Collapsible LCD Screens 304
Schart writes "I can't seem to find any pictures of exactly what they mean by 'collapsible LCD,' but NEC today announced a new line of low(ish) priced LCD screens that 'fold up for easy portability.'" Anyone out there who can supply visual documentation?
about time... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:about time... (Score:5, Interesting)
Imagine your laptop, which is half the size of a normal keyboard (folded in half), with a display folded like a map inside it. Remove the display, unfold it to 2 metres x 1 metre, stick it on any wall less than 6 metres away, and presto - wireless display.
The unit will auotmatically select what display mode you want, and what size, based on how you unfold it, and the display will know where it is still folded, and only display across the area intended for viewing. So you'll be able to unfold it to quarter-size while it's close to you (on a desk) but move up to the full size when you unfold all of it.
LCD - BAH!
OLED and I might be impressed...
Re:about time... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:about time... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:about time... (Score:2)
Cool, (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Cool, (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Cool, (Score:2)
That's what protection is for.
Re:Cool, (Score:4, Funny)
When will it end!?!
Re:Cool, (Score:2)
Re:Cool, (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Cool, (Score:2)
Re:Cool, (Score:2, Funny)
why (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:why (Score:3, Funny)
Oh come now... (Score:3, Insightful)
expandable PDA display (Score:5, Insightful)
The killer app for ebooks and PDA's could well be reference material.
Re:expandable PDA display (Score:3, Interesting)
I am going on a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park in a couple days, and have downloaded some topo maps that display poorly on my tiny LCD. (Buying paper maps cost money that I don't have...)
As a previous poster said though, folding is not where it's at, what we really need is a cheap-ish roll out display, one that wil
Re:expandable PDA display (Score:2, Interesting)
I think an outdoor PDA is a great idea... My Palm V in a hard case is very rugged but not at all waterproof. Something with the same durability but also with environmental seals would be perfect.
Re:expandable PDA display (Score:3, Insightful)
Urk - I don't think so (Score:2)
My ideal display is actually some sort of slip of ePaper that can be driven from the PDA, and folded away when not in use. S
Re:why (Score:5, Interesting)
I Used to Support the Hardware (Score:5, Insightful)
The problem was, the keyboards would inevitably wear out when the machines were given to managers. Apparently the action of them folding out was even more mesmerizing than those kinetic managerial trip toys. Productivity plummeted due to all the managers just opening and closing their laptops all day long. IBM could have solved the technical problems with the keyboard with time, but there's nothing you can do about the manager-mesmerising potential.
Re:why (Score:3, Insightful)
Also.... There are those people who are offended by dust on their screens. folding down your screen, like a laptop would serve to keep dust off the screen when it's not active.
As far as a business arangement, I can imagine being spoken to by someone be
Re:why (Score:2)
Read the article and it says... (Score:2, Insightful)
Of course whether these target groups will purchase it is another question...
Picture this (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I see only one problem (Score:2)
Confused (Score:5, Insightful)
Sure the screens come in 17 inches... but come on, I don't know why portable screens would be so helpful.
Somebody give me some actual uses... I just can't think of any that a laptop wouldn't do just as well.
The only thing I can think of would be nice to display a powerpoint presentation from my PDA -- however, a laptop would still do better.
Anyway, I think it's cool. Just give me some reasons.
Davak
Some ideas: (Score:5, Insightful)
How about a clam-shell device that would open up to a full-screen? Double the size.
Or, since it's flexible, why not just have it on your sleeve? You could look down at your sleeve and see what your schedule is for the day (kinda sci-fi, but possible).
Or, in a larger scale, a complete mockup of some new device for demoing.
Or, potentially you could have a book-like device that would allow an old school feel, but be LCD and downloadable and all.
And these are all just off the top of my head, I'm sure there are a ton of applications for this elsewhere than just consumers like the military, hospitals, research etc.
You TOTALLY missed the point (Score:5, Insightful)
You have a laptop with a thin, ultra portable 10x12 form factor (ie 15 inch display)... and suddenly you open (unfold) the screen upwards or sideways (maybe both ? like landscape/portrait modes) and end up with a 23.5 inch Screen in a ultra-portable !!
i'd say its sweet
Obviously if you think about it from the desktop point of view its pretty useless, unless you travel with your desktop a lot, like to lan-parties, but that would make it an extremely small market to recoup the r&d.
Re:Confused (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Confused (Score:3, Informative)
This 'portable monitor', isn't anything more than a screen with a base that can collapse. No folding screen. LCD's do not lend themselves to that kind of abuse and, if you read the article, it says that is only folds into the base, the display itself does not fold. Gimmick, gimmick.
