Accentuating the positive doesn't make products better.
Stephen Manes, PC World
It's guaranteed: whenever I say mean things about some third-rate bloatware that doesn't remotely live up to its hype--like, say, Windows Vista--I get a batch of e-mail berating me for being negative. And I'm not the only one: In online forums, fans of whatever item is under the microscope enjoy dissing "whiners" who pick apart the failings in products and services, from high-end hotels to nose-hair trimmers.
Sorry, Pollyannas, but you're missing the point. To borrow a phrase from Spiro Agnew's speechwriters, nattering nabobs of negativism--including professional complainers like me and savvy online amateurs--are all that keep us from a world where marketing and public-relations messages are the only ones that matter.
Vendors often give professional reviewers access to new products and services before their release, but many companies have adopted the clever strategy of announcing products long before they actually exist. The idea is to garner plenty of positive buzz before negative hands-on reviews can show up. When you read a report that "this slim device delivers driving directions throughout the U.S." without any evidence that the writer tried it, you can be sure that this bland information came directly from the company's literature. Only later will you learn that the unit takes forever to lock on to the satellite signals, is unreadable on sunny days, eats batteries, and takes a perverse pleasure in sending you the wrong way down one-way streets.
Hands-on experience is the difference between information and hype. Those of us who test products for a living often hear from vendors who don't like it when we point out the drawbacks of what they sell. But is Microsoft going to take out full-page ads to proclaim "Lots of incompatibilities remain"? Is your cellular provider going to erect a billboard trumpeting "New phone: Minor improvement, if that!" or "Entering dropped-call zone"?
And the Internet's ability to give every frustrated customer a soapbox has ushered in a Golden Age of Negativity--for which I am supremely grateful. When a recent Windows update led my audio software to deliver an error message every time my machine booted up, a ticked-off Slashdot post from another victim of the same glitch pointed the way to a fix. When you google an error message, the solution often comes from some sadder but wiser user rather than the offending company's support database.
Before I go on vacation, I head straight to TripAdvisor for the truth about the hotel room that's too small to turn around in or the "luxury resort" whose renovation means jackhammers at 6 a.m. Before shelling out for home theater components, I turn to AVS Forum to see what the unhappiest buyers are saying about devices whose HDMI connectors don't always connect. Before I buy a car, I seek out the least-satisfied customers I can find on sites like Edmunds.com to flesh out my worst-case scenarios.
Amazon.com customers who bestow five-star ratings on tech products can be worth reading, but first I want the no- and one-star reviews. Sometimes they come from outright cranks, but more often they're written by experts who snicker at the glowing notices from novices who think "640 by 480" is tech talk for high resolution--and then point out the flaws the newbies missed.
Everyone wants high-quality, high-value products and services. The truth is, you don't discover and encourage them by dwelling on the bright side.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/132073-1/article.html
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Think You Have On-Site Service? Maybe Not
My purchase of an ABS Awesome 6300 PC in April 2004 included a three-year on-site service contract. So when my PC failed to start last November, I called ABS. A technician walked me through potential fixes, but none worked. I told him I had an on-site service contract, but he and a manager said the company that was supposed to provide the on-site service had gone out of business, and he and ABS could do nothing about it. I purchased the service contract from ABS, but I have received from them as yet neither service nor a refund.
Luis Garcia-Bunuel, Prescott, Arizona
On Your Side responds: According to ABS, Garcia-Bunuel's on-site service agreement wasn't actually with ABS, but with 2NET, a company that ABS partnered with for several years. Later, ABS terminated its relationship with 2NET, which has since gone out of business. An ABS spokesperson said the company clearly stated on its Web site and in material accompanying the PC that the service was provided by 2NET. Garcia-Bunuel says the only indication that his service was with 2NET was an item on his initial invoice. ABS gave free phone tech support to Garcia-Bunuel, and a company rep said he can call if he has more problems.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/131872-1/article.html
Luis Garcia-Bunuel, Prescott, Arizona
On Your Side responds: According to ABS, Garcia-Bunuel's on-site service agreement wasn't actually with ABS, but with 2NET, a company that ABS partnered with for several years. Later, ABS terminated its relationship with 2NET, which has since gone out of business. An ABS spokesperson said the company clearly stated on its Web site and in material accompanying the PC that the service was provided by 2NET. Garcia-Bunuel says the only indication that his service was with 2NET was an item on his initial invoice. ABS gave free phone tech support to Garcia-Bunuel, and a company rep said he can call if he has more problems.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/131872-1/article.html
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Mimio: Electronic Whiteboard Substitute
Virtual Ink Mimio
If you attend a lot of brainstorming sessions, you've probably wished for an electronic whiteboard to capture all those precious ideas. But the large ones are pricey, and even compact units, such as MicroTouch's sub-$500 Ibid 100, are heavy and unwieldy.
