Anyone attending FPD International 2011 in Yokohama has probably found that the atmosphere is slightly different from past years. There are fewer demonstrations, not as many new products, and unfortunately, lower attendance. Some panel makers are absent, and others are only showing a few products in small booths. These circumstances reflect the current difficulties in the display industry.
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Category Archives: Small and Medium Displays
Chromebooks: What Netbooks Should Have Been All Along
When netbooks were first launched in late 2008, they were billed as clamshell devices meant to access the internet. About a decade earlier, these devices were also referred to as internet appliances. These netbooks were much less expensive than notebooks at the time, partly because of their limited functionality and partly because of their sleek size (eliminating components such as optical drives). The concept of these devices quickly devolved as consumers focused on price. Brands seized the growing demand opportunity and slapped together miniature notebooks using what they had at the time: notebook components.
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Major Japanese Small/Medium FPD Maker to Compete with Taiwan and Korea
Two major events in the Japanese small/medium LCD industry made headlines in June: Sharp announced it would convert its large-area panel factory in Kameyama to produce small/medium displays, and speculation emerged that LCD operations owned by Toshiba and Sony would be merged into a new company. The stories also indicated that Hitachi may join the joint venture, and that the public-private Innovation Network Corp of Japan would invest $2.5 billion and be the majority shareholder.
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HP’s TouchPad Launch Includes Crucial Retail Store Feature
HP officially launched its $499.99 TouchPad tablet in the US on Friday, July 1. The PC maker is joining the growing list of competitors who are lining up to challenge Apple’s iPad and gain a foothold in a rapidly expanding tablet market. Similar to other competing devices, the TouchPad has received mixed reviews. Many have said that HP got the operating system and user interface right, but the hardware and the app library need work. Another area HP got right, at least for now, is the retail experience.
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If Panel Prices Aren’t Increasing, Will They Fall?
Without end-market demand to support continued panel price increases, our Monthly Large-Area LCD and PDP Pricing Report indicates that the increase in panel prices that started in April stopped in the middle of June. Panel makers had hoped that prices would continue to increase, improving their profitability, but the upside seems very short-lived and panel prices are still below costs for a majority of the panel models.
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