Screen Makers OK Standard

By Mitchell Brown

Computing Canada, November 26, 1999 - Notebook companies and display manufacturers have agreed to a standard for current and future notebook displays, a move that may go a long way in alleviating display shortages and reducing costs for users.  Dell, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Toshiba and market research firm DisplaySearch participated in the working group that was formed in May to hammer out a mechanical and electrical standard for notebook displays.

Analysts and industry leaders agree that the standard was a necessity, given the many players in the market.

"Basically, there were too many part numbers to keep track of when it came to LCDs (liquid crystal displays)," said Dell spokesperson Rob Crawley. "That's what it boiled down to."

Before this agreement, each notebook manufacturer used a proprietary technology to connect displays to its models, and fluctuations in availability meant shipping delays. With these new standards in place, Crawley says, it will be easier for notebook manufacturers to stay on top of their orders by switching suppliers when delays occur, and they will not have to worry about having to keep parts for different and incompatible displays on hand.

Still, he says, this will not mean that all displays and monitors will now look the same.

"What wasn't standardized was resolution, clarity, brightness - factors that allow you to differentiate your project, and leave room for innovation," he said.

What it does mean, though, is that display shortages that once delayed shipments and drove up prices will now become less common, according to member companies and analysts.

The display industry has been particularly vulnerable to shortages due to circumstances beyond its control. Last September's earthquake in Taiwan, for instance, hit many computer-parts manufacturers hard, driving up the prices of displays, motherboards and chips as shortages held up many shipments. High consumer interest is another factor; customers waiting for Apple's new iBook computer have had to wait a little longer because of display shortages.

The move towards standards also opens up the possibility for partnerships and alliances, according to a report by La Jolla, Calif.- based ARS Inc. retail analyst Brian Phillips. "This standard should finally allow notebook vendors to use a variety of displays on their machines, and will allow panel vendors to work with a larger number of notebook vendors."

Katrina Dahlquist, an analyst with Framingham, Mass.-based International Data Corp., agrees that standards will benefit users, but says it will take time for this to happen. "In the long term, we will see a stabilizing influence on notebook availability," she said. "But as far as the end user is concerned, I don't think this will take away the current LCD shortage. It all depends on what sizes you're looking for."

Cost is another issue, with the companies saying that a more consistent standard for parts will means savings for manufacturers that will, in turn, be passed down to purchasers. "It will then be up to each company to pass down savings, and every company will strive to do that," says Crawley. "The one that does it best, wins."