On every college campus on the planet students take notes in class. In meetings all over the world people take notes. The overwhelming majority of this note-taking is done with pencil and paper. Taking notes on a laptop with a keyboard sucks. When you take notes you want to include diagrams, you want to show relationships between ideas by the positions in which you place items on the page, you want to emphasize concepts by underlining or circling.
Totally agree. I work from home and I always have a pen and paper around, and postit notes etc.
The company that finally produces a tablet that allows relatively natural, responsive handwriting (with stylus), AND searchability, will make a fortune. The problem with paper is that you have to keep it organized. Ever spend 10 minutes flipping through a legal pad of hand written notes for a date you know you recorded? Ever spend two hours searching a file cabinet for ideas you know you jotted down a couple years ago? A program that allows notes to be stored as drawn, but uses character recognition to enable search, would be the killer app that would make this device indispensable. Add multi touch to the interface and you have a recipe for the death of paper. Add downloadable textbooks and you've got an unthinkably valuable tool for academia. It could be like having an infinitely thick pad of paper, and a library all in one. The uses of such a tool are boundless.
This is a tablet, not a folding laptop. Size wise I'd make the device itself 8.5x11 with a screen as large as possible, and the whole thing thin like a MacBook Air. I'd pay any price Apple asked.
You're describing the Mac touch you do know that, don't you? 9"x7" gives it around a 10" screen. 10" or 11" would be spot on. And all books for your class could de downloadable too.
You guys still don't understand what multitouch is.
Yeah, I only do touch and UIs for a living. WTF do I know?
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If there are any owners here of the original fingerworks multtouch touchpad mouse replacement for the PC then those at least would understand.
Had one. Also a spaceball, cintiq, tablets, a gazillion other UI devices.
Each has advantages and disadvantages. None stands alone.
The stylus is desireable for direct manipulation and input of precise graphics. As in for folks that draw on the screen like it was paper with the image/line/brush appearing directly underneath the stylus.
You guys still don't understand what multitouch is. If there are any owners here of the original fingerworks multtouch touchpad mouse replacement for the PC then those at least would understand.
EDIT: Frankly, even Apple doesn't fully understand what multitouch is! Since Apple bought out fingerworks, they have been implementing Fingerwork's tech one feature at a time and I believe they are still even now learning what to do with it. Otherwise they would have figured out how to do cut and paste on the iphone already.
You can't write or draw without a stylus. And a tablet that you can't write or draw on is just a big remote control.
What I want to explore here is the question, "What features would ACTUALLY compel you to purchase such a device, why do you need them, and how much would you pay for them?"
You have 662 posts. I'd wager that there are over 662 threads on New Newtons, iTab, Tablets, convertible laptops, and the like in here. This discussion has been beaten to death over the past 10 years in here. There is nothing anyone can say in this thread that has not already been said at least 4 or 5 times, and I do mean at the least.
If you look at the first page of the FH forum you'll see there were two threads already. Go a few pages deep, and you'll find more than the list below.
These threads are pages long, and full of the questions and answers you're inquiring about. Next time use the search feature. Thank you.
As you can see I have had it with the tablet threads every day there is a new one, I mean come on. Is it really necessary to say the same thing again and again?
Ok, there have been a lot of ideas tossed around in various threads about what a larger multitouch device from Apple ought to look like, what features it should have, etc etc etc. I think we all have our own little fantasy-dream device that we'd love to have.
That should be "devices". I say that because I see multiple needs with respect to portable electronics.
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What I want to explore here is the question, "What features would ACTUALLY compel you to purchase such a device, why do you need them, and how much would you pay for them?"
An OS with its communication ports fully implemented. Right now the iPhone and Touch are very limited in communications ability. BlueTooth is barely implemented and USB support is lacking. The frustrating thing here, at least with respect to iPhone, is that the hardware is already there. Adding full Bluetooth stack for example shouldn't stress the OS nor its storage foot print.
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So starting from the current (3G) iPhone and an as-yet imaginary, but similarly equipped, iPod Touch as a reference, what would you change and why?
The current size of the Touch needs to remain in the line up. I would certainly add Bluetooth to the device and update the USB port to USB on the GO.