Re:Confused (Score:2)
This is great news... (Score:4, Interesting)
Now, with these foldable screens, we'll finally see ultra-ultra portable notebooks with 15in. dispays and usable keyboards in smaller packages than currently possible.
Of course, it'll be a long time until these babies are anything but top-of-the-line models but, eventually, they'll be available at the lower-end of the market too.
I can't wait to see one.
Re:This is great news... (Score:2)
The 17" PowerBook...
Re:This is great news... (Score:2)
The Thinkpads with the butterfly keyboard were SMALL. SMALL I say in large letters.
6.8 pounds is luggable? (Score:2, Funny)
Sure, it's big, but it still fits in a backpack.
Re:6.8 pounds is luggable? (Score:2)
Yes, 6.8 pounds is heavy for a 'laptop' computer. But the weight isn't the worst part, it is the width of the sonofabitch. It won't even fit in most laptop bags if you rip out the bit on the side intended for the power pack, which is not a problem because that fscking UFO ain't going there anyway.
I'm currently running a Thinkpad 570e as the best compromise I could find between cost, weight, size, real keyboard and linux compatibility. 4.2 pounds and a full size (lap
Re:6.8 pounds is luggable? (Score:2)
Do you really want your keyboard not lined up with your monitor when it is only 2 inches away?
I know I wouldn't and the designers at apple didn't either. That is why they settles on the design.
Of course if I wanted a laptop I would not want a 17" monstrosity.
Re:6.8 pounds is luggable? (Score:2)
> it is only 2 inches away?
Dunno, when I'm docked at work I have my Model M pretty much lined up under the external monitor and it most certainly has a keypad.
I hear this argument on a regular basis, guess it must be based on appearances and not usability, and since the Mac is all about looks it probably makes sense for that market.
Re:This is great news... (Score:2)
IBM stopped making these though. They really, really sucked.
Re:This is great news... (Score:2, Informative)
The thinkpad you're referring to is the 701C [gol.com]. I had one back in high school, it was a great little machine, and the "magical" keyboard never failed to impress =)
-A
The World's 1st Foldable LCD (Score:5, Interesting)
Can't find a photo of it yet, but the article says "The seam between the two panels is less than 1 mm"
Re:The World's 1st Foldable LCD (Score:2, Funny)
Re:The World's 1st Foldable LCD (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:The World's 1st Foldable LCD (Score:2)
It's a problem that can be engineered around, I think. Me, I'd arrange the folds so they run horizontally (IE between lines of text), but I'm sure there are other orientations that might work.
Re:The World's 1st Foldable LCD (Score:2)
By this token, ANY visible gap will be irritating. It took me a while to get used to the lines across my monitor from the tension wire things and they're
Fold gap - not necessarily a problem (Score:2)
Found something . . . (Score:5, Informative)
Don't know if this constitutes what everyone is looking for, but you can see that there is no border in the center portion where it folds.
Re:Found something . . . (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Found something . . . (Score:2)
from Samsung SDI
May 1st, 2002, 16:29 GMT
Might be a little out of date by now...
No to be outdone by Sony.. (Score:2, Funny)
Well and good if you can fold the LCD monitor, but what's the use if you can't fold the the CPU!
easy to ship as well (Score:5, Funny)
Messed up description (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Messed up description (Score:2)
The whole thing of course is..
a) worthless tech
b) stupid, clueless marketting
Re:Messed up description (Score:2)
Re:Messed up description (Score:2)
Folding Screens (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Folding Screens (Score:2)
Conveniently enough, there are whole communities of people out there who scan in new releases & make them available as txt or HTML (just be sure to buy the real book before downloading).
And best of all, since it doubles as a phone,
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Shame about the center (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Shame about the center (Score:5, Insightful)
No. He means there is a half-size piece in the center, and two quarter-sized pieces on each side, that can fold in to cover the half-size. His nomenclature assumes that the center piece is equivalent to a 'full sized' display, and the two 'wings' are half-sized, and on either side.
Re:Shame about the center (Score:2)
Thank you, yes I do. My post was easily mis-interpreted because my first look at a folding LCD screen kind of thing [mobilemag.com] treated each page as a separate Windows monitor. Ideally, the best folding screen I could imagine would be 400x900
Re:Shame about the center (Score:2)
Help prevent desktop spillage. Get 4 times the protection with wings!
