New e-reader chip brings page layout to the (E Ink) screen

New e-reader chip brings page layout to the (E Ink) screen

via DVICE Atom Feed by Peter Pachal on 11/2/09

One of the issues many newspaper readers have with the current crop of e-readers (growing by the day) is that they don't do page layout very well. On a newspaper page, changes in text position and point size subtly give signals about which stories are less or more important, while on an E Ink screen headlines are generally all given equal value.

That's changing with the introduction of a new kind of e-reader processor. Chipmaker Marvell recently unveiled its Armada 166E processor, which integrates the e-paper display controller into the chip itself. It created the chip in partnership with E Ink, the company behind the display technology of pretty much every e-reader on the market. Part of the package: FirstPaper software, which supports larger screens, graphics and flexible page layout. One of the first e-readers with the Armada will be the Entourage Edge.

What does this mean to you? Expect even more e-readers at cheaper prices and better technology in the coming year. With technology changing so rapidly in this category, does it make much sense to buy a Nook or IREX reader now, or hold out for a few months?

Via Marvell