back to article Sharp intros 'world's first optical sensor LCD pad' netbook

Sharp has unveiled a netbook that, it claims, features the world’s first LCD touchpad, allowing for both pen and multi-touch finger operation - and providing visual feedback. Video courtesy of Akihabaranews Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com Named Mebius, the PC has a 4in, 854 × 480 input device …

COMMENTS

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    nintendo DS????

    First is such an over used word these days.

  2. David

    Nothing new...

    Several high-end Toshiba laptops from early 2004 featured (monochrome) displays built-in to their touchpads/

  3. Big Bear

    Finally!

    Someone is breaking out of the mold! Pity the machines have bloated to 10in but hey, at least someone is trying something new...

  4. Anthony Chambers

    Not Exactly New

    Toshiba had a simple LCD touchpad that was used in a similar fashion on an Satellite laptop. I think it was a 7200, or something like that. Similar, only it was only B&W and didn't support multitouch

  5. Dave
    Boffin

    Resolution

    So, the there are almost as many pixels on the trackpad as there are on the screen - in what world does _that_ make sense?

  6. Lottie
    Thumb Up

    want!!!

    That looks so cool. Hope we get it over here soon.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    awsome...

    but i just spent £700 on a netbook for work and a laptop for gaming.....

    :(

    hopefully sharp will licence this new tech to other manufacturers soon, it looks like the next big thing for laptops.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    nice

    hmmmm trackpad as context sensitive display mmmmmmm

    where's the linux version <sigh>?

    Sharp: sell the trackpad to other OEMs ... <dreams>

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    Looks like a...

    Looks like a glorified Nintendo DS.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Mmm mebbe

    Mebius? Which marketing guru was paid a ridiculous some to come up with that lemon of a name?

  11. Ian Michael Gumby
    Thumb Up

    Interesting...

    How large of a touch pad could they create?

  12. Torben Mogensen

    Pixel density

    The touchpad apparently has a much higher pixel density than the screen -- at more than half the number of pixels at a much smaller area.

    The touchpad is probably designed as the main screen for a PDA and just reused for a netbook.

    But why, oh why, does nobody make netbooks with better screen resolution? HP did, briefly, before going down to the boring 1024x600 that everyone else uses.

  13. John Smith Gold badge
    Stop

    Very clever. Sort of

    So its a laptop with a biggish screen and a much smaller screen, which is touch and pen sensitive. And its got quite a good colour range. And you can write stuff on it.

    What was not shown was how this integrates with what's on the main screen. My eyes can track a cursor on a main screen quite well enough without needing a little repeater screen. How does this improve your user interface to allow you to do things in ways which are impossible with a more conventional pad?And in the 21st century how does a laptop go into production with a 3 hour life expectancy?

    BTW on the video. Kill the sound. There is no commentary and the music is pants.

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