Progress in fluorescent-lighting equipment

In order to get a better picture of the progress that has taken place with fluorescent-lamp equipment, it perhaps would be well to indicate where we started and how far we have gone since the fluorescent lamp first came into being. The fluorescent lamp first was made commercially available about 2 3/4 years ago. This new source was radically different in shape, size, method of operation, efficiency, brightness, and color quality from anything we ever had had before. We had little or no experience with sources of this type and therefore no precedents were available to help guide us. In 2 3/4 years the public has placed into operation between 8,000,000 and 10,000,000 of these new lamps. Considering that we started out with very little knowledge as to where, how, or in what quantity these new lamps would be used, I believe that it is not bragging too much to say that the industry has done a remarkable job.