Until recently, pretty much all e-readers used E-Ink displays like the ones in Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook. However, at CES we’ve seen a number of concept designs and prototypes-from both Asian contract manufacturers and established companies-that are billed as “e-readers”, but use LCD screens like the ones in typical notebooks.

Are these devices truly e-readers? The whole point of electronic paper-based e-readers is that the display, which doesn’t use a backlight, mimics the look of physical paper and is easier on the eyes than a bright, backlit LCD. I saw many LCD “e-readers” at the show, but none had those same qualities.

Tech companies are as susceptible to trends as teenage girls and I’d argue that many of the companies making LCD-based e-readers are simply jumping on the craze for these devices. Many of these so-called e-readers are no more than tablet PCs or MID (mobile Internet devices), capable of displaying e-books with e-reader software but not really optimized for that purpose. It’s no different, really, than a mobile phone running Amazon’s Kindle app, or any other e-reader software for that matter. The only difference between the two categories is the size of the screen.

Much of the hype is just that. After all, this is CES-the place where companies go to put forth ideas and gauge the reception from the media and potential customers.

Which brings me around to the MSI 10-inch dual-screen e-reader concept. The clam-shell prototype device was surprisingly lightweight in my hands, and had a touchscreen that made it easy to navigate around the Windows 7 starter operating system. The screens responded to being reoriented from the vertical position to horizontal; in horizontal mode, the unit has a virtual keyboard with haptic feedback. The prototype is intriguing, to be sure, but, MSI has no plans to bring it to market, and according to a product manager, the product won’t be manufactured until at least 2011. Ditto for the company’s other concept display, a half-inch-thick (give or take) tablet “e-reader” with touchscreen, running Google Android. Both devices ran e-reader software, had LCD screens, and used full-featured operating systems. They were capable of far more than many traditional e-readers, but will they be optimal if what you really want is a device primarily to read novels on your commute?

Other e-readers, like the Entourage eDge and the Spring Designs Alex Reader, also include multi-purpose LCD screens. But in addition, they have E-Ink displays of equal or greater size that the manufacturers intend for use as the primary reading display.

While many of the tablet/MID devices introduced at CES look promising, none appear ready to replace electronic paper for long-form reading. When the sun set in Vegas, they’re still just small PCs that let you access electronic books, along with doing a whole lot of other stuff.

he words “we love the NHS” rose to become the most-written about topic on Twitter as a campaign to defend British hospitals swept the internet.

The Prime Minister, his wife Sarah and Health Secretary Andy Burnham all added messages of support.

“NHS often makes the difference between pain and comfort, despair and hope, life and death. Thanks for always being there,” Mr Brown said on Downing Street’s Twitter page.

Mrs Brown said she loved the health service “more than words can say.”

The US president is trying to introduce changes which would allow more uninsured Americans to get access to healthcare.

But opponents have paid for a $1m (£600,000) advertisement campaign warning it is a “socialist” plan to mimic Britain’s “evil” national health service.

The controversial adverts have so far provoked nearly 4,000 posts of support using the Twitter hashtag #welovetheNHS.

Most have shared personal stories about their own friends and family.

Some of the posts on Twitter

 ”My Dad was given 6 wks to live – without NHS I wouldn’t have had him for 2 more years after acute myloid leukaemia diagnosis,” Twitter user ‘laragreenway’ posted.

“My brother had a heart attack last week and has been given world class care,” ‘mwskinn’ wrote.

It has also won support from NHS Direct, which has its own Twitter account.

The row has been further fuelled by a scathing blog post from former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott on the Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan.

The EU politician criticised the NHS on US television, saying “I wouldn’t wish it on anybody,” due to “huge waiting lists” and “bad survival rates”.

He has previously told American viewers the health service was a “60-year mistake”.

Mr Prescott said the comments undermined the Conservatives’ claims they are a progressive party.