CES 2010: Hands On Pixel Qi Screen, Upcoming Tegra 2 Tablets

[0blivion]

This is kinda interesting...

Hey everyone, I just read an article from CBC news, check it out: Sorry if it has been posted before!

Apple has created new multi-touch technology that enhances user interaction with the screens of its devices, according to patent documents.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple on Thursday, described as offering a thinner, quicker, high-resolution screen that will be able to detect touch on the sides of the device.

The new technology is assigned for Apple's iPhone and other media players as well as its MacBook notebook computers, but many are speculating it will be used for the highly anticipated iSlate tablet.

Expectations are that the iSlate computing device will be unveiled on Jan. 26 or 27 as Apple has booked auditorium space on those dates in San Francisco.

 

[bit density]

For a tablet to truly succeed...

The menus have to be on the bottom and the left or right depending upon the handiness of the person, and NOT at the top of the screen.

This and a lot of other reasons are why I rejected the last version of Windows Tablets. They were a desktop system welded on to a tablet, with very poorly integrated hand writing.

The key of this working, is that it is obvious for the form factor, and not a desktop computer wedged in, even though it would be swell to have desktop quality applications.

The reason that the menus have to be on the bottom and left or right has to do with the fact that most menuing systems in one way or another depend on what on the screen. A tablet has the unique problem of having a hand and arm obscure the screen when the menus are on top. The menus have to be accessed and the screen as visible as possible while the program is being manipulated. Even the menus become obscure. Tap Edit, the menu flys DOWN ans is obscured by your hand. What effing good is that.

Microsoft has gotten wrong to date. We will see later this month if Apple gets it right.

 

[GQB]

That was these people. If Apple does not have Flash in the next iPhone it could not be touted as the best internet experience in mobile devices.

Actually, not having Flash is exactly the thing that makes it the best internet experience.

 

[Ca$hflow]

This would be great on a tablet that you can activate this screen mode when reading a book, then activate it back for watching movies and such.

 

[syriana]

unipixel

you guys should check unipixel.com, it's an interesting screen technology
video

 

[AbblePC]

Qi in Q1

 

[iphones4evry1]

VERY nice !!!!!!!

(psst. Don't let Steve Jobs see this, or the Apple Tablet will get delayed another six months!)

Unless, of course, brilliant Apple developers and Steve already have this technology.

 

[talkingfuture]

That screen is fantastic, it may not be ready for prime time just yet but this has to be the future for ereading. Kindle seems way to expensive as just a reader. Whereas a tablet that does lots of things and has an ereader mode would definitely be of interest to me.

 

[ChazUK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 1.5; en-us; Archos5 Build/CUPCAKE) AppleWebKit/528.5+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Mobile Safari/525.20.1)

It's quite apparant that this is the year of the tablet. Intreresting comments on the Android keyboard. How big are these tablets?

My Archos has a nice thumb friendly keyboard with its 5 inch screen but I can't wait to see Apples solution on larger devices.

 

[Pigumon]

Um... Nintendo Gameboy anyone?

They're just going back to old CASIO WATCH technology! I had a "transflective LCD" on my casio in 1978!

how about the original GAMEBOY?

http://www.cyberiapc.com/vgg/pics/nintendo_gameboy2.jpg

 

[guet]

The menus have to be on the bottom and the left or right depending upon the handiness of the person, and NOT at the top of the screen.... Microsoft has gotten wrong to date. We will see later this month if Apple gets it right.

For a tablet to succeed, it needs to do away with the concept of menus altogether - as iPhone OS shows, they are just not required.

 

[tfstone]

Actually, not having Flash is exactly the thing that makes it the best internet experience.

Seconded

 

[TraceyS/FL]

Nice rumor about the PixelQi panels. Not sure if they would be the sort of thing Apple might use but I find them pretty nice even in their prototype examples. To that effect here are a couple YouTube videos with Mary Lou Jepsen (CEO and cook & bottle washer) and also John Ryan the company's COO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm8WoItVRn0 (Mary Lou very good video showing the abilities of the panels as they were about 6-mo. back)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7ZErQ5Kl6w (John Ryan indoor demo)

There are a bunch of relevant vids about these panels, and they are nice from all appearances. Still they may not end up as "the answer" but are certainly a move in a positive direction.

Hope this helps anyone who hasn't watched them before...

VERY nice !!!!!!!

(psst. Don't let Steve Jobs see this, or the Apple Tablet will get delayed another six months!)

Unless, of course, brilliant Apple developers and Steve already have this technology.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/833893/

The thread from December covering a lot of things - including possible Apple involvement/knowledge.

 

[wizard]

Non sense!

The menus have to be on the bottom and the left or right depending upon the handiness of the person, and NOT at the top of the screen.

The idea that desktop like menu systems belong on a Touch based tablet is a huge mistake. Moving them up, down, left or right solves nothing.

This and a lot of other reasons are why I rejected the last version of Windows Tablets. They were a desktop system welded on to a tablet, with very poorly integrated hand writing.

This is also why I don't think we will ever see Mac OS on the tablet.

The key of this working, is that it is obvious for the form factor, and not a desktop computer wedged in, even though it would be swell to have desktop quality applications.

