From Ivan Erill
Karlin Lillington fails to note the main advantage of e-paper—reflection
(27 October, p 36).
Through millions of years, evolution has provided us with a couple of eyes
that are exquisitely tuned to perceive light reflected from objects, but clearly
unsuited for looking straight at light-emitting objects. Cathode ray tubes and
all other would-be paper replacements generate light that is emitted towards us,
and the results are the typical symptoms of ocular fatigue: headache, stress,
tiredness, and so on.
I think that the main drive of e-paper systems won’t be their flexibility,
the lack of which people can easily tolerate, but their use of reflection
instead of emission. It will be this that may finally overcome people’s
reticence over e-reading.
Barcelona
