Comparative (screen) tests of VGA PDA's

[Menneisyys]

The quality (color saturation, neutral white balance etc.) is very important with PDA screens because PDA's are excellent candidates for digital photo wallets. A digital photo wallet, however, is of no real use when the screen isn't able to reproduce some (or most) colors as well as the original. This is why I've started this thread: let's compare the screen quality of the available PDA's. Let's stick to VGA Pocket PC's, however, because QVGA machines are last year's snow.

Some links for a quick start with some comparison pictures (bold is used to denote VGA machines)):

http://menneisyys.freeweb.hu/SCREENQUALITY : PL720 vs Z|71 vs 2210 vs 3660 vs Casio E-125
http://www.firstloox.org/forums/showpost.php?p=18291&postcount=14 : PL720 vs x50v vs 4150
http://menneisyys.freeweb.hu/VSHX4700 PL720 vs hx4700 vs Z|71 vs Casio E-125

Further opinions?

[Menneisyys]

BTW, the iPAQ hx4700 uses exactly the same screen tech as the F-S Pocket Loox 720 - this becomes clear if you read the third linked article.

[surur]

So for the 3 VGA screens, you would say the Loox and hp4700 are the same, and the Dell much worse?

Surur

[Fishie]

Yeah looks like it, the Dell really sucks.

[Dave Beauvais]

I'm evaluating an Axim X50v at work. Compared side-by-side with my own hx4700, the Dell's display is quite washed out. However, if I didn't have an hx4700 to compare it with, the Axim's LCD would be great! The VGA resolution is very nice, the display is extremely sharp and easy to read, and colors -- though washed out and somewhat faded -- are fairly accurate.

It's not in the same league as the hx4700, but I certainly do not feel it's fair to say the X50v's LCD "sucks."

[Fishie]

Well you have to compare it to other high res devices and if you do that the Dell really does suck.
Its the worst VGA screen out there.

[juni]

The hx4700 screen really is awesome. This was almost the only reason I bought one (the device is extremely fast too). :)

[Menneisyys]

So for the 3 VGA screens, you would say the Loox and hp4700 are the same, and the Dell much worse?

Surur

Yes. The Dell has a screen with the same color fidelity as the iPAQ 1930/1940/4150/4350 - that is, not a particularly good one, but still tolerable.

[Andy Whiteford]

So for the 3 VGA screens, you would say the Loox and hp4700 are the same, and the Dell much worse?

Surur

Yes. The Dell has a screen with the same color fidelity as the iPAQ 1930/1940/4150/4350 - that is, not a particularly good one, but still tolerable.


??? Those ipaqs you have listed have great screens, not the best out there but still very good with the angled yellow whites the only real markdown. I think the h2210 was a little more washed out and I realise this is a subjective thing but lets try and be a little more fair and neutral with regards to your words on different devices.

[Menneisyys]

So for the 3 VGA screens, you would say the Loox and hp4700 are the same, and the Dell much worse?

Surur

Yes. The Dell has a screen with the same color fidelity as the iPAQ 1930/1940/4150/4350 - that is, not a particularly good one, but still tolerable.


??? Those ipaqs you have listed have great screens, not the best out there but still very good with the angled yellow whites the only real markdown. I think the h2210 was a little more washed out and I realise this is a subjective thing but lets try and be a little more fair and neutral with regards to your words on different devices.

Yeah, this is why I've used the word "tolerable", meaning "you don't need to sell this PPC just because of its screen in order to upgrade to something else" (upgrading to a new model almost always incurs some $$$ loss). However, before buying (upgrading is a costly process), quality differences like these are very important deciding factors.

Sorry if it came through wrong (take into account my non-English mother tongue).

