The Future...

[Ponduke]

I’m wondering about the future of e-cigs. Being that this is a practically brand new technology, still in it’s infancy really, where is it going? (BTW, I am only discussing e-cig technology, not the FDA, and the uncertainty there)

I’ve been vaping for only two weeks now, but I’ve went from a pack a day smoker to ONE single analog in the last two weeks, which I had this weekend just to remind myself of the analog taste and see if I still liked it. Sadly, I did. That being said, I’m not going back because I’m determined to get away from analogs forever and the e-cig is plenty good enough even if it’s not QUITE as good as an analog (to me anyway, I know others disagree and actually prefer vaping over smoking.)

I have tried quite a few different flavors of juice and am finding that although I like non-tobacco flavors on occasion, (coffee is really nice) I always gravitate back to a juice designed to mimic the flavor of an analog. Maybe that will change at some point as I’m new at this, but I personally find it hard to imagine reaching a point where a long drag off a Marlboro would not be desirable!

So, for those like me who really prefer a tobacco taste in their e-cig I’m wondering, where will we be in two, five, ten years from now? How close to analog will it eventually get? I know it is a daunting challenge to create a vaporized mist that can perfectly mimic the taste and feel of expertly processed tobacco leaves burning at over 1000 degrees, but is it impossible? I know that the nicotine is delivered more efficiently in an analog but how much of that contributes to the sensation? Will it ever get so close as be nearly indistinguishable other than the lingering fog of smoke that fills a room?

Who knows what future innovations lie ahead in atomizers, carts, juices, etc, or even something completely new and different from out of left field that will make an already great product into an even better one.

Just wondering what y’all thought. As I said, I’m happy with e-cigs as they are. With them, my wife and I are forever done with analogs. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to contemplate where we might be headed with the technology.

 

[Giantfan]

If it doesn't get banned, I think the world of e cigs will get better and better. There is a lot of room for improvement.

Bigger longer lasting batteries. More consistent parts overall. As far as flavorings go, I think they will get better obviously. I don't know if they will ever taste exactly like a real cigarette without becoming a bit more dangerous. That might be acceptable in the future though.

What kind of e cig do you use though? I use a 510, and to me, it feels like a real cigarette.

 

[Ponduke]

I'm using the kr-808D-1 currently. I know the 510 is the most popular around here, and I will probably get one to see what the fuss is all about, but the KR808 is pretty cool, and I love the convenience of the cartomizer. It does feel like a real cig, and I love the throat kick one can get. That's what makes it most feel real. I'm just wondering how much closer we'll one day get, while maintaining the healthy aspect of it.

 

[Snarkyone]

You must have smoked the worlds largest cigarettes if the 510 is the same size to you! It's far larger than a tobacco cigarette in length, and weight. The m401 is much closer to a Marlboro sized E-Cig.

As for the future of E-Cigs, I see a point in the not to far off future that we get away from making these things look like a tobacco cigarette and concentrate more on function over form. When that happens then you will see E-Cigs that are larger than todays standard E-Cigs, closer in size to a box mod with something like fuel injector rods propelling liquid into the atomizer set up something like todays cartomizers. That would take care of the liquid issue right quick and provide some better vaping. This tech is here now it's just a matter of incorporating it into a device.

 

[Ashhead]

Whoooooa snarkyone, next you'll want 6 cylinder turbo models with ss exhaust tubes...

Love It!!!!!

 

[bladeangel87]

If it was developed over many years I would imagine they would get it to be extremely simple, something like a 1 piece unit that you just fill filter area with liquid. It wouldn't be like your traditional cart filling, something to where you just fill completely and vape for a long time, maybe have a clear plastic part that would have some in reserve automatically going to a filler or atty(something like snarky mentioned), and when reserve gets low could be refilled, and would last for a long time, not like topping off repeatedly. It could somehow deliver great throat hit, and flavor and vapor without requiring any hassle, and wouldn't have to worry about going through lots of cartomizers and racking up cost either. Maybe cheap atties that you could pop in every month or whenever they start going out, in a seperate compartment that would fit a certain way with filler. Anyway these are just some of my ideas of how it could be perfected.

 

[artage]

i agree i think that function will rule the forward progress but i don't think we'll see an end of the e-cig form. that's one of the things that helps people get off the analogs so easily by replicating the experience. and with today's technology, all you have to do is wait a little bit and the v6 turbo charged pv's (lol love that idea btw!) that are the size of a drill will have shrank to the size of an analog and then only ye gods know what the bigger ones will be doing by then!

-AA-

 

[Ponduke]

Good thoughts. Time will tell. I was thinking more from a taste aspect in my original post. I wasn't really thinking convenience, but that is equally important when trying to make the perfect e-cig of coarse. I was at first drawn to the "looks like a cigarette" aspect, but have quickly gotten past that. That's why I will be buying a mod of some type soon.

As far as I'm concerned, if a device was the size of a shoe-box but delivered a hit exactly like that of an analog I'd be interested.

 

[Dredbull]

A forced air 5v nic unit would rule, well maybe a gentle push to aid those with less suck power.

 

[Giantfan]

I think the form of an e cig will remain because smoking is an attractive habit that people like, and the e cig replaces that perfectly. It allows the same behaviors with a slightly different device.