There is no such thing as desktop quality applications. Rather we have apps focused on the desktop. Quality apps exist for both platforms. Given more capable hardware the tablet will have even more apps.

The reason that the menus have to be on the bottom and left or right has to do with the fact that most menuing systems in one way or another depend on what on the screen. A tablet has the unique problem of having a hand and arm obscure the screen when the menus are on top. The menus have to be accessed and the screen as visible as possible while the program is being manipulated. Even the menus become obscure. Tap Edit, the menu flys DOWN ans is obscured by your hand. What effing good is that.

Microsoft has gotten wrong to date. We will see later this month if Apple gets it right.

I suspect that Apple will have a different perspective on this than the rest of us. The interface will be tailored to the targeted market(s). Those markets will not include Hard productivity demands from the apps



Dave

 

[Roller]

Actually, not having Flash is exactly the thing that makes it the best internet experience.

Until you hit a site that just won't work without it and there's no alternative. Flash is over-used and a resource hog, but it's difficult to avoid. In any case, whatever display technology Apple's tablet uses, it'll have to work as well for color motion as for black text on a white background.

 

[iSee]

...These e-ink modes are said to be much better for the viewer in terms of both eye fatigue as well as reading speed and comprehension...

A bad sign--this is the kind of thing that "is said" (by the marketing team) when there is nothing else good to say. Really, how were the tests for improved reading comprehension conducted? Sorry, but I'm raising a bs alert.

It's still a very promising technology and we're excited to see where it will eventually lead.

Why is MR hyping this particular technology? It just doesn't seem justified, nor particularly relevant to Apple products.

 

[sharkinfested]

The only benefit I see to these electronic ink screens is that extends battery life – the eye fatigue/strain is a moot point in my opinion. I (and many people like me) read text on regular computer screens ALL DAY LONG – but suddenly our eyes are supposed to get tired if we read on them in our leisure time? Give me a break.

 

[*LTD*]

That was these people. If Apple does not have Flash in the next iPhone it could not be touted as the best internet experience in mobile devices.

It appears that Apple sidestepped the whole Flash issue. Apple's numbers suggest this, and I'm pretty sure this quarter's numbers will more than suggest it. Flash availability has not been a deciding factor in customer satisfaction with the iPhone. The iPhone succeeds so well because of the other things it manages to achieve.

Not saying that implemented Flash somehow wouldn't be nice, just that it really isn't a make-or-break feature, even if the competition now has it. At least not at this point.

 

[iDisk]

I think Apple's PA Semi has massive potential long run; 90% of consumers would like/need more efficient processors than more powerful ones.

Consumers don't know what they want, Apple/Steve has to tell them what they want and what they didn't know they needed also.

Pro Users know that GPU is the future, hence more adaptation of OPEN GL/CL and the birth of lower clock speeds but with Multiple Cores.

 

[*LTD*]

Consumers don't know what they want, Apple/Steve has to tell them what they want and what they didn't know they needed also.

As crazy as this may sound, there's actually quite a bit of truth to it. Obviously you can't discount that a product must meet expectations. Fair enough. But it can be equally compelling when a product modifies those expectations (even exceeds them) in terms of what the consumer hadn't really considered.

 

[ChefDanMar]

Question..

That screen looks nice. I understand they most likely tweaked the photography somewhat, but regardless... My question is there any program or device that you can get to mimic that effect for better reading on a mac.. specifically an imac?

I am honestly sick of straining my eyes on this screen!

 

[azentropy]

I am honestly sick of straining my eyes on this screen!

That is caused by the pretty glass Apple likes to place over screens. Even if you don't think it bothers you it does.

I still fear if Apple uses these screens they will probably still place a sheet of glass over them to make them look sexier but also negating much of the benefits of these screens such as reduced eye strain and readability in sunlight.

 

[sPAULj]

Can't you spin this off into another site? Don't see how this is important Apple news.

The title of the front page is Apple Mac Rumors and News You Care About.

 

[Consultant]

Looks very useful.

It appears that Apple sidestepped the whole Flash issue. Apple's numbers suggest this, and I'm pretty sure this quarter's numbers will more than suggest it. Flash availability has not been a deciding factor in customer satisfaction with the iPhone. The iPhone succeeds so well because of the other things it manages to achieve.

Not saying that implemented Flash somehow wouldn't be nice, just that it really isn't a make-or-break feature, even if the competition now has it. At least not at this point.

On why no Flash in iPhone
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q2.07/879DD82D-5595-4746-BFCE-524BBA7C7A85.html

 

[paulyras]

I can imagine that the success of any tablet will largely depend on the screen. Matt, responsive and nice colours - is this the one that Apple will use? I thought there was another company (somehow linked with the 'One Laptop Per Child' project, perhaps a former director?) manufacturing just the right screen for these devices.

Will this be able to show most Flash material well? Will there be a need? I hope, Apple will not ignore Flash again. It would be so embarrassing...

Pixel Qi is that company. The CEO I believe used to run the OLPC project. I am really impressed with this technology, though much of it is still potential rather than real it sounds.

Still, if the backlit mode on the display is reasonable, I wouldn't be shocked if apple went for it just because of the wow factor of full color, non backlit and standard backlit in one. Perfect for newspapers and movies in one device.