Interesting Pixel Qi related tidbit from the MPA Summit

[Dylrob]

EDIT: Please read ahead to Ms. Jepson's response.
________________

http://thethirdscreen.wordpress.com/...in-six-months/

Not much we haven't already heard. Though one thing caught my eye:

Mary Lou is the founder and CEO of Pixel Qi, whose amazing display technology is about to make its debut on a variety of new devices. First up is a tablet that Mary Lou said would be announced by an as-yet undisclosed OEM, perhaps in November.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

http://thethirdscreen.wordpress.com/...in-six-months/

Not much we haven't already heard. Though one thing caught my eye:

They've been saying things like that for ages. I've never seen a single company say they are planning to release a device using the Pixel Qi screen. However, Pixel Qi is constantly making references to mysterious unnamed partners. IMO, they're trying to keep themselves relevant and bring in investor money.

I'll believe them when I actually see a product that is available to consumers. Like several other companies, they've been making press releases about imminent products for years now, and we're still waiting.

The one thing in that quote that I believe is that they're talking about a tablet. I always thought that their screen made a lot more sense for laptops/tablets then it did for a dedicated eBook reader.

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

The one thing in that quote that I believe is that they're talking about a tablet. I always thought that their screen made a lot more sense for laptops/tablets then it did for a dedicated eBook reader.

I don't think they had dedicated readers in mind at all. I think the idea is to have a multifunction device that is also great for reading at length: Tablets, netbooks and, I hope, smartphones. The three main reasons I don't like reading on my phone are eyestrain from the backlight, inability to read in sunlight, and battery life. If I wear down my Kindle battery, it's annoying but I'll deal with it. Bad things can happen if I'm out without my phone. Even if people don't read on their phone, they would like to have increased battery life and daylight readability. What I find exciting about their technology on the ebook front is it could get a lot more people reading ebooks that might not want a dedicated reading device.

[Abecedary]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

They've been saying things like that for ages. I've never seen a single company say they are planning to release a device using the Pixel Qi screen. However, Pixel Qi is constantly making references to mysterious unnamed partners. IMO, they're trying to keep themselves relevant and bring in investor money.

[pdurrant]

Of course, there's one very secretive OEM that's been rumoured to be coming out with a tablet for years....

[JSWolf]

I have to agree that until we see it, it doesn't exist. We've had lots of announcements of new products that have never seen the light of day.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Alisa

I don't think they had dedicated readers in mind at all. I think the idea is to have a multifunction device that is also great for reading at length: Tablets, netbooks and, I hope, smartphones. The three main reasons I don't like reading on my phone are eyestrain from the backlight, inability to read in sunlight, and battery life. If I wear down my Kindle battery, it's annoying but I'll deal with it. Bad things can happen if I'm out without my phone. Even if people don't read on their phone, they would like to have increased battery life and daylight readability. What I find exciting about their technology on the ebook front is it could get a lot more people reading ebooks that might not want a dedicated reading device.

The one issue I see is that the reflective mode that would be most useful for what you're talking about also has lower contrast and higher power requirements than current eInk technology.

I think their screens are an improvement over standard LCD, but fall short when compared to current eBook technology.

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

The one issue I see is that the reflective mode that would be most useful for what you're talking about also has lower contrast and higher power requirements than current eInk technology.

I think their screens are an improvement over standard LCD, but fall short when compared to current eBook technology.

With some development, I'm guessing it can be comparable...and on a PC, it's possible to ditch font smoothing for languages that are a little more complex and don't respond well to blurring (like Chinese, any standard weight font for book use looks absolutely terrible on e-ink largely because of this).

Plus, you get the responsiveness back. That'd be worth it to many people (like almost anyone who buys a Jetbook, for instance)

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

They've been saying things like that for ages. I've never seen a single company say they are planning to release a device using the Pixel Qi screen. However, Pixel Qi is constantly making references to mysterious unnamed partners. IMO, they're trying to keep themselves relevant and bring in investor money.

I'll believe them when I actually see a product that is available to consumers. Like several other companies, they've been making press releases about imminent products for years now, and we're still waiting.

It's one thing to say they hope to have something, or predict they will have something at the predicted rate of progress. That kind of language is intentionally noncommittal. Stating that there is an OEM device in development is a different whole ball game... or at least a significant step forward.

And remember unlike most of those big hype companies, Pixel Qi has essentially already delivered the first generation of their product in the form of the OLPC XO's display. I believe that's enough to give them the benefit of the doubt at this point.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

Plus, you get the responsiveness back. That'd be worth it to many people (like almost anyone who buys a Jetbook, for instance)

That would be me! I have one of those reflective LCD jetBooks, and I love it.

But I'd also like my reader versatile enough to load say; MobiPocket reader, and ADE, and Calibre, and MS Reader, and MobiDeDRM, and Python, and ...

Oh yeah! And able to browse FictionWise, and Diesel eBooks, and Books on Board, and MobiPocket.com, and ...

