Pixel Qi founder Mary Lou Jepsen has been reading a handful of tech blogs including Engadget and MobileRead to see what people are saying about those sexy new 3qi displays she’s been showing off for the last few days. And in an interview with TechVideoBlog, Jepsen answered some of the questions left by commenters on those blogs.
Here are a few of the highlights:
- The 3qi screen will not cost $200 to produce, as Time Magazine recently indicated. Rather, Jepsen expects that PC makers will be able to sell netbooks with 3qi displays in them for a total of about $200. This is largely because the screens are based on existing LCD technology and despite the fact that there are 20 new patents pending for the technology, LCD makers should be able to manufacture these screens without changing their equipment at all.
- While the goal is to move into mass production this fall and partner with PC makers to include these screens in netbooks and other devices, Jepsen says if it’s possible she would like to find a way to make some screens available to the DIY community for hackers who want to install the screens into existing devices.
- Even when you’re using the reflective black and white mode to read the screen outdoors, the display can handle full motion video, and you can see a hint of color.
- The only change most computer makers would have to make to use a Pixel Qi display instead of another LCD is to enable the backlight to be shut all the way off, and not simply faded down to a low setting.
Pixel Qi expects the screens to go into mass production this fall. You can check out the full video from TechVideoBlog after the break.
vie Engadget
“Mary Lou Jepsen has been reading a handful of tech blogs to see what people are saying about those sexy new 3qi displays”.
Mary Lou, if you swing by Liliputing, let me say that you and Pixel Qi have a new fan!
That ROCKS! Wow, what a great idea. I’m with gina on hoping it will be possible to buy these as replacements for existing screens. I hope they make on in 11.6 1366/768.
I’m relieved it’s not going to be as expensive as I feared when I first saw this. That is just incredibly cool. I use my laptop outside, too, and I can deal with black and white as long as I can see – I certainly don’t need color to read news articles and email :).
AWESOME.
Pixel Qi screens will be available in all sorts of shapes and sizes. I want one for my mobile phone, and I also want an XO-2 with dual multitouch haptic (force feedback) screens, promised at $75. Again, that’s the price for the whole computer, not just the screens.
The company is talking to OEMs in dozens of market segments–anywhere where any combination of lower power, lower cost, better color, and daylight readability is important.
WANT!
Just hoping they make these things in non-widescreen aspects.
Since the Gecko Edubook is going to cost $200 with a normal VGA screen, if they made it a bit bigger so it could use the 10.1 Pixel Qi screen, had a bit bigger keyboard (like the Dell 10 or HP 2140, or even the smallest I would go is the Sony Vaio P size keyboard), and with AA battery…. SINCE the VGA screen Gecko Edubook has now, is more expensive to make than the Pixel Qi screen…. HOW MUCH would the Gecko Edubook cost if it used Pixel Qi screen?
$150
$100
how much?
AND if it used all the OLPC XO-1 tech to save power, then the AA batteries could have how much use per charge (if 5 times then that would be 20 hours).
I would buy an AA battery netbook, 10.1 inch Pixel Qi screen, and 20 hours of use per charge. Send me one today.
Incredible!!!!!!
this is fantastic!! i spend all my time outdoors, i hate having to go inside to get some work done on my laptop. i hope they make it available so i can order one and just put it into the Dell inspiron mini 10 i just bought!