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Martha Stewart breaks iPad, is disappointed that Apple fails to kiss her butt
Media mogul/domestic goddess/convicted felon Martha Stewart recently dropped her iPad, breaking the screen. For a stinking peasant like you or me, that would have necessitated a trip to the Apple Store or somewhere else to have it fixed or replaced preferably with AppleCare +. Now Ms. Stewart - whose estimated net worth is around $300 million - certainly could have sent one of her minions to take care of it, but that wasn't good enough - she expected on site service from Apple, then took to Twitter to complain when it didn't happen.
"I just dropped my iPad on the ground and shattered two glass corners. What to do?does one call Apple to come and pick it up or do I take it?" she tweeted on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Stewart added, "I am still waiting for an apple rep to come pick up my IPad. No action yey (sic)"
Brainstorming, Stewart decided that she had a brilliant entrepreneurial idea in the form of a same day delivery exchange through Amazon.com.
But by late Thursday, Stewart realized that she - and her overblown sense of celebrity entitlement - had gotten the better of her when she said, "So is it time to put out the fires and admit I was just pissed off at the fact my precious ipad shattered and I wanted to make light of it?"
By then, unfortunately, Stewart had set off alarms in Cupertino, because apparently someone at Apple's PR team got a hold of Stewart's people, and asked her to tone it down. That didn't set well with the queen of JCPenney home decor.
"i cannot believe that Apple Public Relations is mad at me for tweeting about my Ipad and how to get it fixed! steve jobs gave it to me!" she tweeted.
No, the "steve jobs gave it to me!" comment doesn't make you sound haughty at all, Martha.
She followed that up late last night with some comments about her frustration, then resumed this morning with a statement that the iPad's "Glass should /could be unbreakable."
I'm sure the Gorilla Glass boffins at Corning are gonna get right on that, Your Highness.
Have something to say about this story? Leave a comment! Need help with something else? Ask in our forums!
Reader comments
Martha Stewart breaks iPad, is disappointed that Apple fails to kiss her butt
Ouch. Hey, Martha... you may need this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_burn_centers_in_the_United_States
Now that was a "READ" lol!
the funny thing is, she did get Apple to come to her house and fix it.
Even funnier, its an iPad 4, she transcended the astral planes to get it from Steve Jobs.
What's more, you wasted even more time posting a snarky comment! Thanks for both! :)
I was thinking exactly that ! :) some people ;) and as for the story.... thumbs up to you and other fingers up to the queen of drama ;)
Snark? Heck, that defines what you wrote. Instead of sounding like a bitter 12 year old that can't hope to understand her success or actions, try to find a more mature angle. Ask yourself why Apple PR wouldn't just nip this in the bud and get it fixed? Stewart has been a partner for Apple. She might be a bit eccentric or whatever you want to call it in her tweets, but you always take care of your VIP's (this was a gift from Jobs). http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/09/26/patent-trol... She's suing a patent troll that should be something developers, Apple, and even iMore could get behind.
Believe it or not, we can hold two thoughts in our head simultaneously: supporting her position against Lodsys but still thinking that she made a huge PR blunder by acting self-entitled when she broke her iPad.
If it had that much sentimental value to her as a gift from Steve, I posit that it should have been taken much better care of than to have actually been used every day. She could have kept that in her office, say, with another battle-ready iPad on her person purchased the regular way from Apple.
Or maybe she could have picked up an Otterbox or a Lifeproof case, instead of expecting it to magically be made of bullet-proof glass.
I'm glad she's taking heat for this. I've always thought Martha Stewart was nothing more than a Grade A c*nt.
Grade A Cent? What's that;)
Grade A Cent is Fiddy's sister.
Sir, you have just made my day. Well done.
Hardly news worthy :-/
Buy another one, cheap $%&$@.
But as I am sure you're gonna break it again, buy a few as backup!
I have to admit, I'm surprised that of all the crap I heaped on Martha in this editorial, "convicted felon" is what sticks in your craw.
Perhaps she should follow her own sh*tty ideas from her show.
Dear Martha,
With a hot glue gun and some glitter, you can take that ugly broken iPad and turn it into a lovely Christmas ornament.
Nobody Cares.
Sent from the iMore App
hahahah! I think this was better than the actual article itself! Thanks for the morning laugh!
Very nicely designed Terminator skin on that iPad. Me liky.
#superbitch go Martha. Lol. Sucks not to be in her world...
I assume that Martha Stewart has easy access to a search engine like Google, just like the rest of us.
Yes, via her Assistant of the Day.
I assume asking real people via Twitter was her preference. I don't see that as necessarily problematic. I don't recall any abusive language or punctuation.
The fact (which I take her word for) that it was a gift from Steve seems kind of relevant although I admit that reacting to Apple PR publicly smells like bad form.
That said, it just doesn't seem to me to be the offense your article suggests.
Maybe she's using SERI and stuck with BING. She's use to telling people to do things for her.
She can take the broken glass, glue gun and construction paper to make a decorative, holiday collage.
It's a good thing!
Ok it sucks to break an ipad and it probably cost a lot of money, but she could afford to either get a new one, or go to apple store and get it fixed. You know something, just because you are someone well known doesnt mean you are going to get any special treatment. We all pay the same price for apple devices, so why should you be any different than the rest of apples customers.
Sent from the iMore App


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Happy Super Bowl week! We are gearing up for an epic gluten-free Super Bowl party here at ATX Gluten-Free. We will definitely be serving these burgers. As well as some other gluten-free appetizers and cocktails, of course. The buns used in this recipe were kindly provided by Gluten-Free Kneads. They are the official sponsor for our Gluten-Free Pizza Fest. Find Gluten-Free Kneads at several locations around town, or order online. Stay tuned for the launch of our new website this month. It has been a fun process and I can't wait to share the results with you all. [Read more...]
Gluten-Free Smokehouse Burger Recipe
February 3, 2011 by 10 Comments

subset: commoncrawl


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Wind: 10 mph
Henry Whitney, 62, of 34 Powderhound Road, Warren, VT, son of the late Anna Ruth Persons Whitney and Henry Whitney Sr., passed away as the result medical complications Thursday, October 18, 2012, at Fletcher Allen Medical Center.
Henry was born in Providence, New York, on May 21, 1950. Henry attended schools In New York. Henry was a well-loved man and friend to all. Henry's passions were playing music, driving the school kids, his grand kids and small engine repair. He also loved to make people laugh with his jokes and stories. He will be missed.
Henry is survived by his longtime partner and ex-wife Harriet (Tiny) Whitney, his daughter Jeannie Richards and her husband Eric, his son Brian Whitney and his partner Nicole Herold, and his daughter Amy Brassard and her husband Neal; and grandchildren Ji Richards, Justin Whitney, Jorden Richards, Forrest Richards, Stephanie Whitney, Paige Whitney, Chayne Brassard, Hannah Brassard and Dana Brassard. His sisters, Joan Hagadorn and her husband David, Betty Strong and her husband George, Diane Grey, Darlene Brown and Dorathea Whitney. His brothers, Kenny Whitney, Robert Whitney and William Brown.
Henry is predeceased by both his parents, Anna Ruth (Persons) Whitney and Henry James Whitney Sr.; brothers James Whitney, Joel Whitney, Jerry Whitney, Louis Brown; and sisters Jean Persons, Zelda Strong and Dawn Whitney.
Services will be held at the Warren Town Hall on November 4, 2012, at 1 p.m. All donations will be accepted towards funeral and cremation expenses to Jeannie Richards (daughter) or Harriet Whitney (partner of 23 years). There will also be a donation box on the table.


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Thursday, May 23, 2013
Ingredients and Preparation
Fresh, trimmed or frozen, cut asparagus
10½ ounces
Garlic powder
¼ teaspoon
Lime juice (lemon juice may be substituted)
2 teaspoons
Canned green chili peppers, drained, chopped
2 tablespoons
Onion, chopped
1 tablespoon
Tomato paste
2 teaspoons
1/8 teaspoon
Ground cumin
¼ teaspoon
White pepper
1/8 teaspoon
1. Directions
2. Cook asparagus. Drain well.
3. Pat dry with paper towels and place in blender. Add remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Dip will become less thick upon standing and will need
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|NOTE: This product is no longer being sold and might not be supported. View the End-of-Life Notice to learn:
Cisco VPN Client v3.x Replaces Cisco Secure VPN Client v1.x
Cisco VPN Client v3.x, which is compliant with Cisco Easy VPN, is replacing the Cisco Secure VPN Client v1.0 and v1.1. Cisco VPN Client v3.x provides greater ease of use and customized update capabilities, including:
- Dynamically-pushed VPN-policy configuration on a per group basis eliminates the need for manual client configuration
- Support for internal IP addresses, primary and secondary Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) and Domain Name System (DNS)
- Split-tunnel or no-split-tunnel options on a per group basis
- Support for policy-database support either locally on the router or via RADIUS
- Authentication of users via extended authentication
- The latest revisions of the mode configuration and extended authentication IKE extensions
Support will continue for Cisco Secure VPN Client v1.0 and v1.1 but no new features for it will be developed. Please refer to the End of Sale and End of Life announcement posted 27/June/2003.
New features are being developed for the Cisco VPN Client v3.x, and customers are encouraged to deploy the Cisco VPN Client v3.x.
More detailed information about the Cisco VPN Client v3.x is available at the following URL: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/secursw/ps2308/index.html


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Stark Recreation & Wellness Center
Recreation & Wellness Center Mission
The mission of the Recreation & Wellness Center is to promote physical, social and mental well-being. We believe that "everyBODY" should be given the opportunity to explore how permanent, positive lifestyle changes can increase their ability to succeed. We work together to educate our participants and to maintain a safe, non-judgmental atmosphere where our participants can feel proud of what they achieve.
