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Heh heh, well I hope this could start a revolution! I admit to not knowing a whole lot about Windows hardware so I've been digging around and doing lots of research. It seems that there is just no way to plug in a less-than-VGA LCD screen to a PC and have it work. You must build some sort of proprietary hardware/software solution. That means building an embedded system -- just to output your work on a small screen. Yikes!
If this setup can allow you to make a screen-sized window and divide that window into "panes" and output each pane to a different LCD, that could have far-reaching implications IMO. Designers could deploy apps to small screens without the need to do anything outside the Windows environment. Right now, building an embedded system with a color GUI is a pretty complex and daunting project (not to mention expensive!). But, in the not-too-distant future, if Windows could run reliably on a single board computer with no moving parts and boot instantly, you could build a dedicated system using PC architecture instead. That could open up the world of design for embedded-like systems to enthusiasts and hobbyists instead of just hardware engineers.
Also imagine having a dedicated PC for your in-car entertainment with a main screen in the dash. Now add a second PC for rear passengers and each one can have their own touchscreen control. Or, use one system for all and allow the rear passengers to have their own mini control panel. I can think of lots of applications for this technology.
Yeah, cost is an issue. But as this becomes more widely available it might get cheaper. What I am hoping will happen is for them to produce some sort of "module" that will allow you to plug several different small LCD screens into a VGA connector. That gives some flexibility in choosing the right screen for the right application.
Also notice their screens are fully contained and hook up via an ethernet cable! That is perfect for a car environment. You could put your PC in the trunk and run ethernet cabling under the carpet to the dash. The LCDs are powered by the ethernet cables so all you have to do is figure out how to actually mount them in the dash. No other wiring is needed!
Without something like this, I simply cannot believe how hard it is to add a small color LCD to a system. It seems no one has produced any hardware or software to make it easier. You have to pick a screen and a controller and then become a microelectronics engineer to figure out how to make the controller work to put something on the screen. Unbelievable!
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