What is a VGA PDA screen good for?

[jonasolof]

AFAIK, the M5 has a screen which measures the same as the iQue, about 4240 mm2. At QVGA (quarter VGA??) 240x320 pixels this gives about 18 pixels per mm2.

The iQue at 320x480 has about 36 pixels per mm2 and the resolution is pretty good.

A PDA VGA screen is not larger (?) but has 480x640 pixels which gives about 72 pixels per mm2, double density from the iQue.

I have an old Sharp actius A300 laptop which has an excellent screen but counting, it only has 12 pixels per mm2.

It is obvious that items on the screen which have a fixed pixel size by programming will be smaller on a VGA screen, whereas objects that can be scaled by (vector)zooming can be adjusted for size.

This leaves me wondering - why did PPC screens jump from QVGA directly to VGA without stopping by at HVGA (half VGA- my definition) like the iQue or TungstenT3 screen resolution of 320x480 pixels. I see people complain that they can't use the VGAresolution because objects become too small (icons for example). Fugawi hasn't even started working on implementing VGA in their PPC version of the software and I guess they aren't alone.

It seems to me the only reason for VGA is that screens will eventually become larger - but then the PDAs risk to grow too large. Actually, if you look at Smartphones, the trend is the other way. Samsumg showed a windows mobile phone edition UMTS phone at CeBit but the screen was much smaller than a common PDA screen.

[JMckie]

I have to agree that for 4" screens, VGA does not really give an advantage over HVGA. Our eyes are simply not that good! The reason they jumped to full VGA is more marketing, IMO, than any other practical reason.

If Dell offered a HVGA version, I would have chosen it over the VGA version because it would be faster, consume less memory, and consume less power.

[Curious Cat]

Doc Jonas,

In your medical endeavors have you ever used the "loops" type of glasses surgeons use here? I can imagine needing such a device soon to look up a phone number on the new PDA's. :)

[jonasolof]

Yes Cat, I have. I actually started with these when I was about 11 and collecting butterflies. Now, as an adult,I'm -6 myopic. So without contact lenses I could read a 1280x960 pixel PDA screen also:)

Actually, I found some interestings comments in a review I just read on the Dell Axim X50v here (http://www.**********.com/default.asp?newsID=2258&review=Axim+X50v)

So there is some internal windos mobile handling by pixel doubling for software which hasn't yet adapted to VGA. But if you double pixels in both dimensions, you quadruple the number. I guess that's why they didn't stop by HVGA. Remember 18 >36>72 per mm2.


While on the X50v, I'd like to comment that the quite nice ooutdoor protective case I wrote about from www.palmcase.de called "palmcase-mini" can house the X50v according to the compatibility list in the brochure I got at CeBit. The Loox 720 is OK also, the H4700 is too large. The M5 should go in as does the 3600, but you couldn't unfold the antenna, so a BT solution seems more appealing. Could you use the GPS10 with the M5 for Garmin Que software??

[JMckie]

So there is some internal windos mobile handling by pixel doubling for software which hasn't yet adapted to VGA. But if you double pixels in both dimensions, you quadruple the number. I guess that's why they didn't stop by HVGA. Remember 18 >36>72 per mm2.


That makes a lot of sense. I stand corrected.

[Curious Cat]

Originally posted by jonasolof
... The M5 should go in as does the 3600, but you couldn't unfold the antenna, so a BT solution seems more appealing. ...

Would the M5 navigate with the antenna closed or even look for incoming data? You could put a small blank plug into the external antenna input but then it might insist upon getting the data that way.

[jonasolof]

Ooops, didn't think of the patented switch. Maybe one can fool it.

Back to VGA: I'm amazed of the pixel density. At 72 per square mm, that is more than 8x8 per mm. Well, I guess the naked eye can see an object which is 1/10 a mm if you're close.

[kefer]

You should see the Que software at full vga resolution - then you would understand what it is for. The graphics are razor sharp, and you can (obviously) get way more map area on the screen. I actually have started using Que in vga mode regularly, and find it very useful.

The other big advantage is for games. Personally, I'm not a big gamer, but the vga games that Dell includes with the x50v are impressive.

Text is definitely the big problem. What we need is a new os that modifys text size, menus, icons, etc. for the higher resolution so they are legible. In the mean time, ozvga is a band-aid solution that is really impressive given it's cost (free).

[Curious Cat]

Originally posted by kefer
You should see the Que software at full vga resolution - then
Text is definitely the big problem. What we need is a new os that modifys text size, menus, icons, etc. for the higher resolution so they are legible. In the mean time, ozvga is a band-aid solution that is really impressive given it's cost (free).

On Windows you can set the resolution higher (everything smaller) but also set the fonts size to larger to compensate. Perhaps this option exists in the PPC environment. Answerdude?

[AnswerDude]

You can do it for system font,
http://www.phm.lu/PocketPC/RegTweaks/Tweak.asp?ref=34
but inside an application, i'm not sure how effective it is. It's really up to the developer to implement vga support correctly. In the mean time, while waiting for next version of Windows Mobile, we just have to use programs like SE_VGA, Ozvga and Tweaks2k2 to make the applications work in vga.

[Egmont]

size to larger to compensate. Perhaps this option exists in the PPC environment

Yes, there is

http://ozvga.da.ru/

I put it on and it works very well, but I really only use it for spreadsheets and data bases to get the extra columns in conjunction with RotateSE.NET, a screen rotation tool.

[AnswerDude]

Here's a sample of the power and potentials of the combination of VGA and 3d graphic accelerator in axim x50v,
http://www.powervr.com/Downloads/Demos/index.asp

[jonasolof]

Originally posted by kefer
You should see the Que software at full vga resolution - then you would understand what it is for. The graphics are razor sharp, and you can (obviously) get way more map area on the screen. I actually have started using Que in vga mode regularly, and find it very useful.
.....
Text is definitely the big problem. What we need is a new os that modifys text size, menus, icons, etc. for the higher resolution so they are legible. In the mean time, ozvga is a band-aid solution that is really impressive given it's cost (free).

What does it take to see Que software full screen in VGA? The early screenshots of Que maps filling out only parts of the screen had a great negative impact. It would be nice to see as good as possible a rendering of the map screen now that you have had time to try the various tweaks.

[kefer]

Originally posted by jonasolof
What does it take to see Que software full screen in VGA? The early screenshots of Que maps filling out only parts of the screen had a great negative impact. It would be nice to see as good as possible a rendering of the map screen now that you have had time to try the various tweaks.

No, it definitely fills the screen - I never saw those screenshots you are referring to, so I can't comment.

Is there a screenshot utility that works in full vga mode? Most of the ones that I'm familiar with don't - otherwise I would post one so you could see what it looks like.

[JMckie]

I've see two kinds of screenshots.

- the native QVGA 320X240 blown up four times on a VGA screen - looks actually worse than the iQue's native 320X480 because of pixellation.

- QueMap "forced" to run in full vga using a freeware utility. Lots of gorgeous map detail but text is very hard to read on 4" screen. The screen controls, which are not resized, are too small to hit so I don't know how useful it is.

[AnswerDude]

Originally posted by kefer

Is there a screenshot utility that works in full vga mode? Most of the ones that I'm familiar with don't - otherwise I would post one so you could see what it looks like.

This should work;
Magic SS
http://www.louterrailloune.com/index.php?page=magicss