Virtual Ink's $499 Mimio isn't cheaper than smaller competitive offerings, but it solves the portability problem by retrofitting conventional whiteboards to record scribbles and sketches electronically on a PC. It consists of a folding 28-inch bar (14 by 7 by 2 inches when closed) that weighs under 2 pounds; four color-coded dry-erase marker sheaths; and a pressure-sensitive eraser. The bar holds position-sensing optics and connects by cables to the serial (or Universal Serial Bus) and mouse ports of a PC. The marker sheaths are wired for ultrasonic and infrared transmission. When you write, Mimio detects and records your pen strokes as images you can save for printing or perusal. You use the eraser to make corrections or to wipe out blocks of text.
Setup of an early preproduction unit was remarkably straightforward. The teal-colored bar attached by suction cups to the left side of my 3-by-4-foot office whiteboard. The mechanical kinks I ran into--suction cups giving way unexpectedly, and pens sometimes needing a lot of pressure to activate--should be fixed in the shipping version.
Virtual Ink says that Mimio supports boards as large as 4 by 8 feet and can be used with videoconferencing software, including Microsoft's NetMeeting, to share whiteboard notes remotely.
Mimio would be even more useful if it could convert handwriting to editable text. But if you can't justify the expense of a large electronic whiteboard, or even a smaller one that isn't comfortably portable, Mimio should fit the bill.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,10195/article.html
If you attend a lot of brainstorming sessions, you've probably wished for an electronic whiteboard to capture all those precious ideas. But the large ones are pricey, and even compact units, such as MicroTouch's sub-$500 Ibid 100, are heavy and unwieldy.
Virtual Ink's $499 Mimio isn't cheaper than smaller competitive offerings, but it solves the portability problem by retrofitting conventional whiteboards to record scribbles and sketches electronically on a PC. It consists of a folding 28-inch bar (14 by 7 by 2 inches when closed) that weighs under 2 pounds; four color-coded dry-erase marker sheaths; and a pressure-sensitive eraser. The bar holds position-sensing optics and connects by cables to the serial (or Universal Serial Bus) and mouse ports of a PC. The marker sheaths are wired for ultrasonic and infrared transmission. When you write, Mimio detects and records your pen strokes as images you can save for printing or perusal. You use the eraser to make corrections or to wipe out blocks of text.
Setup of an early preproduction unit was remarkably straightforward. The teal-colored bar attached by suction cups to the left side of my 3-by-4-foot office whiteboard. The mechanical kinks I ran into--suction cups giving way unexpectedly, and pens sometimes needing a lot of pressure to activate--should be fixed in the shipping version.
Virtual Ink says that Mimio supports boards as large as 4 by 8 feet and can be used with videoconferencing software, including Microsoft's NetMeeting, to share whiteboard notes remotely.
Mimio would be even more useful if it could convert handwriting to editable text. But if you can't justify the expense of a large electronic whiteboard, or even a smaller one that isn't comfortably portable, Mimio should fit the bill.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,10195/article.html
Electronic Whiteboard Kits on the Go
Electronics for Imaging EBeam, Virtual Link Mimio
How many times have you looked back on a meeting and wished you'd taken better notes? Electronic whiteboards can help by recording the scribbling of you and your colleagues, but they're expensive (more than $2500 for a 4-by-6-foot board) and too heavy to tote from room to room. Virtual Ink's Mimio and Electronics for Imaging's EBeam address both of these issues: Each unit costs about $500, fits inside a briefcase, and attaches to any conventional whiteboard with dimensions up to 4 by 8 feet.
Both products use sonic receivers to track movements on a conventional whiteboard. Regular marker pens fit into special holders that emit a very faint buzzing sound at a specific frequency whenever you press down to draw on the whiteboard. A special eraser works in a similar fashion.
Product setup and use are remarkably straightforward. Both Mimio and EBeam connect to a free serial port on your PC (EBeam offers an optional USB adapter). Both come with software for recording pen and eraser strokes, playing back or printing whiteboard sessions, attaching notes, and exporting screens to several file formats. You can even share your meetings with remote users via the Internet. There are a few hitches--pen holders sometimes require a lot of pressure to activate, and changing the angle at which you hold the pen will slightly alter how a line appears on screen. But these devices generally work quite well.
