Most ebooks seem to have the same design flaw as far as I'm concerned. They all have the annoying flash to black, and then build the page up to white again. Given that one description I've seen is that they turn lots of balls that are black on one side and white on the other wouldn't it make more sense to reverse those. In other words why not flash the page to white, and then draw on it in black. Slightly less distracting, and less time to create the next page.
Are there any devices that do it that way, or is there a technical reason it's done the way it is?

The new Kindle has 'smooth page turns', but they already released a software update and made it optional, so it probably isn't optimal:

'Kindle features fast, smooth page turns that do not refresh the E Ink display on every page turn. If you prefer to have your display refresh with every page turn, install the update below. After your Kindle is updated, it will have a new "Page Refresh" option within Kindle Settings for turning on/off page refresh on every page turn.'

I totally understand what you are talking about Orri, that's what has been putting me off the whole e-reader thing,

I've seen a couple of video reviews of the new amazon kindle, and the black to white redraw doesn't seem to be as bad on the new ones. But i'd like to check it out in person first

There is a technical reason for it and TBH it has never bothered me.

Without getting to technical it causes ghosting if the screen doesn't go white-black-white, it may look like its just going black but that isn't the case. The only other solution would be to go black-white-black but that would look even worse.

Yeah, one can see that ghosting on the Kindle when using the dictionary to look up a word, they do not do full refresh then and you can still see where the word definition was after it's gone. But really, full refresh page turn takes a very short moment, you must really concentrate on it to become annoyed by it. Try PRS-350, excellent reader, but page turns are quite slow, now that's something to get upset over

Agree, it's so fast on the kindle that i get so engrossed in the book i'm reading to even notice it!

The black flash is what put me off getting an e-reader for a long time, with the new kindle once every six pages doesn't seem so bad, and I've seen very few complaints about the ghosting on the new model.

Hopefully mine will arrive over the weekend and I can see for myself.

Apparently the new kindle only refreshes after every 5 page turns (goes black). However as the page is not refreshed ghosting can occur.

Think I'll probably go for an OLED device of some sort then. Or wait for another technology.

If I didn't have an ereader, reading this I'd think these page turns could seriously damage my eyes.

Personally I don't even notice the black flash.

Neither had I, yes when I look I can see it but I'm concentrating on the book so the whole page turning process is sub concious - I'm absorbing the information I've read whilst my finger brushes across the page and then the next one appears completely seamlessly. This is even more seamless than reading a real book though that again becomes sub concious when into the book.

I have to say that this is the best example of people complaining about nothing that I've ever seen on this forum, I can understand people complaining about trying to read a book on a phone or iPad etc as that would be the pits with their displays. My Sony PRS-350 is the portable gadget I've bought that is by far the most used.

The whole point about the eReaders is the eInk display, oled or other displays are not the same and if I was restricted to them I would never have bought an eReader.

I do a lot of my reading in less than ideal lighting conditions. I've been toying with the idea of moving to an eInk device for a while now. However having seen them I'm not sure I could stand the black flash, or that as I'll probably use an active light source they are the ideal device for me.
The reason I mentioned OLED is that active light only where required might lead to a longer battery life, especially if I go old school and use white/green on a black background.

If you're reading in "less than ideal lighting conditions" you're doing your eyes no good (he says, sounding like a dad.) Put a light on, or use a torch, or get a Kindle with a cover featuring a light.

The "black flash" is barely noticeable. I've got a Kindle 3G and when I first got it I found the "flash" a bit off-putting... for about three page turns. After that you realise it is just like turning the page in a book and ignore it, or some people blink, or some look up. Believe me, I hated the idea of e-books but now I think they're great. Incidentally, Amazon updated the Kindle software some time after I got mine and it sped the page turns up, so the "flash" is even less noticeable. The new model only "flashes" once every six pages, so you'd notice it even less still.

If you got a backlit device like a tablet the battery would last nowhere near as long as a Kindle, and it would be less comfortable to read for long periods of time, especially in your "less than ideal lighting conditions", plus if you tried to read it outside on a sunny day you would find it difficult, unlike the Kindle.

I suggest you actually try a Kindle, ideally one that someone owns rather than a demo model in a shop. Believe me - the "flash" seems to disappear after a while as you stop noticing it.

I think the Cybook Odyssey soon to be released ereader aims to solve your problem. I've noticed the ghosting on my Kindle 3G but never really cared myself.