IMHO more a viewer problem and not a display problem one ; ) -> better pdf and webbrower Re: Idea for one of the next Neos: Projecting the display via LEDs

[Robert Michel]

Salve Uwe!

On Sun, 21 Jan 2007, Uwe Koch wrote:
> it's still always the same problem:
> Mobile phones' displays  are to small (size or resolution) to view documents,
> ebooks, whatever - but they are small to carry with.
> 
> On the other hand PDAs are to large to carry with but are a better
> solution for ebooks or reading texts - but is it large enough?

Yes it is - I've read complete books on my Palm 160x160.

> Imagine that you can view pics or even videos, on a projected part
> of the wall.
> Isn't that the solution?

I love reading crazy ideas on this list, and so I'm happy to read
this idea as well, but in this point I don't think it is realistic
to use it inside a mobile phone and to do it. Why?

Ok reading that ebooks on a screen 160x160 wasn't that comfortable,
but it was possible. Remember that the Neo1973 will have a 480x640
resolution - that will be very fine for nearly unformated text.
Display developement will continous and I expect even higher resolutions
that 260 dpi - so than a four-times higher resolution could be used
for a 2-times more text - at some point 8x4 pixel chars will become
to tinny, but with some more pixel small chars on a very high resolution
stay readable... - did you understood me?

Then back to encrease the display size - With thin displays it could be 
done by a second and maybe third display to slide out...

When reading a book not much CPU power is needed, in most cases not even
colour - so when you want to be able to read a full book 12-20h you
don't want a high battery consumption for it:
The display should be tranfelctive or pure refective.


Than projetion on a wall does not work on the road, in the train, bus,
car or plain. When you whant to use it, you said yourself you would
need external power...
When a plain offers external power, it is very likly that it offers
a video input for the display in front of you as well.


Beeing on a conference or in someones office it could be a cool
007-gimick to impress that person but a transfective display will
need less or just the same power, then a LED projection...

When you are somewhere where other computer, monitors and beamers are,
two thinks will help you:
1. a FreeNX connection to use someone else device (Via USB, Bluetooth
   or GPRS) a Java FreeNX client could help to do this without
   installation on the guest display device
2. When the Neo1973 would have USB 2.0 a VGA adapter would be usable,
   but even now you have the freedem to carry a small NSLU2 with a 
   Bluetooth and VGA adapter with you - put it in that office close
   to the Workstation with the big display or beamer and that
   make your show from the Neo1973 via Bluetooth and FreeNX.
   For video let it play on the NSLU2 and your Neo1973 is just the
   remote for this.

   
At last - what is with formated documents like pdf?
Even 1024x640 screens are not the best solution for pdf. 
The designer whish to have a very big white border around
is making me crasy, even with my laptop - so I would like
to see a pdf viewer with the function to cut all this stupid
white spaces and have an manual/automatic optimising to see
the information better on any display when **I** whant this:
http://lists.openmoko.org/pipermail/community/2006-November/000406.html
(my xpdf,webbrowser ideas)


Both - the better pdf viewer and also using FreeNX are ways to
use the power of using free software on the Neo1973 :))
and we can do it, having better solutions, from Neo1973 v1 on ;)

Greetings,
rob



PS: I would expect that the small size beamer will be first external
    devices - when they need power and a non moved and good direction
    to the wall.