Mimio's receiver is a 28-inch bar that uses two large, lever-released suction cups to clamp onto the left side of your whiteboard (the bar folds in half for transporting). This product's capture software is better than EBeam's, with multiple levels of zoom, configurable pen colors, and a slicker overall presentation. For data sharing, Mimio's free software links with Microsoft's NetMeeting conferencing package to display whiteboard contents in real time. A software update (which should be available by the time you read this) will let Mimio write directly to the NetMeeting whiteboard. Also on tap are a $50 USB adapter and a $99 handwriting-recognition plug-in to convert your scribbles into editable text documents.
EBeam's more compact hardware--two small pods that attach to the top corners of your whiteboard--makes it the natural choice for travelers. The capture software lacks some of Mimio's polish, but it gets the job done. Remote users can obtain full-featured meeting access by downloading a free copy of the software, and a handy Java client permits anyone who has a Java-enabled Web browser to look in on the meeting.
NetMeeting users may prefer Mimio's more robust software, while people on the go should favor EBeam's more compact hardware and Java client. Either product offers an economical, portable alternative to an expensive, heavy electronic whiteboard.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,15364/article.html
How many times have you looked back on a meeting and wished you'd taken better notes? Electronic whiteboards can help by recording the scribbling of you and your colleagues, but they're expensive (more than $2500 for a 4-by-6-foot board) and too heavy to tote from room to room. Virtual Ink's Mimio and Electronics for Imaging's EBeam address both of these issues: Each unit costs about $500, fits inside a briefcase, and attaches to any conventional whiteboard with dimensions up to 4 by 8 feet.
Both products use sonic receivers to track movements on a conventional whiteboard. Regular marker pens fit into special holders that emit a very faint buzzing sound at a specific frequency whenever you press down to draw on the whiteboard. A special eraser works in a similar fashion.
Product setup and use are remarkably straightforward. Both Mimio and EBeam connect to a free serial port on your PC (EBeam offers an optional USB adapter). Both come with software for recording pen and eraser strokes, playing back or printing whiteboard sessions, attaching notes, and exporting screens to several file formats. You can even share your meetings with remote users via the Internet. There are a few hitches--pen holders sometimes require a lot of pressure to activate, and changing the angle at which you hold the pen will slightly alter how a line appears on screen. But these devices generally work quite well.
Mimio's receiver is a 28-inch bar that uses two large, lever-released suction cups to clamp onto the left side of your whiteboard (the bar folds in half for transporting). This product's capture software is better than EBeam's, with multiple levels of zoom, configurable pen colors, and a slicker overall presentation. For data sharing, Mimio's free software links with Microsoft's NetMeeting conferencing package to display whiteboard contents in real time. A software update (which should be available by the time you read this) will let Mimio write directly to the NetMeeting whiteboard. Also on tap are a $50 USB adapter and a $99 handwriting-recognition plug-in to convert your scribbles into editable text documents.
EBeam's more compact hardware--two small pods that attach to the top corners of your whiteboard--makes it the natural choice for travelers. The capture software lacks some of Mimio's polish, but it gets the job done. Remote users can obtain full-featured meeting access by downloading a free copy of the software, and a handy Java client permits anyone who has a Java-enabled Web browser to look in on the meeting.
NetMeeting users may prefer Mimio's more robust software, while people on the go should favor EBeam's more compact hardware and Java client. Either product offers an economical, portable alternative to an expensive, heavy electronic whiteboard.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,15364/article.html
Monday, May 28, 2007
Deconstructions: Nanochip
A memory chip the size of a white blood cell has profound implications for the future of computing.
This month Metropolis takes detailed looks at objects ranging in scale from the microscopic to the architectural. Links to the related stories can be found at the bottom of this article.
Earlier this year, two scientists announced that they had built a working memory chip about the size of a white blood cell. This was not only a computing breakthrough but something of a design accomplishment. Conventional memory chips are made exponentially smaller every year, à la Moore’s Law, but those are “just a smaller version of what Intel made five years ago,” explains James R. Heath, of the California Institute of Technology, who, along with UCLA’s J. Fraser Stoddart, created the device. Heath and Stoddart, by contrast, were designing on such a minute scale that they had to rethink completely what a memory chip could be. Indeed, the two men are chemists, not engineers, and they built their chips out of clusters of molecules instead of silicon.
