(Nikkei BP Group)
(No.1 High-Tech News Site in Japanese)
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| TFT-LCD Panels Measuring 13.3-in. to be Dominant Product
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December 21, 1998 (TAIPEI) -- Thin-film transistor liquid-crystal display
(TFT-LCD) panels measuring 13.3-in. are likely to replace 12.1-in. panels
as the mainstream product for notebook PCs.
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At the Taipei Computer Show in early December, local computer makers
including Leo Systems Inc. and Twinhead International Corp. said that
notebook PCs equipped with 13.3-in TFT-LCD panels are enjoying sharp
growth.
Leo executives said that declines in prices of 13.3-in. TFT-LCD panels
will likely help attract more buyers, and that the larger panels are
thus likely to replace the 12.1-in. models as the mainstream product.
The 12.1-in. TFT-LCD panel is the most popular size for use in notebook
PCs, due to its competitive pricing.
An excess supply and aggressive pricing by Korean manufacturers earlier
this year drove down prices.
Although prices are expected to rebound, TFT-LCD panel producers are
inclined to shift manufacturing lines to the 13.3-in. model, to generate
higher profits.
Since Korea's LG Group discovered that the 13.3-in. panel is the most
cost-efficient panel and has boosted production of such products, many
Japanese and Korean companies have stopped making 12.1-in. panels.
Acer Display Technology Inc., a new competitor in the TFT-LCD panel market,
also is focusing on the 13.3-in. panel.
Leo executives said they estimate that when the gap in prices between
12.2-in. and 13.3-in. panels narrows to US$100, the 13.3-in. product
will be widely adopted by more makers of notebook PCs.
(Commercial Times, Taiwan)
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