IPS screens - what are they?

One of the things touted today in the iPad announcement was the IPS screen. One might immediately say "what is IPS?" For starters, it's short for "In-plane switching". While more expensive to produce, they tout increased viewing angles and in some configurations can have greatly enhanced color reproduction.

Perhaps the most comprehensive explanation on the technology I've seen so far is courtesy PC Tech Guide.

LG is one of the manufacturers of the technology (I have no idea which manufacturer Apple tapped for the iPad), and they show four primary benefits over VA (vertical alignment) and TN (twisted nematic) screens:

• Fast response time; less motion blur. This would obviously be a plus in the iPad, which besides reading concentrates heavily on gaming and video playback.

• Stable touch screen - no artifacts when touching the screen or moire effects, for example.

• No color wash at angles, these panels can provide a near 180 degree viewing angle. As I'm currently playing with a Chinese import portable video player, I can attest to how important this can be.

• Low power consumption. LG touts up to a 30% power decrease with the technology, a stark contrast from early IPS displays which consumer more power, and were therefore not used often in mobile devices.