When the difference in price was several thousand dollars over an active display, I think that's how they came up with the idea It was only five or so years ago too that they stopped using them completely - many ~ 500Mhz Toshiba, Acer, etc notebooks used passive displays (which didn't have as bad 'ghosting' but had terrible contrast and blurring).

I'm happy using any old crap PC hobbled together with resin and sticks. But I'll avoid using a passive screen at all costs!

JB