Students at Kent State Stark can build healthy lifestyles by taking advantage of all the services available through the Recreation & Wellness Center. Here you'll find a half-court volleyball and basketball court, dance/aerobics studio, Nautilus weight machine circuit, free weights, treadmills, stair climbers, elliptical cross-trainers and stationary bikes.
Students can also take physical education courses for credit like dance, cycling, yoga, weight training, golf and many more!
Center Information:
Stacie M. Humm
Academic Program Coordinator
Recreation & Wellness Center
330-244-3550 Fax
Recreation & Wellness Center
You will swipe your FLASHcard to enter the facility. The first time you swipe your card, we will need to take your photo to have your profile activated. The process should only take a few minutes. We appreciate your patience.
Center Hours:
Fall & Spring Semesters:
Monday - Thursday: 6:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Friday: 6:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed Saturday & Sunday
Winter & Spring Breaks:
Monday - Thursday: 6:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Friday: 6:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Closed Saturday & Sunday
Monday - Thursday: 6:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Friday: 6:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.


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'Legally Blonde' part of Croswell's 'Great Big Night'Written by Renee Lapham Collins | | email@example.com
"Legally Blonde," the musical version of the hit movie, opens June 15 at the Croswell Opera House.
The show, which charts the journey of fashion merchandising major Elle Woods from sorority sister to successful law school student, is a perfect pick for a fun Croswell event, according to executive director Jere Righter.
"Most people know this as a movie with Reese Witherspoon, but the story line translates so well to music and the characters are larger than life," Righter said. "The day the rights became available for community theater I secured them for this spot."
The "spot" Righter refers to is part of the Croswell's annual "Great Big Night" fund-raiser.
"We have an opening night pre-party with dinner catered by the Hathaway House, a full bar, a small live auction and then after the show, there is a dance party out in the street in front of the Croswell."
Patrons may purchase tickets for all three events for $100. Pre-party tickets are $50 while admission to the show is $28 and the post-party, $25. Tickets are available by calling (517) 264-7469 or by logging on to croswell.org.
"We are creating some faux magazine covers to decorate the library for the pre-party," she said. "It's clever and cute. The pre-party is a great way to support the Croswell and we'll also be presenting the Lenawee Arts award."
Righter is thrilled with the upcoming show.
"The play centers around Elle Woods, who should be someone you don't like," Righter said. "She's so into fashion, pink is her signature color, yet she's funny, smart, moral and wants to do the right thing."
Marlena Hilderley of Tecumseh is cast as Elle. A student at the University of Michigan where she is studying vocal performance and music education, Hilderley has a long list of Croswell credits, including "High School Musical 2," "Fame," "A Chorus Line" and "Hairspray."
"I really like the play," Hilderley said. "I liked the movie and I started listening to the soundtrack when I found out the Croswell was doing it. I found I really liked the soundtrack — Elle is the kind of character I like to play, a challenging role. She's perceived as superficial but on the inside, she's not."
Hilderley said one difficulty in playing the role of Elle is finding a balance between being likeable and overly obnoxious.
"She sees that she actually belongs (at Harvard) and that she's meant to be there after all."
Jen Letherer, a theater and film professor at Spring Arbor University, is directing "Legally Blonde."
"One of the things that makes the character dynamic is that she's fun, she doesn't dwell on things that aren't important throughout the entire play."
Letherer said it is important to understand the nature of the story and not feel compelled to depend on gimmicks.
"Any moment in a successful play comes from performers and the strength of the production," she said. "So here we look at how we can make what is natural work, look at what is the real intention of the play and how we can make it work. In other words, not looking for the easy laugh but for what a character would really do."
Letherer praised her cast and the talent they will bring to the final production.
"We have 20 cast members but they are all utility players, playing a lot of different things, and they understand the nature of the space, the community and the time," she said. "We have a strong choreographer in Deb Calabrese and a great musical director in Dave Rains. Those are major essentials for me and it contributes to the fun (of staging the musical)."
Letherer said the "rehearsals are a joy.
"This is a delightful group of performers who understand how to make the play wonderful for them and for the audience."
Selecting the right show for the fund-raiser is a challenge.
"For all our musicals, which run from May to December, we are looking for shows that have broad appeal but also we have to be confident we can cast a show," Righter said. "For June, for our 'Great Big Night,' we wanted something uplifting and fun and in this show, we have it. We have a show that has a message of loyalty, integrity and intelligence winning out but it's told in a clever and fun way so it's not heavy-handed."
Besides Hilderley, the cast includes David Blackburn of New Boston as Warner, Darin DeWeese of Ann Arbor as Emmett, Natasha Ricketts of Adrian as Paulette, Mark Hyre of Tecumseh as Professor Callahan, Callie Cothern of Tecumseh as Vivienne, Ashley Greer of Bedford as Margo, Abby Dotz of Saline as Pilar, Katie Ialacci of Temperance as Serena, Hallie Toland of Holland, Ohio, as Brooke and Emily Wyse of Wauseon as Enid. The ensemble cast features Ryan Chang of Onsted, Dan Evans of Adrian, Mia Gladieux of Perrysburg, Kyle Krichbaum of Adrian, Jocelyn Near of Sand Creek, Austin Olano of Onsted, Alissa Reeder of Tecumseh, Austin Terris of Saline and Brandon Wright of Toledo.
"There is something for everyone in this show," Letherer said. "It has had a wonderful life with MTV and that generation, there are lots of really fun parts, a lot of humor and a lot of heart."
Tags: Croswell Opera House, Jen Letherer, Jere Righter, Legally Blonde, Marlena Hilderley, Renee Lapham Collins, "Great Big Night" fund-raiser


text: The Rapture, pre, mid or post, what if it already happened? And you missed it? How would that change your life? Did you know Josephus, the Jewish Historian who wrote "Wars of the Jews" described a rapture of thousands of Jews who were "caught up in the air" in the first century? This historical information (not taught in most churches) may totally change your life…for the better. Learn about the Rapture of 70AD.


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What should you wear or bring to the track for the Fourth of July? Dress head to toe in red, white and blue with the help of these accessories.
It might seem natural when you're in the presence of barns, stables and horses to feel a bit of a country vibe. But Friday, June
Searching for that perfect look for the Belmont Stakes? How about Binny's Taste at the Track?
Another Kentucky Derby Day has come and gone, and as always, the fashion at parties throughout the country was on point. However, given who we are, we happen to think that the best representa
Our Arlington team is so excited to offer you our new Style Guide! New for the 2015 season, this guide will offer regular updates on ideas for what to wear to the racetrack, great fashion fin
©2015 Churchill Downs Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. | Churchill Downs, Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, the "twin spires design" and Churchill Downs Incorporated-related trademarks are registered trademarks of Churchill Downs Incorporated.


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|Message from the Director
Want to know more about Southeast Asia?
Check out our program course offerings here or contact the Center at email@example.com.
|Sixth Annual Cambodian Conference held March 14-16, 2014
Ohio University was very pleased to host the Sixth Annual Khmer (Cambodian) Studies Forum from March 14-16, 2014. The Forum had as its theme, "Cambodia at a Crossroads." For more information, visit our webpage at www.seas.ohio.edu/ksf2014.html or contact the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at email@example.com.
|American Review of China Studies
|OHIO Alums Return to Campus on November 25 and 26
Dr. Endah Agustiana gave a lecture on Nov. 25
Dr. Endah Trista Agustiana (Ph.D., Intercultural Communication, 2005) presented a lecture entitled, "Implementing UN Security Council 1325 on Women, Peace and Security: Bridging the voices, breaking the silence, engendering grassroots and parliamentary peacebuilding initiatives in Indonesia and Timor-Leste." The lecture was held at 3pm on Monday, November 25, in Baker University Center Room 230. For more information, click here.
Dr. Rudi Sukandar gave a lecture on Nov. 26
Dr. Rudi Sukandar (Ph.D., Communication Studies, 2007) presented a lecture entitled, "Reporting and Analyzing Violent Conflict in Indonesia: Use of the National Violence and Monitoring System (NVMS) Data for Academic and Decision/Policy-making Purposes." The lecture was held at 12pm on Tuesday, November 26, in Baker University Center Room 230. For more information, click here.
|Finance Expert Jonathan Morduch presents Lectures at OHIO
On Thursday, October 17, Dr. Jonathan Morduch, Professor of Public Policy and Economics at New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, presented two lectures at Ohio University: "How the Worlds Poor Live on Less than $2 a Day," and "How Microfinance Really Works" to a full house in Baker Ballroom. For more information, click here.
|Fourth Annual International Lao Conference held at
UW-Madison in April 2013
The Fourth International Conference on Lao Studies (ICLS), co-hosted by the Center for Lao Studies (CLS) in San Francisco and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin took place on April 19-21, 2013 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. The Conference attracted more than 280 participants worldwide, including from the USA, Laos, France, Thailand (including numerous academics from Isan), Germany, Japan, China, Australia and Canada. There were 140 presenters, composing 38 unique panels with five parallel sessions. A two-day Film Festival featured over 10 films and documentaries on Lao topics, and the Center for Lao Studies and the Conference receptions highlighted the local Lao American talents, combined with delicious Lao food catered by the local Lao community. For a detailed conference report, click here.
|OU CSEAS hosts Fifth Annual Khmer Studies Forum
The Center for Southeast Asian Studies hosted the Fifth Annual Khmer Studies Forum on March 15, 16, and 17, 2013. The Forum featured a keynote address by Dr. Sophal Ear, panel presentations, roundtable discussions, films, and more. A full report will soon be available at www.seas.ohio.edu/ksf2013.html.
|Exhibit: Wooden Boats of Balobaloang
On Thursday, April 18, an exhibit opening and reception for Wooden Boats of Balobaloang, was held from 4 6pm in the Southeast Asia Collection (1st floor) of Alden Library.
