Sharp to introduce 3D notebook in October

Sharp Corp. will introduce a 3D notebook PC in October with a 15-inch switchable 2D/3D LCD. Sharp hopes the machine will serve as a basic machine to spur development and use of 3D content.

In the past, Sharp developed a display that can be switched between standard 2D and 3D display modes and requires no special glasses to see 3D images. The 3D display employs two LCD panels to generate a 3D images. One panel has slits and functions as a shutter to generate images for each eye.

Sharp introduced the LCD into its cellphone models in November 2002, attracting users who play games on the terminals. Now it is introducing a 15-inch display in a notebook. "We had a lot of requests asking us to build a base machine that can serve to develop 3D content. The PC is our answer," said Makoto Nakamura, division general manager of Sharp's mobile computing systems division.

Sharp hopes 3D applications will be stimulated with the introduction of the PC. It will serve software and content developers as well as CAD and other design applications, medical care, construction, entertainment, and electronic books.