We thought we had today's
Origami news covered, especially with our
hands-on visit to Samsung's CeBIT
booth. But it turns out there's still a little more info out there, courtesy of
tomorrow's official CeBIT
show daily, which was released to the web today by its time-traveling publisher. According to CeBIT News, the Origami
will include a circular virtual keyboard as part of its user interface. The Origami Touch Pack Interface, as the
virtual keyboard will be known, is designed for thumb-typing, and is sure to guarantee tons of fingerprints on your
Origami display. CeBIT News also confirms that a range of external peripherals will be available for the Samsung Q1,
including a GPS unit, DMB TV tuner (which will be internal for units sold in Korea), Bluetooth keyboard and DVD drive.
CeBIT News also says that you'll be able to rip DVDs to the hard drive, though we assume that this doesn't include
CSS-protected movies.
[Via
the Inq]
posted Mar 8th 2006 5:21PM
Looks like that keyboard'll take up quite a bit of the screen. I wonder how useful it'll be.
Does this model come with a stylus or a keyboard, or is it just a thumb/touchscreen?
Fujitsu's P1500 series already has that circular keyboard... and it is just as small, if not smaller... and is a convertible tablet... *yawn.* waiting to be impressed!
That'll be hard to get used to, but once you've mastered it I guess it's quite effective.
Imagine being able to write just half as quickly as you can type (assuming your a fast typer) using just your thumbs. Brilliant.
very nice... should work great with Skype. Add an EV-DO/EDGE card and it should work almost anywhere!
I do hope it has a PC Card slot....
Rip-off, they copy everything...Apple patented the thumb UI in 1956.
Asus' brushed steel model looks quite nice (and more fingerprint resistant.
http://scr3.golem.de/?d=0603/origami_preview&a=43885&s=1
Why don't they just put a real thumbboard on that big chunky bottom edge of the screen? That way the screen doesn't get dirty, or worse yet, scratched. Especially if the device is supposed to be only 7 inches wide.
I agree this will make the screen tend to get scratched more. But I imagine it won't be quite as bad as a PSP... But close...
It looks like a Gizmondo.
Far, far too big an interface. Just looking at the pic you can see that typing anything on the outer ring would be a stretch for the hand model. For those of us with smaller hands it's going to be almost impossible (if these images are accurate of course).
The thing is, I really don't see what market they're going for with this. Yeah, it runs XP rather than Windows Mobile but the problem is almost all XP apps expect you to have a keyboard and mouse available to some degree. You can add a bluetooth keyboard but then why not just get a subnotebook, it'll be about the same amount of kit to lug around. You can use the touchscreen as a mouse substitute but not without being close enough to the unit to, well, touch it which might make for some interesting ergonomics if you're trying to fit a keyboard inbetween you and the screen. Is it also safe to assume that it'll have all the same security holes as XP Home/Pro as well? For that matter, if it IS running XP what happens if the hard drive dies? Might sound like a silly question but remember just how much of a pounding units like this take in the bottom of rucksacks and being carted around in daily life.
Basically, what the heck does this thing do that can't already be done be either a laptop, tablet or smartphone (depending on what you actually need it to do). The HTC Universal for instance seems to give this a real run for its money in a lot of areas, beating it in some (built in keyboard for example) while loosing in others (SD cards versus Hard Drive, though for a mobile device I think I'd prefer a solid-state unit).
I just really hope that, if this is indeed all Origami is, that Engadget savages it as badly as they did the recent Apple launch, especially as it seems MS have done a LOT more to build the hype for their announcment than Apple did (let's face it, most of the Apple hype was from people who let their imaginations get the better of them and then blamed Apple for not delivering the world on a plate).
to comment #10.
That's why they sell screen protectors for the psp.
I have had mine since launch (Japan) and it still looks new and scratch-free.