Balobaloang is a small island in the Sabalana Archipelago, located approximately 112 nautical miles southwest of Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. This island is home to approximately 600 people of Bugis ethnicity, one of over 300 ethnic groups in Indonesia. The Bugis of Sulawesi are among the most famous of all sea faring societies in Southeast Asia.
Dr. Gene Ammarell, associate professor of Anthropology at Ohio University, has worked with the people of Balobaloang for over two decades, studying many aspects of this seafaring society. On display in the Southeast Asia Collection at Alden Library (1st floor), is a collection of model boats that are representative of the wooden fishing and cargo vessels used by the people of Balobaloang since they first settled the island in the late 19th century. These models were created by the late Pak Haji Sima Daeng Pasolong. The display also includes information on the livelihoods and traditions of the Bugis of Balobaloang, depicting their unique life ways.
|Dr. Ann Tickamyer speaks about Java research on March 26
|Dr. Gene Ammarell speaks on South Sulawesi Environmental Issues
On Wednesday, February 13, Dr. Gene Ammarell (Anthropology/Sociology) presented a lecture as part of the Ecolunch Seminar Series. Dr. Ammarells talk, entitled, "'Is it sustainable?' Indonesian fishers adapt to a severely degraded reef," was focused on his most recent fieldwork in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The Ecolunch Seminar Series are held on Wednesdays from 12:55 1:55pm in Irvine Hall Room 159.
|Thai Scholar Speaks on Thai-Cambodian Relations
|Dr. James H. Willbanks speaks on "Nixon's War" in Vietnam
The Contemporary History Institute hosted a lecture by Dr. James Willbanks, General of the Army George C. Marshall Chair of Military History and Director of the Department of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The lecture began at 4:30pm in 231 Baker Center. For more information, please click here.
|Ohio University hosts 40th Annual COTS Conference
on October 26 and 27
The 2012 COTS conference featured keynote speaker Dr. Charnvit Kasetsiri, distinguished Thai historian and former Rector of Thammasat University. Additionally, Associate Professor Chusak Pattarakulvanit, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Liberal Arts at Thammasat University, gave a special guest lecture. The conference was attended by scholars from across the nation, including from University of Wisconsin-Madison, Northern Illinois University, Cornell University, and others.
2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the founding the Council on Thai Studies.
|Indonesian Artists Discuss Social Issues
On Thursday, October 18, 2012, Gina and Lilik, two artists from Taring Padi, a collective of social activists based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, gave a presentation on their work. The lecture/discussion took place place in the Friends of the Library Room (Rm 319) and was followed by a reception in the Southeast Asia Collection of Alden Library, where an exhibit of twenty Taring Padi prints are displayed.
|Malaysian Film and Art Workshop held October 10, 1:30 5:30pm
On Wednesday, October 10, Ohio University was very pleased to host the Artistic Interspaces of Malaysia workshop, featuring presentations by faculty from the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Malaysia and OHIO. Hosted by Dr. Habibah Ashari, the current Tun Abdul Razak Chair, the workshop brought together scholars and practitioners in the fields of film, theatre and animation. A full list of activities can be found here.
|Award-winning Cambodian film screened on September 17th
The Center for Southeast Asian Studies was very pleased to host a screening of Lost Loves, an award winning film by Chhay Bora, on Monday, September 17, 2012.
In 1975, the Communist Khmer Rouge regime took over Cambodia, ushering in nearly 4 years of terror for the Cambodian people. Lost Loves is the heart-wrenching true story of Leav Sila, just one of countless mothers who made incredible sacrifices to try to keep their families alive during the Khmer Rouge regime, only to see the vast majority executed or left to die of torture, illness or starvation. Starring Kauv Sotheary, one of only two surviving children of Leav Sila, Lost Loves provides a brutal yet captivating insight into the extremity of this painful chapter in history.
Dr. Chhay Bora, the films director and producer, was present for a question-and-answer session following the screening. This film is very important, said Bora, because we must make sure that the new generation of Cambodians does not forget about the past, lest this horrible tragedy happen again. Lost Loves is being shown at various universities across the United States.
|What are you doing this summer?
Why not Study Abroad in SOUTHEAST ASIA?
The Southeast Asian Studies Program is pleased to announce several summer study abroad options in Southeast Asia. Study the rich mosaic of life in Malaysia, the language, arts, and handicrafts of Indonesia, or the fascinating history of Cambodia. For more information, contact the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at firstname.lastname@example.com, or check out the Office of Education Abroads web site.
Yamada International House, 56 E. Union Street, Athens OH 45701 (740) 593-1840


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Due to the scheduled construction activities at McAlpine Creek Park this Winter, we will be unable to host our 2015 WinterClassic 8k.
We strongly considered alternate locations, but ultimately decided that it would be in the best interest of the event to postpone the race until 2016. We are grateful for everyone's support of the race over the past 3 years and are extremely disappointed that we are having to make this decision. We are committed to continuing to grow this event into one of the premier running race's in Charlotte and look forward to bringing the race back, bigger and better than ever in 2016!
Stay up to date with Charlotte Running Club activities via our Facebook page and our club website.


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Sunday, February 2, 2014
Charleston's distillery, Striped Pig Distillery, officially opened its doors on Oct. 1, 2013, the same time their spirits hit liquor stores in Charleston and Hilton Head. After only three months on the market, this local micro-distillery that handcrafts all of their spirits from scratch announces that their spirits are now available throughout South Carolina.
It is not very common for a small micro-distillery to launch into a larger market so quickly. According to Striped Pig Distillery, unlike many brands, their focus isn't on marketing tricks or gimmicks. Instead, they focus on making quality spirits from local ingredients, and leave the rest to the consumer's taste buds. Apparently, their spirits have a had a great reaction from the Charleston and Hilton Head markets since their distributor, Ben Arnold Beverage Company, wished to take their spirits statewide so quickly.
Ben Arnold Beverage Company Palmetto Division Business Manager, Jason Johnson, said of the launch, "Working with the Striped Pig family in Charleston and Hilton Head Island in late 2013 was truly a pleasure. As a distributor, it is exciting to work with a producer that is as passionate and dedicated as the Striped Pig team. Breaking into a market place that is dominated by national brands is no easy task. Striped Pig Distillery is full of hard workers, from staying up late manning the still to keep us in stock, to walking Jackson through the streets of Charleston creating brand awareness, the whole team is eager to succeed. With this dedication and the quality of the products that they are producing, there is no doubt that Striped Pig will achieve statewide success as we broaden our base of distribution in 2014."
Striped Pig Distillery asserts that their mission is to make their spirits from the freshest, local ingredients possible. Their vodka and 'Shine is made in small batches from corn grown on Myer's Farm in Bowman, SC and their rum is made from molasses from Savannah, GA.
Striped Pig Distillery offers free tours and tastings of their distillery Wednesday through Friday from 3 to 7 P.M. and Saturday 12 to 5 P.M. You can also schedule your own tour by visiting their website at StripedPigDistillery.com.
Moultrie News is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. We do not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not Moultrie News.
If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full terms and conditions.
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Tony was a loving father, husband, son and brother. He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., attended high school in Jones County, and lived here all of his adult life. He is survived by his wife, Kim; daughter, Brooke; stepson, Chaz; stepdaughter, Lana; brother, Jim; mother, Sandy; father, Eric; stepmother, Linda; and nephew, Mason.
The family may be contacted at 172 Childs Street in Gray.
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A non-linear element is formed on a flexible substrate by securing the substrate to a rigid carrier, forming the non-linear element, and then separating the flexible substrate from the carrier. The process allows flexible substrates to be processed in a conventional fab intended to process rigid substrates. In a second method, a transistor is formed on a insulating substrate by forming gate electrodes, depositing a dielectric layer, a semiconductor layer and a conductive layer, patterning the conductive layer to form source, drain and pixel electrodes, covering the channel region of the resultant transistor with an etch-resistant material and etching using the etch-resistant material and the conductive layer as a mask, the etching extending substantially through the semiconductor layer between adjacent transistors. The invention also provides a process for forming a diode on a substrate by depositing on the substrate a first conductive layer, and a second patterned conductive layer and a patterned dielectric layer over parts of the first conductive layer, and etching the first conductive layer using the second conductive layer and dielectric layer as an etch mask. Finally, the invention provides a process for driving an impulse-sensitive electro-optic display.
1. A process for forming a plurality of non-linear elements on a flexible substrate, the process comprising:
securing the flexible substrate on a substantially rigid carrier;
forming a plurality of non-linear elements on the flexible substrate while this flexible substrate is secured to the substantially rigid carrier;
securing a transfer substrate to the exposed surface of the flexible substrate carrying the non-linear elements and
separating the flexible substrate and the plurality of non-linear elements from the substantially rigid carrier.
