Anyone Using a Clover Sunbook Full Sunlight-Viewable Notebook ?

[ka4wja]

About 2 weeks ago, I posted this query on the SSCA discussion board, and have had no response.....so I thought maybe someone here has had some experience with the Clover Sunbook.....



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Yeah, the $800+ price is steep for a netbook, but I've been thinking about this one for a few months now...as it does what I desire (netbook not a tablet) and is more usable in direct sunlight than say an iPad, etc....

http://www.cloversystems.com/SunBook.htm


I've been reading of the Pixel Qi sunlight viewable displays since last fall, and of Clover's Sunbook Netbook, which uses their new transflective, sunlight viewable (and very low-power) display, since this spring......and while some may think $800 is way too much for a netbook, I've been thinking about it, and wondering if anyone here has used one????

Those wondering what I'm refering to, have a look here...

http://www.cloversystems.com/SunBook.htm
http://www.pixelqi.com/products
http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/31/clov ... uestionab/
http://thetechjournal.com/electronics/l ... book.xhtml
http://www.pixelqi.com/
http://pixelqi.com/blog1/


Here's just a brief description....

In ordinary LCD displays, light is provided by a lamp behind the screen. Half of the PC’s power is consumed by the backlight. A reflective display, as typified by the Kindle and other E-book readers, has no backlight. The display is illuminated by ambient light so it uses very little power and is viewable in sunlight, but it cannot be viewed in the dark.

The Clover SunBook uses a combination of both of these modes, so it is usable in every lighting condition. Both modes are active at the same time, so you can go seamlessly from sunlight to darkness with no loss of readability. Furthermore, there is no loss of brightness in dim lighting or darkness.

In daylight, the backlight can be turned off completely, cutting the power consumption, extending battery life, and reducing eyestrain. Reflective mode provides 1024 x 600 resolution in black & white.

{FYI, I'm not looking for advice on "what computer", etc....as I use paper charts and Navionics electronic charts (in E-120 and E-80 chartplotters), and I do have a full-featured HP laptop as well.....so, what I'm looking for is something for e-mail, websurfing, etc. in the cockpit, etc....and for touting to/from shore, etc...AND, for use on business trips, airports, etc....
So, I'm in the market for a netbook, and thought "what about that Sunbook?".....}


So, has anyone here used one????
How did you like it???
Was it as seamless as described, going from inside to outside (sunlight) and back again, without any "switching" nor "configuring"????


Thanks in advance for your help...

John
s/v Annie Laurie

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[skipmac]

I have seen some stuff about the PixelQi displays in the past but this is the first I have heard about the Clover laptop. Did a little googling and it sounds like it is so new on the market that not too many on the street. Probably difficult to find anyone with hands on yet. Even all the tech web sites I looked at mainly reported the specs but none discussed any actual experience with the unit.

Specs report 1000 nits daylight which should do the trick. Hopefully the screen is reliable and the laptop attached to it is reasonable.

If the screen is any good I would expect one of the big names to offer it as an option in the future.

[Whimsical]

John
Why not just get the screen, $200, and put it in any netbook. Thats what i will be doing to run Open CPN. They have a higher resolution version comming but don't say when.

Mike

[ka4wja]

Skipmac and Mike,
I thank you both for your replies.....




The SunBook has been on the market since the spring, and like Skipmac, I have read the tech and product reviews, which are all glowing.....

But, I've yet to read a review from a low-tech end user / consumer.....which is what I'm tying to find.....(and I do understand that I might not find any, and I may be my own guinea pig....




Yes, I am aware of the viability of installing a PixelQi screen in another netbook.....
Not sayng the idea didn't cross my mind over the past couple months.....but it's just not what I desire.....
And this sort of defeats the purpose of my post.....
I'm actually trying to find an end-user who has used either the Sunbook, or added the new (2011 vers) PixelQi screen to their netbook.....

Not to mention that by the time I buy a netbook of my choosing (at $250 - $300) and the screen (at $200), and pay a tech with much better eyesight and coordination than I have ($100), and I end up with a non-warranted, custom netbook, all for saving $200????





So, I'm back to my original query....
Has anyone used the Sunbook????




Thanks....

John
s/v Annie Laurie

[ka4wja]

Some over at the "Navigation" forum here on Cruiser's Forum have been looking for a daylight viewable display, and haven't been able to find the Pixel Qi 10.1" display.......

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post748813

When I inquired of Clover, their response was that they are shipping their Sunbook with the new display and couldn't say why others couldn't purchase the display.....
My assumption....is that Pixel isn't interested in distributing in small quantities, and Clover seems to be selling the Sunbook.....

Just some more food for thought....

John
s/v Annie Laurie

[ka4wja]

Okay, I still haven't bit the bullet on the Sunbook yet.....
But, have red more customer reviews on Clover's website....
http://www.cloversystems.com/SunBook%20Reviews.htm

But, I'm still hoping to get some real world cruisers comments before my decision-time (Oct/Nov)....

