The Future of Documents

The e-Paper market is slowly (but surely) moving.

iRex has annouced its new product, the iRex Digital Reader 1000, a 10.2″ e-Paper reader which weights between 500 and 600g. That is a major step from such current displays which are 6 to 8″. The entry version will come without a pen-driven interface, but the real interesting version will be the ones that come with stylus-based tactile interface (developed through their partnership with Wacom), and or the top-of-the-range model which adds WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities.

Sony has just announced its new PRS-700 e-Reader. It adds LED lighting capabilities, a touch-screen interface, and a zippier interface. On the not so positive side though, it is still only a 6-inch screen, and does not have wireless capabilities.

But a major player to watch is Plastic Logic.  The UK-based company has raised over 200 M$ to build an e-Paper facility in Dresden (Germany) which opened in September. It will be launching its own soft e-Paper reader first half of 2009. Although not quite foldable as real paper yet, their reader looks like a rather rigid cardboard A4 sheet with touch interface. Make sure you check out their cool video.

Both are still Black & White, and based on e-Ink e-Paper technology, which predicts they will have production version of a display that offers newspaper-like color in 2010.

Also promising is Liquavista, a spinout of Philips Research lab, is now investigating how its electrowetting technology (used on mobile phone screens) can be used for e-Paper. Indeed, their technology could bring both color and video capability. They have been funded through a £12m collaborative project from the Technology Strategy Board to develop lightweight, foldable and low-consumption e-Paper displays.