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11. A process for forming at least one non-linear element on a flexible substrate, the process comprising:
securing the flexible substrate on a substantially rigid carrier;
forming at least one non-linear element on the flexible substrate while this flexible substrate is secured to the substantially rigid carrier; and
separating the flexible substrate and the at least one non-linear element from the substantially rigid carrier,
wherein one of the substantially rigid carrier and the flexible substrate is provided with a plurality of projections and the other of the substantially rigid carrier and the flexible substrate is provided with a plurality of aperture or recesses arranged to receive the projections, and the flexible substrate is secured to the substantially rigid carrier by inserting the projections into the apertures or recesses.
12. A process for forming at least one non-linear element on a flexible substrate, the process comprising:
securing the flexible substrate on a substantially rigid carrier;
forming at least one non-linear element on the flexible substrate while this flexible substrate is secured to the substantially rigid carrier; and
separating the flexible substrate and the at least one non-linear element from the substantially rigid carrier,
wherein the flexible substrate is secured to the substantially rigid carrier by spot welding.
13. A process for forming at least one non-linear element on a flexible substrate, the process comprising:
securing the flexible substrate on a substantially rigid carrier;
forming at least one non-linear element on the flexible substrate while this flexible substrate is secured to the substantially rigid carrier; and
separating the flexible substrate and the at least one non-linear element from the substantially rigid carrier,
wherein the flexible substrate is magnetically secured to the substantially rigid carrier.
This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 11/424,258, filed Jun. 15, 2006 (Publication No. 2006/0223282, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,442,587), which is itself a divisional of application Ser. No. 10/249,624, filed Apr. 24, 2003 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,223,672), which claims priority from application Ser. No. 60/375,246, filed Apr. 24, 2002 and application Ser. No. 60/376,603, filed Apr. 30, 2002.
This application is also related to application Ser. No. 09/565,413, filed May 5, 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,030,412); application Ser. No. 09/904,109, filed Jul. 12, 2001 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,683,333); application Ser. No. 09/904,435, filed Jul. 12, 2001 (Publication No. 2002/0060321, now abandoned), and application Ser. No. 10/065,795, filed Nov. 20, 2002 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,012,600). This application is also related to application Ser. No. 10/249,618, filed Apr. 24, 2003 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,116,318). The entire contents of the aforementioned applications are herein incorporated by reference. The entire contents of all United States Patents and published Applications mentioned below are also herein incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to processes for forming backplanes for electro-optic (electronic) displays. This invention also relates to certain improvements in non-linear devices for use in such backplanes and to processes for forming such non-linear devices.
The term "electro-optic" as applied to a material or a display, is used herein in its conventional meaning in the imaging art to refer to a material having first and second display states differing in at least one optical property, the material being changed from its first to its second display state by application of an electric field to the material. Although the optical property is typically color perceptible to the human eye, it may be another optical property, such as optical transmission, reflectance, luminescence or, in the case of displays intended for machine reading, pseudo-color in the sense of a change in reflectance of electromagnetic wavelengths outside the visible range.
The terms "bistable" and "bistability" are used herein in their conventional meaning in the art to refer to displays comprising display elements having first and second display states differing in at least one optical property, and such that after any given element has been driven, by means of an addressing pulse of finite duration, to assume either its first or second display state, after the addressing pulse has terminated, that state will persist for at least several times, for example at least four times, the minimum duration of the addressing pulse required to change the state of the display element. It is shown in published U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0180687 that some particle-based electrophoretic displays capable of gray scale are stable not only in their extreme black and white states but also in their intermediate gray states, and the same is true of some other types of electro-optic displays. This type of display is properly called "multi-stable" rather than bistable, although for convenience the term "bistable" may be used herein to cover both bistable and multi-stable displays.
Several types of electro-optic displays are known. One type of electro-optic display is a rotating bichromal member type as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,808,783; 5,777,782; 5,760,761; 6,054,071 6,055,091; 6,097,531; 6,128,124; 6,137,467; and 6,147,791 (although this type of display is often referred to as a "rotating bichromal ball" display, the term "rotating bichromal member" is preferred as more accurate since in some of the patents mentioned above the rotating members are not spherical). Such a display uses a large number of small bodies (typically spherical or cylindrical) which have two or more sections with differing optical characteristics, and an internal dipole. These bodies are suspended within liquid-filled vacuoles within a matrix, the vacuoles being filled with liquid so that the bodies are free to rotate. The appearance of the display is changed to applying an electric field thereto, thus rotating the bodies to various positions and varying which of the sections of the bodies is seen through a viewing surface. This type of electro-optic medium is typically bistable.
Another type of electro-optic display uses an electrochromic medium, for example an electrochromic medium in the form of a nanochromic film comprising an electrode formed at least in part from a semi-conducting metal oxide and a plurality of dye molecules capable of reversible color change attached to the electrode; see, for example O'Regan, B., et al., Nature 1991, 353, 737; and Wood, D., Information Display, 18 (3), 24 (March 2002). See also Bach, U., et al., Adv. Mater., 2002, 14 (11), 845. Nanochromic films of this type are also described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,038, International Application Publication No. WO 01/27690, and in copending application Ser. No. 10/249,128, filed Mar. 18, 2003 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,950,220). This type of medium is also typically bistable.
Another type of electro-optic display, which has been the subject of intense research and development for a number of years, is the particle-based electrophoretic display, in which a plurality of charged particles move through a suspending fluid under the influence of an electric field. Electrophoretic displays can have attributes of good brightness and contrast, wide viewing angles, state bistability, and low power consumption when compared with liquid crystal displays. Nevertheless, problems with the long-term image quality of these displays have prevented their widespread usage. For example, particles that make up electrophoretic displays tend to settle, resulting in inadequate service-life for these displays.
Numerous patents and applications assigned to or in the names of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and E Ink Corporation have recently been published describing encapsulated electrophoretic media. Such encapsulated media comprise numerous small capsules, each of which itself comprises an internal phase containing electrophoretically-mobile particles suspended in a liquid suspension medium, and a capsule wall surrounding the internal phase. Typically, the capsules are themselves held within a polymeric binder to form a coherent layer positioned between two electrodes. Encapsulated media of this type are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,930,026; 5,961,804; 6,017,584; 6,067,185; 6,118,426; 6,120,588; 6,120,839; 6,124,851; 6,130,773; 6,130,774; 6,172,798; 6,177,921; 6,232,950; 6,249,271; 6,252,564; 6,262,706; 6,262,833; 6,300,932; 6,312,304; 6,312,971; 6,323,989; 6,327,072; 6,376,828; 6,377,387; 6,392,785; 6,392,786; 6,413,790; 6,422,687; 6,445,374; 6,445,489; 6,459,418; 6,473,072; 6,480,182; 6,498,114; 6,504,524; 6,506,438; 6,512,354; 6,515,649; 6,518,949; 6,521,489; 6,531,997; 6,535,197; 6,538,801; and 6,545,291; and U.S. Patent Applications Publication Nos. 2002/0019081; 2002/0021270; 2002/0053900; 2002/0060321; 2002/0063661; 2002/0063677; 2002/0090980; 2002/0106847; 2002/0113770; 2002/0130832; 2002/0131147; 2002/0145792; 2002/0154382, 2002/0171910; 2002/0180687; 2002/0180688; 2002/0185378; 2003/0011560; 2003/0011867; 2003/0011868; 2003/0020844; 2003/0025855; 2003/0034949; 2003/0038755; and 2003/0053189; and International Applications Publication Nos. WO 99/67678; WO 00/05704; WO 00/20922; WO 00/26761; WO 00/38000; WO 00/38001; WO 00/36560; WO 00/67110; WO 00/67327; WO 01/07961; and WO 01/08241.
Many of the aforementioned patents and applications recognize that the walls surrounding the discrete microcapsules in an encapsulated electrophoretic medium could be replaced by a continuous phase, thus producing a so-called polymer-dispersed electrophoretic display in which the electrophoretic medium comprises a plurality of discrete droplets of an electrophoretic fluid and a continuous phase of a polymeric material, and that the discrete droplets of electrophoretic fluid within such a polymer-dispersed electrophoretic display may be regarded as capsules or microcapsules even though no discrete capsule membrane is associated with each individual droplet; see for example, the aforementioned 2002/0131147. Accordingly, for purposes of the present application, such polymer-dispersed electrophoretic media are regarded as sub-species of encapsulated electrophoretic media.
An encapsulated electrophoretic display typically does not suffer from the clustering and settling failure mode of traditional electrophoretic devices and provides further advantages, such as the ability to print or coat the display on a wide variety of flexible and rigid substrates. (Use of the word "printing" is intended to include all forms of printing and coating, including, but without limitation: pre-metered coatings such as patch die coating, slot or extrusion coating, slide or cascade coating, curtain coating; roll coating such as knife over roll coating, forward and reverse roll coating; gravure coating; dip coating; spray coating; meniscus coating; spin coating; brush coating; air knife coating; silk screen printing processes; electrostatic printing processes; thermal printing processes; ink jet printing processes; and other similar techniques.) Thus, the resulting display can be flexible. Further, because the display medium can be printed (using a variety of methods), the display itself can be made inexpensively.
A related type of electrophoretic display is a so-called "microcell electrophoretic display". In a microcell electrophoretic display, the charged particles and the suspending fluid are not encapsulated within microcapsules but instead are retained within a plurality of cavities formed within a carrier medium, typically a polymeric film. See, for example, International Applications Publication No. WO 02/01281, and published US Application No. 2002/0075556, both assigned to Sipix Imaging, Inc.
The aforementioned types of electro-optic displays are bistable and are typically used in a reflective mode, although as described in certain of the aforementioned patents and applications, such displays may be operated in a "shutter mode" in which the electro-optic medium is used to modulate the transmission of light, so that the display operates in a transmissive mode. Liquid crystals, including polymer-dispersed liquid crystals, are, of course, also electro-optic media, but are typically not bistable and operate in a transmissive mode. The backplanes of the present invention may be used with both reflective and transmissive displays, including conventional liquid crystal displays.