Great - so as you type the whole device will rock side to side in your hands, real nice. I really don't understand the appeal of these tablet devices. They are too large to replace my BlackBerry and too small to replace my 12" Powerbook. I can type alot faster than I can write, so I will always prefer a full size keyboard, and I don't care for voice recognition as I don't want everyone around me to hear what I am doing. I think Apple is wise not jumping into this mess, I think that MS is creating a product for a market that doesn't exist. While a neat concept, a tablet PC is not practical and will not replace my PowerBook.
wow!! BEST INVENTION EVER !!! ON SCREEN KEBOARD ...
seriously Microsoft, get some real HUI designers, this is just embarrassing.
"I just really hope that, if this is indeed all Origami is, that Engadget savages it as badly as they did the recent Apple launch"
No need. There are PLENTY of commenters here who have been doing just that for several days now. They have been straining at the leash to sneer at anything and everything Origami-related from the get-go.
these things are starting to look alot like the old Sega Gamegear - feels like we are going backwards....
The only thing I want out of this is a cheaper Dell Latitude X1 or Sony Vaio.
A touchscreen UI is for things that fit in my pocket, when it gets bigger, give it a decent keyboard.
Come on guys!
I can type without looking at the keys... put the damned keyboard on the BACK of this thing... maybe curve it a bit, so we can grasp it easier..
...and what's with the corners? Why put corners on an object that we grasp with out roundy hands...
Microsoft needs to steal some Apple ergo engineers... instead of everything else they steal from them.
What market is this for? DWP workers in the field? In 'N Out Drive-Thru pads?
You CANNOT take desktop technology and cram it into these small (?) devices.
The metaphor has to be rethunk and rebuilt from the ground up.
Look, either Apple will carve markets around what cell phones can/cannot do, or, they will make a cell phone.
Game's over. Cupertino won.
i agree with some of you here in that, i cannot see any good use for this... there will be no real sized market for this item and the prices are gonna be way to high... i've been following this origami thing a little bit (and others like it) and im hear that these will go roughly in the range of 800 to 1000 bucks... shit for that price i could buy a half decent laptop... all of the popular handheld devices out IMO have there intended purpose and then the extras.. ipod - mp3... smartphone - phone... psp - gaming... where will this fit into anyone life usefully... it might be cool if the right side of it had a slide out keyboard or something, but they wouldnt be able to fit all that in without oversizing it or reducing its power/features.... then again i'll never step in the way of technology, this could lead to some other amazing device in 5 or 10 years...
Wouldn't this be a better use of a device that size. I know it would be for me.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/52/Sonyvaiosub1.jpg/686px-Sonyvaiosub1.jpg
I've got a bunch of Honeywell WebPads (National Geode) that run Windows CE which are very similar. They're great. I can use the on-screen keyboard or handwriting recognition. I will be buying an UMPC.
Don't know if someones already mentioned, but the on-screen keyboard should at least be transparent to a certain degree!!!
I finnally get why this isnt just a mini tablet. Touch screen! Now i think this is a cool product, when i wasnt convinced before. but i wonder how its gunna work with the stylus and be touch screen cause your hand touches when you use teh stylus. Hmm juts have to see how it pans out. Basically these umpcs are crap, but cool crap. Cant wait till its at the 500 dollar range!
I like that Asus in the link. I'm interested increasingly in this form factor and if I explain why, maybe, just maybe at least one of you will understand me and proceed to flame me.
I have a laptop and two desktops. But there are a lot of times I need to access files but not input a lot of information. I was thinking about getting a cPc or oqo, but I was concerned about straining my eyes. Also, the idea of carrying around a one pound 5" metal brick doesn't excite me. But I don't want another laptop, I want something that can work on its own, instant on, and fully dockable to a kb/m, etc.
I have a nice pocket PC, but I don't like using it. I don't know why. Maybe because I have to move all my files over and worry about synchronizing them all, so I never put anything useful in there. I know I don't need it, because I don't know where it is for days at a time.