I suspect though that that is not really what you are getting at. To that end I want a larger Touch and or iPhone that provides a larger display keeping the same pixel density. Bluetooth needs to be fully implemented and as mentioned above must have USB on the Go. An alternative to USB on the GO would be the implementation of a standard USB host port.
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(Maybe also mention why the current iPhone or an equivalent iPod Touch doesn't meet that need.) And let's be realistic here.
That is so simple as to be almost foolish to ask, more pixels on a larger screen just leads to a better user experience. The question then becomes how large and that of course depends on how one perceives that it will be used. I could see a display that is about 3/4" high implementing a 16:9 ratio as very compelling. There does not need to be a huge increase in size for the delivery of media in a handheld device.
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Off the wall junk that very few people would use will never make it into a device unless it's as part of a larger, more widely applicable feature (for example, geocaching could be introduced courtesy of a GPS that can do navigation also).
Again it depends on need. I'm sure of one thing that the majority of people using said devices as a media player do not need GPS. However that doesn't mean that Apple shouldn't offer up models with it.
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Lets also try to think of the problems that our ideas would present. What would be the complications of adding our desired features?
Here are my items:
? Bigger Screen (say, about 7"-9"):
To big! As long as you are talking about a handheld media player in the Touch mold that is. One should not be confusing Touch or the iPhone with a tablet computing platform in the mold of a laptop.
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There are a lot of secondary justifications for this (better web browsing, movies, easier in-car navigation (TomTom is coming), easier typing, etc.) The big sticker for me though is that I really want a nice graphing calculator. I'm a physics undergrad and I make a lot of use of my TI-89.
What you want is a modern Newton, the suggested Newton2. In many ways this is on the large side of sizes I'd like to see. The pocket should still be a possibility. So thin is important as is weight management.
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But the durned thing bugs the heck out of me. The display has lousy resolution (something like 160x100 or so), and is B&W. The processor is retardedly slow (its a Motorola 68000 running at 10-16MHz - Thats the same thing that was in the original Mac 128k!) making them almost useless for 3D work, and the user interface is difficult to use.
Considering that I was an original owner of a Mac Plus I can say that you would be very lucky to get 8MHz of performance out of the device. Even so I kept that machine longer than any other..
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Commands are so hard to get to that most people use these $150 devices as slightly more than an advanced 4 function calculator. What I really want to see is a version of Maple (really nice math program - go check it out) designed and optimized for an iPod Touch-like device.
This is where a viable Linux based device would come in handy. By the way the Nokia N810 is not viable just in case somebody wants to bring up that piece of junk.
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The problem is that it would require a larger display to make it efficient enough for regular use (need a gob of space for buttons and tabs). So, having an iPod model (or mac tablet, whatever) with a large display would make this a very real possibility. Stack on all the additional justifications, and I think we have a compelling argument for a larger display.
Yes man good arguments for a larger display. For me though I don't want to loose portability.
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Now, the disadvantage to this is that larger size makes the device more difficult to carry. The iPhone and iPod Touch are just the right size to get strapped to your belt. A larger device really wouldn't be.
I call BS on that. Unless you are a person of very small stature you should have plenty of room in your pocket for the current iPhone/Touch. Right sized a bigger device might go in the pocket and certainly would go easily on the belt.
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It won't fit in your pocket. So we'd arrive at a conflict: It would be a device designed to be a pocket gadget, like a phone or pda, that doesn't fit in your pocket. Would that require adding more desktop like capabilities to make it sell? I don't know, but it does sound like an invitation to feature creep to me.
Simple thinking here, just fold it. Its an approach but I prefer the candy bar approach myself. Look at it this way people use to carry HP48's around all the time and never complained.
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? GPS: I assume that this would be included automagically, but might as well stipulate it now.
? Built-in Microphone: There are just a lot of uses for this.
GPS - some people just don't need it. At this point it is practically free though.
Microphone - better to have versatile analog inputs to allow you to hook up the device of your dreams.
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That's my compelling feature set. Other niceties would include haptic feedback of some sort, good speech recognition to allow dictation, SD card slot, maybe a mini USB port so I could attach a real keyboard if needed, etc, but those are the main ones. For an iPod Touch with those three features, and about 32GB or so of storage, I'd realistically drop $400-500 tomorrow.
You are way to willing to spend to much money.