Whether a display is reflective or transmissive, and whether or not the electro-optic medium used is bistable, to obtain a high-resolution display, individual pixels of a display must be addressable without interference from adjacent pixels. One way to achieve this objective is to provide an array of non-linear elements, such as transistors or diodes, with at least one non-linear element is associated with each pixel, to produce an "active matrix" display. An addressing or pixel electrode, which addresses one pixel, is connected to an appropriate voltage source through the associated non-linear element. Typically, when the non-linear element is a transistor, the pixel electrode is connected to the drain of the transistor, and this arrangement will be assumed in the following description, although it is essentially arbitrary and the pixel electrode could be connected to the source of the transistor. Conventionally, in high resolution arrays, the pixels are arranged in a two-dimensional array of rows and columns, such that any specific pixel is uniquely defined by the intersection of one specified row and one specified column. The sources of all the transistors in each column are connected to a single column electrode, while the gates of all the transistors in each row are connected to a single row electrode; again the assignment of sources to rows and gates to columns is conventional but essentially arbitrary, and could be reversed if desired. The row electrodes are connected to a row driver, which essentially ensures that at any given moment only one row is selected, i.e., that there is applied to the selected row electrode a voltage such as to ensure that all the transistors in the selected row are conductive, while there is applied to all other rows a voltage such as to ensure that all the transistors in these non-selected rows remain non-conductive. The column electrodes are connected to column drivers, which place upon the various column electrodes voltages selected to drive the pixels in the selected row to their desired optical states. (The aforementioned voltages are relative to a common front electrode which is conventionally provided on the opposed side of the electro-optic medium from the non-linear array and extends across the whole display.) After a pre-selected interval known as the "line address time" the selected row is deselected, the next row is selected, and the voltages on the column drivers are changed to that the next line of the display is written. This process is repeated so that the entire display is written in a row-by-row manner. Thus, in a display with N rows, any given pixel can only be addressed for a fraction 1/N of the time.
Processes for manufacturing active matrix displays are well established. Thin-film transistors, for example, can be fabricated using various deposition and photolithography techniques. A transistor includes a gate electrode, an insulating dielectric layer, a semiconductor layer and source and drain electrodes. Application of a voltage to the gate electrode provides an electric field across the dielectric layer, which dramatically increases the source-to-drain conductivity of the semiconductor layer. This change permits electrical conduction between the source and the drain electrodes. Typically, the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode are patterned. In general, the semiconductor layer is also patterned in order to minimize stray conduction (i.e., cross-talk) between neighboring circuit elements.
Liquid crystal displays commonly employ amorphous silicon ("a-Si"), thin-film transistors ("TFT's") as switching devices for display pixels. Such TFT's typically have a bottom-gate configuration. Within one pixel, a thin-film capacitor typically holds a charge transferred by the switching TFT. Electrophoretic displays can use similar TFT's with capacitors, although the function of the capacitors differs somewhat from those in liquid crystal displays; see the aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 09/565,413, and Publications 2002/0106847 and 2002/0060321. Thin-film transistors can be fabricated to provide high performance. Fabrication processes, however, can result in significant cost.
In TFT addressing arrays, pixel electrodes are charged via the TFT's during a line address time. During the line address time, a TFT is switched to a conducting state by changing an applied gate voltage. For example, for an n-type TFT, a gate voltage is switched to a "high" state to switch the TFT into a conducting state.
Many electro-optic materials require application of a drive voltage for a significant switching time (typically of the order of 10−2 to 10−1 seconds) to effect a transition between their two extreme optical states. For high resolution displays containing at least (say) 100 rows and columns, if a reasonable scan rate is to be maintained, the period for which an individual pixel is addressed during a single scan is much less than the switching time of the electro-optic medium, and accordingly much of the switching of a pixel is effected by the voltage which remains on the pixel electrode between successive times of addressing the pixel (i.e., while other rows of the display are being addressed). This remaining voltage gradually decays due to current passing through the electro-optic material of the pixel and any current leakage through the non-linear element. The rate at which this decay occurs can be reduced (and the average voltage applied to the pixel during one complete scan of the display thus increased—this is commonly referred to as "increasing the voltage holding capacity" of the pixel) by connecting the pixel electrode to a capacitor.
At least some of the aforementioned electro-optic media can be made sufficiently flexible to permit their use in flexible displays based upon flexible substrates such as metal or polymeric films. However, manufacturing flexible microelectronic backplanes for such displays presents many challenges. Flexible substrates such as the polyimide-over-steel substrates described in the aforementioned 2002/0019081 will likely require specialized tooling for substrate handling. This is problematic for two reasons. Firstly, the required tooling does not exist. Secondly, a substantial investment by an existing display manufacturer will be required. This investment includes taking an existing glass-fab off-line, retrofitting the equipment, bringing the fab back on-line, and climbing the yield curve again. After retrofitting a fab for flexible substrates, it may not be possible to simultaneously process glass substrates due to the differences in the fixtures required. Thick steel substrates may not require as much specialized tooling for handling; however, display manufacturers may still be hesitant to process steel substrates due to contamination concerns and other issues. In any case, display manufacturers may be unwilling to make the required investment during the early stages of flexible display development.
In one aspect, the present invention allows a flexible display to be manufactured in an existing glass fab with virtually no changes to the facility. The fab could stay on-line and would be able to simultaneously produce flexible and glass backplanes. The invention provides a process in which a microelectronic display is fabricated on a rigid carrier and then released to produce a flexible display.
In another aspect, this invention seeks to reduce one major factor in the cost of preparing active matrix backplanes for electro-optic displays, namely the patterning steps; the present invention seeks to reduce the number of patterning steps needed.
In another aspect, this invention seeks to reduce the cost of diode backplane by replacing photolithography steps with printing.
Finally, this invention relates to improvements in drivers for electro-optic displays using an impulse sensitive electro-optic medium.
Accordingly, in one aspect this invention provides a process for forming at least one non-linear element on a flexible substrate. This process comprises:
This process of the invention may hereinafter for convenience be called the "rigid carrier" process.
In this rigid carrier process, the flexible substrate may comprise a polyimide layer. The flexible substrate may also comprise any one or more of a moisture barrier layer, a reflective layer, a release layer and a dielectric capping layer. The reflective layer may comprises a polymeric material having reflective metal particles dispersed therein.
In one form of the rigid carrier process, the rigid carrier transmits at least one wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, and the formation of the at least one non-linear element comprises at least one step in which electromagnetic radiation is transmitted through the substantially rigid carrier. The rigid carrier may, for example be formed at least in part of glass.
The rigid carrier process is especially useful for forming backplanes for electro-optic displays, i.e., in the rigid carrier process, the at least one non-linear element may comprise at least one backplane for an electro-optic display, and conveniently a plurality of discrete backplanes for electro-optic displays. Following formation of such a plurality of backplanes, both the flexible substrate and the substantially rigid carrier may be separated into a plurality of separate sections, each comprising one backplane, and thereafter in each of the separate sections, the substantially rigid carrier separated from the flexible substrate and the backplane. After the formation of the plurality of separate sections, but before separation of the substantially rigid carrier from the flexible substrate in each section, each section may be subjected to attachment of an electrical connector to the backplane and/or deposition of an electro-optic medium on the backplane. Separation of the substantially rigid carrier from the backplane is conveniently effected by radiation ablation of an ablatable layer disposed between the substantially rigid carrier and the backplane. A supporting layer may be attached to the flexible substrate after separation of the flexible substrate from the substantially rigid carrier.
Alternatively, after formation of a plurality of backplanes, the flexible substrate may be separated from the substantially rigid carrier, and thereafter the flexible substrate separated into a plurality of separate sections, each comprising one backplane. In such a process, after separation of the substantially rigid carrier from the flexible substrate but before separation of the flexible substrate into the sections, the flexible substrate may have an electrical connector to each of the backplanes, and/or an electro-optic medium may be deposited on the backplanes. Again, separation of the substantially rigid carrier from the backplane is conveniently effected by radiation ablation of an ablatable layer disposed between the substantially rigid carrier and the backplane, and a supporting layer may be attached to the flexible substrate after separation of the flexible substrate from the substantially rigid carrier.
In another variant of the rigid carrier process, following formation of the plurality of backplanes, a transfer substrate may be secured to the exposed surface of the flexible substrate carrying the backplanes, and thereafter the flexible substrate separated from the substantially rigid carrier. Again separation of the substantially rigid carrier from the flexible substrate is conveniently effected by radiation ablation of an ablatable layer disposed between the substantially rigid carrier and the backplane, and the flexible substrate may be separated into a plurality of sections each comprising one backplane, after separation of the substantially rigid carrier from the flexible substrate. The transfer substrate may be removed from the flexible substrate prior to separation of the flexible substrate into the sections.
In all variants of the rigid transfer process, it is generally desirable that the substantially rigid carrier have a coefficient of thermal expansion which is at least as great as the coefficient of thermal expansion of the flexible substrate.
The flexible substrate may be attached to the substantially rigid carrier in various ways. For example, one of the substantially rigid carrier and the flexible substrate may be provided with a plurality of projections and the other of the substantially rigid carrier and the flexible substrate provided with a plurality of aperture or recesses arranged to receive the projections, the flexible substrate being secured to the substantially rigid carrier by inserting the projections into the apertures or recesses. Alternatively, the flexible substrate may be secured to the substantially rigid carrier by spot welding, or magnetically.
