Pixel Qi has 'several more' partners since CES, is working on new form factors

There's nothing, nothing, we love more than talkative CEOs. And though this may not be a case of some brash smack-talking, we still appreciate Mary Lou Jepsen giving us a fresh update on the development of those delectable Pixel Qi displays. As you already know, CES provided us with our first opportunity to see one in person (in the shape of the Notion Ink Adam) and we were left highly impressed with the versatility and responsiveness of the hybrid display. Since then, Mary Lou and company have recruited a few more partners and, while production of the 10-inch units is ramping up as expected, new form factors are also being contemplated. She still won't tell us any names, but we're excited by the possibility of (relatively) pocketable Pixel Qi devices -- how does a Dell Mini 5 with a 40-hour battery life sound?

[Addyct Posted Feb 26th 2010 3:45AM]

this is SUCH good news.
This display alone is the main reason I am waiting to buy an Adam when they release, so if I could get something like that, perhaps by a company I am more familiar with, I would be ecstatic!

[whormongr Posted Feb 26th 2010 5:41PM]

@Addyct funny enough the display is neat but the general specs on the machine interest me, besides the screen it is the first dual core mini tablet I have seen-

[abedinthehouse Posted Feb 26th 2010 4:14AM]

might just be me, but which is the actual device? the one on teh left or right???

[Plothole Posted Feb 26th 2010 4:27AM]

@abedinthehouse
The device on the left is an Amazon Kindle. Which has a eInk screen. The device on the right is a netbook that has been retrofitted with a Pixel Qi screen.

[LeJay Posted Feb 26th 2010 4:28AM]

@abedinthehouse
I'm guessing it's the one that has "Pixel Qi" printed with large letters. ;)

[Wesscoast Posted Feb 26th 2010 5:48AM]

@LeJay

Quite the 'community' of tech enthusiasts we have here..

[abedinthehouse Posted Feb 26th 2010 6:33PM]

@LeJay

haha i figured....but thing is i thought the Pixel was a slate of somesort..didnt expect it to just be a screen in a netbook..

[abedinthehouse Posted Feb 26th 2010 6:33PM]

@abedinthehouse
=D

[crowl Posted Feb 26th 2010 4:17AM]

With no offence meant to Notion Ink, it will be nice to see this screen type being used in a wider range of devices.

[Plothole Posted Feb 26th 2010 4:25AM]

Pixel Qi in my next smart phone = win!

[fortunzfavor Posted Feb 26th 2010 4:43PM]

@Plothole Agreed. I don't use any gadget outside more than my phone.

[rsramkee Posted Feb 26th 2010 5:06AM]

40 hours of battery life!!!
Remembering to carry your charger will become a bigger challenge... you will use it so less often...

[Wesscoast Posted Feb 26th 2010 5:49AM]

Let me know when Kindle owners can read books at night...

[Plothole Posted Feb 26th 2010 2:15PM]

@Wesscoast
I have a Sony Reader, which I can read just fine at night. Thanks to a simple LED booklit.

[Plothole Posted Feb 26th 2010 2:21PM]

And honestly what does that have to do with Pixel Qi, a technology that can be backlit?

[fortunzfavor Posted Feb 26th 2010 4:46PM]

@Plothole That's what he's saying, that Pixel Qi is better because you can backlight it while eink requires front or sidelighting.

As to the convenience of a booklight, I've owned dozens of them. I stopped using them the day I discovered ebooks in 2003 and haven't touched one since. They're bulky, there's an extra battery and bulb to be concerned about, they don't spread light as evenly as a backlight does, and not having one means one less thing to carry around/lose.

The lack of backlighting is one of the major issues, besides cost, that make eink a non-started for me.

[fortunzfavor Posted Feb 26th 2010 5:31PM]

@fortunzfavor err, "non-starter"

[Plothole Posted Feb 27th 2010 2:06AM]

@fortunzfavor
It sounds like you've only used the old incandescent booklights. I use to have one of those and it sucked. However LED booklights are less bulky, the bulb never needs replacing, and batteries can go for days.

Backlights are handy, but IMO not as crucial for a dedicated reader device. Besides two of the major selling points to these gizmos is weight and battery life. This is where eInk still has a considerable edge over Pixel Qi; The latter may only use a tiny amount of power in its reflective state, but the former literally uses none except while refreshing.

I see Pixel Qi as best suited for general purpose devices like smartphones and tablets. Where versatility outweighs some battery life.

[elducko Posted Feb 27th 2010 2:43AM]

@fortunzfavor LED booklights are a lot better than the old incandescent ones (in general). And backlighting is not a feature; it's a showstopper in an e-reader. Reading on an e-ink screen is much more comfortable than using a backlit display. A small LED light on a Kindle is a much better experience than an LCD screen.

Unfortunately the only company smart enough to make a rechargeable LED booklight has terrible manufacturing quality and they cost 35 bucks and break a lot. I'm on my 3rd (I took the first 2 back). It's poorly designed and shines light in your face as well as at the book. Someone should make a better one.

[htd Posted Feb 26th 2010 8:02AM]

where is that acer netbook they demoed with pixel qi before? combining pinetrail, that could easily be days of computing time.

[Val Posted Feb 26th 2010 10:11AM]

@htd

the display actually is not the biggest power hog in a netbook. I think it is around 2W, out of 8W, so that's 25%. So this would still give you only about 25% improvement in battery life. Still a lot, but nowhere near a full day. With the current batteries, this is impossible on a intel platform.

[pixie Posted Feb 26th 2010 9:35AM]

all i want in life is to be able to read engadget from my hammock outside.

[restonthewind Posted Feb 26th 2010 9:40AM]

Mini 5 with 40 hour battery life sounds euphoric, but I would purchase a M5 with 10 hour, offline battery life rather than wait a year for the new display. Is Dell talking to Pixel Qi, or are you thinking wishfully?

[Roark123 Posted Feb 26th 2010 1:03PM]

Qualcomm's Mirasol is superior IMO...

[Plothole Posted Feb 26th 2010 2:13PM]

The problem with Mirasol is that it cannot be backlit. Still it is cool that it gives you reflective color, and presumably uses less power.