Bigger LCDs Mean Better Images to Go

Chris Chinnock

Bigger screens, more pixels. That's the trend in notebook screens as LCD manufacturers satisfy consumers' desire for bigger displays, especially for users whose notebook is their primary computer. The 10.4-inch VGA AMLCD (active-matrix LCD) is common in notebooks today, and some notebooks with bigger 11.3-inch passive-matrix displays such as the Austin Vista notebook from IPC Technologies (Austin, TX) are already available. Expect more 11.3-inch AMLCD notebooks to reach the market this year and next as screen manufacturers such as Hosiden, Sharp, NEC Electronics, Hitachi, and others achieve volume production.

Notebook displays that are larger than 11.3 inches diagonal will require a new notebook format. Apparently, that is what notebook vendors have in mind. Display manufacturer Mitsubishi Electronics America (Sunnyvale, CA) is working to redesign its existing 12.1-inch XGA (Extended Graphics Array) display to make it more suitable for notebooks.

"Various companies have informed us that there may be a new notebook size coming out in the next year or so that will take a 12.1-inch display," says Dale Maunu, product marketing manager at Mitsubishi. He declined to name specific companies. Screen manufacturers that will or already have 12.1-inch displays include Hosiden, Sharp, NEC Electronics, IBM, Hitachi, and Toshiba.

Because the 12.1-inch display offers about the same viewing area as a 14-inch CRT monitor, manufacturers also hope to sell some of these 12.1-inch displays with desktop computer systems. Expect to see these larger LCDs with high-end workstations where desk space is limited or mobility is important.

Displays that are 12.1 inches and larger are not a new item. Most display makers have made prototypes or are in limited produ ction of larger-size displays. However, 12.1-inch displays are costly, power-hungry, and heavier than 10.4-inch displays. Screen manufacturers are working to reduce the cost and weight of the displays and improve performance. And notebook manufacturers are investigating ways to make their laptops lighter and thinner to accept the new large displays.

One way display makers hope to reduce the prices of their larger displays is through improving their manufacturing efficiency. Most manufacturers say larger motherglass sizes are the best way to improve efficiency, because more displays can be processed at the same time. To reduce weight, display makers plan to use thinner glass, more compact electronics that drive the video, and smaller backlight tubes.

"While the market demands smaller and lighter notebooks, it also wants the largest screen available," says Greg Gonzales, who is director of portable products at IPC Technologies ((800) 338-1571). "Our weight target is still under 6 pounds." Given th ose parameters, Gonzales says, the current strategy is to design notebooks that are wider, but about 1.5 inches thick, or about 0.5 inch thinner than today.