Hindsight · review build · data not yet validated
Computer displays have all the display qualities of paper — high resolution, high contrast, large viewing angle, and no flicker. Books, magazines, and newspapers are now routinely read on displays that are the size of, well, small books.
Grader A: partial
E Ink readers (Kindle from November 2007, 6-inch 167 ppi) gave paper-like, flicker-free, wide-angle reading, but with 4-level grayscale and slow refresh; mainstream LCDs did not have paper qualities. Kindle sales were about 1.5-3 million by end 2009, so book-size reading devices were not routine. E-book reading reached 21% of Americans only in February 2012.
Test: At least 20% of users routinely reading books, magazines or newspapers on book-size displays: well under 20% in 2009; about 21% had read an e-book in the past year by 2012.
Grader B: partial
E-ink readers (Kindle 2007) gave paper-like, flicker-free book-sized displays, but with lower contrast than paper. E-books were 3% of US trade sales in 2009 and passed hardcovers only in Q1 2012.
Test: Share test: e-books 3% 2009, 8.5% mid-2010, >20% ~2012 (mainstream in 2012 window).