If that Kindle on your shelf isn’t looking quite so sexy now that Apple has unveiled its forthcoming iPad, here’s some heartening news.
The New York Times is reporting that Amazon has acquired touchscreen start-up Touchco.
Touchco has been developing a touchscreen technology that is much cheaper than the capacitive screens used by most smartphones and the iPad. The screens work with LCD displays just like the iPad too.
So, let’s add this up: The Kindle is pretty unsexy compared to the iPad with just a monochome display + Amazon buying designers of cheap, full-colour touchscreens = an “iKindlePad” on the way, we’d say.
The only problem we can see is that the E-Ink display used by current Kindles is much easier to read for long periods than LCD displays. Either Amazon can come up with a way to get around this or they just won’t care.
After all, gorgeous colour screens beat dull monochrome every time when it comes to casual consumers looking for eyecandy.
Amazon has bought TouchCo, a multitouch screen company. A new touch version of Kindle is coming in the near future.
Read more: eReaders Blog