Three years ago, when Microsoft unveiled ClearType-software the company touted as a breakthrough in making type on a computer screen sharper and more readable-some observers cried foul.  Former Apple programming consultant Steve Gibson, among others, charged that ClearType sounded a lot like a 1970s invention by Steve Wozniak for the Apple II computer. Despite the controversy, Microsoft has received its first major ClearType patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The software giant says the new technology will be key in its attempt to revolutionize electronic books-portable computer screens displaying pages of text. Though it still can't match the sharpness of a printed page, ClearType improves the resolution of computer displays as much as 300 percent; it works best on liquid crystal displays but also improves cathode-ray tube displays, commonly used with desktop computers.

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