A typical notebook LCD only uses six bits of data for each of the red, green and blue signals. That gives a maximum of 262,144 colours - way short of the 16,777,216 supported internally with 24-bit colour.
Notebook manufacturers typically apply software techniques such as temporal dithering (rapidly alternating the colour of a particular pixel to simulate an in-between shade) to overcome the hardware limitations.
This is usually fine for users who spend most of their time working with spreadsheets, email and web pages, but photographers, videographers and other graphics specialists are often more demanding.
As
previously reported, HP has collaborated with DreamWorks Animation to produce the DreamColor LP2480zx Professional LCD Display, which provides one billion colours and consistent colour accuracy.
The company has now brought a cut down version of the DreamColor display to the notebook world.
The HP EliteBook 8730w has a 17in DreamColor display capable of displaying true 24-bit colour.
Other features include an Intel quad-core processor, 8G of RAM, and new-generation NVIDIA Quadro FX graphics with up to 1G of dedicated video memory.
So when can you get one and how much will it cost? Find out on
page two.
The 8730w should ship this month, and the minimum configuration will cost $US1699.
HP also announced the DreamColor Advanced Profiling Solution, which allows users of the LP2480zx to carry out their own colour calibration. The kit includes a colorimeter and calibration software, and is available now at $US349. A Mac version is expected next month.
The purpose of colour calibration is to ensure that the colours appearing on the screen match those that result from displaying the same image on another screen or other output device.
