OLED screens coming to laptops
The term OLED stands for organic light emitting diodes.
OLEDs are these new, little electronic buggers produce more light output – and therefore better picture quality – than their non-organic cousins.
That means screens – as in laptops computers and flat-screen TVs – can be made thinner, lighter weight, much brighter and more energy efficient than any of their pre-historic brethren (like 2007).
Nearly two years ago (January, 2008), Sony presented their first OLED flat screen TVs at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. We were all mesmerized by the quality of the pictures on the screen. It was unlike any other television set than any of us had even witnessed.
Problem was that OLED screens were and still are expensive. That’s why Sony’s XEL-1 TV sported an 11-inch (diagonal), 16:9 screen boasting 960 by 540 native resolution and a contrast ratio of 1,000,000-to-1.
It cost (and actually still costs) a whopping $2,499 on Sony’s Website. Sony claims that the XEL-1’s screen yields the same pixel density as a 40-inch, 1080p LCD TV.
All I know is that when I tested one – the small TV had the best quality TV picture I have ever seen. Especially with over-the-air, HDTV broadcasts. (Non-compressed, over-the-air HD video – unlike cable, satellite of fiber – is a real eye opener).
But OLED screens are expensive to make – and therefore for consumers (you and I) to purchase. There are a few on the market but that’s why we haven’t been flooded with OLED TVs to date.
So, today’s announcement by Samsung is even more interesting. The South Korean manufacturer has just introduced a prototype of their first OLED laptop at the IFA trade show in Germany.
Kyu Uhm, Samsung’s Worldwide Sales and Marketing boss for their computing division, told journalists that his company is planning to release an OLED laptop towards the end of 2010 – probably in the third quarter – next fall.
OLED-info.com, quotes officials:
“Samsung is the largest OLED screen manufacturer. And as soon as it’s available commercially for laptops we will adopt it”.
So far, there’s been no word on what an OLED-screened laptop might cost.
For the record, according to Samsung, analysts at Gartner Research believe that OLED notebook will become the norm over the next 5 years.