In other aspect, this invention provides a method for forming a transistor array on a insulating substrate. This method comprises, in order:
This invention extends to a transistor array produced by this method, and to an electro-optic display comprising such a transistor array in combination with a plurality of pixel electrodes each of which is connected to one of the source and drain electrodes of one transistor of the array, an electro-optic medium disposed adjacent the pixel electrodes and at least one electrode on the opposed side of the electro-optic medium from the pixel electrodes.
In another aspect, this invention provides a process for forming a diode on a substrate, the process comprising:
Finally, this invention provides, in a process for driving an impulse-sensitive electro-optic display, which comprises applying to each of the pixels of the display a voltage selected from within a voltage range for a time selected within a time range, the improvement which comprises providing an additional voltage spaced from said voltage range, and applying the additional voltage to at least one pixel of the display for a time within the time range.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, though by way of illustration only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the following detailed description, rigid carrier processes of the invention will first be described with reference to
Rigid Carrier Processes
As already mentioned this invention provides a rigid carrier process for forming a non-linear element, which may be a diode or a transistor, on a flexible substrate. The flexible substrate is secured to a substantially rigid carrier, at least one non-linear element is formed on the flexible substrate, and then the flexible substrate and the at least one non-linear element are separated from the substantially rigid carrier.
In the rigid carrier process of the present invention, the basic process flow is as follows. The first step is to provide the flexible substrate on the rigid carrier; this carrier is preferably formed of display grade glass. The flexible substrate may be a pre-formed substrate, or may be formed in situ by coating a substrate-forming material on to the carrier. For example, the flexible substrate may be formed by coating a thick layer of polyimide on to a carrier. The flexible substrate may consist of only a single layer (typically a layer of polymer having sufficient mechanical integrity) or may comprise multiple layers (films) that serve different functions. For example, a moisture barrier film may be included in the substrate to prevent moisture absorption after the substrate and the non-linear elements have been separated from the carrier. Alternatively or in addition, a reflective layer, such as a sputtered or evaporated thin metallic film, may be included to block UV or other electromagnetic radiation.
As already indicated, in some cases the flexible substrate may include a ablatable or other type of release layer. A simple polyimide or other polymeric layer may itself act as a release layer. However, in many cases it may be desirable to include a release layer separate from the polymeric or other layer which provides the basic mechanical integrity of the flexible substrate. For example, a release layer may be formed of amorphous silicon, in which case the amorphous silicon release layer is preferably disposed adjacent the carrier when the flexible substrate is secured to the carrier. Alternatively, a polymeric film with UV (or other electromagnetic radiation) reflecting or absorbing particles may be used as the release layer.
Thus, a wide range of structures are possible in the flexible substrate used in the present invention. Examples of such structures include (giving the layers in order, with the layer closest to the substantially rigid carrier first):
(a) a single polymeric layer, typically of polyimide;
(b) a polymeric release layer, typically of polyimide, a reflective layer (which may also serve as a moisture barrier) and a main polymeric layer (the reflective layer under the main polymeric layer prevents moisture absorption after the carrier is separated from the flexible substrate);
(c) an amorphous silicon release layer, a reflective layer (which may also serve as a moisture barrier) and a main polymeric layer; and
(d) a polymeric layer comprising a polymer, typically polyimide, containing reflective metal particles, and a main polymeric layer.
Any of these structures may have a dielectric capping layer on top of the main polymeric layer to prevent moisture and solvent absorption during the fabrication of the non-linear elements and/or to prevent out-gassing during vacuum deposition steps. One suitable capping layer comprises 100-500 nm of silicon nitride deposited, for example by PECVD.
Polymers other than polyimide may of course be used in this process, but the polymer should be able to withstand the temperatures used in fabrication of non-linear elements (such as thin film transistors, "TFT's), which are typically about 150-350� C., and should also be compatible with the process employed to release the flexible substrate from the substantially rigid carrier. One example of a suitable non-polyimide material is benzocyclobutene, sold by Dow Chemical Company, Wilmington Del., under the Registered Trademark CYCLOTENE.
As already indicated many TFT and other non-linear element manufacturing processes use backside resist exposure (i.e., exposure of a photoresist layer through the substrate) to form self-aligned structures. Thus, in many rigid carrier processes of the present invention it may be desirable to use a polymeric film that will allow a backside exposure step to be used. The flexible substrate should be optimized to allows radiation to pass therethrough the layers and expose photoresist coated thereon. If, as is generally preferred, the flexible substrate is to be released from the rigid carrier by a radiation-induced release process, a backside exposure step requires that the layer which acts as the release layer of the flexible substrate absorb radiation at the wavelength (λr) used in the release step, but that both this release layer and the other layers of the flexible substrate transmit radiation at the exposure wavelength (λe) used in the backside exposure step, as illustrated in
In the rigid carrier process of the present invention, after the flexible substrate has been secured to the carrier, a TFT array, or other non-linear elements may be formed on the flexible substrate using any standard process suitable for glass substrates. However, there are two principal variants of the rigid carrier process. In the first variant, illustrated in
At this point, the display is essentially complete, and the last main stage in the process is separation of the display from the carrier 204. This is typically achieved by ablation at the interface between the carrier 204 and the substrate 202 (as shown in
A major advantage of this variant of the process is that the rigid carrier provides dimensional stability to the thin film array throughout the entire assembly process, thus allowing very fine alignment of a color filter array, and very fine alignment of tab interconnects to the thin film structures.
The second variant, illustrated in
In addition to allowing the rigid substrate to be reused, the process of
The present invention allows a flexible electro-optic display to be manufactured in an existing glass fab with virtually no changes to the facility. The fab could stay on-line and would be able to simultaneously produce flexible and glass-based backplanes. This invention side steps virtually all of the most difficult and costly issues associated with developing commercial flexible display manufacturing; i.e. fixturing, re-tooling, handling, contamination, substrate warp, surface roughness issues, surface defect issues, and substrate dimensional stability.
However, the subsequent steps in the process of
It will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts that the preferred rigid carrier processes described above make major demands upon the techniques used for fixturing flexible substrates during TFT backplane fabrication. Ideally, existing TFT manufacturing equipment will be able to handle the fixtured substrate without modifications. This would allow flexible substrates to be processed in existing TFT fabs with minimal retrofitting which will accelerate the commercialization of flexible displays. There are described below several different approaches: to bonding, welding and physical techniques, laser release, post-process thinning, and magnetic fixturing.
For all fixturing schemes it is important that the fixtured substrate match traditional glass substrates in terms of weight, thickness, and mechanical properties such as sag. Deviation from "glass specifications" is likely to require significant modifications to existing TFT fabrication facilities.
In one fixturing approach, the substrate is bonded to a carrier using either an organic or inorganic bonding layer. The carrier may be a solid sheet of material as shown in
It is desirable for the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the carrier to be equal to or slightly larger than the CTE of the substrate. If the CTE of the carrier and substrate are equal, there will not be any stress during thermal cycling and, in the case of a frame, the tension of the substrate will be maintained during thermal cycling. If the CTE of the carrier is slightly larger than the CTE of the substrate, the substrate will be under tension during thermal cycling, which will prevent the substrate from sagging. Another requirement (if heat is used to form the bond between the carrier and the substrate) is that the bond temperature exceed the process temperature (Tbond>>Tprocess) so that the bond remains intact during processing. Bonding can be performed by applying bond material to either the carrier or the substrate, or by using sheet of bonding material (for example, a sheet of indium or a preformed epoxy sheet), and using heat and/or pressure to form the bond.
One preferred embodiment of the method shown in
After TFT formation, the substrate may be released before display dicing or the displays may be diced without debonding the substrate, as described above with reference to
The substrate may also be secured to the rigid carrier by welding and other physical techniques. This approach is similar to the bonding approach previously described except that the substrate is spot-welded to the carrier or is physically held thereby.
If the substrate is spot-welded to the carrier, the substrate could be diced to produce individual displays without separating it from the carrier. If the substrate is clamped to the carrier or otherwise physically secured, the substrate would normally be removed from the carrier prior to the dicing step.
Various methods may be used to release the substrate from the carrier in the rigid carrier process. Laser release has already been described above with reference to
Delamination can also be accomplished using a wet chemical process if the adhesive layer is soluble in the chemical. This technique desirably requires a method for delivering the chemical over the entire area rather than just at the edges. One approach is to machine holes or channels in the carrier to assist with chemical delivery. Another option is to use a porous substrate material or a porous bonding material to assist with chemical delivery.
Another technique for separating the substrate from the carrier is to use heat (a temperature close to the glass transition temperature of the adhesive layer) to weaken the adhesive-carrier interface. The substrate could then be peeled from the carrier. A precision tool (such as a wedge) could also be used to separate the substrate from the carrier.
Since stainless steel substrates are magnetic or magnetizable, they can be transported and fixtured during the TFT fabrication process by the use of magnets.
The rigid carrier process of the invention may be carried out by forming the TFT's on a thick, semi-rigid material, for example a polymer, and then back-lapping or thinning the substrate after TFT formation. Such thinning could be effected before or after separation of the individual displays from the process sheet.
Process for Forming Transistors with Reduced Number of Patterning Steps
For low-cost and simplified manufacturing, it is advantageous to reduce the number of process steps in the TFT fabrication process. This is especially true for flexible TFT backplanes because of the substrate handling challenges and the potential for yield loss during handling and processing. For example, in a roll-to-roll manufacturing process for TFT's on flexible substrates, reducing the number of process steps will reduce the number of times that the roll has to be wound and unwound and the number times that the substrate contacts the rollers. This will improve yields.
