Electronic ink technologies: showing the way to a brighter future
| Published date | 01 December 2001 |
| Date | 01 December 2001 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830110411925 |
| Pages | 376-389 |
| Author | Ana Arias Terry |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Electronic ink
technologies: showing
the way to a brighter
future
Ana Arias Terry
Introduction
The death of paper is in view. Or at least that is
what some alarming headlines would have us
believe. Among them, Dick Brass, vice-
president of Technology Development for
Microsoft, has boldly predicted that ``the last
paper edition of The New York Times will appear
in 2018'' (Mann, 2001). What is it that elicits
such predictions? The purported ringer of the
death knell is a technology field called
electronic ink. Because developments in
electronic ink and paper have advanced at a fast
rate, some researchers think that within a few
years displays that employ this type of
technology could become a paper replacement
and unleash a wave of newspapers, books and
magazines made out of wired plastic sheets
(Mann, 2001).
With the flurry of innovations and
accompanying terms, it can be confusing to be
sure. As we have seen, much of it centers on
such terms as e-ink, e-paper, electronic ink and
electronic reusable paper. For this investigation,
we refer to the pivotal technology as electronic
ink. While ``e-ink'' as a reference fits perfectly
with the slew of related terms, like e-journals,
e-books, and e-commerce, one player has laid a
claim to this term by adopting it as its own
company name and technological approach. In
this paper we use the term electronic ink instead
of its popular abbreviated derivation to
eliminate ambiguity between the general field of
technology and the proprietary offering of one
company. E-paper is associated with some
electronic ink approaches. It is the realm of
electronic ink that allegedly threatens paper,
regardless of its similarity to paper.
Electronic ink refers to the field of
technologies, which can display persistent text
and graphics and where the text and graphics
are imprinted via the use of electronic means.
Persistence refers to a state that does not
change. It is important to point out that typical
computer screens, personal digital assistant
(PDA) displays, cellular phones, digital watch
faces and the ilk do not qualify. While they
appear persistent to the reader, they all require
constant internal refreshing of the display or
constant internal electrical signals. This lack of
persistence is evident as soon as the device is
turned off or loses power. Whatever was
The author
Ana Arias Terry is Vice President of Informed Strategies,
Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
E-mail: ana.terry@informedstrategies.com
Keywords
Electronic publishing, Technology
Abstract
Electronic ink and reusable electronic paper technology are
painting their way out of R&D labs and into the world of
signage, e-books, and other hand-held devices. This paper
examines the evolving technology, the companies leading
the efforts, and the possible applications and implications
for publishing and academia. It offers some insights on
market speculation from members of the professional and
academic publishing community, industry analysts and
venture capitalists. The paper concludes by making a few
observations on current and future technological trends and
their impact on the higher education market and society.
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376
Library Hi Tech
Volume 19 .Number 4 .2001 .pp. 376±389
#MCB University Press .ISSN 0737-8831
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