Sunday, March 28 2004
Sony has launched its first electronic book using what it calls "electronic paper". The display's resolution is 600 x 800. The technology comes to Sony from Philips - the e-book uses Philips' Electronic Paper Display, which is itself based on E-Ink technology.
Electronic ink used in the e-book is based on microcapsules, which contain oppositely charged black and white pigments that float in a clear fluid. The pigments rise or fall in the fluid, depending on an electrical charge. Several microcapsules are sandwiched between a piece of steel foil and a piece of clear plastic. Unlike liquid crystal displays (LCDs), they don't need to be backlit for an image to be visible.
Displays that use electronic-ink technology tend to consume less power than LCDs, as they don't require a continuous supply of power to render images. Once the microcapsules are electrically charged, they can hold the image without using more power.
Because the display uses power only when an image is changed, a user can read more than 10,000 pages before the four AAA Alkaline batteries need to be replaced.
Sony will start selling the LIBRIe e-book reader in late April in Japan priced at some 40,000 yen (375 dollars).