In any event I just don't see a huge adoption of speech recognition. At least not in a cube farm.
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Final thoughts: If Apple were to make not just an iPod Touch type device, but an actual Mac with a slate form factor, that would instantly require a slew of additional, well refined, technologies to go with it: dictation, or other rapid text input method (there are some very innovative software solutions floating around the internet), haptic feedback (would be a must for a full computer), really really good battery life, and gobs of other stuff that aren't coming to mind just now. So I think that an extended and enhanced type of iPod Touch would be much more likely than a full mac slate. It would have a larger market, being usable by both Mac and PC owners, and would benefit from the stronger iPod brand (it's still more socially acceptable to admit to owning an iPod than a Mac :P ).
It is the production volumes that make Touch like devices viable. Thus the need for it to excel as an iPod. With a sound OS all the rest of the functionality is simply a matter of software. With out a core feature set to drive volume the device would be doomed.
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What are yall's thoughts?
C
Well you see some of my thoughts above. Frankly I'm not to sure if any of use will get what we are wishing for. As long as the forums continue to express interest in these sorts of devices though there should be a certain amount of buzz inside the walls of Apple corporate. As a side note Nokia could be struck by a bolt of lightening and realize just how badly they screwed up the 810. This could lead to a compelling device running Linux, maybe even the preferred device.
If you look at the first page of the FH forum you'll see there were two threads already. Go a few pages deep, and you'll find more than the list below.
Yes but that can be said about lots of things. Like maybe which is the better political party to have running the country. The big difference here is that technology is continually changing which can lead to products that many here would like to see. Lets face it in a month we will have a clearer understanding of just what iPhone 2 offers up with respect to the OS. With software firming up and really impressive capabilities coming on line with respect to hardware there is good reason to take fresh approaches on the subject.
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These threads are pages long, and full of the questions and answers you're inquiring about. Next time use the search feature. Thank you.
How do you know if he didn't? Even then the search feature is limited.
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As you can see I have had it with the tablet threads every day there is a new one, I mean come on. Is it really necessary to say the same thing again and again?
Then why read them? Really it is not like you have to get sucked in, just be an onlooker.
You have 5,119 posts. I'd think that by now, being one of the venerated seniors of this forum, that you'd have the decency, intelligence, and decorum to read all the way through a fucking post before insulting the writer. If you had done so, and maybe the '(Serious discussion)' tag in the thread title should have been a glaring tip off for you, you would have noticed that I specifically wanted to avoid the silly dreaming and impractical, fantastical wishful thinking of the other threads on tablets. There is a very distinct difference between mental masturbation on a topic, and an actual critical analysis. I have not found ANY other threads in the archives which deliberately take a serious look at the advantages and disadvantages of the current generation of devices. All I've seen is a bunch of "ZOMG!!! I HAVES THE BESTEST IDEAA FOR THE NEXT NEWTONZZZZ!!!!!ONE!1 1" threads. (Yes, that's a bit of hyperbole on my part.)
This is a relevant issue, as we are basically witnessing the birth of a whole new branch of technology. Serious discussion, I feel, is merited. Apparently, judging from the number of thoughtful posts in this thread so far, I am not alone in this.
So rather than assuming that anyone with fewer than 1000 posts must be a fucking noob, why not be a decent person and double check your facts before throwing insults around.
*Last second edit* I agree, it is probable that much of what will show up in this thread is likely to have been at least partially explored elsewhere. The problem is that the ideas are scattered to the four winds, and some may be far out of date. There is a great deal to be said for consolidation and keeping things up to date.
I have to agree with Celemourn on this one. This thread is perfectly due its space and so are posts by a suggested "newbie" (I have seen first posts that were better written and thought out than some posted by more senior members; number of posts says little). If you don't like the idea of a tablet, so be it; don't read the threads on that topic. However, others do wish to discuss it and thus they should be allowed to.
Times have changed since many of those older threads were started/finished (and there were recent rumors of a tablet) and thus a new discussion is warranted. Carry on, Celemourn.
To big! As long as you are talking about a handheld media player in the Touch mold that is. One should not be confusing Touch or the iPhone with a tablet computing platform in the mold of a laptop.
...
