On the Possible Handtop Paradigm Shift 188
captainJam writes "Handtops.com has a piece
about the effects of handtops (text
version) such as the OQO,
FlipStart and others
on the computing experience. With a physical size that's slightly larger than
a PDA, a handtop has the power of a standard ultra-portable laptop - 1GHz, 256-512MB
RAM, USB, FireWire, etc. These factors, coupled with a dock (plug in a monitor,
keyboard and mouse) allow one to imagine a world where maybe they won't need a
desktop, or laptop, or mp3 player, video jukebox, digicam, etc. Maybe one day
companies might even be willing to pay for part of your handtop, knowing that
they would have to invest less in upgrading? It's not all rosy, the devices are
still under $2000 and aren't due out until later this fall (OQO) or
Q1-2 2005 (FlipStart), but this is an important shift worth letting the mind ponder." Of course, the OQO has been in development for a while, now.
So,,, (Score:5, Insightful)
There's a lot of technology that goes nowhere, even with a vocal group of geeks behind it.
not really close to desktop computing power (Score:5, Insightful)
Post a story when they pack computing power equivalent to a six-month old desktop into a handlheld form factor.
Re:Input (Score:3, Insightful)
I've read ebooks on a pda before and yes- it does work, but I'd really like to see some big innovation in display- like a small holograpic generator...I seem to recall seeing something about a micro projector that might work well even... combine that with that laser-traced displayed keyboard that you can display on any surface and use it, and there might be something pretty keen...Of course you'd have somewhere around 5 minutes of battery life... One problem at a time I guess.
Re:Why companies should pay for a 'handtop' (Score:4, Insightful)
Yes, but today, the laptop actually works.
Slow? (Score:3, Insightful)
There was this story not long ago on a Laptop that would have primitive PIM functions in BIOS. Sounds a lot cooler to me.
Until we get better batteries... (Score:5, Insightful)
cheap shitty gear (Score:2, Insightful)
its just a cell so whatever its going to be fine, but if i had to tote along along a handheld does all unit id be a little nervouse to have fun with it in my backpack.
Re:not really close to desktop computing power (Score:3, Insightful)
Huh? 500 mhz was more than enough for menial tasks like office and webbrowsing!
Geez, I have an 800 mhz iBook that I use for Quark, Photoshop, software compilations, etc. Not to mention word processing, webbrowsing, music, and email.
Talk about software bloat. What are you running, a beta copy of Longhorn?
*sigh* (Score:1, Insightful)
Asshats
Re:Newton! (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Input (Score:2, Insightful)
Vendor lock in mentaility. Until these "new" systems are based on a 100% open system they will fail. eBooks fail because everyone and theri brother hasto have their own format. So when Danny and his old RocketEbook part ways and he buy's a new-fangled ebook he now has to RE-BUY every one of his books. I'm not about to do that with my data and software. If I rely on a expense tracking system that holds it's data in a special XYZ file and then switch to a different brand of palmtop that now runs a completely different OS, I have to re-buy all my software just to access my data!
Bull, make these things run a standard OS... windows if it has to be using a "popular" OS.
This is one reason I settled on a Sharp zaurus, my data is 100% open and I can access it on my pda, my PC and elsewhere if I need to. and in 40 years that data is still readable by me.
These things will be a failure until we start getting cooperation and open standard implimented.
The concept is great, if I could snag my palmtop on my way out of the house, it has my music, the morning tribune, my schedule, mapping data, email etc.. that will allow me to listen to some music while I read the morning paper and alert or even innterupt me about important appointments that morning it would be great. The technology to do this wonderful information convergence is here today, but companies absolutely REFUSE to use open standards to make this happen.
the hardware means nothing, It's in the stupid tricks companies try with these portables that lock a device to a specific vendor that kills them.
and I do not see that changing within the next 10 years.
Won't work: see Newton (Score:4, Insightful)
1: e.g. digital paper, so I can fold an A3-sized screen/tablet into an A6 package.
Re:not really close to desktop computing power (Score:1, Insightful)
when do you need to compile software extremely fast while you are walking?? I can play back any multimedia and do 99% of your tasks with a 600mhz processor and with acceptable preformance.
why do people think that faster = better? because it is not.
Re:invest less in upgrading? (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't think that's really an issue; in 6 years of S/W development at this job, I have *never* had a computer upgraded piecemeal: IT just rolls out completely new PCs every 2 years (or earlier if we complain about something). Right now we have 1.6GHz Thinkpads with 512M ram running Win2k Pro and that'll be just fine for a few more years development.
But I don't see the need for any more portability in the office environment. If I have to take my notepad to a meeting, I just eject it from a docking station and go to the meeting where it will automatically connect to the wireless network if I don't plug it into a network outlet. If I had a smaller device, now I'd need to also take along a full size keyboard to use it efficiently and that would defeat the whole portability issue.
Where I do see these things taking off is in lab and service use. There have been many times I've wished for a tiny PC that I could use to snoop on a serial line as I'm integrating a new device our EE dept just built, instead of having to balance a full size PC and monitor on a lab cart. Service people could connect to a machine with a tiny handheld device that could have service manuals and extensive diagnostics. This is where it would be really useful in my world.