The UPMC is never going to be an adult's first computer. But it could be someone's second, third, or fourth computer. Kind of like an Apple mini (which also drew much scorn and disgust) but with a battery and a touchscreen. And Windows, which is, if nothing else, finally stable.
Do I represent a big market? I don't think so. But I'll check out a UPMC if it comes in under the cPc and OQO by $500 to $1000. It's not like I need a cPc or OQO to begin with.
I'll say it. I'm more interested than I was when I first heard about this UPMC Origami crap. I know I'm being sucked in by the hype, but I can't help it. I'm a wretch. Woe.
Typically bad design from Microsoft. Too big, too expensive, square corners where you hold the device to type ... with your thumbs (sure to create even more thumb-stress than a BlackBerry) ... and I guess they don't plan for women with fingernails to be able to use this amazing device.
Must be nice to have so much money to waste.
Looks awfully easy to hit the start button accidentaly when typing...
Am I the only one that doesn't trust anything said in forums praising Origami? I mean, if I were running the most high profile viral marketting scheme in history, I'd certainly be filling these boards with "oh, that looks awesome" posts...
Not exactly sure what the market is for this. What problem is this device really trying to solve? Tablet PCs always seemed to be a solution looking for a problem. This doesn't seem to be any different. Okay so they've made it smaller, lighter, with a bit more battery life, and now it runs a full version of XP as opposed to some brain-dead version of CE. Seems rather evolutionary rather than revolutionary. I guess if you really can't carry around a small notebook, or you work for some census agency then this is for you.
Now, if they wanted to get it somewhere useful, make a nice slideout DIN-sized case for it and take over the carputer market.
Does this mean that the touchscreen is multi-touch capable? IE you can touch two things at once? Thats pretty big news if so. Seems like that UI wouldn't work without a multi-touch interface.
"7. Rip-off, they copy everything...Apple patented the thumb UI in 1956.
Posted at 5:42PM on Mar 8th 2006 by Razor"
SHUT DA F UP!
OK! Try this experiment (seriously)
Put your hands in the air like you're holding the device. Now, using your thumbs, type
T-H-I-S-_-I-S-_-H-A-R-D
That transition from the H to the I is crazy...too difficult for the average user.
A REAL announcement would be for transcribing software that can actually read my terrible handwriting on a tablet pc.
Quite funny how you guys sneer at everything that's remotely related to Microsoft :-)
For me: I've been waiting for a device like this for years! Offcourse not as a primary, or even secondary PC, but as a media companion on the road and interface-connection in-house.
I want to watch a movie on the train on a larger screen than my pocket PC - without booting up a laptop.
I want to sit in my couch - skimming through some emails - again: a laptop is too cumbersome.
I want to hang a device on the wall as touch interface to control music/radio playback, control the ligths, present some pictures, program the PVR ...
This type of device is perfect - As for the design: wait some time until someone gets it right, and buy an extra battery.
the moment these things hit the stores - I'll be there!
Did you see the video at http://news.com.com/1606-2_3-6047223.html?part=rss&tag=6047223&subj=news
Now that's a nice interface ...
I think that keyscreen may be hard to handle as well. there's no way a person with small hands will be able to type effectivley on that.
Theres some more info on this story here. It also seems that the "leaked" pic actually was running a real OS as ASUS has a device that is running it on display.
http://www.origamiportal.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=18
I'm really glad that all of you work for tech companies that design these products. They should start scouring message boards for all you that seem to be such a great backseat drivers. I mean, it's not like they hire qualified people to do these jobs. I wish you all had something better to do...
Typing using a scroll wheel will be soooooo much superior, simply use your thumb to scroll through the alphabet and the numbers until you get to the one you want, then click the center!
Go Apple! I can't wait for your $3500 tablet!