What you want is a modern Newton, the suggested Newton2. In many ways this is on the large side of sizes I'd like to see. The pocket should still be a possibility. So thin is important as is weight management.
Yes, another PDA level device is precisely what I'd like to see. In fact, if we look at the iPod Touch, we can see that it is very very close to fitting that bill. I'd wager that it already does. I'm not certain, but doesn't it already satisfy all the note jotting, appointment making, etc functions that a full fledged PDA does (taking into account the upcoming App Store)? I own (and no longer use) an HP iPaq 5550 (or something like that). I abandoned it because the UI was clunky and difficult to use, and the OS has horrible tendencies toward crashing. As we all know, Apple has gone to great lengths to make sure that it's mobile OS is stable. Now, 7-9" is definitely on the large side, but for certain applications I think it's almost a requirement. Reading an ebook, for example, would just not be fun on a Touch sized screen. I already touched on the calculator/math package app above. I'm sure there are many other applications that would benefit from it too.
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This is where a viable Linux based device would come in handy.
I like that idea. After 7 years of using windows though, I have a strong bias toward Apple's ability to refine the fit and finish, not to mention stability and integration, of their products. So while a linux device would be great (I've seen some iPod Touch sized linux PDAs from time to time) I ultimately would prefer something made by Apple. Just more solid that way, I think.
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I call BS on that. Unless you are a person of very small stature you should have plenty of room in your pocket for the current iPhone/Touch. Right sized a bigger device might go in the pocket and certainly would go easily on the belt.
Depends on what size you're thinking of. 7-9" diagonal I think would be too bulky for belt carry. I was in the army and we had a habit of carrying everything we could on our belts, and I tell ya, a big flat, thin piece of tech that size would NOT last long on a belt. It would fit well in a backpack, but not on a belt. Something smaller but still larger than a Touch, I think you're right, would still be manageable though.
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Simple thinking here, just fold it.
That's a good idea. The only problem with it, though, is a glaring one: Fold line through the middle of the screen. I'm not convinced that that problem can be solved with today's tech.
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It is the production volumes that make Touch like devices viable. Thus the need for it to excel as an iPod. With a sound OS all the rest of the functionality is simply a matter of software. With out a core feature set to drive volume the device would be doomed.
This is an excellent point, and it is, I think, the main obstacle that stands in the way of any larger device making it to market. To achieve the kind of immediate success that Apple seems to mandate, there must already be a market in place for the device. A lot of our fantasy devices, as we imagine them in these forums, do not really meet that requirement. Full fledged tablets wouldn't, barring some exceptional advance in input technology, meet the kind of wide spread need that makes Apple's products so ubiquitous. Everyone has a legitimate need for an iPod. Likewise, everyone also has a legitimate need for a PDA. Just not one that uses the currently available technology. PDAs today are unwieldy, ugly, and just not very compelling. This is the kind of opening that Apple seems to love going for.
Ok, I'm drunk and tired, so I'm gonna finish this off. Hopefully I didn't hash up my spelling or grammar too badly. Laterzzzzz
built in drawing, and word processing w/ writing and text & speech recognition
a semi iphone/itouch interface... but mostly macosx interface... perhaps more of the iphone UI when using front row (redesigned front row?)
built in, apple supplied, or third party mounts and easy propping up
built in isight, mic
It will work perfectly w/ mobile me
gps
the 9 inch form factor is too small... its too small to have a software keyboard... if you have ever used the Eee PC then you will know that the keyboard is wayyyyyyy to small... and honestly... although software keyboards are on their way up, they arent ready to be put into a tablet computer/ device of this size the thirteen inch factor.. also 9 inches is like everyone says, too small to use as a full computer/ moniter and too big 4 the pocket...
You have 5,119 posts. I'd think that by now, being one of the venerated seniors of this forum, that you'd have the decency, intelligence, and decorum to read all the way through a fucking post before insulting the writer. If you had done so, and maybe the '(Serious discussion)' tag in the thread title should have been a glaring tip off for you, you would have noticed that I specifically wanted to avoid the silly dreaming and impractical, fantastical wishful thinking of the other threads on tablets. There is a very distinct difference between mental masturbation on a topic, and an actual critical analysis. I have not found ANY other threads in the archives which deliberately take a serious look at the advantages and disadvantages of the current generation of devices. All I've seen is a bunch of "ZOMG!!! I HAVES THE BESTEST IDEAA FOR THE NEXT NEWTONZZZZ!!!!!ONE!1 1" threads. (Yes, that's a bit of hyperbole on my part.)
