Consider this statement: "It will be some time before a computer will be as physiologically and esthetically pleasing as paper. We will never hear of someone curling up with a good monitor to read in bed, or learn of an electronic book that's a real 'window turner.' The color, texture, smell, and yes, even flavor of paper cannot be duplicated digitally... yet" (Valauskas 1994, 44). In fact, the print vs. computer debate may eventually be solved by a fusion of this very nature. Martin Ernst offers a vision of this new technology: "...a prerequisite for major electronic advances is a high-quality, book-size, flat-panel display that would enable electronic presentation systems to approach the levels of quality, comfort, and convenience now offered by print. By making electronics far more competitive with print for reading extensive amounts of text, this change would open the possibilities for electronics to enter a number of mass markets where it currently has little or no position" (Ernst 1989, 3).
In Boulder, Colorado, Knight-Ridder's Information Design Laboratory (IDL), directed by Roger Fidler, is exploring the technology to make such a device. Fidler's vision draws upon the technology of small electronic tablets, such as Apple's Newton, combines it with the best aspects of the traditional newspaper, and adds a few extras (IDL Overview). "A new generation of portable computers known as electronic tablets may provide a commercially viable alternative to ink-on-paper publishing by the end of this decade. The prototype newspapers being developed by IDL for these devices combine the look and feel of today's printed newspaper with the power of a computer. They retain most of the familiar features of printed editions, but include a number of enhancements, such as sound, animation, and full-motion video" (IDL FAQ).