Is my MobilePro screen normal?

[Brainiac 5]

I have a question for anyone with a MobilePro: I have a MobilePro 790, and whenever there's a line of more than a certain length on the screen, faint lines of brighter/whiter pixels extend from both ends of where the line is supposed to end. For instance, in the calculator, the box on the left that shows your history has white lines that extend left and up from the upper left corner, right and up from the upper right corner, etc. Is this normal?

I called NEC about it and they had me send it in for repair. They replaced the screen, but the new screen does exactly the same thing. It's also scratched, whereas the one I sent them was brand new. :mad:

I'm just wondering if this is normal for the MobilePro screen or if there's a problem somewhere else in the unit that's causing it.

[Pilot]

My MP750c (and the MP700 and MP450 before it) all did the same time of ghosting image thing in certain application. I would contact NEC and tell them you want another screen that isn't scratched.

[acravero]

Brainiac,

Yes, it's normal. Welcome to the world of DSTN (passive matrix) LCD screens! Your MobilePro has a DSTN (double-layer supertwist nematic) screen. They're slower than Active Matrix/Transflexive (Thin-Film Transistor, or TFT) - type screens, and they show "ghosting." They also have a slower refresh rate. I used to know the technical differences, but they have escaped me.

On the MS message boards, someone from NEC said that they were checking out our posts on that board. So, the main thing I mentioned was to put a TFT or Transflexive display in the thing! ALL the PPCs have 'em, as do most of the notebooks/laptops.

If you ever get another device with an LCD, be careful & check the type. STN, DSTN, HPA are all passive and offer sub-par picture quality & refresh rates. TFT & transflexive are active, offer quick refresh rates & are generally brighter & have a wider viewing range (can be viewed from more extreme angles). Users of passive displays generally have to be right in front of the display with the display angled toward them. I think this is part of the reason a lot of "multimedia" developers never developed for the HPC--I think all of them have passive displays.

Sorry to hear that your "new" screen came back scratched! They do have a "layer" on top of the screen (I think it's called the "digitizer") that is used to catch the stylus movement. Maybe that's what is scratched, and not the screen itself.

-Anthony

[JohnO]

acravero


Thanks for the excellent explanation on the screen types, it as very informative.

One of the great advantages of a DSTN screen is that you 'do' have to be right in front of it if you want to be able to read it. This is a huge plus when you are on a plane or in a crowded area because it keeps nosey people from reading your personal stuff. Unlike most laptops or pocket pc's where you are constantly tilting it so your neighbor sitting beside you can't read that personal note you are trying to write.

Brainiac 5

I never thought I'd say this but after a while using the 790, you won't even notice the shadows. Believe me, I was skeptical about it but it's true, only once in a blue moon do I actual notice those silly shadows.

In any case, there are so many great things about the 790 that out shadow (pun intended) this minor glitch....... I wouldn't trade it for any other HPC.

John

[acravero]

John & Brainiac,

Sorry I forgot to mention the upside (security). :cool:

Don't get me wrong either, I love my MP780. I actually bought one a LONG time ago, sold it & bought a Cassiopeia E125 (with a beautiful, clear TFT screen), and ultimately ended up selling that to get another MP780.

IMO the screen is a drawback (especially to sales), but it is something that can be tolerated, provided you aren't playing "fast" games or trying to watch video. For business apps, and standard note-taking/emailing/inventory (and all the other things HPCs are good for), the MobilePro is at the top of the class.

However, if I had paid over $600 for it, I'd be pretty perterbed about the DSTN screen. I bought a laptop with an HPA screen once, and thought I got a steal until I saw the screen. I was grossly disappointed.

I have a feeling the screen has actually hindered a lot of game producers who create PPC software from porting their titles to HPC.

But, as John said, you get used to it!
-Anthony