Samsung To Release 2.6" 640x480 LCD Screen

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/09/samsung_300dpi_lcd/' target='_blank'>http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/0...ung_300dpi_lcd/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Samsung will next quarter begin mass production of a 640 x 480 LCD screen that measures a mere 2.6in (6.5cm) diagonally. Initially aimed at PDAs - both the Palm OS and Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PCs Second Edition enable VGA displays - the new panel will ultimately be pitched at smart-phone makers. The tiny transflective display provides a resolution of almost 300dpi (dots per inch)."</i><br /><br />Wow. 300dpi? That's laser-printer resolution. Not only am I excited about the prospects of truly high-DPI smartphones, I'd love to see a 4" 1024x768 screen or somesuch. And if you're worry about fonts being "too small" on such a display, it's all a function of the size of fonts used on such a screen -- so, if anything, you can get the same size print, just that much sharper. :D

[ricksfiona]

NIIIIIICE!

[Ryan Joseph]

:jawdrop:

And thus it begins. Screens are just going to get smaller and cooler and higher quality in the near future.

The applications for this go way beyond PDAs and phones, I think. Imagine a car stereo with that kind of display.

I like Janak's idea that if they can fit VGA into that small of a space, we could get 800x600 or higher in a space only slightly larger.

Very nice! I can't wait! :mrgreen:

[David C]

Slap this on a MPx and I'm sold.

[mrmagoo]

Personally, I feel that anything beyond 640x480 on a 4" diagonal VGA screen isn't going to be necessary on a practical level. Let me explain.

I would think that most PDA users (as well as cell phone users) wouldn't hold the unit closer than about 25cm from one's face for extended periods of time. Since the resolving power of the naked eye is about 2 minutes of arc, that translates to a distance of 0.15 mm. In a 4" diagonal VGA screen, the pixel size are ~0.13mm in size. What's happening here is that if you have a darkened pixel next to a undarkened pixel next to a darkened pixel (pixel-space-pixel), at about 25 cm, it's going to be difficult seeing that empty space between the two darkened pixel on a 4" diagonal VGA screen. And a darkened pixel next to a darkened pixel (pixel-pixel) will appear more like a dot than an elongated dot at 25cm. YMWV dependent on any structural defects in your eye, floaties, prescription glasses, but, on average the above will be true.

Would we be able to use a 1024x768 on a 4" diagonal screen? Certainly, but, you would have need to hold the PDA about 15cm from your face to avoid the resolving capacity of your eye. I occasionally hold my Toshiba e805 about 15cm from my face, but, I can't do that for long without my eyes feeling strained. So, it's the practicality of having such a high resolution screen

I've created a zipped 480x640 bmp file for any Toshiba e805 owners that might want to determine what resoloving capacity their eyes have. But, I don't know how to attach it to this post.

[Janak Parekh]

Personally, I feel that anything beyond 640x480 on a 4" diagonal VGA screen isn't going to be necessary on a practical level. Let me explain.
Well, here's the thing -- I'd like laser-quality print on my mobile display, as well as my desktop display. Yes, the limits on resolving small print won't change much, but the small print will look smoother if nothing else. Photos will look more print-like as well.

--janak

[Mark Johnson]

Personally, I feel that anything beyond 640x480 on a 4" diagonal VGA screen isn't going to be necessary on a practical level. Let me explain.


Welcome mrmagoo! We're glad you're here.

Of course, I'm not sure how strongly I'd agree with someone saying they don't need/want sharper definition on their display when their name is Mr. Magoo... :wink:

But seriously, your analysis was clearly thought-through, although I'm not familiar enough with some of the principles to really follow it. I'm gonna need to do some homework here.

For me, I look at this issue on an "experiential" basis: I've always been frustrated with my PPC having the smallest font as 8-point. In Pocket Excel, when I look at a line of 8-point text, it is FAR, FAR larger than I need it to be. When I use the "zoom" function to reduce the spreadsheet size to 75%, the font becomes unreadable, NOT because it is "too small" for me to see, it is actually about the SIZE I'd like, but the LCD simply cannot give it enough DEFINITION to be readable.

There is certainly a point that a 3.5" 1024x768 screen may be far more detailed than is practially useful, but I'm really looking forward to making the 320x240 QVGA to 640x480 VGA conversion on my PPC, then seeing if the "smallest installed font" is then smaller than I'd want to use since I'm nowhere near that now.

[SeanH]

I wish someone would put 3.5” to 4” VGA display in a PDA with Bluetooth and Wifi and start shipping it. The e805 with VGA, 128MB of RAM, and WiFi is a great PDA that has been out for a while but it lacks Bluetooth and has a slower 400MHz PXA263 CPU. The HP 4705 looks good but why would they only include 64MB of RAM and its not shipping yet. The ASUS 720 looks good, it would be nice if it ran at 624MHz and not 520MHz but its not shipping yet. The Loox 720 is like the ASUS 720 it looks good but it would be nice if it ran at 624MHz and not 520MHz but its not shipping yet.

I would love a 4” 1024x768 display in a PDA but it seems like that is years away. I can read 6 point Helvetica clear is day on a 300 dpi printer. It would be great to have that on a PDA.

Sean

[zybler]

I beg to differ. While I agree that there are limits to our human eye, but one day, we could make the screen foldable. I believe that is the next big thing. Now we're making the screen denser because we don't want the size of the screen to limit how small the device ought to be. If only we can made the screen foldable then everything will be solved...

Now.. since we have got 2.6" VGA screen, i'm sure 5.2" 1024 x 600 is possible :?:

[jlp]

Now.. since we have got 2.6" VGA screen, i'm sure 5.2" 1024 x 600 is possible :?:

&lt;&lt;5.6" HDTV-quality display (1024 x 600)>>

That's the Vulcan Flipstart screen specs 8)