I am a self-proclaimed techno-gadget fiend. I read engadget and other various techie blogs DAILY hungry for new toys and new info leading to newer toys. I am also an early adopter....but Im not really too excited about this UMPC Origami thing. I mean I want one. ButI am not really excited because of past experiences with all gadgets. I dont think I will early adopt anymore. I will wait out for the second generation of these devices that may include windows vista.
Also all these protoypes I have seen so far look like TOTAL shit from a design standpoint. I mean the sexiest gadgets of all time (not ALL time cuz Im not old enough to really know..so I guess of modern day would be better) would include, almost anything by Apple, Nintendo DS Lite, Sony PSP, etc...but these protoype UMPC's are butt ugly. They gotta come better. I really hope they surprise me tomorrow.
A PC so small, yet so useless.
Back to the drawing boards, as*holes.
Man... we already have Blackberry thumb, now Origami thumb? My fingers can only take so much...
Over-hype? What over-hype? A couple of websites from MS and Intel that don't say a thing amounts to over-hype? A bunch of the rumors and speculation being printed by the likes of Engadget and a bunch of bloggers don't amount to over-hype any more than it did when people were accusing Apple of it a few days ago. (though if Apple had anounced something like this all the fanboys here would be having a cow, this seems to be Apple fanboy central anymore)
And you people speculating on how it'll be impossible to use and all the blah, blah, blah, you've obviously never used a tablet pc and don't know any of the input features that they have. They're quit functional, and the Origami part of this are probably OS enhancements anyways.
I'm not grokking the morons who say they've been waiting for this. Why didn't you already get a Sony U750P (or U71P) or a Nokia 770 or an OQO or a Dialog Flybook or a Sharp Zaurus or whatever????
So far they haven't shown anything new. All they've done is show vague pictures of old-looking stuff and say "Hey, we're the big boys!" Is that what's got you all hot and bothered?
Umm... i have a psp, and it can do all of the stuff they boast about in the cnet video. Except the obvious, like the USB ports, and camera. But, what else is this but a glorified psp, made huge? Whats the point?
I maybe wrong, but this seems totally useless.
If the keyboard looks like that how am I going to see what i'm typing?
Do I have to resize all my windows into the tiny space that is left when I type?
Pfft!
Has anybody here though for half a second that YOU ARE NOT THE MARKET for this? This is going to be marketted directly at people who own Blackberries!
It's too big to fit in your pocket, but it's perfect for a briefcase. This makes the folks happy that don't want to carry around a laptop. Your briefcase is with you always, so that doesn't matter.
Many older people (ie. senior executives, CEOs) complain that the text on Blackberries is too small to read comfortably. This is perfect for them. They've already figured out how to type with their thumbs, how is this any different? The learning curve is very, very slight.
Does anyone remember here how Blackberries infiltrated your company? They got in through the back door! The CEO demanded one, the IT guys provided. The CEO thought it was great, and 'suggested' that all of the senior executive get one. They liked it, and issued an edict that every manager and above would get one. It's going to be the same thing with this device, especially with pro-Microsoft shops.
Expect to see things like docking stations, wireless keyboards/mice, etc., etc. for this. Perhaps companies will start issuing these instead of laptops if they're powerful enough, and I expect they will be. We don't like the 3 hour battery life, but that's pretty much what you can expect out of a laptop so there's no difference here.
I'll place a wager that within a year many of you will be supporting these like you're supporting Blackberries right now.
#43, right on. It's possible this isn't aimed at the average tech. consumer.
Check out: http://www.msorigamiforums.com/showthread.php?t=51
Personally I'm still on the fence. I'm not condemning it nor will I be the first in line to buy one.
I've been saying for years a 7" tablet would be the perfect form factor. I have a long, long list of things I want to use one of these for.
A couple of the things I would like it for:
Small, HD capture system for my HD camera. And portable DVRack system.
Home sattelite interface for media center.
Virtual white board while in the field. (I cary around a 12" whiteboard right now, takes up a lot of space.)
