new powerbook speculation
what if new powerbook screens were high res versions of these sharp tvs/lcds
aquos and this plant
To create the net gen screen. This high definition tv styled lcd look great and could be the basis of apples new monitor line up.
or a new 13" with 1.8 ipod hard drive. ultra portable to replace the 12"
aquos and this plant
To create the net gen screen. This high definition tv styled lcd look great and could be the basis of apples new monitor line up.
or a new 13" with 1.8 ipod hard drive. ultra portable to replace the 12"
Comments
The resolutions of those televisions are pitiful relative to their scales - televisions are designed to be viewed from farther away than monitors are.
The plant coming on line is making little LCDs with built-in (low-power) CPUs - a highly specialized sort of system-on-a-chip for displays. The glass sizes could allow full-size desktop monitors to be cut from them (not efficiently, it seems to me), but I'm not sure that the chip on the back would be of any interest to Apple, unless they're going to make something with a cellphone-sized screen that requires that sort of power.
Nice finds both, but I don't think they indicate anything about Apple's laptops or displays.
high definition variations
Posted on Thu, Sep. 18, 2003
New screens for notebooks are a treat for the eyes
Mike Langberg
Mercury News
I have glimpsed the future of notebook computers, and it literally looks much brighter.
Sony's Vaio PCG-TR1A, or TR1, is a svelte 3.1-pound ultra-portable computer that costs $1,999 and sports a new type of LCD screen that made me gasp with delight on first glance. Other computer companies are moving toward the design, especially in Japan -- a nation that typically adopts new mobile technologies a year or two ahead of the United States.
These improved screens are so new there isn't yet a standard term in the industry to describe them, so I'll make my own attempt: ``high definition,'' or HD, because the screens give both still images and video the sharpness and glossy look of high-definition television.
HD screens combine one or more of three improvements: a smooth top layer, instead of the slightly grooved anti-glare covering on most notebook and desktop LCD screens; enhanced brightness and contrast; and a wider viewing angle, so you don't have to be directly in front of the screen to get a good picture.
Sony's TR1 (www.sonystyle.com), which shipped in July and already is being phased out to make room for a slightly upgraded model next month, is the company's first U.S. model to use what Sony calls ``XBrite'' technology, which does all three of the things I just mentioned.
The XBrite screen on the TR1 displays rich colors and pinpoint sharpness, resembling a fine photographic print. Details such as small text are remarkably clear, and DVD movies look simply stunning. Other LCD screens seem pale and fuzzy in comparison.
What's most different about HD screens is that smooth top layer.
Notebook computers were originally designed exclusively for taking office work on the road, where glare from windows or bright overhead lights is a major concern. To combat this glare, fine grooves are carved into the top layer -- you can feel a slight roughness by running your finger gently on a typical notebook screen. The grooves are effective at cutting glare, but at a huge cost: The underlying image becomes less sharp, as well as losing some depth of color and contrast.
This trade-off was a good one when computers were primarily used for mundane tasks such as spreadsheets and replying to electronic mail. Indeed, eye strain for most computing work can be minimized by pulling back somewhat on color and contrast.
But consumers are now buying notebooks for visual entertainment -- watching DVD movies, as well as displaying and editing still pictures and home video. HD screens perform dramatically better at these applications, and the extra sharpness makes it easier to read the small type on Web pages.
Many HD screens also crank up the brightness and contrast, again to improve the appearance of pictures and movies. The wider viewing angle, while not improving the picture quality, makes it possible for two people to watch a DVD without pressing their heads together.
Three other computer companies besides Sony are now offering HD screens in the United States:
? Toshiba's Satellite 5205-S705 (www.portables.toshiba.com) at $2,400 has a 15-inch LCD screen with what the company calls CASV, or Clear Advanced Super View.
? Fujitsu's Lifebook N 3000 series (www.fujitsupc.com) at about $1,600 also has a 15-inch screen, this one with MVA, or Multi-Domain Vertical Alignment.
? NEC-Mitsubishi's NEC MultiSync LCD 65 series of desktop displays (www.necdisplay.com) has a smooth acrylic covering, with a 15-inch model at $349 and a 17-inch model at $549.
All the companies promise more HD notebooks or desktop displays within the next six months to a year. Sony has just added the Vaio GRT-160 notebook with a 15-inch XBrite screen at $1,899, and it will introduce the Vaio GRT-260G in late October with a 16-inch XBrite screen at $2,499.
The good news about HD, beyond the wonderful picture, is the design doesn't add significantly to final cost or weight, or take away from battery life. So there's reason to hope HD screens will eventually be included in less expensive notebooks, not just top-of-the-line models.
The bad news about HD is glare. Despite new anti-glare coatings, HD screens are noticeably more reflective than standard anti-glare LCD screens. This can make an HD screen difficult to view near windows filled with daylight or underneath fluorescent lighting. So HD screens may not be the best choice for users who regularly work outdoors or in brightly lighted public places such as airport terminals and coffee shops.
As for the Sony TR1, it is an engineering marvel that would inspire instant geek lust even without the HD screen. All the features of a full notebook computer are packed in a silvery magnesium alloy clamshell case that's just 10.5 inches wide by 7.5 inches deep by 1.5 inches thick.
There's a 900 megahertz Pentium M mobile processor, 512 megabytes of random-access memory, a 30-gigabyte hard drive, an internal combination DVD/CD-RW drive, a swiveling Web cam in the top of the lid, and built-in WiFi wireless networking.
Battery life ranges from 2 1/2 hours, showing a DVD movie at full brightness, to seven hours if you turn off the backlight, turn off the WiFi and confine yourself to simple tasks such as word processing.
The widescreen LCD is 10.6 diagonal inches, measuring 9 inches wide by 5 1/2 inches high. The default resolution is 1280 by 768 pixels, making everything very small -- although still readable, thanks to XBrite. If you find yourself squinting, there's a handy ``zoom'' button on the side of the screen that instantly magnifies whatever is displayed in the screen's center.
Still, the TR1 isn't for everyone. For one thing, it's quite expensive. For another, the small keyboard -- three-quarters of an inch narrower than a standard notebook keyboard -- is unsuitable for heavy work. But the TR1 would be a welcome companion for anyone who wants a light-duty tool for work and play. If nothing else, this is the world's best portable DVD player.
One final bit of advice: Waiting a few weeks will get you a slightly better deal. The upgraded TR2 is due in October at the same price as the TR1, and it is identical in all respects except for increasing the Pentium M processor's speed to 1 gigahertz and expanding the hard drive to 40 gigabytes.
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Originally posted by jade
notebooks already have this display type.
Well now you post the relevant link.
I didn't see anything in your first two that had any relevance.
Anyway, that sounds good. More brightness and clarity is better.
Apple is charging top dollar for their notebooks, but they are using 2 year old technology for their TFTs...
not even the top of the line 17" PB has a TFT that can match the mid-level, or entry level Sony VAIO screens...
The 17" resolution also sux...
I challenge anyone to use a Sony VAIO X-Brite screen for a day and you will be forever dissapointed in your recently purchased PB screen...
This is the only thing holding me back from grabbing a 17" PB right now...the resolution, and the poor overall specs of the screen...
But if I can find a used 17" PB at a good price then so be it...I am in...
However, my 3 year old AMD K6-2 Toshiba notebook's TFT is brighter than my 12" RevA, this is completely wrong....
Apple Please Update your screens in the next revision...
PS: This will never happen , I know....