Philips has released a monitor that is part LCD and part E-Ink
Philips has released the 24B1D5600 monitor, which has an unusual screen. It combines a 23.8-inch liquid crystal display with a 13.3-inch e-ink panel. Marketing materials say this Philips two-in-one display may be more pleasing to the eye.
Most everyday tasks are suggested to be performed on the standard LCD part, which has a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, a refresh rate of 75 Hz and the ability to reproduce 16.7 million colors.
But if you need to read a long document or a text-filled website, you can display it on a 150 PPI E-Ink panel with a resolution of 1200×1600 pixels.
The E-Ink portion of the screen is connected to the side of the screen in a separate housing and can be tilted inward up to 45 degrees to find the perfect viewing angle. It also has its own screen backlight, including color temperature settings.
Each of the LCD and E Ink panels uses a separate computer connection and power supply.
In general, the screen is compatible with Windows and macOS computers on a plug-and-play basis. So you can split the operating system desktop between the two screens.
For Windows-based machines, Philips also offers a SmartRemote program that supposedly makes it easier to display document text files on the E Ink panel in higher quality, including on-screen buttons for zooming and panning when the document doesn’t fit on the screen. However, when using this application, documents can only be displayed without the ability to edit.
The Philips 24B1D5600 is currently available in China for approximately $850 USD. Availability in other markets has not yet been announced.