Note pad.
Warcraft II gaming station (Yes some of us still enjoy the oldies.)
and
Document reader.
Honestly, this is exactly what I've been looking for, provided the price is right.
I want a device that I can browse the web or chat on IM from the couch. I want a device that I can use as a "base station" for my MP3 player or digital camera on a trip.
A small form factor notebook CAN work for these roles, but they aren't ideal. Take my being lazy on the couch. If I'm watching TV and aren't actually involved in the web at the moment, I don't want to have a notebook sitting on my lap. On the flipside, I want to easily respond to any incoming instant message. A device with the from factor of a paperback is perfect because I can sit it on the table with one hand and pick it up the same way. Notebooks are awkward to handle with one hand due to the concentration of weight near the back from the screen orientation. Keep in mind, this thing is SMALL. It's about half the size of a Dell 700m at 6x8inches (700m is 8.5x11.7). I'm estimating that the screen itself is about 7" diagonal (assuming 1 inch per side for borders and I think the reality is probably less than that.)
I don't do anything that would require the full capabilities of a notebook, but a pocketpc is too small for what I want a mobile computer for.
Also, there IS an advantage in this over something like a PSP or a blackberry. The full web without compromises. This is the big hook. Since this runs full windows XP, you will never have to worry if some site isn't going to work or if you can get the proper plugin for multimedia content. Ditto for any media. Sure video compatibility will probably be limited from the no boot player, but I could always boot into windows and run VLC if I wanted to to play virtually any content. I could also use VLC to stream content directly from my replayTV through wifi.
Then there's no worries about getting a decent IM application for the platform. I can just copy my trillian directly on to the device and I'm ready to go.
This thing is not intended to replace PDAs in any way shape or form. It's intended to fill the niche under the tablet PC for people who really like the idea of a tablet PC but think they are too cumbersome to work with and cart around.
The key is going to be price. If it's priced the same as 12" notebooks, it's hard to justify the purchase. If this thing can be had for significantly under $1000, it starts to make more sense.
Not everyone wants or needs a full blown notebook to be unchained from their desktop. At the same time, those people won't be able to get everything they want from a PDA type device.
To #40
Apple's invitation said "Come and see some fun products"
Origami Project website said "will change your life"
Who is over-hyping again?
I really excited about Origami. I think it's a really great form factor, which is big enough to get some work done, and small enough to carry around with you almost everywhere. They'll eventually get battery life and speed to be really good, that's Intel's #1 priority right now. Getting the pricing right will be the challenge. I hope it' closer to $500 than $1000.
Point 1: I think Apple wouldn't make something without a keyboard unless:
a. text entry was not required, and everything is done by selecting items on a screen. (See Front Row and Apple Remote, or iPod.)
b. or if text entry was required, then voice input would have to work well enough to be the primary input mechanism, and an optional keyboard (even Blackberry sized) would be a secondary mechanism.
Point 2: If MS doesn't show us something more tomorrow, then this is my conclusion: MS had a great idea in developing a small tablet but they just didn't finish the job by thinking through the use case. If they had, it would've led to developing the proper UI, and including the proper technology (battery life). Note that the really mobile devices now have double-digit hours for battery life. Granted they can't do nearly as much as Origami, but the resulting perception will be that Origami is not truly a mobile device; rather, it falls into the laptop computer category and the tradeoff comparisons will be made against laptops and not truly mobile devices. Origami really needs to have at least 7 to 8 hours of battery life to make any dent past early adopters.
buy if you like it, don't buy it if you don't like it
what's the fuzzzzzz?
"Granted they can't do nearly as much as Origami, but the resulting perception will be that Origami is not truly a mobile device; rather, it falls into the laptop computer category and the tradeoff comparisons will be made against laptops and not truly mobile devices."
I think this is where the hangup is. Origami is NOT intended to be a truly mobile device the same way a Windows Mobile device is. It IS supposed to be included in the laptop computer category.
