VGA Resolution on a 2.4" Screen: Magnifying Glass Sold Separately

[Pat Logsdon]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pdalive.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7328' target='_blank'>http://www.pdalive.com/forums/showt...=&threadid=7328</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/logsdon_20041021_magnify.jpg" /> <br /><br /><i>"Samsung Electronics has developed a new graphics chip that will allow half VGA screens to produce VGA resolution. The novelty is specially aimed at future mobiles with VGA screens that will be less than 2.4 inches. It generates color using an entirely new driving method called sub-pixel unit driving methodology. Contrary to existing color display methods that express color pixel by pixel, this new method creates color at the sub-pixel level representing more than two data lines from the same pixel. By composing a new pixel with the sub-pixel on the adjacent scanning line, 480x640 (VGA) resolution can be attained from a 240x640 (half VGA) panel. The device can display up to 260K colors for TFT panels in mobile phones. Samsung Electronics plans to begin using the technology on high-end mobile phone models in the second quarter of 2005."</i><br /><br />While this is currently for 2.4" phones, I don't think it would be much of a leap to use the same principle for PDA screens. What do you think? Would you take a smaller screen with high resolution in exchange for a smaller device or more room for extra goodies (built-in gps, hard drives, etc.)?

[Swordsman74]

NO!
:D

They're going the wrong way (IMHO). I want them to take that technology and apply it to the ~3.5" display and give me 800x600, or take a 4" and give me 1024x768!! That would be sweet!!

[SteveHoward999]

NO!
:D

They're going the wrong way (IMHO). I want them to take that technology and apply it to the ~3.5" display and give me 800x600, or take a 4" and give me 1024x768!! That would be sweet!!


I agree. I want MORE on my screen ... I'd like to see a 5 inch 1024x768 PDA screen. It shouldn't be a PDA any bigger than the current norm.

[Mark Johnson]

YES!

We are WAY overdue for higher PPI!

Also, just because there are four times the pixels, that doesn't mean you'll need a magnifying glass. It's not 4x the pixels = 1/4th size text, it's simply that the sharpness of the text will be much improved. This will make much better use of small screens.

Pocketability of mobile devices is key. The 4" screens on units like the hx4705 make the thing so big it's no longer a "Pocket" PC. We've got to get VGA into the 3.5" and smaller screens, so I say:

WAY TO GO SAMSUNG! :clap:

I for one have little interest in a $650 hx4705 because of it's size, but I'd easily pay that for a VGA PPC that was smaller and lighter than my iPaq 1910.

[Darius Wey]

It's hard to agree and disagree to this question. I'd like to sit on the fence for a while with this one.

I've always been a sucker for high resolutions, no matter what the screen size is. My friends call me insane when I comfortably use my 15.4" widescreen laptop at a 1920x1200 resolution. While they all squint to see the text, it seems to just pop out to me and I absolutely adore the clarity I get from it.

But now would I go for a high resolution screen / small device over one that's packed with features. This depends. The idea of built-in GPS and/or hard drive really appeals, yet it really depends on what features are packed into the device before I consider using this small device. If it's only a 1GB HDD, yet on a smaller device, I could pack it with a 1GB SD, I'd think I'd go for the smaller device. ;)

[jasondearyou]

i wouldn't mind having a smaller screen with more features built into it. because as long as the graphics are good enough for things like gps maps to be visually deciperable, then i'm ok with it.

And it has to live up to it's name Pocket ............PC or Pocket PC phone, not a whole gigantic thing.

[Dolphin]

Small works for me!

[KimVette]

Wasn't JS_Landscape doing this same exact thing via software on PocketPCs over three years ago?

[Swordsman74]

KimVette - I know JS_Landscape and others are able to interpolate to simulate the higher resolution screens, but isn't this done via the hardware instead of the software? I wonder what the difference in clarity would be between those two methods...

BTW - hello to a fellow MA resident - my wife and live in Boylston. Go Sox!!
:D

[Kati Compton]

Like the previous poster says, I think this sounds like it's being done at the hardware level, but it still sounds similar to Cleartype to me.

While cleartype can make things nicer, it's not as nice as *actually* increasing the resolution...

I'll have to see an example before I can have an opinion in either direction.

[Dolphin]

I for one have little interest in a $650 hx4705 because of it's size, but I'd easily pay that for a VGA PPC that was smaller and lighter than my iPaq 1910.

I know not all users feel this way... but I totally agree with Mark!

I recently went from an iPaq 4150 to an iPaq RX3700. I love the camera and the 2nd edition, but I miss my 4150's size... it was a sweet form factor!

[steveapp]

This has to be a good move - but I would say don't treat it as an improvement in resolution to try and get more things on screen, use it to improve the quality of on-screen fonts at the same size - thus improving the interface quality and educing eye strain.

Steve

[Mark Johnson]

...I would say don't treat it as an improvement in resolution to try and get more things on screen, use it to improve the quality of on-screen fonts at the same size...

Of course, this really brings up whats so great about having a higher PPI: You can use them however you want to.

Users who prefer "larger type" (perhaps because they wear glasses, or access their device while driving, etc.) are made happer by more pixels-per-unit because the font is much sharper.

Users (like myself) who actually do want "smaller type" than the current standard 8-point QVGA font you normally get on PPCs are happy because they can use something smaller and still have enough sharpness to read it.

Higher PPI/more pixels is just good all the way around! The only downside is cost, but usability goes WAY up for everyone, no matter what size font they prefer.

And I also find I just don't "get" the argument some people make when they say "this will raise the price." If HP was shipping a QVGA monochrome screen on one of their units right now, it certainly would be quite a bit cheaper than the QVGA color screens we have. But no one would buy it. The entire point of these devices is utility. It's hard to imagine anything that makes a PPC more useful than making it easier to see the information you are carrying it around for in the first place.

QVGA must die... :soapbox: