Toshiba Unveils Glasses-Free 3D Notebook with a Twist

Posted 04/20/2011 at 1:51pm | by Paul Lilly

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You're not going to find anyone saying you can have their 3D glasses when you pry them from their cold, dead hands. The truth is, the need for eye gear is a major turnoff many consumers would rather do without, even if it means living in a 2D world. That's where glasses-free 3D displays come in, like the one found on Nintendo's recently released 3DS handheld console, and also on Toshiba's just unveiled 'Dynabook Qosmio T851/D8CR' notebook. If glasses-free 3D displays aren't exactly new, why is Toshiba beating its chest?

Well, according to Toshiba, this is the world's first glasses-free 3D notebook that can simultaneously display both 3D and 2D content on the same screen, in separate windows.

"Users can watch high-quality 3D images or enjoy 3D games in one window without any need for wearing dedicated glasses or installing a dedicated panel over the display, while at the same time working, browsing the Internet, or sending email in another window," Toshiba explains.

It's a nifty feature that definitely gives Toshiba a marketing advantage, but whether or not it's actually useful beyond the initial 'gee-whiz' factor is something consumers will ultimately decide.

Like the 3DS, Toshiba's T851/D8CR creates 3D images using parallax technology, delivering separate images to the left and right eyes. This tells us it probably has a strict viewing angle, which could be a challenge in a split screen scenario. As for other specs, Toshiba didn't say what else this notebook is packing under the hood, probably because those details are still being sorted out. The T851/D8CR will be available in the Japanese market in late July, with no word on when it will ship to U.S. shores.

Image Credit: Toshiba