The fact that it doesn't run a specalized UI or OS is the core appeal of the device when combined with the small size. You don't have to worry about all the caveats you usually run into when dealing with a highly specialized device.
Take the Nokia 770 for example. The use of Opera as the browser is an instant deal breaker for me. Gmail does not function properly with Opera and Gmail is my main email portal. There are too many gotchas when dealing with a very specialized device. Streaming media is also right out with something like the 770. If I wanted to hope over to the Apple Trailers site, I'm not going to be seeing much with that thing.
The thing I wonder about with this whole thing is the odd timing. We are on the cusp of a Vista release which will likely be much more adapatable for a device like this and the next generation of processors from intel will make battery life much better on these things. It seems strange to introduce this device now with the current OS and hardware instead of waiting 9 months. This is why I don't think I'll buy the first generation of devices. 2nd and 3rd generation devices have the potential to be really useful.
It does feel like it's getting rushed out the door, I will give you that.
#53-Your analysis has merit. However, depending on price and its ability to run iTunes, the Origami, with far greater functionality, may be perceived as an alternative to a video iPod. That's what has the apple fan boys worried here.
and one day, our kids will tell their parents,
I want that Orgy thing!
#56 It won't be an alternative to a video iPod because it's not pocketable; of course, I assume that the real video iPod will still be the same size as an iPod (maybe a bit thicker?). Being pocketable is a big distinction. See Gartenberg at jupiterresearch for further discussion of that.
#55 It could be neat as a smaller laptop; trading size for functionality, in the sense, of using a cramped UI, not in terms of applications not running. I'm so used to at least 1024x768 on a laptop and I had a real hard time with the small Sony Vaio's. In any case, a smaller laptop/tablet certainly doesn't deserve the hype that it "will change my life."
One other thing that bothers me: this thing could've been smaller if they moved most of those buttons from the front to the top or sides, or gotten rid of them altogether since it is a touch screen. I could see On/Off and Hold as real buttons/switches. Anyway, it certainly makes that keypad hard to use.
you know what i just realized this would be cool as shit for.... in philly were gonna have a wireless blanket in less than 15 months or soo, and there are plenty of hot spot arround most major citys anyway .... using remote access to get into your home pc, this way u wouldnt need to worry about filling up the hdd with any unessential stuff... such as mp3 or dvd's on ur home pc, u could just tap in and have access... i might buy one if the price is right, but def not 1000bucks
"Your analysis has merit. However, depending on price and its ability to run iTunes, the Origami, with far greater functionality, may be perceived as an alternative to a video iPod. That's what has the apple fan boys worried here."
are you stupid ??
You could carry any laptop around with you right now and use iTunes, some might even have more than 3 hours of battery life too.
Apple fan boys worried about it ?? .. yeah right.
"It could be neat as a smaller laptop; trading size for functionality, in the sense, of using a cramped UI, not in terms of applications not running. I'm so used to at least 1024x768 on a laptop and I had a real hard time with the small Sony Vaio's. In any case, a smaller laptop/tablet certainly doesn't deserve the hype that it 'will change my life.'"
Well, it's never a good idea to follow the direction of hype. By the same token, it's also not really a great idea to disregard a product because you resent the hype surrounding it either. Both highlight an inability to step back from outside influences and evaluate something for what it is rather than what others are telling you it is.
Keep in mind, when Apple realeased iTunes for PC, they touted it as the "Best application ever to be released for the PC." A stretch at best. Just because that's hypobole at it's finest doesn't mean the application doesn't have merit.
The screen resolution could be hard to deal with for some tasks, but for it's core use I think it could be ok. I haven't seen any specs as to what the resolution actually is. I would wager that it's around the Nokia 770's at the minimum which is 800x480. This seems to be corraborated by looking at the desktop icons. 6 icons stacked like the picture take up just shy of half of my 1280x1024 desktop LCD.