The new chip is so small that they needed to devise molecules that would self-assemble in the required ways. Do terms like structure and architecture still apply at this scale? Heath says they do, noting that the chip’s circuitry, which is highly tolerant of defects, was based on some of the same principles as the Los Angeles freeway system’s. “When we first were exploring this, we actually made a computer [chip] that was designed along these levels—with streets, boulevards, and interstates.” Although the technology is about 15 years away from being integrated into your laptop, Heath is optimistic that the chip will ultimately have important applications. In the captions, he explains the details of his revolutionary design.
http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=2624
This month Metropolis takes detailed looks at objects ranging in scale from the microscopic to the architectural. Links to the related stories can be found at the bottom of this article.
Earlier this year, two scientists announced that they had built a working memory chip about the size of a white blood cell. This was not only a computing breakthrough but something of a design accomplishment. Conventional memory chips are made exponentially smaller every year, à la Moore’s Law, but those are “just a smaller version of what Intel made five years ago,” explains James R. Heath, of the California Institute of Technology, who, along with UCLA’s J. Fraser Stoddart, created the device. Heath and Stoddart, by contrast, were designing on such a minute scale that they had to rethink completely what a memory chip could be. Indeed, the two men are chemists, not engineers, and they built their chips out of clusters of molecules instead of silicon.
The new chip is so small that they needed to devise molecules that would self-assemble in the required ways. Do terms like structure and architecture still apply at this scale? Heath says they do, noting that the chip’s circuitry, which is highly tolerant of defects, was based on some of the same principles as the Los Angeles freeway system’s. “When we first were exploring this, we actually made a computer [chip] that was designed along these levels—with streets, boulevards, and interstates.” Although the technology is about 15 years away from being integrated into your laptop, Heath is optimistic that the chip will ultimately have important applications. In the captions, he explains the details of his revolutionary design.
http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=2624
An expert's look at RFID World 2007
The annual RFID World conference, held last week in Dallas, Texas, continues to draw a large crowd of vendors, developers and end-users interested in Radio Frequency Identification. The size of the show appeared to be marginally larger than last year, with more than 200 exhibitors and nine separate educational tracks focused on topics ranging from hardware advancements to real-time location tracking to security to mandate compliance.
Active RFID
While there were continued advancements in the EPC (Electronic Product Code passive RFID space (more on that later), the really interesting trend of the show was the increased presence of active RFID and sensor technologies. Gone are the days where people were impressed with being able read data from a simple tag and display it through an application. Today we are seeing some very innovative uses of sensors integrated into active tags that can wirelessly communicate the sensory data to backend systems.
For example, AXCESS Inc. was showing an active tag that incorporates a biometric fingerprint reader. This tag is used for high security environments where two-factor authentication is required for access control. When these tags are used, employees are no longer able to borrow a colleague's badge to enter a building as the tag is only "activated" by the fingerprint scanner.
Seeing this type of technology on a PDA impressed me several years ago. Seeing it on a tag not much larger than the size of a credit card truly shows how far sensor technologies have come.
Other interesting implementations of active RFID technologies included those combining temperature, light, and humidity sensors. The cost of active tags continues to decline as well, with tags projected to be as low as $5 to $25 -- depending on the capabilities -- making them a viable alternative to passive tags for certain applications.
Mobile and forklift RFID
Another trend is the continued focus on mobile and forklift devices. LXE announced two new certified software vendors for their RX2 vehicle-mounted terminal. The improved ability for these devices to work in disconnected mode, with on-device intelligence, is contributing to their increased usage in manufacturing, healthcare and related industries.
Going smaller was Wireless Dynamics' introduction of a low-frequency RFID Reader/Writer SD Card -- the SDiD 1210 -- that enables smartphones and PDAs to read and write low-frequency tags. Low-frequency tags are being used in several application types including animal identification, asset tagging and process compliance applications.
Passive RFID
On the passive RFID side there were several key announcements related to increased performance, lower costs and broader applicability of passive RFID technologies.
One of the announcements that caught my eye came from Alien Technology, which is making its LoadImage technology available for any UHF reader vendor. This technology will enable UHF readers to program and lock Alien's Gen2 tag in just 23 milliseconds -- up to ten times faster than the average time required to commission an RFID tag.
This may seem somewhat mundane, but being able to commission an RFID tag at production line speeds of up to 400 items per minute allows for item-level tagging of goods without impacting production levels.
