Flexible displays in webOS's (distant) future? 35
As we mentioned in our liveblog and wrap-up of Phil McKinney's keynote at MobileBeat 2010, HP's CTO was very clear that he wasn't announcing any new hardware - he likes webOS's chances on a "Slate device" but not on the Slate device.
McKinney also broke out both a Palm Pre and a Palm Pixi, but the most interesting thing he pulled out during his speech was a rolled-up flexible display. What you're looking at is something from deep inside HP's R&D, it's similar to E-Ink, printed on Mylar, and essentially can be made into any size you can imagine, from handset on up to an entire wall. It's full color and low-power, but more notably it's a far-in-the-future kind of thing, don't expect flexible display devices in the short or even medium term. The display that McKinney showed is still fairly fragile, even rolled up in a protective tube it managed to collect some kinds and flaws.
The takeaway? While HP really is dedicated to webOS smartphones, this flexible display technology is a sign that HP is thinking big about mobility.
McKinney's goal for webOS is to break out of the spectrum of devices with television on one end and featurephones on the other, to create something that is both richly immersive and highly mobile with fewer tradeoffs than what current devices face. That asterisk off in the upper right, unbound from the line of non-mobile-but-rich televisions and highly-mobile-but-boring featurephones is the target.
35 Comments
Lets hope it's out before I turn 40 ... 17 more years
You just made me realize I'll be 40 in 15 years... thanks...
With flexible displays I'll be happy if they get attached to rigid curved surfaces. I can't wait for a phone that truely conforms to my leg curve of my front pockets, or true panorama displays for my desktop.
And trust me, it'll be here before you know it! LOL
Try 5 years for me. and yes it will be here before you know it.
Clealy this is part of WebOS 2.0
If they don't release this by Xmas, I'm walkin'.
AND TO ALL THE ANDROID TROLLS, OUR 40" DISPLAYS WILL FIT IN OUR POCKETS TOO, WHEN ROLLED UP CORRECTLY!
I wonder if the next WebOS device will be out before the flexible display...
Nothing says "cutting edge leadership" like the CTO for a large computer mfg using a dry-erase board during a presentation....Little things like this let you know Apple is in no danger of being dethroned.
But they shipped a cell phone where the user's hand would short the two antennas together and provide a conductive path to a big RF sink known as the human body. Apple's hubris will be their downfall.
Dethroned is an amusing choice of words since they're still just #2 in the US behind RIM. They may dominate 'mindshare' but the reality is rather different.
Really? You really just posted this? Wow.
Maybe he was afraid his wi-fi wouldn't work and he and his product would look frakin retarded.
You are completly wrong and is completly the opposite.
Actually it might not be the same, but the ultimate tool for designing, drafting and comunicating ideas in the most "cutting edge" software companies nowadays is: a whiteboard (or translucent glass), a pen and a digital camera.
Even designing on a napkin is considered better than having to open a software tool. No visio, no uml, no powerpoint...all about being "agile" and so...
This man knows his stuff and makes one be confident about his vision.
I completely agree. This means he is comfortable "talking his talk" rather than being able to follow a script.
Do you really think these types of guys produce their own slide shows for these types of events? No way, they have assistants who do that. If he can grab a whiteboard marker and be coherent with a "chalk talk", then that makes him an OK guy in my book.
Jobs doesn't brush his teeth without a slide show and teleprompter. Nice to see someone express their point without pre-created graphics from a team of graphic designers.
Yes, because gratuitous use of technology should be the standard. Why use a pen and paper for five minutes if you can whip up a clich
These headlines are ridiculous. If there is no news, please don't just pull stuff out of your ass.
Oh yes, because posts that are meant to spur discussion about what could be at some point in the future have no place on blogs. If there is no logic to your comment, please don't just pull stuff out of your ****
+1
People were hyped up about the possibility of a new product being announced/teased/whatever. The guy does none of that, was very explicit about that point, and pulls out the screen because he wanted to make a point about mobility. This is the MobileBeat conference, after all. Now there is a headline that is blowing that event right out of proportion. That is the logic I'm using. Clear?
If you're not ready to look that far down the road for future mobile tech, we'll have David Pogue spoon feed you stories about new concepts like 3G and touchscreen technology.
E-paper and flex screen technology gives you low battery consumption and a super think form factor. I'd totally buy a webOS phone with that.
yes.. Flexible is good.. Want it in the shape of my girlfriend. .w/benefits.. Worth waiting for!
And it should taste like bacon because bacon is the best food ever.
Hey @twiktor...you want it to be flexible, shaped like a girl, and to taste like bacon??? Me thinks that you're on the wrong site! :)
Sorry...couldn't help myself. ;)
hey I have been in various meetings with tech people and even though they have all sorts of technology at their finger tips.. They all prefer to use a dry erase board.. It's quicker and more efficiant then using a computer to sketch out ideas on.. I'm just saying. Think about the time waiting for the processes a program on a computer would have opposed to taking a single eraser to a dry board wiping it clean and add a sketch to the diagram.
You guys are missing the point. It's not about development, it's about presentation. This was a presentation was it not?
Tomato -- Tamato -- You can't make everybody happy. Me personally, I believe the person more when they actually write it out on a board. It looks like they know what they are talking about.... Back to the subject... I am so disappointed, waiting to hear about new hardware. I'm like a crackhead when it comes to this. I love my Pre, but I want more. Why couldn't he just give us some kind of tease to reassure us that we don't have to switch to EVO? So disappointed.
I believe when is time the finally unveil THE new product, it will have its own specific keynote.
These meetings are short and turn around is quick. I expect they didn't want to use time to set up and remove presentation equipment and risk losing 10-15 mins to a tech snafu.
From what I read, these meetings are not intended to be presentations, but more conversational. Most seem to be panels, or interviews.
didn't sony make prototypes of this in 99?
Wrote in 2004: http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/emerging-tech/2004/10/18/hp-unveils-paper-th...
and btw that chart looks like stairs with a beach ball rolling down
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
Frankly speaking, I m tired of listening to what HP 's announcing these 2 months. Or I don't care anythings other than WebOS. It just like I am in a store to buy pork and the manager keep talking other bullshit to me. Who care?
What the hell of HP think pre user will be interested n this bull shit? We don't even care about ipad or iphone which are ten time interesting than this.
The more HP talking about others than webos, the more sorry I feel sorry about Palm . Maybe palm is another compag.
could hp shut up and let Palm's CEO, I think is still Ron, to talk instead?
Great! Next thing you know he'll be introducing a phone like on Irobot. Technology is moving fast but not THAT fast. Ugh, I think I'll have to move to Android. That sucks because I really wanted to stay with Palm. All they had to do was just give a teaser for some new Palm hardware & say it's coming soon. Seems simple right? But instead, they're showing some science project that won't be in our hands for years. Now I see why HP will never be a mobile competitor. They're too busy showing what could be & no production on what is.