Pixel Qi netbook display replacement kit finally on sale
By Thomas Ricker 
posted July 1st 2010 3:24AM
posted July 1st 2010 3:24AM
[Thanks, Philpax]
posted July 1st 2010 3:24AM
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If only I hand't sold my netbook...
@doyleman7
$275 display for a $300 netbook. hmmm..
@ssguy
I say yes. ASUS, release the 1015n already and let's get crackin.
@doyleman7 With all honesty. Put in in an iPad and I'd jump on it.
@Outsider Isn't the iPad screen 10.1 inches? It sounds like it would fit.
@trunksy
No, it's 9.7 inches, I believe. But why would you do that? That takes away the ENTIRE point of getting an iPad. And Engadget mocks them all the time.
@ssguy
Exactly! Wouldn't it be cheaper just to buy a nook or Kindle 2?
Lots of perfectly good, non-dead pixel LCD displays are going to get trashed. They should set up a recycling program...
@Teerim
I agree whole mechanical heartily!
@tjrchka: *groan* You are such a dork. A dork with bad grammar to boot - it's wholeHEARTEDLY.
Weird timing, this is the first time I'm hearing of this screen, and I'm also on the Lenovo S10-2 right now.
I still don't quite understand what this screen is or does (it's just awesome because it can go into e-paper mode?), but part of me still wants it "just because."
@The Mad Mule
Well I presume it adds functionality outdoors and improves battery life by a lot. It is worthy for me...
@The Mad Mule
Reading a book won't kill your eyes in e-ink mode, battery will last way longer and it can be seen completely under the sun, which is great. You can change it to LCD mode whenever you want to watch a movie or use powerpoint or something indoors. This is really a revolutionary technology.
Does this mean Notion Ink will finally start shipping the Adam?
@linuxamp Well, if they start selling pixel qi replacement kits I guess that they don't have a shortage on pixel qi screens (anymore).
I only hope that the notion ink doesn't cost $275 for the pixel qi + $500 for the rest of the tablet while the LCD version would be 'only' $500.
@linuxamp
My first thought. This is THE test to see whether they'll hold their target date or push it back.
@linuxamp
Depends on how nVidia keeps sucking badly on the Tegra 2...
They have proven unable to provide for the moment.
i hope apple will incorporate sometime of option like this into future macbook pros and ipads (though I know full well that they will do no such thing).
@youngvash
I would have bought an iPad iHad it iHad this.
Need sleep...
Actually I expected it to have this dual functionality.
@youngvash
I would much rather have a retina display IPS LCD on the next iPad, especially with the camera addition. The iPhone 4's display is just gorgeous.
@Almo That's gonna take a while. The resolution of a 9.7" screen with a 4:3 display ratio and a PPI of 300 you get a resolution of 2328x1746. And that's freaky high.
@fabarati
They have till next April, heh...
Well, hopefully there's quite a few touch-tablet competitors out by then for greater choice anyway.
@fabarati
They could, though, in theory, just double both current dimensions as they did with the iPhone and get 2048x1536 at 264dpi, which is not a wholly unreasonable (or unheard of) resolution. Put an RGB LED backlight on it and it would be a sight to be hold; unfortunately, I wouldn't want the device it was attached to... perhaps someone could put it on a REAL tablet. ;) I kid, I kid, of course.
Price is a little steep, but I kind of want to try fitting it into my MSI Wind U100. I have almost no use for it now anyways.
Let me get this straight... a normal screen with e-ink capabilities?
AWESOME!
@blinddance
It is not e-ink technology if that's what you thought. But the screen is perfectly readable with the backlight off. Watch Joanna's video...
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/02/pixelqi-introduces-tablet-ready-screens-we-go-hands-on-video/
If i had the money I'd do this
*Tries opening iPad*
Nope its not working
Doesn't it need a switch or some sort of firmware to allow control of the different modes? I don't see any mention of either of these on the linked site.
