Mustek ruins its PF-E700 picture frame with a retro second LCD

Remember when LCD meant "janky display for your calculator watch" and not "awesome display for your home theater system"? Yeah, we've tried to scrub it out of our memory as well, but now here comes Mustek trying to get those two LCD types to live in harmony. Ain't going to happen. The Mustek PF-E700 digital picture frame has a 7-inch 480 x 234 primary display, and supports SD, Memory Stick and Compact Flash, and even acts as an alarm and plays back music and video, but the whole thing is ruined by this second LCD which offers up time, date and temperature info. But maybe we're not seeing some sort of subtle genius here, so if this is indeed your style, you can pick it up in April for $150.

[Via Electronista]

[Adam @ Feb 8th 2008 9:44AM]

Anyone else find it funny that the name of the company (Mustek) sounds a little bit like "mistake"? Perhaps they should have seen this one comming...

http://www.livingwithanerd.com

[Superprime @ Feb 8th 2008 10:06AM]

Mustek is a really established "cheaper gadgets" brand

[Mike @ Feb 8th 2008 10:03AM]

I agree. The other LCD pulls your eyes away from what you're really suppose to be looking at, the picture.

[Jongscx @ Feb 8th 2008 10:15AM]

Can the second LCD display RSS feeds?

[mattclarkie @ Feb 8th 2008 10:19AM]

I used to have a Mustek scanner, it took 5 mins to warm up and 3 mins to scan A4.

This is a good idea, having date and time on a Digital Photo Frame, but using an old stylie screen to do it ruins it a bit. They could make the main screen larger, and reserve the bottom portion for Date and Time.

[lrowland @ Feb 8th 2008 10:59AM]

If they can make the second LCD show information about the picture I can see how it would be pretty cool and useful. Of course, the LCD color should be black not blue as shown in the picture.

[BlackCoffeeNoSugar @ Feb 8th 2008 11:04AM]

I think the text on the screen is actually black. But the backlight is blue, as it would be very difficult to read the text if this is also black.

[Wwhat @ Feb 9th 2008 4:45PM]

If you want info it should be blended in on the regular lcd, not on a backwards old ugly attached bit.

[dewde @ Feb 8th 2008 1:49PM]

Obviously this is Mustek's simultaneous answer to anthropomorphic global warming AND cranky wife syndrome. At night while you slumber only the retro LCD remains powered. This provides lower power consumption and less ambient light in the room so your oh-so-sensitive she-person can reach REM nirvana.

Happy wife and happy planet? Priceless.

[TTX1 @ Feb 8th 2008 2:13PM]

I know some people like to leave frames in permanent slide show mode, but many frames are turned off when not in use... a second LCD with a low-power mode option would be a great way to get basic info like time, weather, etc., without a backlit active matrix screen glaring 24/7. Not sure if this is intended to be an energy-friendly device or not, but it does seem like a good way to make the frame useful when the primary display is off...

[AboveUnrefined @ Feb 8th 2008 9:31PM]

Yeah it's so horrible that they put a second display on that. I can't think of *ANY* use for that... It's so ruined that I don't think I'll buy even two with the money I can throw away on digital frames, which is quite a high budget, let me tell you.

[Dakota @ Feb 11th 2008 9:12AM]

I stopped reading at "Mustek".