Back around again

A long time ago, when laptop computers first came on to the scene, the technology for LCD screens was different from today. The early screens worked (at a lower resolution that today's screens, of course) but could be viewed only from straight-on. Side viewers would not see the display.

With the (much ballyhooed) introduction of thin-film-transistors (TFTs), LCD displays were viewable at a wider angle. The development of TFTs was not easy, and it took a lot of work to get us there.

Now all LCD screens are viewable from a wide angle.

And we apparently don't want that.

I just saw an advertisement for an LCD screen cover that blocks the view from the side. It prevents another person from viewing the contents of your screen. The market is for executives travelling on airplanes, where a random person may sit next to them.

If we had just done nothing, we wouldn't have this problem and need this solution. Sometimes doing nothing is the right thing to do.

(Of course this ignores all of the people who *do* want to share their screen and let others view their information. but I think the point is worth considering. Sometimes, standing in one place is the best course of action.)