Apple certainly isn't going to be the first to announce a 7-10" thing tablet computer. We already had the Joo Joo, and now Freescale has joined in on the fun with a 7" tablet reference design. Let's talk about Freescale's tablet, and as hinted at during yesterday's podcast, let's spend/waste (pick one) a few words on Apple's tablet as well.
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2010-01-04
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Broken record indeed, I find the continued blabbering about the Pixel Qi screens just that. For a decent device covering the most common use cases, it's not needed.
I want to be able to read comfortable, so what I want is a real screen not those puny small ones. Something with a decent size, well over 11 inces. Even 13-14 if the weight can be kept reasonable.
In any case when reading(or browsing) I would do it at comfortable souroundings(where lighting conditions is easily controlled), like in my own home, not on the road. So those overated Pixel Qi screens does not add very much value. Based on current laptop designs, a 5-8hour battery life is easily obtainable. And recharging when the device is not in use, or sitting in the sofa reading with a thin powercord from a brick connected would be a minimal annoyance.
It's like with books, you drag the cheap paperbacks to the beach, but when at home a hardcover is much nicer.
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2006-07-26
... had a link with pretty pictures.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10423606-64.html?tag=newsLatestHe...
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2005-07-13
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Well, somehow I don't think the world (or more accurately the people in it) would mind as long as it works and does so reasonably well. Come on, most of 'em still put up with Windows don't they? That's the trouble with some of the f/oss oses, particularly those based on Linux. Too many layers, being pulled in too many different directions and subsystems never getting even a decent amount of testing. That's why proprietary oses typically offer a better experience for most, since there's actually that rather important bit about some testing and debugging? Most users do not wish to be beta testers, they just want something to work.
Back to tablets though...
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2006-11-12
Yet another current tablet: http://gizmodo.com/5438716/google-and-htc-working-on-a-chrome-os-ta...
Here's a recent home-made one: http://www.slashgear.com/dell-mini-10-netbook-mod-creates-huge-mini...
By the way, tablets are nothing new.
Edited 2010-01-04 20:59 UTC
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IMHO any tablet either needs to have a physical keyboard or at minimum the ability to connect one for long writing sessions. Those on-screen keyboards are fine for quick tap outs but for anything much longer they get to be very uncomfortable very fast, at least for me. I already have a device for mobile tasks and quick tap outs, my iPhone. I'd be looking for a tablet that would sort of bridge the gap between the iPhone and a netbook, something thin and light you could take with you but that could also serve in a pinch for writing out a document while getting way more battery life than an Atom-based netbook. Running standard desktop software isn't that important to me on a device like this, in fact I'd rather not and instead have software that is optimized for a touch-based UI.
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Partly true, but I the biggest reason for the failure has been the price. Regardless of software, a tablet is only suited to a subset of task a laptop can handle. Until now all tablets have been rather too expensive, in the same price range as medium to expensive laptops. And for that you usually get low power hardware and small screens. Essentially they are seen as you describe them,as awkward laptops without a keyboard.
This is about to change, partly because of the netbooks. It's apparent that with low prices, people buy secondary devices suited for only a subset of tasks compared to full featured laptops.
The primary use cases for netbooks are browsing the web and perhaps checking of e-mail. With a tablet you can fulfill those use cases with a more elegant hardware, without the bulky keyboard. The little typing you do during such use, can easily be solved by a decent on screen keyboard. Touch screen phones are doing this quite well.
Edited 2010-01-05 11:53 UTC
Member since:2008-07-15
That would very much depend on how much typing you intend to do. Netbooks, after all, aren't just good for browsing and emailing but also for a small wordprocessing machine. If you're going to do a lot of writing, which is a very common use case for netbooks especially those with nicer keyboards, you really do need a physical keyboard. The tablet doesn't necessarily have to have one built in as long as you can connect one to it and fully utilize it for entering and moving through text.
