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Prototype Rollable Paper-like Display Ready Early
freitasm writes "A few months ago Philips promised a rollable, paper-like display in two years, but it only took them a few months to have a prototype ready. From the article: 'The Readius is the world's first prototype of a functional electronic-document reader that can unroll its display to a scale larger than the device itself. With four gray levels, the monochrome, 5-inch QVGA (320 pixels x 240 pixels) display provides paper-like viewing with a high contrast ratio. Once the user has finished reading, the display can be rolled back into the pocket-size (100 mm x 60 mm x 20 mm) device.'"
This is going to completely ruin the blonde joke involving computer screens and white out!
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
There was a time when the best personal computers had screens of that quality. But over time the technology develops, and things will improve. While not perfect, I would hardly suggest that this technology is useless. It is merely a stepping stone to far greater achievements.
Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
This looks like a cool new technology, but how useful can it be? I'm wondering how durable the 'film screen' is. Can I accidentally rip it, pulling it out of a pocket? I'm interested to see prototypes in other such designs, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how useful something like this may be.
Technology tips and tricks.
...here , and other images here.
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
a press release from the screen's manufacturer can be found here:e ases/Article-14693.html
http://www.polymervision.com/New-Center/Press-Rel
The more I learn about Windows the more I am surprised it runs at all
Now, instead of finding little jimmy reading a penthouse stuffed in between pages of his math textbook, we will catch him salavating to Debbie Does Dallas.
Now thats progress.
Now all we need is a computer device like the ones they used in the movie 'Red Planet'.
It all depends on the specifics of the device. I'ved used a Handspring Prism with a resolution of only 160x160 for years for an ebook reader, and it's great. I've gone through quite a few, especially from Baen
It ends up with a column width around that of an article in a newspaper or magazine, and is quite readable. Even when only using a limited number of colors (default fonts are only 1-bit) ti works well. I think much of it is due to having a white background. So the reflective properties and contrast of the display itself could make a huge difference.
"Polymer Vision does not intend to commercialize this concept as a product in the market. Instead, it is demonstrating the fitness of its rollable displays for use in future mobile devices."
It's a good start. They said they'd have a prototype in 2 years, it took a few months... but it's nothing more than a proof of concept.
How about Linux? Now whenever a slashdotter asks, you can truthfully say "Yes, Linux *does* run on my porno mag!".
I read ebooks daily on my 240x320 Pocket PC (I use it landscape for reading at 320x240, just like in the article photo). I seldom hold the device in one hand, as they indicate. The most comfortable method for me, allowing for reading for long periods of time, is to use both hands and "encircle" the device with my fingers. If you touch your index finger-tips together, as well as your thumb-tips, forming a rectangle that would encircle the device, you'll see what I mean.
My Pocket PC (Asus a716) has buttons on the top (when held landscape) that I can push with either index finger.
The main problem I see with this prototype is they force you to hold the device with your left hand in a specific position to operate the buttons. Hopefully an engineer will have the foresight to put multiple sets of page up / down buttons on the device so it can be utilized in different ways.
Dan East
Better known as 318230.
Christ, if the moon was made of cheese you people would complain that it wasn't Brie de Meaux. This is the first step to e-paper! Any tech that gets us closer to a more interesting future I'm all in favor of. The first car didn't go 120 and have heated seats. The first e-paper won't be hi-def and touch sensitive. Or whatever else you're complaining about.
This comment and the parent comment frustrate me. They are short-sighted criticisms of a fundamentally new technology. I've held samples of this technology in my hand, and its potential is staggering. Sure, the current prototypes are a bit crude in terms of contrast and resolution, but these are engineering issues that will go away with time and more R&D money.
The two key features that make this a revolutionary new display technology is that it is thin and flexible (and can be manufactured and processed as giant sheets) and that it is bi-stable, meaning once you set the image it takes no power to retain that image. These two features are unlike any other display technology we have today, and unltimately will define the applications it is appropriate for. This really does have the potential to radically change periodical print media, personal printing, and poster/billboard advertising.
In the future, I would encourage you to learn a little bit more about a new technology before saying it sucks.
Another major selling point could be the ability to stay 'on' the whole time while still sucking up less battery. How much battery is sucked up by current displays? After all, there is a reason why all cellphones have screen savers or at least the ability to choose for how long after the key presses the display has to stay bright. Of course you might not be able to use your cellphone or iPod as nightlamp anymore ...
While an extensible, always-on display could be a selling feature of some such portable device (oh yeah, did I mention portable music players?) it would still need to be priced reasonably. In-between the current B&W braindead displays and the current fancy color displays of phone-cams.
"I'm never quite so stupid as when I'm being smart" (Linus van Pelt)