E Ink transforms laptop touchpads into e-book readers for artificial intelligence applications.
The E Ink display technology continues to find new areas of application.
E Ink has introduced a new touchpad for laptops, utilizing the same electronic paper technology found in e-book readers. While it is not the first company to explore the potential of large touchpads in laptops, E Ink stands out by offering a dedicated space for applications and artificial intelligence assistants, rather than merely functioning as a smaller secondary screen for the operating system.
In a sample image shared by the company, a laptop equipped with a touchpad that includes a color E Ink display can be seen, similar to the screens used in devices like the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft. E Ink's proposal is that this new touchpad serves as an independent area where AI-generated summaries can appear while working on a document, or to hold conversations with a chatbot without having to manage multiple windows on the desktop.
E Ink's display technology consumes power only when it is updated, which represents a significant advantage given the higher battery consumption required by artificial intelligence tools on laptops. While there are already laptops from brands like Asus that have released touchpads acting as secondary screens, these often use LCD screens the size of smartphones, which are frequently too small for applications designed for larger displays. A full-color screen at one's fingertips could also be a distraction and possibly affect the device's battery life.
The use of E Ink screens has gone beyond e-book readers, including colorful signage and digital notebooks, though this technology remains better suited for text display. E Ink also mentions that its screen can provide quick access to frequently used shortcuts, notifications, or weather information, as well as temporary controls for multimedia playback, without the need to sacrifice the laptop's function key row. This could help alleviate battery consumption anxiety since, unlike LCD or OLED screens, E Ink technology only uses power when it needs to be updated.
For now, no more detailed technical specifications have been disclosed. E Ink has mentioned the possibility of using color e-paper displays for the touchpad, but has not clarified whether an existing panel will be adapted or if a new one with improved resolutions will be developed. The current announcement specifically references compatibility with Intel-based PCs using AI, although no information has been provided on whether the touchpad's screen will be powered by the laptop's main operating system or have its own. The company has also not announced a timeline or which hardware manufacturers might be interested in implementing this technology.