Wacom and E Ink Corporation announced today a partnership that will integrate Wacom’s Penabled® digital pen input solution with E Ink’s Vizplex? electronic paper displays. With pen input high on the list of many eBook, Tablet PC, eNewspaper, PDA, eNotepad and appliance-type designers, the Wacom and E Ink partnership comes at an ideal time for mobile computing manufacturers looking to develop new and exciting consumer products.
E Ink’s Broadsheet AM300 prototyping kit, available in a 6 inch diagonal size in June and other sizes later, combines the two technologies in a solution that mobile computing manufacturers can easily integrate into their product designs.
Wacom (Booth 1129) and E Ink (Booth 913) will be showcasing their technologies at the International Society for Information Display exhibition, May 20 to 22, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.
Electronic paper with pen input is ideal for reviewing documents on a portable device. E Ink Vizplex displays enable slimmer devices to have bigger screens that are easy on the eyes, even in ambient light. The intuitive nature of pen input makes it easy to navigate, write down ideas, highlight points of interest, as well as sketch or draw. Together the technologies achieve the ultimate vision of an interactive piece of paper.
“e-Paper is opening up a number of new products for displays, including eBooks, Mobile Internet Devices, Smart Labels and Digital Signage, ” said Barry Young, Senior Advisor for DisplaySearch. He added that “the partnership between E Ink and Wacom in the application of pen input should increase the breadth of ePaper capabilities and accelerate the growth rate.”
“The marriage of Wacom’s input technology with E Ink’s Vizplex electronic paper displays offer manufacturers unmatched flexibility and creativity when it comes to the design of e-paper based products,” said Stephen Sedaker, Director of Component Sales for Wacom. “Whether giving the user a way to digitally jot notes in the column of a book, or circle an interesting entry in the daily newspaper, people now have the option to interact freely with electronic paper.”
Partnership Promotes Innovation
As electronic paper displays enter mainstream applications, the ability to support writing and drawing has become important. In emerging applications like eTextbooks, this feature is vital. Students are used to highlighting selected text, making annotations and simply scribbling notes and until now that was only possible via a keyboard connected to an electronic paper display. Pen input allows a level of flexibility and freedom that is not easily duplicated by other input means.
Wacom and E Ink are both leaders in their respective fields. Wacom’s electro-magnetic resonance (EMR®) technology, bolstered by its patented battery-free and cordless digital pen, dubbed Penabled, has played a significant role in the development and success of the mobile computing industry. Wacom’s OEM customers include, Lenovo, HP, Toshiba and Gateway.
E Ink’s Vizplex electronic paper displays have become the display of choice for applications like eBook, eNotepad, eNewspaper, and ePlanner. With key attributes such as ultra low power, sunlight readability, thin form factor, low weight and EMI, E Ink’s Vizplex displays offer benefits unmatched by any other display technology or manufacturer. E Ink’s customers include Lexar, Motorola, Sony, Amazon, Citizen, Casio-Hitachi, iRex, Polymer Vision and Plastic Logic among others.
“E Ink Vizplex displays are replacing paper documents as people look for faster and more convenient ways to receive and absorb written information. One of the key benefits of ordinary paper is that you can write on it,” said Sriram Peruvemba, Vice President of Marketing for E Ink Corp. “Now with Wacom’s help, people can write and draw on electronic paper for a natural and collaborative experience.”
The Broadsheet AM300 prototype kit being offered by E Ink is the fastest way to start working with E Ink technology which now includes the Wacom Pen input feature. The Broadsheet kit will enable engineers to rapidly prototype and develop next generation ePaper products. The AM300 will be shipping in June and is available online at www.eink.com for pre-order.
This article was last modified on December 17, 2022
This article was first published on May 21, 2008
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