Other items of interest related to passive RFID technology were its increased usage in asset location tracking. Vendors such as ThingMagic, Sybase iAnywhere (my company) and PDC all were demonstrating innovative technologies for asset tracking.
ThingMagic demonstrated the ability to use its Mercury line of RFID readers for asset tracking within a building, and incorporating this data into Google Maps. Sybase iAnywhere was showing how its software infrastructure, RFID Anywhere, can be used to incorporate multiple sensor technologies including passive RFID, active RFID, RTLS and environmental sensors to track mixed-value assets in a single system.
Finally, Precision Dynamics was demonstrating how its RFID wristbands can be used in amusement parks and other entertainment venues to provide a single solution for park admission, point-of-sale purchases (e.g., merchandise, arcade games, ride tickets, etc.), guest identification and even keyless entry into hotel rooms.
All three of these examples demonstrate how RFID solutions can provide real value to organizations outside of the mandates in the retail space.
More than just exhibitors
Outside of the exhibit hall, a number of keynotes, educational sessions, training opportunities, panel discussions and seminars provided the opportunity for attendees and vendors to learn about upcoming technology, real-world deployments, interesting RFID use-cases and other market trends and opinions.
Delivered by a variety of vendors, analysts, integrators, end users and other industry players, the educational component of RFID World 2007 jam-packed a lot of content into just a few days and had attendees of every type going away having learned a few new things.
It was truly impressive to learn about some of the innovative deployments of RFID technology such as the Spanish Postal Service's use of a system implemented by Sybase iAnywhere to audit and improve mail delivery and Kimberly-Clark Corporation's management of in-store product promotions by using mobile technology from ADASA.
The show was not without excitement outside of the technology spectrum. There were several marketing gimmicks that reminded me of the technology boom in the late 1990's, all meant to grab attention and draw people to the vendors' exhibit booths. These included promotions featuring Hooters girls (and chicken wings), Dallas Mavericks' cheerleaders and a chance to win tickets to the NCAA Basketball Final Four.
http://www.computingunplugged.com/issues/issue200704/00001966001.html
Active RFID
While there were continued advancements in the EPC (Electronic Product Code passive RFID space (more on that later), the really interesting trend of the show was the increased presence of active RFID and sensor technologies. Gone are the days where people were impressed with being able read data from a simple tag and display it through an application. Today we are seeing some very innovative uses of sensors integrated into active tags that can wirelessly communicate the sensory data to backend systems.
For example, AXCESS Inc. was showing an active tag that incorporates a biometric fingerprint reader. This tag is used for high security environments where two-factor authentication is required for access control. When these tags are used, employees are no longer able to borrow a colleague's badge to enter a building as the tag is only "activated" by the fingerprint scanner.
Seeing this type of technology on a PDA impressed me several years ago. Seeing it on a tag not much larger than the size of a credit card truly shows how far sensor technologies have come.
Other interesting implementations of active RFID technologies included those combining temperature, light, and humidity sensors. The cost of active tags continues to decline as well, with tags projected to be as low as $5 to $25 -- depending on the capabilities -- making them a viable alternative to passive tags for certain applications.
Mobile and forklift RFID
Another trend is the continued focus on mobile and forklift devices. LXE announced two new certified software vendors for their RX2 vehicle-mounted terminal. The improved ability for these devices to work in disconnected mode, with on-device intelligence, is contributing to their increased usage in manufacturing, healthcare and related industries.
Going smaller was Wireless Dynamics' introduction of a low-frequency RFID Reader/Writer SD Card -- the SDiD 1210 -- that enables smartphones and PDAs to read and write low-frequency tags. Low-frequency tags are being used in several application types including animal identification, asset tagging and process compliance applications.
Passive RFID
On the passive RFID side there were several key announcements related to increased performance, lower costs and broader applicability of passive RFID technologies.
One of the announcements that caught my eye came from Alien Technology, which is making its LoadImage technology available for any UHF reader vendor. This technology will enable UHF readers to program and lock Alien's Gen2 tag in just 23 milliseconds -- up to ten times faster than the average time required to commission an RFID tag.
This may seem somewhat mundane, but being able to commission an RFID tag at production line speeds of up to 400 items per minute allows for item-level tagging of goods without impacting production levels.
Other items of interest related to passive RFID technology were its increased usage in asset location tracking. Vendors such as ThingMagic, Sybase iAnywhere (my company) and PDC all were demonstrating innovative technologies for asset tracking.