Truth be told, when I'm on the web when using my desktop, firefox usually is only sized for half my screen's vertical resolution anyways since I'm doing things like watching TV and chatting in the other half. So, in that respect, I would only be losing horizontal resolution by browsing on this thing and most sites are still optimized for 800x600 anyways. Meanwhile, by virtue of being mobile, I'm no longer watching TV in a small window at my desktop from my desk chair, I'm watching it from the comfort of my couch in front of my Sony Vega.
Yes, a notebook could do that too, but I have a feeling I would carry a device of this size around much more than a 12inch notebook.
The side buttons don't bother me. Quite a bit of what you do on the web is scrolling, clicking, and going back and forward. It's better that you don't have to touch the screen for those things if you don't need to. Plus, a thicker trim gives more of a firm grip. I know I wouldn't want to grab for this thing and end up with a handful of LCD or just barely holding on to the bezel.
I wouldn't buy it if it's priced like the Fujitsu P1500 or some of the other small tablets in the $1500 price range. But, I feel that's why intel made this UMPC standard and why Microsoft is giving it special attention. Standardization helps reduce costs.
Something else to keep in mind. Apple uses Intel chips now and the UMPC standard is seperate from this whole origami deal. It would not be hard for apple to release a device on this platform which looks like it may be likely due to recent patent activity. This could also be the reason why origami is being rushed to the market.
I'm feeling more and more that unless these things are cheap then there was little point in the amount of hype they're getting and are destined to flop as they settle between a dying market (PDAs) and one that's pretty much already died (tablet)
I wonder how much of this is Microsoft and how much in Intel. If anyone can find a copy, the April 05 editon of Mobilepc magazine had an article about new tech that was coming to the market or being developed. They showed pic of an Intel concept pc that is what is now coming to the market.
From the article by Roger Hibbert on page 58, "One version of the future is pictured here, in these Intel provided photos of its concept PC. Just 2.5 pounds with an 8.9 inch deplay...also has intergrated GPS, a touch screen, directional mics for hands free VIOP..."
Other ideas shown were a pop up camera, a detachable keyboard that also acted as a screen cover, finger print reader, and a dvd driver that was swapable with an extra battery.
I really like the form factor idea. I have a media center desktop at home for any heavy computing needs. But I have often wanted a moble device (I use an Imate jam as a phone) that works similar to my Jam, but with a larger screen. The Motion computing LS800 is very tempting, but the price kills me. I recently went on a vacation to Las Vegas. Several times I wished I had a laptop with me, to act as a base for digital cameras. The larger screen would have been nicer for movies on the flight, the gps would have been nice for the trip out to the Valley of Fire (ot, if anyone gets a chance to see this it is worth the trip). Better acess to the internet to order a rental car (which was a pain in the ass, but I manged to do this with pocket IE).
Basically something a little more than a pda, but not a full blown laptop (although as tech advances that is where it will go). Kind of a super pda.
Apple invented the thumb UI ? Apple invented the ROTTEN APPLE known as the Newton...FIG Newton ? What a flop.
#47 - "Has anybody here though for half a second that YOU ARE NOT THE MARKET for this? This is going to be marketted directly at people who own Blackberries!
It's too big to fit in your pocket, but it's perfect for a briefcase. This makes the folks happy that don't want to carry around a laptop. Your briefcase is with you always, so that doesn't matter.
Many older people (ie. senior executives, CEOs) complain that the text on Blackberries is too small to read comfortably. This is perfect for them. They've already figured out how to type with their thumbs, how is this any different? The learning curve is very, very slight."