This invention provides a process for forming a transistor array on an insulating substrate; this process may use only three mask steps.
In the first step of a preferred form of this process, illustrated in
At this point, the semiconductor layer 1112 is continuous between adjacent transistors and thus, as indicated in
The photoresist 1126 or other etch-resistant material shown in
In a variant of the process, contact pads may be formed on the substrate at the same time as, but spaced from, the gate electrodes 1108, these contact pads being positioned such that the final etching step exposes the contact pads, thus rendering them available for connection to other parts of the overall display. Also, in another variant of the process, the second passivating layer 1124 may be omitted.
This process of this invention achieves a patterned semiconductor layer without an additional mask step and thus, as compared with prior art processes which do not pattern the semiconductor layer, reduces the degradation of performance caused by leakage through an unpatterned semiconductor layer when the transistor array is in use.
Diodes with Printed Components
As already indicated, the cost of backplanes may be significantly reduced by replacing photolithography with printing, and this aspect of the present invention relates to incorporating printing into the manufacture of diode matrix backplanes. Printing may be incorporated into electro-optic (especially encapsulated electrophoretic) displays because the electro-optic medium does not require a planar surface, in contrast to liquid crystal displays, which require tight control of cell gaps on the order of 5-10 μm. Printed films are usually on the order of 5-25 μm so printing is not suitable for liquid crystal displays. The performance of printed devices is typically worse than the performance of devices fabricated using standard techniques (photolithography for example). Compared to other display technologies, encapsulated electrophoretic and some other electro-optic media do not require high drive current and may be able to tolerate the lower performance.
Metal-insulator metal (MIM) diodes are commonly used for active matrix backplanes. The insulator is typically formed by anodizing a patterned metal film. To make electrical contact to an anodized metal film, a contact hole is formed using photolithography and etching. To avoid this photolithography step, a conductive material such as carbon ink may be screen-printed onto the metal prior to anodization. The printed material should be resistant to anodization. This invention provides a diode array in which a conductive material is printed on a metal film to eliminate the need for a contact hole later in the process. Applicable printing processes include screen, ink-jet, offset, intaglio, gravure, and flexographic (or any combination of these techniques). Applicable materials include, but are not limited to, composite materials (screen-printing inks) and organic conductors.
The diode fabrication process may also be simplified by using a printed dielectric as an etch mask. The printed dielectric may remain on the device for isolation and capacitance reduction. This invention provides a process for forming a diode on a substrate; in this process, a printed dielectric is used as an etch mask. Applicable materials include both organic and inorganic dielectrics, as well as organic/inorganic composites.
The diode fabrication process may also be simplified by printing one of the electrodes of the diode or the pixel electrode. In some structures, the top electrode and pixel electrode may be printed at the same time. To achieve good diode performance, the electrode may consist of a multilayer stack. In this case, the conductive material would be printed onto a thin metal film which provides a high quality interface to the diode. The printed material would serve as a mask for etching the thin metal film. This invention provides a diode structure in which an electrode can be printed using a conductive material.
To improve the optical performance of a display, it may be desirable to bury the diode and select lines under a printed dielectric. The pixel electrode (which may also be printed) would be tied to the diode through a via in the dielectric. This structure ensures that the electronic ink is only driven by the pixel electrode. Again, a printed dielectric is not practical for liquid crystal displays because of the thickness of printed materials. Using standard processes (photolithography and etching) to achieve a buried structure adds cost and complexity which defeats the purpose of using diodes in the first place (low cost, simplified fabrication). This invention provides a diode structure in which the diode can be buried using a printed dielectric and printed pixel electrode.
Process for Driving Impulse-Sensitive Electro-Optic Display
As already indicated, and as discussed in more detail in the aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 10/065,795, many electro-optic displays (notably electrophoretic, rotating bichromal member and electrochromic displays) respond not solely to applied voltage, but the product of voltage and time (current or impulse). One manner of achieving intermediate optical states is to modulate the impulse seen by the display by using discrete voltage values, time values, or a combination of both. The data drivers (also called column drivers) required to provide these many impulse levels can be expensive, especially if they require high voltages, and the cost increases with the number of voltage/time steps required. In order to minimize display cost for high voltage drivers with voltage modulation capability, it is advantageous to concentrate the voltage levels in the region where they most effectively allow the electro-optic effect of the display to be controlled via impulse modulation.
One method of maximizing access to small voltage steps while maintaining high voltage resolution between steps is to provide a band of voltage steps with an offset. For example, one could have 64 levels of voltage available, but instead of having those levels from 0-5V, one could have them from 10-15V. The problem is that for a given number of voltage levels and time steps, there are a finite mesh of voltage-time values that can be achieved. If there are desired optical states that cannot be addressed with these values, then those states cannot be displayed.
This invention provides additional voltage-time states that allow access to "forbidden" states described above. The invention is described by means of the following example.
Assume that we have four voltage states (2 bit) and four time states, which allow 16 total voltage-time values shown in the table below.
In the above example the range of v-t values is from 1 volt-second to 5.2 volt seconds. If one requires a smaller (or larger) impulse, the values are not available. However if one adds in a discrete voltage value, one achieves four additional v-t states.
In the second table, a 3V value has been added, which allows v-t states from 0.3 to 5.2 volt-seconds. This can be repeated for additional discrete values, above or below the original v-t range.
The reference voltages may be formed from a resistor network.
This invention allows one to eliminate blind spots in the v-t matrix without the addition of more bits of voltage modulation, which is expensive. Instead, one creates a single additional state separated from the closely spaced voltage modulation group to fill in a series of values unreachable with the voltage modulation group alone.
Electrophoretic and other electro-optic materials require precise control of impulse values to achieve gray levels. Cost efficiency dictates that one cannot provide a continuous set of small steps from 0 to maximum switching voltage, but only use values near the maximum. However, this does not allow one to achieve all of the voltage levels needed for the display of 4-bit grayscale. This simple modification to the driver allows these states to be reached.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous changes can be made in the specific embodiments of the present inventions already described without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the whole of the foregoing description is to be construed in an illustrative and not in a limitative sense.
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
Referenced by
Original Image


text:
San Antonio (3-2) grabbed the game-winner at 5:28 of double overtime. The Rampage won a board battle and the puck squirted to center Jon Matsumoto, who walked in on Wolves goaltender Eddie Lack and fed defenseman Roman Derlyuk back door. Derlyuk snapped home the game-winner into an empty net to lift San Antonio to a 3-games-to-2 series win.
"We dug ourselves into a pretty big hole, tonight and earlier in the series," said Wolves head coach Craig MacTavish. "We fought back hard to get to overtime. But in overtime, it is usually someone making a play to get a goal and they were able to convert on one of theirs."
Trailing 2-0 midway through the third period, third-seeded Chicago (2-3) cut its deficit to 2-1 at 10:34. Defenseman Brad Hunt controlled the puck behind the net, walked to the bottom of the far circle and snapped a shot on net that crept through the post and Rampage netminder Jacob Markstrom's pads and dropped over the goal line.
The Wolves tied the score at 2-2 with 1:08 remaining in regulation. With Lack on the bench for the extra attacker, right wing Darren Haydar's shot from the near circle went off the leg of a Rampage defender and up over Markstrom's shoulder.
Markstrom (3-0) posted 37 saves in regulation and overtime.
After a scoreless opening 20 minutes, San Antonio opened scoring on the power play 7:23 into the second period. Defenseman Colby Robak's shot from the top of the far circle was tipped in front by left wing Evan Barlow and through Lack's legs.
The Rampage doubled their lead when center James Wright walked the puck through the far circle and slipped a pass across the crease to Mark Cullen, who fired a shot over Lack's outstretched glove at 8:00 of the third.
Lack (2-2) thwarted 34 of 37 shots in regulation and overtime.
San Antonio 0 1 1 0 1 -- 3
Chicago 0 0 2 0 0 -- 2
First Period---None. Penalties---Matson, Chicago (high-sticking), 2:57; Bench, Chicago (too many men, served by Davies), 4:05; Caruso, San Antonio (high-sticking), 9:40.
Second Period---1, San Antonio, Barlow 1 (Robak, Petrovic), 7:23 pp. Penalties---Lack, Chicago (delay of game, restricted area), 6:46; Timmons, San Antonio (tripping), 16:00.
Third Period---2, San Antonio, Cullen 1 (Wright), 8:00; 3, Chicago, Hunt 1 (Haydar, Reinprecht), 10:34; 4, Chicago, Haydar 4 (Mancari, Doell), 18:52. Penalties---None.
Overtime---None. Penalties---Barlow, San Antonio (tripping), 1:35; Barlow, San Antonio (high-sticking), 4:02; Mancari, Chicago (diving), 4:02; Matson, Chicago (high-sticking), 19:39.
Double Overtime---5, San Antonio, Derlyuk 1 (Matsumoto, Thomas), 5:28. Penalties---None.
Shots on goal---San Antonio: 11-6-10-6-4--37; Chicago: 5-15-12-6-1--39. Power plays---San Antonio: 1-4; Chicago: 0-3. Goalies---San Antonio, Markstrom (37-39); Chicago, Lack (34-37). A---4,640. Referees---Jamie Koharski and Mark Lemelin. Linesmen---Mathieu Chenier and Brian Oliver.


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|39 posts found
Advanced Member
Joined: 11/13/09
Got an email from a friend of mine saying she went back to eq2. Her and I stopped playing a few years ago. We both started playing eq2 when it came out in Nov. 2004 (8 years ago!!) and played for about 3 years. So, about 5 years have gone by. 5 years!!!!