This is a relevant issue, as we are basically witnessing the birth of a whole new branch of technology. Serious discussion, I feel, is merited. Apparently, judging from the number of thoughtful posts in this thread so far, I am not alone in this.
So rather than assuming that anyone with fewer than 1000 posts must be a fucking noob, why not be a decent person and double check your facts before throwing insults around.
*Last second edit* I agree, it is probable that much of what will show up in this thread is likely to have been at least partially explored elsewhere. The problem is that the ideas are scattered to the four winds, and some may be far out of date. There is a great deal to be said for consolidation and keeping things up to date.
C
I said there are more threads on the subject than you have posts. It's not about how many posts you have it was referring to massive amount of threads on the subject, alright. I made that pretty damn clear. The rest of the post backs it up. So don't take what I said so personal. It's not all about you. Besides. Is it so hard just to keep another thread going? If this one falls down ten notches are you going to start a new one fresh. Why? You guys have all said stuff I've already read. I've read the thread. I mean come one. Get a grip on the realization. You are not saying anything different. Why do you start a new thread on it every time you think someone is getting disinterested in your subject? Just go back drop in a post and bump it up. The more pages you add to a thread the more inclined people are to come in and see what's so damn important about the heart of the subject anyway?
Yes, another PDA level device is precisely what I'd like to see. In fact, if we look at the iPod Touch, we can see that it is very very close to fitting that bill. I'd wager that it already does.
Yes I do believe that many have already found the Touch and iPhone to be good enough PDA's. More so they have good reason to carry the devices due to their orientation towards the playing of media. I'm very tempted by Touch but the thing that bothers me is that the screen is just a bit to small.
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I'm not certain, but doesn't it already satisfy all the note jotting, appointment making, etc functions that a full fledged PDA does (taking into account the upcoming App Store)? I own (and no longer use) an HP iPaq 5550 (or something like that). I abandoned it because the UI was clunky and difficult to use, and the OS has horrible tendencies toward crashing.
I'd say for many users the current Touch device meets the needs a a very large number of people as far as PDA functionality goes. The biggest limitation right now is the limitations on software.
As to PDA only devices I've abandoned a couple myself in the past, in part due to size and part due to functionality. Functionality is an issue when things like syncing and communications become clumsy. My impression is that Apple has for the most part overcome these limitations.
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As we all know, Apple has gone to great lengths to make sure that it's mobile OS is stable.
That could be hotly debated. 1. I think the whole software stack was rushed to market to meet a deadline. 2. The SDK is taking a very long time to arrive and I suspect a lot of that is due to issues of software quality / stability. Of course that is a beta, but I see the delays as a sign that they are really trying to move away from the issues of gen one software.
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Now, 7-9" is definitely on the large side, but for certain applications I think it's almost a requirement.
Yep for certain applications. Frankly this is why I believe Apple could introduce and be successful with a number of different sized Touch devices. There are a lot of different market needs out there including the rugged / heavy use industrial market. It is all a matter of how aggressive Apple wants to be.
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Reading an ebook, for example, would just not be fun on a Touch sized screen. I already touched on the calculator/math package app above. I'm sure there are many other applications that would benefit from it too.
I like that idea. After 7 years of using windows though, I have a strong bias toward Apple's ability to refine the fit and finish, not to mention stability and integration, of their products. So while a linux device would be great (I've seen some iPod Touch sized linux PDAs from time to time) I ultimately would prefer something made by Apple. Just more solid that way, I think.
I see MS as continuing to be unsuccessful in this market place until the get a grasp on their management team. Linux is another story altogether though. The issue with Linux is the lack of a respectable high volume platform that even remotely competes with Apple's offerings.
Along this line I had high hopes for Nokia's N810 when I first heard about it, they had a good platform to expand upon. Obviously though they just don't get the wants of the market place. So I won't discount Linux due to lack of a viable hardware platform. The ultimate flexibility of the software platform is very compelling for some usage.