@Min Probably it is controlled by the backlight interface of your netbook, it might be something ACPI related.If you reduce your backlight to 0 it goes into reflective mode.
Funny thing, but I noticed, that mu Thinkpad's T400 screens is also transreflective to some extend - I can read it very well with no backlight if the sun shines in a direction close to normal. It the sunrays are normal to the screen I can see some glare and I need to turn the backlight to full power, but at some 20 deg from normal I can read it without any backlight.
Did any other ThinkPad T400 owner notice the same thing?
@Min No, you switch between different modes by turning the backlight on and off. Tablet's with pixel-qi screens will come with a hardware switch and for laptops you can just use your backlight hotkeys to dim or turn off the backlight.
@stoffer The T400 and T500 have transflective screens, that's what Lenovo is advertising them with IIRC. However, this Pixel Qi display should be vastly superior to that transflective display (they have compared it to some other notebook with a transflective screen, and the differences were huge).
@Min
I too am worried about this. I bought a netbook hoping to ultimately upgrade to this screen for it's outdoor/e-reading qualities. Right now I have the standard Acer LCD plus a resistive touch layer.
My concern is that since my backlight controls only have about 7 gradations and none of them are zero, I won't be able to use the screen. There is an FN-shortcut to disable the backlight, but it gets reset upon mouse or keyboard input. That probably won't help very much. Maybe Acer will release a BIOS update? I doubt it.
Bring 14 incher and it's going into my ThinkPad :D
Hello lot's of battery lifetime ! ^_^
Also of interest is the article at Make: Online:
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/hackable_pixel_qi_screens_available.html
It has a video on replacing a netbook's screen.
now that's the kind of bezel size i'd want on a tablet
too bad it isn't one
@mrqs And then how the hell would you hold it?
@Coldmode You wouldn't expect to go to the Louvre and touch the Mona Lisa would you? For a tablet with a bezel like that you would just look at it and be amazed at its magical-ness.
@budice4ever
+1 for your cultural references.
@Coldmode
on my forearm, between the elbow and fingers, operating with the other hand
that always seemed like the more logical way to handle a tablet compared to holding one between your fingers - tho' that wouldn't be a problem either with the kind of bezel size we see here, as you could easily support the front with your thumb(s) at the edges and other fingers on the back if that's what you'd prefer
personally, i can't imagine holding a tablet in any grip that would require more than a centimeter of bezel (unless i was using it as a melee weapon or something...)
I hope they can work out some compatibility with my Toshiba NB200, it'd be so awesome to improve the already great 8 hour battery life. What'd make it even more awesome is if they stick a digitizer in it, especially a Wacom one.
I'm getting one for my hp mini 5101... I really hope it fits/works. But have been eagerly awaiting the adam so this is a blessing. Can't wait for my e-ink outdoor movie watching.
what is the resolution of this 10 inch DIY kit screen ? Will it fit most netbooks?
Cool, but I don't really see why this needs to be BREAKING news. Still cool though, don't get the wrong idea. I just don't understand Engadget's priorities. But hey, at least their comment system is TERRIBLE like some tech site I'm thinking of... *coughgizmodocough*
@TheHypnotist
It's funny, I got so pissed off at their comment system last night, I removed it from my entire browser history. I will not go on that site again.
Can someone design an Android tablet with no bezel please? Do some software stuff so the edges are not touch sensitive if that's an issue .. it can be handled in software.
@JS
can someone make a tablet with no bezel then put a fake bezel on it?
that'd be great. Pro tip: it could be handled in software
@JS And how exactly are you going to hold it without the bezel? O will the sides of the touchscreen be simply inactive?
@stoffer That would get so annoying so fast.
@stoffer The same way people hold the iPad. The farther to the edge you hold it, the better leverage you get and the easier it is to hold, which is why nobody actually holds their iPad by the bezel, even when holding it by one hand. They put their thumb on the edge and their palm underneath. Whatever reason the bezel is there for, it's not for ergonomics.