Hands-on With Pixel Qi Screens In Full Sunlight

griffjon writes with this drool-inducing bit, describing a "side-by-side comparison of the OLPC's screen and an Acer with the new Pixel Qi screen installed, both of course sharing Mary Lou Jepsen's screen technology: 'The XO's dual mode screen still rules in terms of pixel resolution at 1200 x 900 vs. the Acer's 1024 x 600. It was amazing to see Windows 7, Amazon Kindle software, the New York Times web site and a QuickTime video in direct sunlight. Shades of gray and some color tints are visible. Besides the XOs and e-ink based Kindle ereaders, no other color screen device I own can be seen as clearly in sunlight. Not even the famed iPad. In the video, you can see that at a certain angle where line of sight and sun are aligned, the new Pixel Qi screen glows as if backlit!'"

Re:Outside, leave the laptop at home

[necro81]

This is mostly true. However, I have had legitimate uses for a laptop while in a bright outdoorsy environment. For instance, I've worked on rovers of various sorts that I drove using a laptop. Even when they operated autonomously, I would still trail along behind with a laptop for data collection purposes, or to just keep on eye on what they were doing. This was especially difficult when the rovers were working out in the middle of a snow/ice field. Between the sun shining overhead and the glare of the snow, the laptop screen was almost unreadable.

Re:Outside, leave the laptop at home

[icebraining]

You seem to only see the how people will use the computer instead of doing "outsidey things".

I see it as the opposite. If I work with a computer anyway, and assuming I'm not confined to the company's office, why shouldn't I at least be able to do it outside, enjoying the sun and fresh hair?

If people are "nerds" they'll be using a computer anyway. Preventing them from using it outside won't result in people spending more time doing sports, it'll just result in more people being in the darkness of their houses.

Re:Outside, leave the laptop at home

[slim]

I see it as the opposite. If I work with a computer anyway, and assuming I'm not confined to the company's office, why shouldn't I at least be able to do it outside, enjoying the sun and fresh hair?

Exactly. There's a nicely landscaped grassy area outside my office. If I was doing something paper based I could go out there and work on a fine day. With a suitable screen and WiFi, I could work on my laptop out there.

With my current standard laptop screen, I can't do that. I can't even sit and work in my conservatory at home if the sun's out.

Re:Recipe For Success

[peragrin]

perfect now shove it all into an ipad body and sell it for $399 and i will buy it.

the ipad is a nice form factor I just have to wait 2-3 years for anyone else to make something similar, as for what I want it for I will want features apple won't approve.

Re:Uh... thanks, but no.

[shutdown -p now]

I want video-capable screen update times, full and vibrant color under all types of lighting conditions that I could otherwise comfortably read a normal book in, and not have the requirement that under any of them I might have to feel like I'm reading while staring into a flashlight.

And I want a pony. Well, no, actually, I want a Maserati, but the outcome is still the same. I don't get what I want, so I have to live with the best that I can afford.

Pixel Qi screens are not perfect, but they are still a major step ahead compared to contemporary display tech, in that they blend some of the best qualities of normal and eInk screens with practically no downsides. That is already a big deal - if I can have a general-purpose tablet that can also work as non-eye-straining ebook reader with great battery life, well, that's awesome!

More will come in due time.

Re:E-Readers?

[shutdown -p now]

It doesn't make sense to make a dedicated e-reader with such a screen, as it would be capable of much more. For example, you could actually have usable web browsing and video playback on it. At which point you call such a gadget a "tablet" - and, yes, there has been a bunch of those announced with PQ screens. I, for one, am waiting for Adam [notionink.in].

Re:On my mobile phone

[lobiusmoop]

I've had something like that for over 15 years now. [wikipedia.org]. Old-school greyscale LCD, in calculators and digital watches, has always had the advantage of being daylight-readable and low-power.

XO-1.5

[soupforare]

TFA compares the 1.5 to an Acer. When the hell did the 1.5 start shipping and where can I get one? Or even just the motherboard? :(

Re:On my mobile phone

[Warbothong]

There are plenty of business opportunities and markets for Mary Lou to explore !

I can't wait until these are in ATMs (cash machines). Those bastards are so hard to read sometimes that I can have my face right up to them, hands forming a tunnel to the screen and STILL not make out the text!

Of course

[^_^x]

I have an XO-1 and its screen is fantastic in the sun. Of course Pixel Qi screens will excel there.

What I'm curious about is whether they fixed the reflection angle (reflective mode indoors only works if you bounce light off a wall, otherwise you just get a point of reflected light somewhere on the screen.) Also, when you go backlit, there's color, but everything looks fuzzy, and you get a diagonal line effect across the screen. I'm wondering if they've fixed those yet...

I'm cheering for their efforts though. Some day hopefully I have a laptop that's visible outside AND performs better than my desktop in 1998.