She said come back and try it again, a lot has changed, and I have a surprise for you when you do.
So, forgetting all the stupid restrictions of the f2p model and dated graphics, I went back. The first thing that hit me was the opening music. EQ2 was my first MMO and the opening music just brought back a wave of fun memories.
Then, after being in game for only a few minutes, the messages (/tell in eq2 world) started to pour in. "OMG!! YOU'RE BACK!!!" "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, YOU ARE BACK YAYYYY, JOIN OUR GUILD NOW!!!" and so on.... at least 20 people started to chat with me at once.
The surprise my friend was telling me about was many of my old guildmates who I met in 2004 and were still playing. 8 years laters and these people still remember me. Still remember the fun times we had. It was like going to a high school reunion!
It was great chatting and seeing my old friends. EQ2 was the first and the last game where I belong to a guild of friends that really worked together, laughed together, and became a family together. We helped each other level, organzied fun activities, crafted for each other, it was teamwork and it's best and it was FUN!!!
So although a fun time, it was also a sad reminder of the state of MMOs today. Why has this not happened in any other game? Why do people play a game for 8 years back then and today, only months, if that before leaving?
I played LOTR, SWTOR, STO, GW2, TSW, and many many more. How is it possible that the commorodity I found in EQ2 I have never been able to find in any other MMO, ever????? Someone please explain that to me. Is it just because it was my first MMO? Or is it other MMOs, especially newer MMOs today, just don't promote grouping or guilding?
Well, at least I'll get that teamwork feeling again and I hope it lasts becasue it reminds me of the reason why I like MMO's in the first play. Friends and fun. Everything else just takes a back seat to that.
I wish grouping and guilding was more important and fun in games today. I know, I'm being nostalgic....sigh.
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Novice Member
Joined: 8/19/12
I had that happen to me with Age of Conan after a 2 year absence. It was so much fun to go back and the game seemed just that much more fun because of them. I've also returned to some other games where my guild had completely disbanded and all my friends were gone (most likely hiding from me on purpose). Anyway, a game is only fun to me if I can meet new friends and become a regular group -- you could take a totally crappy game and stick me in it with some awesome people who loved the game and I would go right along with it. With friends there with you for help, inspiration, and companionship, the fun will follow. I agree that MMO's should stress this more in games. The games with guild search options and the ability to show guild leaders online and even whisper to them right there on the spot seem to have a good longevity :)
Novice Member
Joined: 8/03/12
What a nice story, i feel happy for you!
I know the feeling, and was extremely sad when SWG was closed, so many friends and so much fun, i realy want to relive that again!
I wish you a ton of fun in your re-discovered game!
Advanced Member
Joined: 8/22/09
Go Outside!!
Home is where the heart is and a game (any game) depends on the people you play with.
Awesome stories thanks for sharing.
Life is Short, Read a Book.
Hard Core Member
Joined: 4/20/12
Nice to hear it and glad you found your home. I really do believe that it's the friends made in game that makes the game outstanding. *Every* game out there is improved if you have a great set of mates to group up with. No developer can program friendships for us -- the only thing they can do is make the game good enough to form the friends in the first place, then give us lots of ways to keep them.
Novice Member
Joined: 3/10/07
Soloing is too much the norm these days... my fondest memories of MMOs are from eq2 ( early ) as well, or bascially up through when pvp launched.
MMOs, used to be about working together in a larger group, now.. not so much. Its more about soloing and waving your shinys around.
Yeah it has changed a bit, I have made friends in other MMOs, but not to the same extent as in EQ2. I still have them all as friends on Facebook and actually care about them as real people.
While nostalgia is nice, EQ2 isnt the same game it was back then. Everything is easier, there is no need to work as a team. In fact all the dungeons now have a solo version. There are lots of botters and multi-boxers. People just farm money for charity loot. Raid progression is a joke.
EoF and TSO were the best, would be good if they could get back to those good old days. I think EQ2 has gone too far from that though, but will be looking forward to the latest version of Norrath in EQNext.
Novice Member
Joined: 3/26/08
every1 has his "first love" mmo wich memmories outshine everything after partially becouse it was the first, but it is true aswell games today are made of sh*t
for me atleast, the whole genre went into a bad direction, solo oriented, heavyly instanced, structured pvp themepark garbage,,,
and while our beloved oldschool games aint no more the way we remembered them ( pretty much each oldschool game tried to go with the spirit of the times and added solo content, often added instanced version of old raids etc,,, basicly: they got dumbed down and / or made easier ) they are still way better games then the biggest titles of nowdays,,, we're used to be offered breathing worlds by devs, now we're being thrown merely games like a bone, bad ones at that
for me it was Anarchy Online and Hells Heroes ( my organisation ((ao's guilds)) ), played it for like 6 years ( games like 11 in total right now ),,, and a few years after i quit i still wait for the new engine like it woud be christs second comming, put way more hopes into it than any new overhyped game, i miss my characters, i miss my friends, i miss my enemies,,,,
i miss rubi-ka
Games previously played: AO, AoC, Aion, AoW, Eve, SWTor, WaR, STO, TSW, DCUO, FE, BP, ProjectEntropia, FootballSuperstars!
Advanced Member
Joined: 10/03/06
Life Liberty and the Pursuit of those that would threaten It
I started with a Dail - up and EQ in 2000 then went to EQ2 when it launched, played Vanguard and POTC now that PS2 is out im going to get the All access pass when my yearly EQ2 sub runs out in Feb. Alot of folks seem to hate Sony but seem to me that they along with Blizzard are the industry leaders and most other game makers seem to follow there lead not all but most.
Novice Member
Joined: 1/10/11
Originally posted by tort0429Or is it other MMOs, especially newer MMOs today, just don't promote grouping or guilding?
GW2 has this problem in very critical way, you dont need anyone for anything except for dungeons, and you dont need anyone in particular in dungeons since the semi-trinityless system. You are surrounded by oither people in "dynamic" events but you dont need them because of the way the events work.
I was in a guild in GW2 but no one did anything together since you simply dont have to, and no one asked help for anything since you dont need help, I cant remember anyone even asking an advice for anything. That's not very interesting in a long run.
Novice Member
Joined: 11/12/12
It is because it is your first MMO and most modern MMORPG#s are more like a advanced CoOp game and dont really need socializing which is fun. You got LFG tools and Open Events that everyone can join...ah and a small instanced world
Apprentice Member
Joined: 8/16/09
Originally posted by evilastro
how long have they had this?
EQ2 is one of my favorite MMORPGs, but in 2012, I find that the community has devolved into two games: hardcore raiders and house designers.
Advanced Member
Joined: 12/25/06
I don't like the changes they made to it since it went f2p and abit before. Pretty much since they removed Qeynos and Freeport as starting cities and you can solo everything and level faster. Still, will probly get the next expansion. Should have made it EQ1 with EQ2 graphics to start with but they didn't.
This isn't a signature, you just think it is.
Apprentice Member
Joined: 1/21/07
just went back to play eq2 as well, i was also happy to be greeted by a couple of friends one or 2 who had never left and a few like me who took a break and came back recenty.
it's one of the good ones.
whether my themepark of choice is eq2 or rift remains to be seen but they're both good games IMHO.... the community of eq2 (at least on my server) is superior though.
RIP Ribbitribbitt you are missed, kid.
Currently Playing EVE, DFUW
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.
Dwight D Eisenhower
My optimism wears heavy boots and is loud.
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Novice Member
Joined: 4/22/10
You know I would love to play this game. I used to play it back in the days but it always felt like I didnt belong. Kind of like coming to the party very late you know and you get that feeling like all the fun stuff has already happend. Also I don't know anyone that plays so it bugs me you know that everyone is established and I would be all by my lonesome trying to figure things out.
I do have a couple questions though. If I were to say get this game are there certain expansion packs I should get as well?
Is there a certain server I should be on because I really want to find a place where the community is great. One thing I have to say that GW2 is lacking is that community aspect and that is just to much of a turn off to me.
EQ2 is like the bigger more established brother of Rift and I love Rift. I can look up the info but just a good place to start you know where I could meet like minded cool people.
Another thing I like about the game is the pet classes have so many skins for their pets. I love that aspect.
So if anyone could perhaps answer my question or maybe even better point me to a useful thread that would be very nice.
Also congrats on your return OP, friends do make any experience so much better.
Originally posted by SuperXero89
Started with Skyshrine in the second half of DoV, and they carried it through to the new expansion.
Originally posted by Graey
Only two expansions you need are Age of Discovery (which is more of a feature pack than an expansion) and Chains of Eternity.
AoD is needed for the beastlord class, reforging, mercenaries and the dungeon maker features.
CoE is the latest expansion and includes all previous content if you buy it.
Originally posted by Graey
Oh and to answer this, your best bet is probably Antonia Bayle or Freeport. AB being a roleplaying server and the home of a lot of raid guilds.
I used to play on Unrest because it was the Aussie server, it was usually pretty busy at all times due to having both oceanic and US players.
If you are a UK player your only real choice is Splitpaw.
Advanced Member
Joined: 7/20/04
Man, I know what you mean, EQ2 is awesome, and I think the gameplay promotes this type of play and it is what draws me to the game as well. I really hope that hey continue this type of atmosephere well on into EQ next and next and next!!!!
I am so good, I backstabbed your face!
Joined: 7/26/03
Originally posted by evilastro
good advice
Freeport does have a few Euro raid guilds
for a full year in 2011, Freeport was the only ftp server choice for both US and Euro