Return to the archive index

Re: Inexpensive Display Technology

From: "R. Paul McCarty" <>
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998 14:48:23 +0000

Tony Havelka wrote:
> 
> A few years ago the P4 was selling for ~$1,200. The P5 has been "coming
> out" for quite some time now. Instead of waiting, why not buy something
> that exists today.  Make money with the product you develop and when the
> P5, or other technology, does come out, re-evaluate your display selection.

Excellent points from a marketing point of view, but most of the people
on this list aren't interested in adding momentum to the wearable
peripheral market to advance product selection from manufacturers, and
they aren't going to think along these lines.  As in the past, military
and niche industrial markets for these devices are going to provide the
push for better technologies, not the consumer/hobbiest markets.  This
list is composed of this later market and doesn't yet have the inertia
to affect commercial production of wearable peripherals.`

> >But WebTV runs on 21" monitors, not displays the size of your pinkey
> >finger.
> 
> The M1 image looks like a 20" monitor 5 feet away.

it "looks like" because it uses optics to focus the display, which leads
to distortion of the image, color separation, etc. which results in a
lower quality image then a 21" monitor (which also has higher contrast
than an lcd display).

> >All I know is from all the posts it seems pretty clear that there are
> >dozens of people on this list who want to build a wearable, but are
> >getting stuck on the display.
> 
> Are they getting stuck on the display or are they being bogged down by
> specifications?  How many developers have not tried an HMD just because of
> its specs and not because of its performance?  We have made numerous sales
> to people just because of our evaluation program - try before you buy.  320
> x 240 with additive sampling looks pretty darn good even with 10 point
> font.

I think people are bogged down on specifications.  I would wager 90% of
the people on this list haven't even put on an HMD.  (please no one be
offended by this, its just my impression; If I'm wrong tell me!).

> Also, why would a display hamper the building of a wearable? 

Because there are incredible restrictions on power usage, weight, size,
durability, etc. that were never put on desktop monitors.

> Buy now. Upgrade later. Without that attitude the wearable industry may be
> stuck waiting for new technology that is "just" around the corner and not
> making money with the technology that is available today.  Market
> validation is paramount.

Good points. 

-Paul
-- 
R. Paul McCarty / DARS Coordinator /  / x52059
317 Lattimore Hall, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627
Computers don't make errors; what they do, they do on purpose.-Dale/KOTH

Previous Message in Thread | Next Message in Thread

From Wear-Hard Mailing list Archive (WH)
Maintained by R. Paul McCarty

Archive created with babymail