Laptop Screens-HPA Vs. TFT, DSTN, et al

cmdrheath asks: "My company is looking to purchase a new laptop for the boss to use, and while I know that TFT beats DSTN out every time, (better color, visible from more directions, etc.) I am curious as to where this new HPA technology fits into the picture. Has anyone on Slashdot had any sort of experience with HPA screens? How do they look? Should we still try to go with TFT?"

Comments

Re:why here?

[grammar nazi]

The grammar nazi agrees with chowda.

From my first google search, I found this. From that page I found out that HPA stands for and googled for it: High.Performance.Addressing

Why the dots between the words? Because this way google knows to only find pages where the words are connected. Anyway this search lead to a very nice definition at our friendly Webopedia site:

Short for High-Performance Addressing, an passive-matrix display technology the provides better response rates and contrast than conventional LCD displays. Although HPA displays aren't quite as crisp or fast as active-matrix (TFT) displays, they're considerably less expensive to produce. Consequently, HPA is being used by a number of computer manufacturers for their low-end notebook computers.

This was nice, but other pages even compared HPA with other other types of LCDs.

Like your computer, google is a tool. Use it wisely.

Go with the TFT

[Andy Dodd]

HPA isn't THAT new, they were in production when I was selling computers for the campus store earlier this year and last year. HPA is better than dual-scan, but not by much. Get TFT, anything else is going to be difficult to read in many lighting conditions.

Re:why here?

[grammar nazi]

Ugh? The double period interupt gave me problems for.. Whenever I would change thoughts and didn't..

Sometimes I would even begin the next thought with..
..if the interupt was related to the first sentence.

Don't think of it as good grammar, think of it as creativity! Go with the triple-puncuations..
.. and don't forget to use apostrophes for the word don't..

Re:why here?

[chowda]

Thank you grammer nazi! Your service to the slashdot community does not go unnoticed....

TFT doesn't ALWAYS beat DTSN....

[The Iconoclast]

DTSN has a lower power consupmtion than TFT screens. having a trim 486DX (66 or 100) laptop with a DTSN screen can give you descent computing power with better than average battery life.

A wealthy eccentric who marches to the beat of a different drum. But you may call me "Noodle Noggin."

Re:TFT doesn't ALWAYS beat DTSN....

[Alan Shutko]

Well, depends on the size of laptop you want. I have a Thinkpad A20p with about a 4 hour battery life. Better than my old Toshiba with a DSTN screen (3 hrs). That's because it has a much bigger battery.

Of course, my TP is about an inch wider and deeper, although it's actually thinner.

TFT, DSTN, HPA and manufacturer

[RobM]

I've used and seen a large number of displays, beginning with the first 8.4 STN displays in the first hafo of the '90.

One thing you can be sure of, is that the final quality of the screen depend a lot on the manufacturer also: last year I've seen DSTN from Toshiba look better that TFT used on Compaq (Acer) laptop.

Regarding HPA, I have one of these now. It's far worse that the previous Toshiba DSTN I had (in contrast, color quality and angle of view) but I can watch movies (anime :) on it, while on the Toshiba display this was impossible.
If your chief will mainly use the laptop monitor, and stare at it for long periods, then buy a TFT. If he'll be able to work with a CRT, buy a good DSTN. I'd recommend HPA only for cheap multimedia enabled PC, and obviously only if you can't afford TFT.

BTW, to our general director we just bought a Toshiba Portege that has a screen that's awesome.

Ciao,
Rob!

Disclaimer:
I don't work for Toshiba, but I do like their products a lot :)