And when it's not doing all that, able to take hand written notes in meetings, and upload them to the network. Typing on a netbook in a meeting is not only distracting, it's down right rude.

And how about a little audio recording ability, and maybe some video teleconferencing.

And all that with a 20 hour battery life, I don't mind recharging every night instead of once a week. After all, I do it with my smartphone.

And in a package small enough to fit in a portfolio.

As it stands, the screen is the limit! It's either too power hungry, or too slow and jerky, or not enough colors, or too hard on the eyes, or all of the above. With Pixel Qi it's all doable.

I can't wait!

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

The one issue I see is that the reflective mode that would be most useful for what you're talking about also has lower contrast and higher power requirements than current eInk technology.

I think their screens are an improvement over standard LCD, but fall short when compared to current eBook technology.

Precisely why I said I doubt they had dedicated readers in mind. This screen could make plenty of other devices better for reading but still can't beat e-ink at its own game. The point of my post was that I believe there is an untapped content market out there for casual readers who would never buy a dedicated reading device. They may read a couple books a year. They read magazines, blogs maybe some stuff for work. They'd be interested in this screen for improving battery life and being able to see it in sunlight but they probably wouldn't be buying it to improve their reading. However, since it will be easier for them to read on a multifunction device, they might start buying some digital content which would be great for us.

[Dylrob]

I wonder if I had anything to do with this?

(Has anyone seen a Tom lurking around here?)

[Dylrob]

It would appear that the aforementioned Engadget article got Ms. Jepsen's attention:

It seems a comment that I made at the Magazine Innovation Summit in NYC this week should be clarified:

While we are supplying screens for tablets (and ebooks, and netbooks too!) and are starting production shortly, including supplying limited volumes earlier than our official mass production start – we can’t say when these products will be announced and sold retail.

Sorry not to be able to reveal more, but our customers: the netbook, ebook and tablet makers really need to announce their products on their schedules.

For those interested, she also posted this:

New Subject – Battery Life Standards
While I have you I wonder how you all feel about MobileMark? This is the standard that sets battery life measurements with screen turned down to 27% brightness or 60 nits (max brightness is usually 220 nits). A nit is a unit of brightness. This from the latin “nitare” which means “to shine”, as opposed to the German origin of the nit – from the egg of a parasitic insect, usually a louse.

In office lighting a piece of paper that reflects 60 nits is quite readable. Our screens with good office lighting also reflect 60 nits or more – I measured 120 nits in our offices on Friday. This with the backlight off. The exact reflectance measurement depends very much on the room lighting.

A normal LCD screen is “washed-out” by the office lighting since it can’t use the room lighting to show the image. The backlight is what creates the brightness (nits) on a normal LCD screen. The backlight has to be cranked up higher because it competes with the room lighting. So it’s hard to see a normal LCD screen at 60 nits of brightness because 60 or more nits of office lighting can also be reflecting off it to obliterate the screen image viewability. This is for matte reflection screens. There are also “glare-type” screens. These screens look shiny. The user sees their own reflection in them – no matter how beautiful you are this can be a problem: Its distracting and hard to read because of all the reflections that complete for attention with the screen image.

Back to battery life measurement standards:

MobileMark seems to (according to our laptop making customers) require that we also crank the backlight up for the power measurements to the same level as other screens that aren’t reflective and infact hard to read even at 60 nits in roomlight – this even though with no backlight the screen can exceed 60 nits of brightness without any “wash-out” or annoying glare.

Does this make sense?

The current standard says that screens at 60 nits are readable because paper is, but in office lighting 60 nit standard LCD screens are hard to read. Our screens at 0 backlight nits, but reflecting the ambient office light (or sunlight) are very readable. And they are must lower power, but the standard for measuring power appears not to consider this.

http://www.pixelqi.com/blog1

[brecklundin]

Dylrob:

Very nice find on Mary Lou's comments wrt production. I fear many here do not understand not all companies let their PR Wonks run their mouths off like a certain device re-brander that posts here all the time. Products are considered confidential info covered by NDA's...this is a very competitive business and nothing can kill the impact a device might have more than tipping the company's hand before hand...

PixelQi is a very above board and honest company...I mean the goal was to create cheap devices for people who have NO MONEY and live in dirt floor homes...the idea and goal was pure and they delivered. Look at the backers of the original OLPC and those were a who's who of the tech world...those folks would not back a company that could not deliver.

In fact I would not be surprised if the tablet-thingy from MS is based on the 3Qi display...right now I think the PixelQi tech holds the most promise.

Nice sleuthing to find her comments!!

[Kali Yuga]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

PixelQi is a very above board and honest company...I mean the goal was to create cheap devices for people who have NO MONEY and live in dirt floor homes...the idea and goal was pure and they delivered.

PixelQi hasn't gotten anything into production. We have no idea if they are "above board and honest" yet; or, if they are, whether they can genuinely deliver half of what they claim.

Not that I am disparaging them, but let's face it, hype is very common in tech and is treated as part of the game. Wake me when they have a shipping product that has been put through its paces.