be more useful to me, so I've never bought one. Turns out different people have different needs, and the e-ink note-taking market caters to that. Most people wou…

> There is certainly enough to justify the cost, if you are a prolific note-taker. Would you mind saying what you find most useful? I have an aging iPad and would very much like to replace it with an a-ink device because I don’t like staring at a light source.

I have one as well. For me the killer feature is the ability to copy/paste your own handwriting.

I'm on the device 6 of 8 hours in a day, constantly taking notes of my meetings and conversations. Frequently I write sentences in the wrong order, and have to rearrange them for logical/linear understanding.

Sure, you can do that on a Slate or iPad, but neither feel or sound like you're writing on real paper.

It is just so satisfying to use.

Re: Ask HN: Why are e-ink note-taking devices so expensive compared to iPads?

#52

Post by 2Gkashmiri »

arsome wrote: post #7
RicoElectrico wrote: post #3

The company holding patents for e-ink is literally retarded, as if they don't want it to succeed. I'm not making this up. [1] Sure e-ink has its flaws, but wouldn't it be better to have a smaller slice of a much larger cake? OLED is patent encumbered too, there's also a patent holding company, despite that you can buy smallest modules for less than $2 on AliExpress. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22829798

Are those $2 Chinese modules really paying to license the patent?

why do i care if they don't ? for for that matter anyone here? its not like we are owners of e-ink

Re: Ask HN: Why are e-ink note-taking devices so expensive compared to iPads?

#53

Post by bzb6 »

Naga wrote: post #18
RicoElectrico wrote: post #3

The company holding patents for e-ink is literally retarded, as if they don't want it to succeed. I'm not making this up. [1] Sure e-ink has its flaws, but wouldn't it be better to have a smaller slice of a much larger cake? OLED is patent encumbered too, there's also a patent holding company, despite that you can buy smallest modules for less than $2 on AliExpress. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22829798

I agree completely with your points, and I'm sorry be that guy, but "literally retarded" is offensive language and is frankly below the level of discourse of HN. I'm not one to be the PC police but really, come on. You can make your argument without resulting to slurs like that. https://www.verywellfamily.com/what-is-the-r-word-3105651

You say you’re sorry to be that guy, but you seem happy to be that guy. Don’t be that guy, because it’s your comment and the successive noise that is below the level of discourse of HN, making this discussion pretty retarded.

Re: Ask HN: Why are e-ink note-taking devices so expensive compared to iPads?

#54

Post by cameron_b »

hmottestad wrote: post #21
cameron_b wrote: post #6

Not E-ink, but alternative tablet - Repaper: https://www.iskn.co/repaper/shop/repaper I got my wife ( a non-techie painter ) one for Christmas and just set it up last night on our iMac. Adoption -> volume -> buying power -> lower component prices, better feature implementation I think most of the alternatives suffer from adoption challenges, but I personally love Unix-model physical devices [ which do one job well an…

Is that just a paper clipboard that can digitize your notes? What I like about note-taking on an ipad is that I can move stuff around, copy paste, figure-mode, undo button and camera for quickly grabbing a picture of the whiteboard or a slide.

it works the same way as a Wacom-type screen-less tablet for interacting with a phone, tablet computer or desktop -- with or without paper. It has a stylus for use in screen-only interactions, but you can also use it away from a computer with pencil [ with "ring" ] and paper, and pull up your notes later.

Re: Ask HN: Why are e-ink note-taking devices so expensive compared to iPads?

#55

Post by Karsteski »

Naga wrote: post #18
RicoElectrico wrote: post #3

The company holding patents for e-ink is literally retarded, as if they don't want it to succeed. I'm not making this up. [1] Sure e-ink has its flaws, but wouldn't it be better to have a smaller slice of a much larger cake? OLED is patent encumbered too, there's also a patent holding company, despite that you can buy smallest modules for less than $2 on AliExpress. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22829798

I agree completely with your points, and I'm sorry be that guy, but "literally retarded" is offensive language and is frankly below the level of discourse of HN. I'm not one to be the PC police but really, come on. You can make your argument without resulting to slurs like that. https://www.verywellfamily.com/what-is-the-r-word-3105651

Your offense offends me. What do we do about Thai situation now?

Re: Ask HN: Why are e-ink note-taking devices so expensive compared to iPads?

#56

Post by ianai »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #38
varjag wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Patents expire after 20 years.

Looking up their patents ( https://patents.justia.com/assignee/e-ink-corporation?page=3... ), looks like their earliest patents are from 1998, so those should be expired already. That said, there's 36 pages of patents that seem related, so I'm sure that newly made e-ink technology will be covered by the newer patents.

I wonder if the market based solution is for their IP to be bought by someone seeking to make products. And what that would cost.

Re: Ask HN: Why are e-ink note-taking devices so expensive compared to iPads?

#57

Post by ThePower »

Naga wrote: post #18
RicoElectrico wrote: post #3

The company holding patents for e-ink is literally retarded, as if they don't want it to succeed. I'm not making this up. [1] Sure e-ink has its flaws, but wouldn't it be better to have a smaller slice of a much larger cake? OLED is patent encumbered too, there's also a patent holding company, despite that you can buy smallest modules for less than $2 on AliExpress. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22829798

I agree completely with your points, and I'm sorry be that guy, but "literally retarded" is offensive language and is frankly below the level of discourse of HN. I'm not one to be the PC police but really, come on. You can make your argument without resulting to slurs like that. https://www.verywellfamily.com/what-is-the-r-word-3105651

wonderful response from all of you to a very annoying comment from Naga. "Your offense offends me" is exactly how I feel.

Re: Ask HN: Why are e-ink note-taking devices so expensive compared to iPads?

#58

Post by [deleted] »

Naga wrote: post #18
RicoElectrico wrote: post #3

The company holding patents for e-ink is literally retarded, as if they don't want it to succeed. I'm not making this up. [1] Sure e-ink has its flaws, but wouldn't it be better to have a smaller slice of a much larger cake? OLED is patent encumbered too, there's also a patent holding company, despite that you can buy smallest modules for less than $2 on AliExpress. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22829798

I agree completely with your points, and I'm sorry be that guy, but "literally retarded" is offensive language and is frankly below the level of discourse of HN. I'm not one to be the PC police but really, come on. You can make your argument without resulting to slurs like that. https://www.verywellfamily.com/what-is-the-r-word-3105651

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Why are e-ink note-taking devices so expensive compared to iPads?

#59

Post by alisonkisk »

ianai wrote: post #56
Cthulhu_ wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looking up their patents ( https://patents.justia.com/assignee/e-ink-corporation?page=3... ), looks like their earliest patents are from 1998, so those should be expired already. That said, there's 36 pages of patents that seem related, so I'm sure that newly made e-ink technology will be covered by the newer patents.

I wonder if the market based solution is for their IP to be bought by someone seeking to make products. And what that would cost.

It would cost the sum of as what it costs now, probably?

There's not much of a market-based solution to a legally protected monopoly. The best you can hope for is to higher demand at lower price points that makes a lower price profitable

Re: Ask HN: Why are e-ink note-taking devices so expensive compared to iPads?

#60

Post by canadianfella »

Karsteski wrote: post #55
Naga wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree completely with your points, and I'm sorry be that guy, but "literally retarded" is offensive language and is frankly below the level of discourse of HN. I'm not one to be the PC police but really, come on. You can make your argument without resulting to slurs like that. https://www.verywellfamily.com/what-is-the-r-word-3105651

Your offense offends me. What do we do about Thai situation now?

Thai?
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