Funny thing, we've just had this very situation to deal with, our CEO tried a Blackberry, liked the device but didn't get on with the small screen. We went out and got a Lifebook P7120 and it's a vastly superior solution for business use. For a kick off it doesn't look horribly ugly when you need to use it in a meeting, which is (unfortunatley) important to CEO's. Then she can edit documents with a full size keyboard, hook up her (3G) mobile via bluetooth to grab e-mail, view documents passed to her on optical media etc etc etc. With a battery life of almost five hours it's a perfect fit for her needs and does indeed sling into a briefcase (without having to worry about the screen getting scratched to hell and back by rouge pens, paperclips and all the other residents of the average executive briefcase).
It's also too expensive to go the Blackberry route. Frankly we showed our CEO a HTC Universal we had in as an evaluator and that's suddenly right at the top of the executive impulse buy list. As for issuing these as a laptop replacment, most of our users have difficulty tying their shoes, a touchscreen would seem like witchcraft. Plus the number of returns when yet another screen was damaged (if you've ever worked in a corporate IT environment you'll know just how rough a life this kit has) would be ridiculous. If it came in a clamshell format, then MAYBE it'd at least get to the evaluation stage. As it is now, for this generation, it won't even make it through the door.
What are we talking about?! This is not THE Origami, this is only ONE of the multiple devices that we will see in the next months. Some of them will probably be smaller and possibly with a real thumb keyboard.
But the problem is the same: What's the market for this devices?
Personally I don't think this as a Blackberry replacement for CEO with eyes problems. It's too big, too expensive, it will surely takes too much to boot to be really usefull for "immediately" check mail or write messages.
Will see...
I'm sure a lot of folks will opt for the Bluetooth keyboard option. Having a virtual keyboard on-screen will yuck up the screen over time. I have to admit though that I didn't know there was such a thing as a Bluetooth keyboard. I've seen a lot of RF-based wireless keyboards used on desktop PCs though.
Haha. What a fun product! It's too bad that it's not by Apple. Imagine the creators of the iPod bringing The Lifestyle Computer to the mass market- SOON!
What's the deal with this useless 1.3mp camera! Is that a joke?
C'mon Apple, Hurry up!
Come on, guys, let's give the manufacturers a break. They are trying to find the sweet spot in the gamut of mobile devices. We've seen what is too small (anything without a hard drive--ever had to do a hard reset on a PDA while overseas?). We've seen what is too large (anything bigger than a hybrid tablet PC). And we've seen what is too slow--the Crusoe Transmeta. Now we're exploring the middle ground.
When looking for that perfect form factor, think about the whole enchilada while on the road. How much crap do you have to haul around in the gizmo bag and in your pockets?? OK, we need the godd*mn brick. But what about everything else?
I travel for long periods of time and take long flights, so I need the DVD drive for movies and to write CD's for business. I need a real, honest-to-god keyboard. I need a phone and a headset. Wherever I can get maps (US & Europe for now), I need high end GPS navigation, so PDA maps are out. For the hotel room I like music and speakers and a wireless mouse. That's a lot of stuff to cart around in the gizmo bag. It's even worse now that the police state is upon us. The facists at the homeland "security" checkpoints have a cow going thought all that stuff.
A friend of mine "solves" the checkpoint problem by buying a large Pelican case, cutting out all the foam inserts, and packing ALL his computer stuff in that one bag, which he checks with the rest of his luggage. Homeland security has to open that bag in the back room every time. They leave a nice little note, he says. Jesus.
So what do I choose to wait for? The Flybook 3.51. Number one, it has the DVD/CD-RW, the keyboard, and THE PHONE built in. Did I mention the phone? For many people that could very well eliminate the gizmo bag right there (OK, you put the brick in the briefcase). It allows me to eliminate the bag by wearing a safari coat with large pockets and packing the Altec Lansing XT1 speakers with the checked baggage. That SHOULD make those godd*mn checkpoints a little easier, but you never know. It will definitely make the carrying easier.
Hope this helps someone.
Looks good can't wait to get my hands on one. As for Razor who posted "7. Rip-off, they copy everything...Apple patented the thumb UI in 1956."
impressive considering Apple was not formed until 1976!