If XP is still around in 2010... I think it's a joke that Microsoft would let the low-power PC market sit untouched for so long without coming up with a viable product to meet the needs of said market. XP works (almost) perfectly in that niche now and yet they're going to terminate it without a proper replacement.
That last idea was mainly inspired by countless "ohshit, justgimmeamin!" moments when I was too engrossed in a task/document and didn't monitor battery levels... I think it would be really useful to have 5-10 extra minutes of usage in the pocket.
I dunno... I still think I like the idea of an internal capacitor better. In the meantime, this is a great idea though, I just don't like the idea of having to carry yet another cable around together with the spare batt. Of course, I guess manufacturers are going to sell this as yet another accessory to splurge on...
Related things I'd really like to see on/in future laptops: 1) Capacitor with sufficient capacitance to ensure complete hibernation in case of dead battery (or just for a quick battery swap) 2) AC adapters that plug into the mains (i.e. eliminate the socket-side cable, so you have only one cable that leads from the plugged-in adapter to your laptop AC port). I've lost count of the number of times I had to suspend the adapter in mid-air... 3) Modular second batteries that don't discharge at the same time as the main battery.
Here's another idea, though it might be a little niche: Make a tiny NiMH battery (with no capacity loss issues), small enough to go on a keychain. Charge it through the adapter (it'll probably have a female end for the adapter, and a male end for the laptop). When you need to swap batteries, whip it out, plug it in and do the swap, remove it. Provides up to 10 min of emergency power. I think I'd prefer to carry a keychain accessory around as opposed to yet another cable... you could even make a niche/cavity in the laptop for it if you like.
I dunno... I still think I like the idea of an internal capacitor better. In the meantime, this is a great idea though, I just don't like the idea of having to carry yet another cable around together with the spare batt. Of course, I guess manufacturers are going to sell this as yet another accessory to splurge on...
Related things I'd really like to see on/in future laptops: 1) Capacitor with sufficient capacitance to ensure complete hibernation in case of dead battery (or just for a quick battery swap) 2) AC adapters that plug into the mains (i.e. eliminate the socket-side cable, so you have only one cable that leads from the plugged-in adapter to your laptop AC port). I've lost count of the number of times I had to suspend the adapter in mid-air... 3) Modular second batteries that don't discharge at the same time as the main battery.
Here's another idea, though it might be a little niche: Make a tiny NiMH battery (with no capacity loss issues), small enough to go on a keychain. Charge it through the adapter (it'll probably have a female end for the adapter, and a male end for the laptop). When you need to swap batteries, whip it out, plug it in and do the swap, remove it. Provides up to 10 min of emergency power. I think I'd prefer to carry a keychain accessory around as opposed to yet another cable... you could even make a niche/cavity in the laptop for it if you like.
Fujitsu laptops already have this (not all models I think); a main battery bay, and a modular bay that takes a battery or DVD drive (or other accessory). What sucks about it is that both discharge at the same time.
Am I missing something? Vista has fewer first-year vulnerabilities than any other OS... so what? The other OSes mentioned aren't one year old anymore. Who cares if they had more vulnerabilities then? Who freaking has the lowest vulnerabilities (and least significant ones) AT THIS POINT in time?
I think HP would have much more success marketing this as a PC... seeing that it has a larger screen, better processor and better video card than most desktops, heh. And it even has a screen stand to boot! Throw in a remote control and you're set for a really pricey media centre PC.
"All of these new nettops have me intrigued. I'm looking for a small, quiet and cheap PC to replace my aging tower in my home office, and all it really needs to do is load Microsoft Office, check email and surf the web. Is there a particular nettop that's better (or a better value) than another? I know it's a rather new segment, but hopefully someone has taken a chance on one already. Thanks!"
The most commented posts on Engadget over the past 24 hours.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