As for the 4150's color reproduction, it's indeed clearly worse than that of the PL 720 / hx4700 / PalmOne / iPAQ 1910 (see e.g. the above-linked http://www.firstloox.org/forums/showpost.php?p=18291&postcount=14 ). It's just a matter of taste if you call the color quality of it "tolerable" (strictly in the above, "don't sell it!"-meaning) or "not the best" IMHO :)

[ignar]

I have 4700 and X50V. Side by side comparison, 4700 screen is hands down better. Colors are more saturated and it displays almost the same true colors I see on my PC monitor while X50v screen is very washed out. But, for real life usage, I found X50v isn't too bad. Also 4700 screen looks a bit too dark when watching movies on it. For an ebook reading, 4700 screen is awesome. Too bad 4700 only has a lame touchpad, which makes it almost impossible to use 4700 as a serious ebook reader. I think the best comparison between 4700 and X50v screen is the screens of iPaq 1910 and 2210. If you've used both devices before, you should be able to get right away how 4700 and X50v screen will look different.

[Fishie]

The screen and pitifull battery life really are whats putting me of from the Dell.

[juni]

Too bad 4700 only has a lame touchpad, which makes it almost impossible to use 4700 as a serious ebook reader.

I'm actually used to the touchpad when it comes to web browsing and ebook reading.

[Jonathon Watkins]

Well you have to compare it to other high res devices and if you do that the Dell really does suck.
Its the worst VGA screen out there.

You really are funny Fishie. :lol:

If that's the worst, then I'm AOK about that. I've compared my X50v screen side by side to a 4705 and I'm very satisfied with it. The battery takes me through 2 normal days of usage as well. So which VGA PPC do you have?

[Menneisyys]

I think the best comparison between 4700 and X50v screen is the screens of iPaq 1910 and 2210. If you've used both devices before, you should be able to get right away how 4700 and X50v screen will look different.

I don't thik the x50v screen is THAT bad. The 1910 has one of the best QVGA transflective screens, while the 2210 one of the worst (color reproduction-wise). The x50v's srceen is more like of (check out the direct 4150 vs. x50v vs PL 720-photos!) that of the iPAQ 4150, which is considerably better than the 2210.

[Ed Hansberry]

The screen and pitifull battery life really are whats putting me of from the Dell.
Yeah. We heard you the first 15 or so times. :roll:

[Fishie]

Well you have to compare it to other high res devices and if you do that the Dell really does suck.
Its the worst VGA screen out there.

You really are funny Fishie. :lol:

If that's the worst, then I'm AOK about that. I've compared my X50v screen side by side to a 4705 and I'm very satisfied with it. The battery takes me through 2 normal days of usage as well. So which VGA PPC do you have?

Actually, none at the moment.
Sold my e800 and got me a Sigmarion3, its fast, super high res and most PPC software works on it.

[surur]

Fishie, tell us more about your device. A review would be in order I think. Especially important would be compatibility with pocketpc software, and how you actually use the device.

It would be much appreciated if you pick up the challenge. There are a variety of win ce devices, but we usually dont think of them as ppc competitors.

Surur

Edit:
http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/info/products/sigmarion3/

Looking at this website it looks like a nice device, and has the same screen size and resolution as the OQO. Pity it has no wifi and bluetooth built-in.Whats your battery life like, and do you use a wifi CF card with it?

Edit 2:
This looks like a good replacement for a Psion 5Mx

[Fishie]

OK, will do.

Il start a thread about it soon.

[JustinGTP]

and colors -- though washed out and somewhat faded -- are fairly accurate.

How can this be true? You are contradicting yourself here, don't you think? If a colour is washed out, how can it be "fairly" accurate? :roll:

-Justin.

[Kati Compton]

and colors -- though washed out and somewhat faded -- are fairly accurate.

How can this be true? You are contradicting yourself here, don't you think? If a colour is washed out, how can it be "fairly" accurate? :roll:
He probably means that the HUE is correct. As opposed to peaches looking too pink or yellow, etc.

[Dave Beauvais]

How can this be true? You are contradicting yourself here, don't you think? If a colour is washed out, how can it be "fairly" accurate? :roll:
Reds are red, purples are purple, yellow looks yellow, etc. The colors may be somewhat less saturated than those displayed on the hx4700's display, but they are still accurate.

