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Electronic Paper

Posted by michael on from the ream-by-ream dept.

Omega Prime writes: "The BBC has an article about the latest advances in E-Paper. That is, flexible display media that is both cheap and reuseable. The possibilities for this are endless, Can you say Holodeck wallpaper?" There's also an AP article. Do you ever get the feeling that electronic paper is going to be just around the corner for a long, long time?

4 of 221 comments (clear)

  1. Phase Three: Profit! by Anonymous+DWord · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'll bet book publishers can't wait to get ahold of this stuff. Then they can bring in (joy!) digital rights management, so if you buy a normal looking book, you can only read it for two weeks before you have to "renew" your licence.

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    1. Re:Phase Three: Profit! by tuxlove · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Digital Rights Management isn't such a horrible thing, provided they respect the right of first sale throughout the process (meaning, I can buy something and they can't restrict my right to sell it to someone else). However, the cynic in me says this is just one of many ways to eliminate that right.

      I think the cynic in you is correct. DRM is merely a euphemism for "Digital Profit Management", and has little to do with *your* rights at all. The concept of digital paper is cool beyond words, but the potential loss of personal control over works you purchase will probably nullify the coolness. When I buy a book or newspaper, I like to know that I've actually bought it rather than licensed it for some term, and that I will always have the ability to read it whenever I desire. Anyone who believes that when electronic paper is available publishers will play by the same rules that they follow now is naive.

      Not to mention that books don't go blank when their batteries run out. :)

  2. I'd put my money on... by vscjoe · · Score: 5, Insightful
    organic LEDs in the short term. They seem more likely to result in small, flexible, high-quality displays in the short term. Flexible active-matrix LCDs of acceptable quality seem further off at this point.

    But neither of those, in my opinion, qualifies as "electronic paper". What distinguishes "electronic paper" from other kinds of displays is that it retains its contents even in the complete absence of power; with real "electronic paper" you only need power to change the display.

  3. Egological aspects? by Jugalator · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What do you need to manufacture large quantities of e-paper?

    Since if it uses materials we only have limited amounts of, nothing is gained from an ecological perspective.

    I suppose they use more lasting material(s) than wood, but which exactly?

    Also, how does one recycle these papers? Do you just burn them? I guess you can just flash their memory, but due to human laziness, enormous amounts will probably be just thrown away, and there has to be a good way of taking care of this. We're, after all, talking about e-papers that may not be too uncommon if they get a breakthrough.

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