I personally am waiting for the more mainstreaming of OLED's. This is a great technology and saves money with less power consumption. Until the costs are reduced and they are used more frequently, it will still be expensive.
I am surprised the article said medical and military were important for growth as I would have thought these were low volume applications. I can understand that sales of large ticket items are waning but I guess demand for portable devices is still relatively strong. Maybe people are OK spending smaller amounts each month on mobile phone contracts but not one off large amounts for TVs etc. I am also shocked at the price of new cars these days. Is it only me or do others think cars cost a fortune these days, even compared to maybe 3 years ago?
Trying to resume in a very simple way major evolutions in tech sector, we could say, coming back in a recent past to now, it is happening a maniacal passion for micro-tech. It was and is true for handsets, portable PCs and smartphones too. We could say no one of us has got a magic ball, but also in the near future, passion for micro will be at the top of ranking position, as Barbara in a such way has reported within her article. But honestly, who knows real impact on human sight, for using micro-tech?
@readers: Thanks for the questions. To answer the screen-size question, they are as small as two inches long (smartphone-size) to 7-inches (small tablets).
The reason that these are actually a better business to be in, rather than large screens, is yield. LCDs are manufactured like semicondcutors and the equipment requires a standard-size glass. You can yield more small screens from a single piece of glass vs. large-screens. Even though prices are coming down for large screens, they aren't as profitable.
The second issue is resolution--the more densely packed the pixels are, the better the resolution. It's still expensive to build hi-res large screens. Additionally, if one circuit on a large screen fails, the whole screen is scrapped. Since LCDs still require power to light up the pixels, it's like an electrical grid--a failure at any intersection blows the whole row both vertically and horizontally.
That's also why OLED is such a great technology--every cluster of LEDs is self-reliant for power so the failures are "dots" rather than rows and less noticeable.
@TamioorZ another place I've noticed an increased use in LCD displays is in store windows. Instead of putting up paper signs, some flash pictures and video on the screens to convey more information and get more attention from those passing by.
But the market for small displays, or microdisplays, is poised for growth. According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the global microdisplay market is expected to reach $995 million in 2016 from roughly $250 million this year.
@Barbara, Do you think price of small display's will shoot up because of this surging demand? Should companies start hoarding small display's because they might become scarce in future ?
Large LCD displays are also used in TVs, Kiosks, Outdoor displays etc and I don't see why their demand is not growing. Especially since more and more people are giving up on conventional TVs in the favor of LCD TVs, the demand should rise. I think the market for micro displays is separate from large displays and both will continue to grow independently.
I'm sure there are tons of applications for small format displays, particularly if they can be provided at a price point that encourages their integration in household appliances and tools.
@Nemos, I agree with you that LED screen will really up in demand except for the fact that how applicable will it be on a wardrobe. But then I saw a freezer recently with a touch screen.
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Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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