Edit: Uh, what Kati said. :)

[MPSmith]

Well you have to compare it to other high res devices and if you do that the Dell really does suck.
Its the worst VGA screen out there.

You really are funny Fishie. :lol:

If that's the worst, then I'm AOK about that. I've compared my X50v screen side by side to a 4705 and I'm very satisfied with it. The battery takes me through 2 normal days of usage as well. So which VGA PPC do you have?

I have also compared the two side by side. The 4700 screen is better, but not by much. Not many who have seen the Dell X50v screen think they are bad, much less "suck". Also, let's not use such inflammatory descriptions. No flame-wars needed.


:D

[Deslock]

I have both the X50v and hx4700. A comparison:

Short Version Both screens are excellent
hx4700 has wider viewing angle
hx4700 is more vibrant; everything feels warmer and more pleasant
hx4700 is too saturated; images and movies sometimes look too dark
X50v streaks a bit more (X50v does it horizontally, hx4700 does it vertically)
Something about X50v makes reading small text "harsh" in landscape mode
X50v has a hidden contast control that can be enabled with a quick regedit
X50v backlight is brighter
X50v colors are more accurate
I prefer the hx4700 screen for general use and reading text in landscape mode, but for viewing photos and movies and using the handheld in a dark room, I actually like the X50v better.

Long Version

Both are VGA screens (4" for the hx4700, 3.7" for the X50v). Both have a tiny dot-pitch and look silk-smooth, especially compared to the 3.5"-4" QVGA screens I've used on PDAs.

The X50v is bright and its colors are accurate. If you buy an X50v, you wont have any complaints about the screen.

Unless you hold it next to an hx4700.

Its screen is reminiscent of the heralded iPaq 1910 in terms of vibrance (while the X50v is more akin to the iPaq 2210). Everything is warmer and generally more pleasant to look at on the hx4700... the X50v screen looks washed out, by comparison.

The X50v also shows more LCD-shadows/ghosting/whatever-you-call-it than the hx4700. If you look really closely at the following image, you can see horizontal streaks leading off from the corners of the black borders around the gmail login and password boxes (on the X50v):
http://deslock.smugmug.com/photos/13281725-L.jpg

Note that the effect is present vertically on the X50v and horizontally on the hx4700. I don't have a photo comparing the gmail screens in landscape mode, but the hx4700 has some streaking in this orientation while the X50v doesn't (but the X50v's streaks in portrait mode are more severe than the hx4700's in landscape mode).

This is really a non-issue as neither screen streaks too badly, but it was worth mentioning.

Contrast is too high on the hx4700 and some images and movies are too dark. Notice that the wheel in the cart's shadow (to the left of the face) is visible on the X50v screen:
http://deslock.smugmug.com/photos/13281702-S.jpg

That's really not a great example to illustrate this point... there are many photos of people in which I can't make out the color of the eyes on the hx4700 while I can on the X50v.

Everything is a bit too yellow on the hx4700 (though it's not nearly as bad as the iPaq 1940). That's fine for photos like the one above (with a lot of yellow anyway), but there are many images in which colors are "off".

The hx4700 has a wider viewing angle. Look how much more washed out the X50v gets (while the hx4700 colors haven't changed from the previous image:
http://deslock.smugmug.com/photos/13281739-S.jpg

The hx4700 and X50v screens seem to be mounted upside-down compared to each other. That is to say, when you adjust viewing angle, the colors invert in reverse, as these shots show:

(A) Looking from above; at this angle the hx4700 colors are inverted:
http://deslock.smugmug.com/photos/13281753-S.jpg

(B) Same as previous image, but from below; now X50v colors are inverted:
http://deslock.smugmug.com/photos/13281756-S.jpg

(C) Units are now upside-down next to each other; map colors don't change much at this angle on either screen:
http://deslock.smugmug.com/photos/13281752-S.jpg

I don't know if its the narrower viewing angle or some other difference with the technology of the screens, but there's something unpleasant about reading small text on the X50v in landscape mode. It's almost like looking at a CRT at <85 Hz.... the colors seem harsh.

