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Lights giving way to LEDs by 2010, says iSuppli

Michael Kanellos Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Michael Kanellos is editor at large at CNET News.com, where he covers hardware, research and development, start-ups and the tech industry overseas.
Michael Kanellos

How long does it take to change a light bulb? Research firm iSuppli says 131 years: that's the number of years between Edison's invention of the light bulb in 1879 and 2010, when light emitting diodes will start being used generally as a light bulb substitute.

The high brightness and low energy consumption of LEDs is leading to demand in limited markets, but the high costs will keep them in limited distribution for a few years.

The market for LEDs for general illumination will expand to $875 million in 2010, rising at 52 percent a year from $94 million in 2004, the firm said. Lighting was a $12 billion market.