US based Pixel Qi is developing laptop screens that can be read in bright sunlight and yet operated with a tenth of the power required by a conventional LCD screen. A Lenovo employee displays a ThinkPad notebook computer
© AFP/File Yoshikazu TsunoDecember 02, 2008, (Sawf News) - US based Pixel Qi is developing laptop screens that can be read in bright sunlight and yet operated with a tenth of the power required by a conventional LCD screen.
While world attention has been focused on increasing the charge stored in batteries, through the use of fuel cell technology, increasing a laptop's running time before a battery recharge, Pixel Qi has focused on reducing the power consumption of the LCD screens on laptops and other hand held devices.
Pixel Qi screens, which cost a third of traditional LCD screens, will allow a laptop using a standard battery to run for 20 to 40 hours before needing a recharge.
The screens will be available for mainstream laptops, mini-laptops and ebook readers in high volume mass production in mid-2009.
Pixel Qi is helmed by Mary Lou Jepsen, formerly the head of Intel's display division and chief technology officer at One Laptop Per Child (OLPC).
"We are working with a number of notebook and e-book makers on a number of different form factors," says Jepsen. "We can enable an increase of 5-10X battery life between charges compared with a standard notebook. This means that rather than needing to recharge your batteries every few hours, you could run 20-40 hours of use on a one charge."
Pixel Qi aims to achieve cost efficiencies by basing their screens on traditional LCD materials on LCD manufacturing lines.
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