Laptops are not doing well and many research firms are claiming its demise is inevitable. The same prediction was made when laptops were introduced in the market regarding what it would do to the desktop, but desktops are still a necessary tool for personal and business use.

While the popularity of tablets cannot be discounted, the laptop is still preferred by a large portion of serious computer users who find the tablet UI not conducive for long term work that requires typing and the input of other data. Intel is pushing Ultrabooks with better performance to compete with tablets and Apple’s (News - Alert) premium laptops. The hope is Sharp’s IGZO display will be an integral part of this computer. 


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The new panels from Sharp (News - Alert) will use the IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) display. The semiconductor material used in making the display allows each pixel to be controlled by its own transistor. This has considerable advantages over amorphous silicon used in standard LCD display panels. With IGZO displays, the transistors and pixels are much smaller allowing more pixels to be fitted on the display. Current prototypes have 50 percent or double the pixels of current displays on smartphones, tablets and other type of displays.  

The display is thinner, uses less power and has a highly-sensitive touchscreen with very high definition. Sharp started production of this display in March of 2012 at its Kameyama Plant No. 2 and it is expanding the scale of the production to meet market demand.

The ultrabooks will have different state of the art technology to make them more competitive with other devices. Intel will have a Rapid Start Technology, Smart Response and Smart Connect so the device can power up faster, respond to how users use it and stay connected to provide users with the latest updates for the applications, social media sites and information relevant to the user. The Anti-Theft technology gives users the option of protecting the content on users device by disabling it from anywhere around the world and restoring it when it is recovered.

Forecast reports shipments are expected to reach 393 million units for laptops by 2017 and 416 million for tablets. The numbers will be lower but is considerable enough to produce more innovative technologies to ensure the market does not die. Overall shipments for notebooks, tablets, mini notebooks and other mobile PC shipments is expected to grow to more than 809 million by 2017 from 347 million in 2012.

Sharp is going through a restructuring phase in which it has to liquidate some of its assets in the U.S. in order to receive additional funding from sources in Japan. By entering into the small display market with its IGZO display, it is hoping the fortune of the company will start looking brighter.

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