A major change in the display industry occurred in 1998 as prices shifted from a 50percent annual decrease to greater than 50percent increase caused by the growth in monitor displays and the lack of new supply. Manufacturers are shifting from a net loss to a net profit and new suppliers are entering the market with huge investments in manufacturing technology. Several new technologies are also beginning to take hold including plasma for large format direct view TVs, low temperature polysilicon for notebooks, cameras and handheld PCs, FEDs for industrial displays and handheold video devices and OLEDs for VFD replacements initially and LCDs potentially. The 1998/1999 period will be considered as a time of transition and growth with new geographic concentrations, technologies, suppliers and applications entering the market.
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