And, someone's asking about "which tablet / notebook / laptop will work?" http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ork-66435.html perhaps the Sunbook????

John
s/v Annie Laurie

[ka4wja]

Not trying to "sell" anyone on the Sunbook.....just want to get some info out there.....
And FYI, for those wondering....

Clover is a very well established silicone-valley company, but they don't actaully make the guts of the "Sunbook"......

At first sight, Clover Systems seems an unlikely source for the SunBook. They've been around for 40 years, but their mission really lies in DVD and CD replicators and duplicators, and optical disc testing systems. So how did SunBook come about? Apparently, the Clover Systems principals, like millions who use notebooks, bemoaned the fact that standard consumer notebooks simply aren't usable in sunlight. They are portable and you can take them places, but you often really can't use them.

In 2010, they heard about Pixel Qi and felt the technology was exactly what they were looking for. They bought a Pixel Qi display kit and retrofitted it to a Samsung netbook. It worked great and they decided to try to sell them and see if there was a market for such a modified sunlight-viewable netbook. There was. Remember, one of Pixel Qi's goals was to make their screens drop-in replacements of standard displays. It's not always trivial, of course, and there is actually an entire forum dedicated to it at MAKE magazine, which specializes on do-it-yourself tech. As anyone who works with any technology knows, the difficult part is figuring out how it all works. Once you've done that, doing it again and improving it is much easier. Clover Systems has done it and they know how Pixel Qi screens work, and how to integrate them into netbooks and other technology

The "Sunbook" is a Samsung N145 Plus netbook (debuted on the market in Nov. 2010), which into which Clover installs Pixel Qi's new screen (and provides a warranty)




And, Pixel Qi is the same perople who originated and championed the OLPC program....

Pixel Qi founder Mary Lou Jepsen has a Ph.D. in optics, worked at MIT, then Intel, co-founded MicroDisplay Corporation, and then co-founded the OLPC (One Laptop per Child) initiative. There the creation of an inexpensive display that worked under varying lighting conditions and used almost no power was a big priority. Jepsen then founded Pixel Qi in 2008 to bring the OLPC display and power management technologies to the commercial markets. Almost the entire team is PhDs in optical technologies, a veritable all-star cast. Their primary goal is to make LCD screens lower cost, higher resolution, easier to read and sunlight readable.

Just a quote from a computer reviewer.....

And while Samsung conceived the N145 Plus as an entry-level netbook, it's actually a rather nice one. The 1.66GHz single-core Intel Atom N455 can handle DDR3 memory and is a decent performer. The device feels well-made and, unlike most netbooks, there isn't a lot of glitz and gloss. Except for a narrow glossy bezel around the display, everything is matte, as it should be. It comes with a rather powerful 48 watt-hour battery (and a 67 watt-hour battery is available as well). There's decent connectivity, a nice 5400rpm 250GB SATA hard disk, decent stereo speakers, and a pleasant keyboard

Again, just some info for those interested....


John
s/v Annie Laurie

[joanhallhovey]

I'll leave all the technical talk to those more knowledgeable than I. I am a novelist and I did buy a Sunbook from Clover so I could write outside in nice weather. It works beautifully and I love it. I don't have to choose whether I should enjoy that lovely day outside, or work on my novel. No need to sacrifice either. Hope this helps.

Joan.

JOANHALLHOVEY.COM

[mkj5477]

joanhallhovey - Are you still happy with the Clover Sunbook (as mentioned below) and, if so, where did you purchase it? Thank you in advance.
Mary Katherine

Originally Posted by joanhallhovey

I'll leave all the technical talk to those more knowledgeable than I. I am a novelist and I did buy a Sunbook from Clover so I could write outside in nice weather. It works beautifully and I love it. I don't have to choose whether I should enjoy that lovely day outside, or work on my novel. No need to sacrifice either. Hope this helps.

Joan.

JOANHALLHOVEY.COM

[denverd0n]

Don't hold your breath waiting for a response. She posted only once, more than a year ago, and hasn't been back since. My guess is that you would have a better chance of reaching her by going to her website, in the link above.

Good luck.

[skipmac]

Last time I looked into the Sunbook it did not look like they were in actual production. The Clover website doesn't look like it has been updated in along time. Sounded very interesting but not sure the technology ever made it to prime time.

[skipmac]

Yesterday and this morning tried the contact phone number on the Clover website and no answer. Sent an email this morning and just got an answer back. Was told they cannot get the screens so no laptops available.

[a64pilot]

Several years ago I used to fly with a Motion tablet that had a sunlight readable display, it worked very well, so the technology has been out for years

[a64pilot]

This is data on the display, marketing of course, but it really works in bright sunlight
http://www.motioncomputing.com/us/fe...ywhere-display
Hold onto your wallet though, it wasn't cheap then and I doubt it is now

[a64pilot]

I just looked on evilbay, and if you don't mind used, you can pick up a good LE1600 for not a whole lot, not cutting edge computer anymore, but for what you want only thing that would make it better was if it was waterproof, it isn't though.