| It is not very far away that instead of searching for | | | | active-matrix displays and can offer relatively high |
| newspapers in the morning you will have to just | | | | resolutions. The Kindle screen displays 167 ppi or |
| switch on your e-book reader. The new gadgets, | | | | pixels per inch, while Seiko Epson Corp. recently |
| Amazon's Kindle $ Sony Reader 505, have revived | | | | showed off a 13.4 inch displaying about 385 ppi, that |
| the long under performing e-book readers. These | | | | uses E Ink's electrophoretic ink on a silicon thin-film |
| devices has encouraged the use of electronic paper | | | | transistor glass substrate. |
| display (EPD) technology. | | | | A number of consumer products, such as watch dials, |
| The EPD displays currently being used are based on | | | | cell phones, credit cards, security cards, etc are |
| electronic "ink" developed by E Ink Corp. The ink | | | | coming up using the EPD technology. The technology |
| used is bi-stable and is very energy efficient. The | | | | is also being used in instrumentation applications, like |
| advantages of EPD displays over LCD displays include | | | | the capacity meter on Lexar JumpDrive USB drives, |
| the lower requirement of energy and that the | | | | and in signage. |
| reflective surface of the EPD displays makes them | | | | However redrawing an image on an EDP takes longer |
| readable even in daylight. In future the e-paper | | | | than it does on an LCD screen. It makes this |
| displays will be flexible as the EPD technology will use | | | | technology unfeasible for animation. Because EPDs |
| plastic substrates instead of the glass substrates. | | | | are reflective, signage needs to be illuminated in dark |
| | | | areas. And screen contrast is much lower than it is |
| EPD screens resolution is rapidly improving. The | | | | with backlit LCD screens. |
| current generation of e-book readers use | | | | |