Sony released the LIBRIe in Japan today. This is the first device to use the Electronic Ink display that E Ink Corporation and Philips Electronics have developed over the last several years. This type of display has several advantages over traditional LCDs, and it is expected to be used in many more devices.
The LIBRIe’s screen is covered with a layer of minute spheres with oppositely-charged dark and light particles inside. By applying a small bit of power, each sphere can be made to appear black or white.
It can maintain its image without power, drawing current only when it changes, which means batteries last a long time. The LIBRIe’s four AAA batteries allow it to display more than 10,000 pages.
The display has a resolution of 800 pixels by 600 pixels at 170 pixels per inch (ppi). Electronic Ink displays deliver the readability of paper without backlighting and are thin and light. The LIBRIe’s screen is 6 inches across and, according to the three companies, weighs half what a comparable LCD does, and is half as thick, too. The whole device about the same size and weight as a thin paperback book.
News source: Brighthand
