computer science

Roll-away computer

Roll-away computer is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Roll-away computer rather than just read about it. In short: A roll-away computer is an idea introduced as part of a series by Toshiba in 2000, which aimed to predict the trends in personal computing five years into the future. Since its announcement, the roll-away computer has remained a theoretical device.

Key takeaways

Roll-away computer belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Roll-away computer to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Roll-away computer from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A roll-away computer is an idea introduced as part of a series by Toshiba in 2000, which aimed to predict the trends in personal computing five years into the future. Since its announcement, the roll-away computer has remained a theoretical device. A roll-away computer is a computer with a flexible polymer-based display technology, measuring 1 mm thick and weighing around 200 grams. Flexible and rollable displays started entering the market in 2006 (see electronic paper). The R&D department of Seiko Epson has demonstrated a flexible active-matrix LCD panel (including the pixel thin film transistors and the peripheral TFT drivers), a flexible active-matrix OLED panel, the world's first flexible 8-bit asynchronous CPU (ACT11)—which uses the world's first flexible SRAM. University of Tokyo researchers have demonstrated flexible flash memory. LG Corporation has demonstrated an 18-inch high-definition video display panel that can roll up into a 3 cm diameter tube.

See also Tablet PC Roll-up keyboard Folding smartphone

References

External links http://www.toshiba-europe.com/computers/tnt/visions2000/7/ "Foldable, Stretchable Circuits" by Kate Greene 2008

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Roll-away computer

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Roll-away computer claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Roll-away computer before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Roll-away computer ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Roll-away computer

In research: Roll-away computer appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Roll-away computer in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Roll-away computer is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Classes of computers, Computer hardware stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Roll-away computer outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Roll-away computer in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Roll-away computer means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Roll-away computer out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Roll-away computer in simple terms?

Why does Roll-away computer matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Roll-away computer?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Roll-away computer.