Just As I Thought

Cool, but…

The coming revolution of paper-thin (well, three times thicker than paper, so almost cardboard-thin), foldable displays is neat, but replacing such items as newspapers and maps with the technology doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

The trail has disappeared and let’s face it, you’re lost in the woods. But luckily you’ve got your trusty map rolled up in a pocket. You unroll the plastic-coated sheet . . . it’s blank — until you turn the power on.

Suddenly the curly page jumps to life with a detailed screen display, including a selection of topographic maps showing the way back. Later, at your car, you unfurl the same sheet, this time to check out restaurant reviews for local eateries.

The problem I see in that first paragraph is in the last sentence: “until you turn the power on.” Well, where is the paper-thin flexible battery? What happens when you’re lost in the woods and the battery has run down?
Then, the idea of a newspaper. How does your e-paper get the data? Obviously, there has to be some connector to either a wireless network or perhaps a cable to plug in. Oh, plus that battery.
Suddenly, the roll-up digital paper has gotten more bulky, hasn’t it?

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