"GADGETS: E-books: Battle brews over display alternatives"

E-paper displays can replace virtually any printed page with a nonvolatile image that is changed electronically. Beyond e-paper versions of books and periodicals, developers envision applications for blueprints, maps, shelf labels, signage, smart cards and even "skins" that cover your iPhone with changing patterns. Look for e-paper to displace virtually every kind of traditional print product over the next decade. R.C.J.


Until a few weeks ago, the biggest worry for E Ink, maker of the Vizplex technology used in Amazon's Kindle and a host of other e-book readers, was the two dozen or so e-paper competitors looking to loosen its grip on the market. Then Steve Jobs announced Apple's iPad tablet, which uses a standard LCD display that sacrifices e-paper's readability and zero-power modes but offers higher refresh rates and full color. Will consumers sacrifice "green" e-paper on the altar of fast color, relegating the nascent technology category to a niche? For the analysts who track the display market, the question is a page turner, and they're of a mixed mind on the likely conclusion. Check out all the possible alternative in this story.
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