Pixel Qi: Low power dual-mode ePaper/color touchscreen devices…wow!
Coming soon to a laptop/phone near you is the Pixel Qi screen. The company just entered production in Taiwan in December and claims to be producing low-power, dual-mode screens capable of being both an eReader as well as a regular, full-color device. I stumbled upon Pixel Qi when researching webbooks as I would like to have something that can be used as an eReader (e.g. Amazon’s Kindle), but that can also do reasonable websurfing (run flash applications most critically). Read about the Pixel Qi capabilities and comparisons with other screens and you will be impressed. There are rumors that Apple is interested in Pixel Qi’s screen for their much rumored-about tablet that is allegedly coming out sometime this year. Other chirping birds on the shoulder have Apple buying Pixel Qi before someone else does. In fact, one of Apple’s ex-iPhone guys is a major domo at Pixel Qi. See here for the original article about NotionInk’s Google Android powered tablet with a Pixel Qi screen. This is the device class I am looking for: low power, long-life screen, instant-on mobile tablet. I would like a physical keyboard as well. Anyway, 2010 will likely bring some real innovation to the mobile/webbook arena so if you don’t have to have something now, there may be some very interesting devices coming soon.
When i think about using the eRecord on a device like this, I am immediately struck by the possibility of something that I can actually type on that has enough battery life to last all day while I run around doing my work. Some of the biggest problems with EMRs in healthcare are that we don’t really have adequate devices on which to run them. Much of healthcare is just easier if I can take information with me: to have a mobile desktop that is always on and always in the state where I left it last, regardless of which device I am using or which network I am on. Most tablet PCs are flaky when it comes to touch screen functionality and are just plain clunky with inadequate battery life. A device with iPhone like gestures/haptics in a low power/long life touchscreen form factor promises to further confirm browser-based EMRs as the platform of choice. Many of these devices are right around the corner and will make the desktop optional.