ThingMagic demonstrated the ability to use its Mercury line of RFID readers for asset tracking within a building, and incorporating this data into Google Maps. Sybase iAnywhere was showing how its software infrastructure, RFID Anywhere, can be used to incorporate multiple sensor technologies including passive RFID, active RFID, RTLS and environmental sensors to track mixed-value assets in a single system.
Finally, Precision Dynamics was demonstrating how its RFID wristbands can be used in amusement parks and other entertainment venues to provide a single solution for park admission, point-of-sale purchases (e.g., merchandise, arcade games, ride tickets, etc.), guest identification and even keyless entry into hotel rooms.
All three of these examples demonstrate how RFID solutions can provide real value to organizations outside of the mandates in the retail space.
More than just exhibitors
Outside of the exhibit hall, a number of keynotes, educational sessions, training opportunities, panel discussions and seminars provided the opportunity for attendees and vendors to learn about upcoming technology, real-world deployments, interesting RFID use-cases and other market trends and opinions.
Delivered by a variety of vendors, analysts, integrators, end users and other industry players, the educational component of RFID World 2007 jam-packed a lot of content into just a few days and had attendees of every type going away having learned a few new things.
It was truly impressive to learn about some of the innovative deployments of RFID technology such as the Spanish Postal Service's use of a system implemented by Sybase iAnywhere to audit and improve mail delivery and Kimberly-Clark Corporation's management of in-store product promotions by using mobile technology from ADASA.
The show was not without excitement outside of the technology spectrum. There were several marketing gimmicks that reminded me of the technology boom in the late 1990's, all meant to grab attention and draw people to the vendors' exhibit booths. These included promotions featuring Hooters girls (and chicken wings), Dallas Mavericks' cheerleaders and a chance to win tickets to the NCAA Basketball Final Four.
http://www.computingunplugged.com/issues/issue200704/00001966001.html
TV Sales Show Mixed Picture
February brought bad news for plasma TV makers. Plasmas clocked their first year-over-year drop in sales with a 16 percent drop in dollar volume, according to the NPD Group. Pricing was down more than 35 percent with the average plasma selling for $1672. This is, of course, good news for consumers and we showed our appreciation by driving up unit sales 30 percent. Forty-two inch models are most popular though 50-inchers are gaining.
For LCD TV makers the outlook is more bullish, based on numbers from Quixel Research. LCD sales grew in both dollar volume, 125 percent, and unit volume, 134 percent, in 2006. (Note, however, that this timeframe is for fourth-quarter 2006 over the previous year, as opposed to first-quarter 2007 in the numbers above.) Again the growth was driven by dropping prices, with large-screen sizes selling for 17 to 20 percent less and small sizes for 15 to 17 percent less. LCD prices seem to be eroding (sorry, improving!) more slowly than plasma prices but the downward trend seems inexorable.
DLP-based microdisplays also did well in 2006, increasing 63 percent in unit sales over the previous year, says a press release from format licensor Texas Instruments. In the 50-inch size, DLPs shifted twice as many units as plasma, capturing a market share of 28.9 percent. DLP also has a majority market share in microdisplays (versus LCD-based rear-projectors). TI attributes the ruddy-cheeked robustness of DLP sales to reduced-depth models from Samsung and 1080p at a competitive price point. The proud parent's press release does not discuss the profitability of DLP.
http://www.hometheatermag.com/news/041207tvsales/
For LCD TV makers the outlook is more bullish, based on numbers from Quixel Research. LCD sales grew in both dollar volume, 125 percent, and unit volume, 134 percent, in 2006. (Note, however, that this timeframe is for fourth-quarter 2006 over the previous year, as opposed to first-quarter 2007 in the numbers above.) Again the growth was driven by dropping prices, with large-screen sizes selling for 17 to 20 percent less and small sizes for 15 to 17 percent less. LCD prices seem to be eroding (sorry, improving!) more slowly than plasma prices but the downward trend seems inexorable.
DLP-based microdisplays also did well in 2006, increasing 63 percent in unit sales over the previous year, says a press release from format licensor Texas Instruments. In the 50-inch size, DLPs shifted twice as many units as plasma, capturing a market share of 28.9 percent. DLP also has a majority market share in microdisplays (versus LCD-based rear-projectors). TI attributes the ruddy-cheeked robustness of DLP sales to reduced-depth models from Samsung and 1080p at a competitive price point. The proud parent's press release does not discuss the profitability of DLP.
http://www.hometheatermag.com/news/041207tvsales/
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