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Pixel Qi Screens are for Laptops and Tablets, Not Just OLPC (Video)

Posted by Roblimo on from the tablet-screens-that-won't-make-you-squint-in-sunlight dept.

While at CES, Timothy Lord talked with Pixel Qi Chief Operating Officer John Ryan about how the company, which was originally founded to make screens for the One Laptop Per Child project, is now moving into the commercial market for laptop and tablet screens. Pixel Qi screens are not only inexpensive to make, but are easier to read in sunlight than standard LCDs -- and use less power, too. What they're doing now, says Timothy in the video, is "pretty cool," so check it out.

8 of 82 comments (clear)

  1. Do they have stylus/touch capability? by msobkow · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The "Alan Kay" Dynabook I keep talking about doesn't really need colour for it's most important function -- replacing a notepad. If the Pixel Qi screens have a high resolution stylus/touch capability, they might be ideal for such a device.

    i.e. The Dynabook was conceived to be a useful, utilitarian device, not a video or game playing machine.

    --
    I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
    1. Re:Do they have stylus/touch capability? by pavon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Agreed. Asus was getting really close to what I wanted in a tablet when they released the Eee Note. Then the iPad came out and killed any consumer interest in any other niche products.

  2. What am I missing? by quangdog · · Score: 5, Insightful

    These displays sound great - lower power, better color, sunlight viewability... but the British stiff they interviewed said that they haven't been able to get them into mainstream portable devices. Why? What are the drawbacks?

    1. Re:What am I missing? by mark-t · · Score: 4, Informative

      It's only lower power if you don't utilize the backlight, and thereby also lose color.

      The color display suffers from just as much contrast problems in sunlight as regular LCD monitors do.

      There are other more promising (IMO) color displays on the horizon that offer high refresh rates, full color, and utilize a passive display that draws *NO* power whenever it is showing a static image.

      --
      File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
    2. Re:What am I missing? by theweakend · · Score: 4, Informative

      Keep in mind that was an early version, the viewing angels are really what made it look so bad and besides the notion ink really was a medicore device but it is settled get ics.

    3. Re:What am I missing? by theweakend · · Score: 4, Informative

      "This module supports 1024 x RGB x 600 Wide-SVGA (WSVGA) mode and can display 262,144 colors. This module also supports two low power modes: a transflective mode with lower color and a reflective black and white (64 grayscales) mode." According to the spec sheet at http://www.makershed.com/Pixel_Qi_display_p/mkpq01.htm

  3. The only one from slashdot. by pavon · · Score: 5, Informative

    Timothy Lord is this timothy, who has been working at slashdot pretty much since it was formed.

  4. Mediocre Color by pavon · · Score: 4, Interesting

    These displays sound great - lower power, better color, sunlight viewability... but the British stiff they interviewed said that they haven't been able to get them into mainstream portable devices. Why? What are the drawbacks?

    They don't have better color than a standard LCD or AMOLED. The original PixelQi displays have significantly worse saturation. In my mind this makes well suited for devices such as eBook readers whose primary use is reflective greyscale mode, but can also display color as well. Marketing departments however think that anything with a color display will automatically be compared to the iPad, and they are probably right.