08-06-2003, 12:00 PM
|
|
Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
|
|
Is the iPAQ h1940�s Display Really Yellow?
"One of the most important elements of a handheld is its display. While there's no doubt that handheld displays have improved dramatically over the past three years, consumers have also become increasingly more demanding. They've begun to notice subtle differences in screen brightness and color reproduction, and sometimes they don't like what they see. Take the case of the new iPAQ h1940 Pocket PC from Hewlett-Packard..."
The rest of this article goes on to explain the reasons why the iPAQ 1940 screen looks yellow from certain angles. Perhaps I have an especially yellow screen, but even from 100% straight-on, whites aren't really white, and there's a subtle yellow hue. The 1940 screen isn't as good as the 1910 screen, and suggesting that people hold it at a different angle as a solution is silly. On most photos though, the screen looks great - it's only the issue of whites...
|
| |
|
|
|
08-06-2003, 12:25 PM
|
|
Theorist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 279
|
|
It's been said before, but I think the real issue at stake here is not that HP decided to use a slightly cheaper screen in a new model (as is their priviledge), but rather the inconsistency of production. Simply put, noone should have to wonder if their new iPaq 1940 will have a good screen.
I will go with Steve at least as far as to believe (at this point) that many, maybe even most, screens are fine when viewed straight on. That's only hypothetical now though, considering I haven't seen one yet. Then there are probably some like yours (Jason's) and others that are simply electronic legal pads.
When I go back to the States this Christmas, I'll just have to see for myself. I do demand white whites, but I don't need a wide viewing angle. As it is, the 1940 seems to me to have some compelling advantages that might make me choose it.
|
| |
|
|
|
08-06-2003, 01:43 PM
|
|
Review Coordinator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 451
|
|
I bought a 1945 and figured I'd get used to the yellowing. However, I found that there was noticeable yellow at the angle at which it was most comfortable for me to hold the unit. After a few days, I exchanged it for a 2215, and I'm so glad I did. Wonderful unit, I recommend it highly if you're looking for a full featured iPAQ with a smaller form factor than the 5400/5500 series.
|
| |
|
|
|
08-06-2003, 01:53 PM
|
|
Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 204
|
|
I have the 2210 and a friend of mine has the 1910. Yesterday he gave me his unit to install a program and i was showing both of them to my brother in order to compare the size.
However when i turned on the screens on both i noticed that the 1910 screen colors were i bit more alive, not much thought, but what i noticed was that the white on the 2210 was pure white but the white on the 1910 was a bit yellow, when i changed the angle of the device i noticed that the yellow color was more and more visible and that the unit had the same problem and the problem everyone is talking about for the 1940. Why does everyone say that the 1910 has a perfect display when it has the same problems with the 1940? The 2210 white colour would not change from whatever angle. and i am happy for that
|
| |
|
|
|
08-06-2003, 02:14 PM
|
|
Pupil
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 29
|
|
I noticed the same thing on a 1910 and a 1940 at my local CompUSA the other day. I was surprised to see that the 1910 exhibited the same yellowing that i saw on the 1940. Yet I never saw any comments on this during the 1910's heyday (heymonths?)
|
| |
|
|
|
08-06-2003, 02:17 PM
|
|
Ponderer
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 67
|
|
I also have an h1940 that has a "warm" screen when viewed straight on. I have to tilt my Ipaq so that the top of the screen is farther from my eyes than the bottom before the display turns white, and it's an angle that I would never use to hold it.
The "warm" tones to backgrounds that should be white don't bother me because my eyes are very light sensitive, so viewing text against a slightly yellow background is more comfortable than viewing the same text against a white screen. All the other colors look great, and the contrast is excellent on my h1940.
The best advice I'd have for anyone is to take a look at the screen before you buy one just to make sure you don't have any problems with it.
|
| |
|
|
|
08-06-2003, 03:08 PM
|
|
Sage
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 813
|
|
I've had my h1940 for nearly a week now and I can say that when viewed straight on, the whites are perfect white, on a par with my h1910. As soon as you start tilting the screen, the yellow starts to show and becomes more prevalent through a wider angle however all other colours seem fine, only white is affected. I genuinely don't consider this a reason to not go for a h1940, I did a lot of comparisons before choosing the h1940.
Just for the record, the h1910 does exhibit a little yellowing when viewed from below but no where near the extent of the h1940. From the side, the h1910 remains fine and from above it shows a little bluish tint.
The h1940 also displays this bluish tint from above.
The yellowing I am experiencing does not appear to be as bad as is being reported on certain sites. Whether this is a product of over exageration or me having a better screen remains to be seen.
The bottom line as far as I am concerned is, the screen on the h1940 is excellent, very sharp, bright and vibrant with the one flaw being a yellow tint that appears when viewed 'off axis' and increases with angle. Not as good as the h1910 but not that far off.
|
| |
|
|
|
08-06-2003, 03:17 PM
|
|
Neophyte
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 2
|
|
Again and Again,
Anybody asked HP about this 1910x1940 problem ?
|
| |
|
|
|
08-06-2003, 03:44 PM
|
|
Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 425
|
|
HP developed the lovely blue-tinted screens for the Jornada 56x series. Carly engineered the takeover of Compaq to introduce these same beautiful screen color technologies to the iPaq series. The use of yellow in this case is a major breakthrough, which is apparently under-appreciated by some iPaqers. Congratulations to Carly and all her fine technical staff.
|
| |
|
|
|
08-06-2003, 03:52 PM
|
|
Intellectual
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 117
|
|
No Jason, they're all yellow. It's just less noticable if you don't have another screen to compare it to and you're not looking at a predominantly white picture. If you look at a 221x and a 194x side by side, there's no way you can say the whites are anything but yellow, regardless of the angle. Even still, I decided to overlook the screen tint and keep the 1945. It's so much smaller and the unrecessed buttons are far superior for games.
I think the main problem is that HP installed the screens upside down. The yellowing decreases enough not to be distracting as you tilt the top of the unit toward you, which is exactly opposite of how a PDA is held. And it's especially bad if you're using it on a desk. Try it yourself. Lay the 1945 on a desk with a blank Excel sheet open and look at the color shift. Then flip it upside down and watch it mostly go away.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