I think as far as flavoring goes, there is a lot of room for improvement. I think the juices of today will be the most safe juices. The juices of the future will likely have determined "acceptable" limits of additives that will help replicate the smoking experience further, while increasing overall addiction. Such as adding things to the juice just like they treat the tobacco with ammonia to free base nicotine nowadays.

The tobacco companies can't go anywhere, and so once they get their hand in the mix, we will see a lot of these super juices come out, and because e cigs overall are a million times safer than a real cigarette, they will have a lot of wiggle room in terms of what they are allowed to put in there.

 

[cluster]

As I see it E-cigs are already a revolutionary product. What about this product's future? better batteries, variable vapor output? but if the Chinese go on with that sort of paradigm changing ingenuity, i can see western countries being left behind in many aspects of the 21th century economic and industrial world. Not only the product is good, but if it was created here it would cost 10 times as much and be made public in 15 years from now by one or two unwieldy conglomerates as they would leverage some kind of disastrous "precautionary principle" to assure themselves a semi monopoly which is the hallmark of our present industries and economic model, and the seeds of its ultimate demise. But there we have good ideas, quickly brought to market in incredible proportions. Of this, I'm admirative.

 

[Richie G]

As far as I'm concerned, if a device was the size of a shoe-box but delivered a hit exactly like that of an analog I'd be interested.

It's all about the hit, *ain't* it? =)

5 months in for me, no analogs whatsoever, lots of research and lots of trial and error has taught me how to get that hit 95+% of the time. It would be grand not to have to think about the status of my batts, the last time I dripped/topped off and whether my atty is wet enough though. I think that's one of the things that analogs do better than e-cigs -- they're consistent and require no thought. =)

Talk about a backward (e-cig) industry though. They had to mimic an analog so they made them small. Then the e-cig users realized they needed more battery power for consistency of hit and duration of life, so the device got BIGGER. Now tell me... when do products of any kind ever get BIGGER instead of smaller? I mean, excepting TV screens. LOL

I think the future holds methods of getting the benefits of today's mods in small sizes -- analog sizes. Because, let's face it -- they call it an "electronic cigarette" but what about it is electronic? For the most part the devices are a battery, a switch and a load. It's no more complicated than *that* Science project we all put together in the 3rd grade -- you remember it, don't you? -- it was a big ole 1 1/2 volt battery with screw terminals on the top, an exposed knife switch and a miniature lamp holder.

That's what our devices are -- slightly morphed Science projects. There's so much room for improvement not to mention, ummm, the electronic part of the electronic cigarette. =)

 

[niczgreat]

I predict eventually big tobacco will get on the bandwagon and you'll be buying Marlborough E-Cigs and they will be taxed heavily.

 

[oldtechno]

Right off hand, I'd say it will remain 'small operations' until they establish a big enough market for the BIG operations to crowd in and grab all of the market.

They will come out with as many different sizes and shapes and taste as their are different breakfast cereals. Everybody with use them, the yuppies and yippies because they get to flant their richness under our noses (it's cheaper than slavery). The middle class because they have to keep up with the upper class. Us poor people will vape enough to sterilize the earth's atmosphere...it's cheaper than dying and less painful.

The indians will have a 'peace pipe' model
The President will have a 'cigar' model.
Congress with have smaller 'cigar' models.
The lawyers will try a sports 'pipe' model.
Doctors (always keeping things hid) will have it all loaded into an oxygen cylinder and hit it when nobody is looking.
Dog catchers and police officers will have a hose running from their nose to a small backpack.
House painters, (because they need both hands) and typist, will use pen style autobatteries.
Gypsie(sp) Rose Lee will come out of the ground and do a strip infront of the Texas billionairs--but in good taste--with a minifogger.
Oldtechno will have two 510s stuck in his mouth and permanently strap himself to the comode from overdoseing on nicotine.

 

[dumwaldo]

The future of e-cigs will be determined predominantly by the law.

China drives the e-cig industry and the Chinese are masters of cheap production. Where the Chinese fail is in the design aspect. They are not masters of design.

Innovative designs and ideas will come form other countries. If laws are enacted that restrict peoples access to e-cigs then the designers and innovative thinkers in that country will not have a chance to come up with new ideas.

The Chinese manufacturing trails the cottage industry and hobbyist but does not ignore them. One of the largest manufacturers around just released a model remarkably similar to something that was in the modding community a year ago. I expect to see this trend grow and more of the popular cottage industry devices will get duplicated in an inexpensive Chinese counter part.

That is going to force one of two directions for the innovators. One direction will be to just walk away. The climate of laws in their native country will probably hold a large bearing for many that come to this conclusive decision. The other direction will be for them to think even harder and innovate even more to stay ahead of the cheap products being offered by the Chinese.

If an innovator sees a thriving and growing opportunity they are going to invest the effort. If they see a shrinking and over litigated population of users they will move towards better opportunities.

So one of my eyes sees us stalled 5 years from now still using the current designs just paying less for cheap Chinese versions. This is what is going to happen if we just let the legal status get run over silently. The other eye sees a future where I am using a higher voltage device with a CLEAN liquid deliver system and all in an ultra compact form factor. However to get that vision of the future is going to take work from all of us together.

I hope we can do it, because i really want that super pimp e-cig that works like my dual 801 atty 6v mod but is as small as my 510.

Peace,
DW