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AnchorDesk

AnchorDesk Staff
E-Paper Here Sooner Than You Think

AnchorDesk Staff
ZDNet AnchorDesk
Tuesday, November 21, 2000
TalkBack!Add your opinion
Being a tech pundit, I read every newspaper and magazine I can get my hands on. The pile in my recycle bin required an addition to my house.

But with advances in technology, soon I'll just have one paper. An e-paper.

By that I mean a plastic display material that's similar to paper yet stores electronic images. It's reusable and relatively cheap to produce.

That day may be closer than most anticipated. Experts have said flexible electronic paper would arrive in the next decade or so. But new developments could bring it into our daily lives much sooner. Today I'll tell you how -- and who's leading the charge.

Xerox PARC has been working on its version for some time. And just yesterday, Lucent Technologies and partner E Ink released details of their first stab at e-paper.

PARC'S GYRICON
Xerox PARC researchers call their e-paper Gyricon. It's a thin layer of transparent plastic full of millions of small black and white or red and white beads, sort of like toner particles. The beads are contained in an oil-filled cavity. When voltage is applied, the beads rotate to present a colored side to the viewer. Gyricon:
  • Is electrically writeable and erasable
  • Can be re-used thousands of times
  • Doesn't require backlighting or refreshing
  • Is brighter than today's reflective displays
  • Operates on low power

LUCENT/E INK'S DEVICE
The Lucent/E Ink prototype is a 25-square-inch display using electronic ink and active-matrix drive circuits printed on plastic. Transistors in the circuits are made of plastic and are fabricated with a low-cost printing process that uses high-resolution rubber stamps. The e-ink enables the display's paper-like qualities, which the companies say include:
  • Exceptional brightness and contrast under a wide range of lighting conditions
  • Easy viewing from all angles
  • Low power consumption
  • Plastic film construction

Look for e-paper in: digital books, newspapers (never get another one delivered), low-power portable displays (no need to print up a new sign each time), fold-up displays and wall-sized displays.

When will we see e-paper? Xerox PARC could have something available next year. Lucent's technology will take longer, perhaps within the next five years.

Maybe I'll get my rec room back sooner than expected.

Are you ready for electronic paper? Let me know by hitting Talkback below. Or go to my Berst Alerts Forum where the discussion is already under way.

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