Hmmm (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Hmmm (Score:2)
Re:Hmmm (Score:2)
You fool! You're giving away all our trade secrets!
would be good for many games (Score:4, Interesting)
Cool (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Cool (Score:2, Insightful)
20+ years too late (Score:5, Funny)
Nintendo had that decades ago with Donkey Kong!
Re:20+ years too late (Score:5, Funny)
Hellooo Trintron! (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Hellooo Trintron! (Score:2)
So maybe I won't notice the spaces between sections either.
Re:Hellooo Trintron! (Score:2)
Re:Hellooo Trintron! (Score:2, Interesting)
It's still a glorious monitor. No LCD can match it's 2048x1536.
Re:Hellooo Trintron! (Score:2)
Iraqi information minister? What are you doing up this late, posting on Slashdot?
Shouldn't you be out, fleeing for your life in the middle of the desert, somewhere?
Was I the only one reminded of... (Score:5, Interesting)
Man, I really want a 3-D blackboard. Life sucks.
Re:Was I the only one reminded of... (Score:2)
You'd think after doing that a few times he'd either clean out the closet, or stop putting the damn blackboard back in there when Tennesse and Chumly leave! Sheesh!
In other news... origami screens (Score:2, Funny)
A few folds... it's a bird
a few folds... it's a horse
a few folds.... it's broken!
"It's just like that 80's toy transformers, only kids can maniplulate it".
Relax....no big deal (Score:5, Informative)
Doesn't mean the screen folds in half...sorry.
From Toms...
NEC today announced its first line of light-weight LCD monitors that fold up for easy portability. Attractively designed for home users and gamers on the go, the new monitors provide a protective black bezel acrylic screen with flexible silver cabinet and stand that adjust to a variety of angles including flat against its base. "Providing consumers with the freedom to easily carry their monitor around, the new units collapse into small packages that weigh only 8.6 lbs for the NEC LCD1565 and 13.2 lbs for the NEC LCD1765. Built to withstand wear and tear, the durable acrylic screen displays 88 pixels per inch on the 15-inch unit and 96 pixels per inch on the 17-inch unit for continually clear, accurate images even after years of use." Coupled with a small form-factor PC, this looks to be the ideal monitor-type for those that frequently attend LAN parties.
Press release [biostar.com.tw]
It really whips the Lama's ass!
Re:Relax....no big deal (Score:2, Funny)
darn!
Forget the lcd (Score:3, Interesting)
IBM's Butterfly? (Score:3)
And ... time to bring back those comparisons to George Jetson's collapsible car.
Sony Flexable PDA (Score:2, Insightful)
New Scientist Article [newscientist.com] to become practical much sooner.
I've broken too many PDAs from rough pocket treatment. It's about time that this is remedied.
Sun (Score:2)
Re:Sun (Score:2)
Uses (Score:4, Insightful)
An LCD would be a step up, but they are still larger than they need to be. Every little bit of space makes my move easier and more comfortable. When you think about the fact that I move a considerable portion of my belongings at least at least somewhere in the area of 8 times a year (not counting lan games) a monitor that is very portable makes sense.
Small cases are gaining popularity, portable monitors seem like a logical next step.
What 'foldable LCD' really means! (Score:2, Informative)
This is the first link that turned up: Rackmount Folding LCD Monitors - Folding LCD Monitor [lcd-monitor-online.com]
Its like a laptop without a keyboard and CPU - merely a monitor which folds on the base - which is nowhere near as cool as a flexible LCD screen!
If we roll it up.... (Score:2, Offtopic)
I'll believe it when I see it (Score:2)
It's a singularity! (Score:5, Funny)
* You pay your 500 clams
* You take your monitor home and out of the packagaing
* It collapses in on it self, all black-hole-like
The reason there are no photos of it, obviously, is because it isn't human viewable. And now, a word of advice: Stand the fuck back when it collapses 'cos that things has some serious gravitational pull!
This has been a public service announcement. Thankyou.
do you want an opinion or a link? (Score:4, Interesting)
I had one... (Score:4, Funny)
Here's your picture... (Score:4, Funny)
Some links (Score:2, Informative)
Here the Sales Pitch [philips.com] on their own website. There's not an awfull lot of information, but they do have some nice pics [philips.com] and movies [philips.com] (N.B. Link was broken when I checked; I'm not sure if this is a Mozilla problem or the sites). They really should put more on their websie because they are really doing some cutting edge work there...
How long? (Score:2)
Re:japanese web site link (Score:2)
This is a true lightweight at 1.9kg (4.3 lbs) and probabl
Re:I love technology (Score:2, Funny)
I also on occasion give thanks to the contributions of Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe and RN.