Mobile Devices - Some Basic Info

If we look at mobile devices like laptops - netbooks - tablets, the LCD Display is driving several elements of the overall design.

- As a rule of thumb the LCD Display is responsible for 50% of the cost of a device. So if an iPad costs $499 then the display is about $250 of that cost. The other half of the cost covers all the hardware (chips - connectors - batteries- etc), product design, and the ever important software and operating system development.
- In both netbooks and tablets, manufacturers are working hard to find the perfect screen size to optimize useability, readability, functionality, and cost. I believe netbooks will get just a tiny bit bigger (bigger keypad and screen), but tablet devices are wide open as to the best size.
- Screen resolution is a key factor and also contributes to the cost of the display. In base terms the resolution refers to the pixel count of the display, and the more pixels the detail and clarity you get. However, the more pixels on the screen means more bytes have to be processed (by the hardware) which requires more powerful hardware. More powerful hardware consumes more power and generates more heat - both of these are bad for mobile devices.
- In any type of mobile device the size of the screen is a crucial element. Both NetBooks and the coming wave of Tablets will be trying to find that balance point between: Nice and Readable and The right size for portability.