Dresden, Germany - A low-cost electronic display made of plastic went into production in Germany Wednesday with the prospect of replacing magazines and newspapers.

British-registered company Plastic Logic said it would make more than 1 million of the displays annually at the plant in Dresden. They are about the size of a large exercise book and weigh less than 500 grams.

The device comprises transistor arrays on a flexible plastic surface, unlike silicon-based systems in current e-books and digital photo frames. It has been dubbed electronic paper, though it cannot be folded or rolled up.

The company's chief executive, Richard Archuleta, said it was both bigger and thinner than competing products.

It caused a sensation when made public last week at the DemoFall trade show in San Diego, California.

Archuleta said the device's name and price would be disclosed early next year when it went on sale.

Potential uses include reading magazines, newspapers and books. Files can be loaded into the device with a thumbstick or can be transmitted to it by Bluetooth wireless signals.

Archuleta said schoolchildren could load electronic textbooks onto the display and would no longer have to carry bags of heavy books to and from school. The screen measures 216 by 279 millimetres.

"It saves paper, ink and transport costs," he said. The company predicted world demand for the devices at more than 42 million by 2010.

Some news publishers have said it could ultimately replace periodicals published on paper.

The eastern city of Dresden was chosen as the manufacturing site because of government aid there to electronics projects. Construction of the plant began in May 2007.

Internet: www.plasticlogic.com (dpa)