USB-enabled PicoLCD SideShow display may soon be a collector's item
By Darren Murph 
posted Sep 12th 2008 9:29AM
posted Sep 12th 2008 9:29AM
[Via SideShowDevices]
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Oddly enough, I want this.
If the functionality is there (and I am assuming easy to set up), it'd be cool to have a little... screen full of dumb shit by my side while I work on my PC. If not just to remind me how hot my GPU is for no reason even when I barely use it and piss me off.
AHHHHH!! SIDESHOW, BOB!
oo another USB cable to add to the collection, me want, me want.
Another attempt by MS to create needs around a product instead of creating a product that fulfills a need.
The ease with which they abandon this stuff should be telling.
Well that's a little unfair. I can think up ways to use sideshow wonderfully. Personally, I'd love a little device - perhaps the size of a picture frame (4x6 or so) that could display yahoo/google widgets, sideshow/sidebar etc. Of course touchscreen. I have a satisfactory sized monitor (24") as a matter of fact, I also have a 19" running alongside it, but I don't want widgets on any of my desktops. I don't NEED widgets and pretty icons displaying weather and stocks - but I'd LIKE, heck, I'd love to use them! And I'm sure others feel similar. I'd gladly take a $50 device that is hi-res that can do this.
Glance down on it to see weather, stocks, gmail/email, etc. etc....thousands of gadgets/widgets that do little neat things that appeal to each person. So, I think they had the right idea. Manufacturers and device makers just aren't jumping to make products that can do something more than the minimum.
I am currently doing this with a 4x20 LCD I hooked up to my PCs parallel port. Since most newer PCs don't have parallel ports anymore though it sure would be nice to have a display connected via USB. Seems a bit expensive though, should be $30 max for me to buy it.
Just buy this and save $39.95.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124004
: )
ahh, the joys of having a G15 and not having to bother with more clutter if you want to show some system stats or whatever.
Why not just get a Logitech G15 Mouse?
As it's a keyboard?
Mmmm, this looks familiar. Like posted above, its what my G15 keyboard has on it. Instead of lurking off to the side uncomfortably, it sits above the keys, where its useful. Plus, i can put whatever i want on it too, so no need for a seperate device. I guess if i was a stock market guy and needed to know every second on a seperate screen because i was using my monitor to manage multi-billion dollar accounts, well nevermind... id never use it. (PS> make it yourself, 35$ and it can do much more)
I think it'd be pretty neat if you could integrate it with a messenger client, and have it display messages when you're running fullscreen apps, like games or movies.
That doesnt sound all that logical, considering you would have to minimuse or otherwise move from the fullscreen app to reply to them.
These sort of devices are no more than novelties, and afaik sideshow technology was primarily aimed at notebooks, to allow a small screen to show info and save power with main monitor off. Like playing music with the screen closed. Other than that, I think its just an "okay" idea paired with little market support, leading to its quick death.
The second OLED screen on some of ASUS' laptops do that exact function, along with regular system messages like battery conditions and temps. It's quite useful while using apps (games) in full screen.
Also, for those saying that sideshow is a pure novelty, check out the currently beta plugin for windows mobile. It's really impressive, as it is an amazing 'super remote' for media center, with ability to create playlists, and offers full control of the PC via your phone or PDA.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=79f19684-f862-4e02-a2b0-0003b4565f34&displaylang=en
My Antec media center case came with a vaccum fluorescent display which does exactly this. No USB ports needed, just some lovely low-footprint background software that can make it display just about anything (weather reports, CPU stats, sports scores). Works well in a media center environment, since it's not always convenient to switch out of Media Center, open FireFox, and browse to the relevant page, using a WMC remote or wireless mouse. Best of all, it stays on and displays date/time when the computer is in sleep mode.
I've beeing using a pertelian for a couple years now, same thing $10 bucks less (pretty convinient if you're lazy to build your own)
I think I will just make one myself tbh, and probably for half the price. Still, w00t for old skool!
Or you could just build your own for under $20 like people have been doing for over a dozen years now.
Personally, I like SideShow now that I have it on my WinMo phone. It's pretty damn sweet, actually.
$50?! Are they nuts?!
I'm not even a "cheap" person - but come on! A 4x20 text display? That's like a $5 item - and a PIC USB controller? Another $5. Give 'em a 50% margin and call it $20 even - but $50?!
I'd buy one in a hearbeat....but not for $50!
Matrix Orbital has the same thing only full graphic and COOL.
you can also use a palm pilot for this, which has the extra benefit of also being a PDA and handheld games gadget!
Slideshow = Vista = Bad.
Let's see some XP love and maybe we'll talk.