NEWS: iPad gouges netbook sales

John Navas wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Absolutely! There's no comparison to the Kindle in bright sunlight. The brighter the sun shines on it, the brighter the display as it's sunlit, not backlit.

Looking through that damned mirror is just awful outdoors.

Reply to
Larry
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which is great if you are outside. most people don't read books outside, they read them *inside*, especially when the weather is not all that great.

there is even a kindle clip-on light because the screen is not usable in dim light, such as reading in bed.

i don't doubt it. having to see your face is sheer terror.

Reply to
nospam

Fantastic. Now try that again in a dimly lit plane in a seat with the light unfortunately located slightly ahead of you, or when your partner is sleeping in bed beside you.

Neither is ideal in all situations.

Reply to
DevilsPGD

True, but the Kindle display is easier to read in the most common conditions, and works quite nicely with an Itty Bitty Book Light, whereas nothing will help the iPad out in the sun (e.g., at a park or the beach).

Reply to
John Navas

NavASS, I can see you now with your "Itty Bitty Book Liight" looking for your "Itty Bitty". LOL!!!

Reply to
George Kerby

nope. most people read indoors in less than ideal light, which is why there are add-on lights for it.

'it's not a bug it's a feature.'

the ipad works fine in sunlight, which if you actually used one you would know.

Reply to
nospam

Nothing? The iPad case makes a reasonable sun shade. Not great, but usable:

The real problem is that the iPad seems to overheat in the sun.

A transreflective LCD display, which reflects much of the heat, would have been soooooo nice.

Maybe when the iDesk (full size table top display) or iWall (wall size display) arrives from Apple...

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Not in my opinion.

Reply to
John Navas

You've never actually used a transreflective colour LCD either?

They're not necessarily bad in bright sun or factory bright light conditions, but they're not fantastic the rest of the time.

However, the fatal flat is that they use sidelighting rather than backlighting, so especially on larger screens where an effective sidelight isn't possible, you won't end up with a fantastic screen. Any attempt at a backlight just makes the screen look washed out and pathetic.

Reply to
DevilsPGD

I've used mine at a park on the edge of a beach already once and it worked fine. I wouldn't take it on a beach though, at least not until I can decide what is likely worse for the device, sand or water.

The brightness is reasonably adequate, brighter than most LCD panels, the trick is that instead of looking at it straight-on, tilt the device

5 degrees or so.
Reply to
DevilsPGD

NavASS is full of shit - as usual.

A 180 of whatever he says will lead to the truth.

Reply to
George Kerby

Not on a computah. I've seen them on outdoor wide screen LCD TV screens. Unfortunately, I only saw them at a Best Buy store, which is indoors. I've also seen small demo displays for cell phones and TV's with transreflective displays, again indoors. However, I've never seen one outdoors.

Sigh. There's a domain and web pile for everything:

Oh-oh.

How large would you want to go? The ultra thin HDTV's with LED edge lighting seems bright enough (indoors) at the Best Buy and Costco store. However, I wasn't in the market for one and didn't pay much attention. I didn't think they looked much different from the CCFL backlit LCD panels. What did I miss?

My personal favorite display was a laptop with a detachable LCD display. The back lighting could be removed so that the display could be placed on an overhead projector for presentations. It could also be fitted with a reflective screen for outdoor use. Of course, a back lit CCFL lamp arrangement for indoor use. The big problem was that the frame around the LCD panel needed to be fairly large, to accommodate the needed circuitry. There was also about 0.5" unusable area around the edge for contact area. I forgot who made those see-through LCD displays, but I thought they would soon be commonplace. I was wrong.

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Like an asshole, everyone has one. Yours is particularly inflated...

Reply to
George Kerby

Both.

Works quite well now up to smartphone size, and I've seen larger engineering samples with similar performance.

Reply to
John Navas

That's too funny. Squinting probably helps too. ;)

Reply to
John Navas

Nope actually, it doesn't. Good try though.

Reply to
DevilsPGD

Oh, yeah... Those tend to be a bit thicker to allow the sidelight to illuminate the entire screen from in front of the screen. What is ultra-thin for a TV or even a monitor might be too think for a iPad style tablet formfactor.

As I understand it, it's much harder to do it in an ultra-thin portable formfactor if the screen gets wider than an inch or two, unless you don't mind the center of the screen being darker.

Technology might have advanced around this problem, but from what little I can tell, we're not there (yet)

Reply to
DevilsPGD

John Navas wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Well, that's not quite true:

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It's made for a 4 x 5 camera and is just about the perfect size, giving iPad the totally dark place it wants for good display.

Not sure what the cops would think of you using it in a public park with little kids around, though....(c;]

Reply to
Larry

Jeff Liebermann wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Wow, wouldn't that be nice for a screened in porch overlooking the river!....hanging up over my Pawley's Island Rope Hammock, loaded with the latest DivX movies off usenet.....hmmm....

(John make a note of my brackets just for you....(c;]

Get the Presidential....It only costs a little more to go first class...

Reply to
Larry

Is that what you wear when you're teasing the waitress at Waffle House?

Not sure where your mind is going, Lar...

Reply to
George Kerby

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