Both the hx4700 and X50v are too bright when viewing in a dark room (even at the minimum brightness setting). But there is a fix for the X50v: it has a hidden contrast utility (a simple regedit makes it visible).

[MPSmith]

Wow! That is the best side by side comparison of these two fantastic PPC screens I've ever seen. Thanks!!!

BTW, why do you have both? Do you use them both?

[Deslock]

Wow! That is the best side by side comparison of these two fantastic PPC screens I've ever seen. Thanks!!!

BTW, why do you have both? Do you use them both?
I bought the hx4700 when it first came out. I like its large screen and how thin it is, but I dislike its large footprint and how dark some images look. Plus Terminal Services doesn't work (http://discussion.brighthand.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=112338). I came across a good deal on the X50v, so I decided to try it out.

Now that I've had both for a while, I realize how much I dislike the hx4700's touchpad, bubble-buttons, and flip cover (which has scratched the paint).

The X50v has some disadvantages too, but I've decided to keep it and ditch the hx4700.

[Menneisyys]

Wow! That is the best side by side comparison of these two fantastic PPC screens I've ever seen. Thanks!!!


Yeah! Good work, Deslock!

[Menneisyys]

I don't know if its the narrower viewing angle or some other difference with the technology of the screens, but there's something unpleasant about reading small text on the X50v in landscape mode. It's almost like looking at a CRT at <85 Hz.... the colors seem harsh.

Is it something like the effect of the 2210's low display refresh rate? I mean: does the screen 'flicker' in landscape, as some WM2003 e800's in it, using the MyVGA reghacks?

[Deslock]

I don't know if its the narrower viewing angle or some other difference with the technology of the screens, but there's something unpleasant about reading small text on the X50v in landscape mode. It's almost like looking at a CRT at <85 Hz.... the colors seem harsh.

Is it something like the effect of the 2210's low display refresh rate? I mean: does the screen 'flicker' in landscape, as some WM2003 e800's in it, using the MyVGA reghacks?
It doesn't shimmer like the HP2210... I think the viewing angle is narrower top-to-bottom (or is more of a problem top-to-bottom because the screen is longer). It's not a big deal, but I have to adjust how I'm holding the X50v more than I did with the hx4700, especially in landscape mode.

[Menneisyys]

Geekzone has just published their review of the e830 ( http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=3945 ). The reviewer states:

"Screen
The VGA screen on the e830 is very nice. The colours are not as bright as the HP iPAQ hx4700, but the “liquid” that is apparent on the hx4700 when you drag the stylus across is nowhere to be seen on the e830.

However, putting the hx4700 and the e830 side by side demonstrates the distance between these screens and personally, I think the screen on the iPAQ leaves the e830 for dead. By comparison, the e830 looks washed out. "

[Boery]

Szia Menne !

Hogy vagy mostanában ? Beszélni még magyar ?
Sorry !
Hello Menne long time no see !
Boery

[Menneisyys]

Pocketnow's new HP iPAQ hx2755 review has some hx4700/x50v screenshots as well: http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=reviews&id=550&p=2

[Menneisyys]

There is a very interesting debate going on at PM on the Asus 730(w) vs. other VGA machines screen quality-wise. You may want to check it out at http://www.pocketmatrix.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20577

[Menneisyys]

The mobile-review folk has just published their VGA device comparison at http://www.mobile-review.com/pda/review/vga-comparing-en.shtml - I certainly recommend it.

[Menneisyys]

I don't know if its the narrower viewing angle or some other difference with the technology of the screens, but there's something unpleasant about reading small text on the X50v in landscape mode. It's almost like looking at a CRT at <85 Hz.... the colors seem harsh.

Some people with the x50v (and, incidentally, the a730(w), see http://www.pocketmatrix.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20577 ) have also complained about this at http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=38208

[Palmvert]

Does anyone know what type of screen the Samsung i730 is slated to have?

Thanks.