Omnimaga
Calculator Community => OTcalc => Discontinued => Major Community Projects => [OTcalc] Z80-Hardware => Topic started by: alberthrocks on August 25, 2010, 01:55:49 am
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As the title says: do you want a backlit screen?
Consider the use, power usage, price, etc. when deciding.
Note that this includes both built in backlights, and separate backlights. Also, there is a hardware switch to turn it on.
(Can be controlled by software, if possible/needed.)
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I voted no because i cant see a situation where it would be needed outside of gaming (since this needs to be math oriented as well if we are to sell it) if its dark and you need light on your calc, you probably will need light on your homework as well! ;D
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I'M not sure if this is necessary. While some people may use the calc for gaming, its primary use is maths. Who does homework in the darkness? He won't even be able to see what he's writing. :P
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Yes, but if so then I am against the wifi, the combination of these would be * lethal* for batteries. Also, if the backlight makes the LCD (which for sure is the most expensive part alongside the case (I guess so at least)) more expensive then I might reconsider my vote.
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If wi-fi is included as well as this, I think the LED should turn into a different color when in wi-fi mode, unless the wi-fi enabled indicator was on the screen. That way it would be easier for people to know if their battery will be drained faster or not.
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i like the idea of attachable external lights with with a battery pack. i used to have one of those for an old gba and it was incredibly useful
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This would suck up power, and would not be practical for the average user.
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Wow, 6 vs 6. Quite a tie there!
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I agree with SirCmpwn, a backlight would not be useful for the average user however, I think it would be nice to have it as an optional function for those of us (and any future members) who may use it.
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The miniusb port would provide power, and I believe we decided to include a miniusb->standard usb female adapter, and there are plenty of usb lights you could plug in to get the same thing, without using the extra cost for something the average user will not use.
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What about having a light that can only be used if there's a power source attached (like when it's charging from the USB port)?
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I think a backlight is a good idea, but definitely have a on/off switch. If you're working at the computer with no other lights, it's hard to see the calc screen.
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And if there will be a backlight, it should definitely disable itself if the batteries are low.
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I voted yes. Backlights can make a big difference in visibility. I'd cite The Gameboy advance SP and nintendo DS as great examples. Also remember that we will likely be able to control brightness or turn it off all together.
*edited for a spelling error*
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I voted yes, so long as they can be turned off (i.e. the screen does not depend on the backlight for visibility, not like on laptops).
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Yeah, I hope without back light it can still be readable. I think the Casio FX 9860G II got a backlight and it can be turned off. I am not sure anymore, though. I hated how on the Nintendo DS when we turned off the backlight, we hardly even saw anything, like the old GBA.
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voted yes, probably a greenish blue one like the Casio Backlight, with a button on the side like the volume button for iPod Touch to control it.
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i not sure which to vote for. It all depends on how much more the screen would cost.
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There are two types of backglights: LED and EL
LEDs are cheaper, but use more power and some areas of the screen will be brighter than others.
EL panels are what is used on watches, look better, use less power, and cost more.
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I think flourescents are worth noting. LCD monitors use them, not EL. they have a prism and a strangely focused fresnel lens to spread it perfectly across the screen. very expensive, VERY bright and very hot, but very nice. Also requires a special power supply.
LED and EL are the two we will probably be using though, as flourescents aren't very suited to carrying around. They are a valid type of backlight though.
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They are hot? My laptop screen stays pretty cool.
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What are those little lights called that basically sit at the sides of the screen (in front) and light the screen sideways from there? Maybe we could use those.
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My stance on all of this is to make a calculator that has a screen shade like the 84 so that in relatively good light, we don't need to use a backlight. I really don't see a need for it IMHO, if there isnt enough light to see the screen, there wont be enough light to write down calculations or read equations.
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My stance on all of this is to make a calculator that has a screen shade like the 84 so that in relatively good light, we don't need to use a backlight. I really don't see a need for it IMHO, if there isnt enough light to see the screen, there wont be enough light to write down calculations or read equations.
Agreed, I voted no because I don't think there are any real reasons to have a backlight except for gaming, and even then, adjusting contrast should be fine. It's a calculator, anyway.
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I agree with Builderboy. The 84+, 89T and Casio FX-9860G screens are easy to read IMHO.
I think in order of readability the calc screens (including only the ones with no backlight) rank this way, from best to worst:
-Casio FX-9860G
-TI-89T/84+/84+SE
-TI-73/83/83+/86/89/92+
-TI-Nspire/CAS (contrast too light)
-TI-83+ Silver Edition (screen too dark)
-TI-85 (blue-ish screen)
-TI-82/92/Casio 9x50G series (blue screen and in CFX case, color)
-TI-81 (contrast way too light, screen too dark)
-TI-80 (same but 10x worse)
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I agree that generally, the screens are readable. However, maybe we should have it be like watch lights. You know, blue/green light, stays on for a few seconds with option to turn it on longer.
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They tend to be a bit hard to read, though. The contrast on watches sometimes dims when using that light. It would need to not ruin the display quality.
BTW here's the FX-9860GII in action:
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Heh, the time in the video's 13:37 XD
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Yeah lol, I didn,t remember the calc had a clock actually. Maybe he added an add-on, though.
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I have a Casio 9860G Slim... And the backlit screen is awesome!
TI should take some notes. ;)
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True, I wish I waited a bit longer before buying my regular 9860G D: (although fortunately I could update the OS to include every feature 9860G II added besides that