GPDs, on the other hand, use energized gases known as plasma, which in turn sheds light that can be used to draw an image. The low-power LCDs have boomed in areas that require thin profile, energy efficient displays, such as laptop computers, camcorders, and some desktop computing environments such as stock trading floors. Unfortunately, both have these new techonlogies have run up against some fairly serious limitations of their own. LCDs have a small problem scaling. They tend to be very difficult to manufacture, with a low tolerence for defects, which makes it very hard to produce very large liquid-crystal displays.
Plasma displays are also tricky to manufacture, and require complicated electronics.
A few teams working for various companies are also trying to scale-down the size of GPDs for use in PDAs and cellphones, but the operation is tricky, and how cost effective this solution will prove remains to be seen. Their aim is no less than to grab hold of the multi-billion dollar display market with new technologies they hope will supplant CRTs and LCDs forevermore. The difference with Candescent's ThinCRT is the method used to deliver the electron to the pixel. Instead of using a large, bulky electron gun, ThinCRT's employ literaly millions of microscopic pyramid-shaped guns. Every phosphor has a large group of these tiny guns positioned nearby and ready to fire.