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Depends on what size you're thinking of. 7-9" diagonal I think would be too bulky for belt carry. I was in the army and we had a habit of carrying everything we could on our belts, and I tell ya, a big flat, thin piece of tech that size would NOT last long on a belt.
I guess it depends on what you are comfortable with carried on your belt. In any event I really believe that Apple could increase the size of Touch and not run into a portability issue. Even a half inch of additional screen height and an corresponding increase in length would allow a lot more info on screen. Redesign the home button and the over all length won't grow that much either.
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It would fit well in a backpack, but not on a belt. Something smaller but still larger than a Touch, I think you're right, would still be manageable though.
It would fit better in the hand also. That is not to discount the need for larger tablets, just that such move form being portable devices to being transportable.
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That's a good idea. The only problem with it, though, is a glaring one: Fold line through the middle of the screen. I'm not convinced that that problem can be solved with today's tech.
This are changing very fast with respect to OLED and similar technology screens. Folding seamless screens could be a reality in a year or so. One company even announced that they we coming out with a roll out screen in a cell phone this year. I've yet to see an actual device though.
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This is an excellent point, and it is, I think, the main obstacle that stands in the way of any larger device making it to market. To achieve the kind of immediate success that Apple seems to mandate, there must already be a market in place for the device. A lot of our fantasy devices, as we imagine them in these forums, do not really meet that requirement. Full fledged tablets wouldn't, barring some exceptional advance in input technology, meet the kind of wide spread need that makes Apple's products so ubiquitous.
As to input technology for a larger tablet like device I don't think that is impossible if Apple really wanted to attack the market with hand writing recognition. A larger tablet would likely revert to being OS/X based and have access to much more powerful processors than anything from the past.
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Everyone has a legitimate need for an iPod. Likewise, everyone also has a legitimate need for a PDA. Just not one that uses the currently available technology. PDAs today are unwieldy, ugly, and just not very compelling. This is the kind of opening that Apple seems to love going for.
An opening they are already targeting with Touch and iPhone. As an aside though I don't believe most people want more than one of those devices on them at any one time. I really expect iPhone sales to take a big jump once the Flash capacity gets up to and past 32 GB. Right now its Flash capacity is what limits how widely it can be applied by the user population.
Notably too I expect that cell access or possibly WiMax to be a big part of future tablets. That is communications is not something that can be forgotten like it was on the AIR.
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Ok, I'm drunk and tired, so I'm gonna finish this off. Hopefully I didn't hash up my spelling or grammar too badly. Laterzzzzz
C
No not bad at all. I'm very interested in what Apple releases for the next go around at Touch based devices. I suspect this will come in September, even if it is rushing things a bit. The biggest problem they need to overcome is the limitations on Flash storage. And NO I don't mean adding disk drives which I see as a joke in a portable device.
? Bigger Screen (say, about 7"-9"): There are a lot of secondary justifications for this (better web browsing, movies, easier in-car navigation (TomTom is coming), easier typing, etc.) The big sticker for me though is that I really want a nice graphing calculator. I'm a physics undergrad and I make a lot of use of my TI-89. But the durned thing bugs the heck out of me. The display has lousy resolution (something like 160x100 or so), and is B&W. The processor is retardedly slow (its a Motorola 68000 running at 10-16MHz - Thats the same thing that was in the original Mac 128k!) making them almost useless for 3D work, and the user interface is difficult to use. Commands are so hard to get to that most people use these $150 devices as slightly more than an advanced 4 function calculator. What I really want to see is a version of Maple (really nice math program - go check it out) designed and optimized for an iPod Touch-like device.
The problem is that it would require a larger display to make it efficient enough for regular use (need a gob of space for buttons and tabs). So, having an iPod model (or mac tablet, whatever) with a large display would make this a very real possibility. Stack on all the additional justifications, and I think we have a compelling argument for a larger display.
Maple on the iPhone is a great idea. With the right menu structures, I don't think that the size of the iPhone needs to be a limitation to an effective implementation. It would also be fine if the iPhone version was build on top of the Classic Worksheet interface (essentially just a command-line version). In fact, I liked your idea so much that I just sent an email to Maplesoft inquiring about whether they are planning a Maple light release for the iPhone.
I've used everything from a Psion 3a to an IBM Thinkpad with a touch screen (today actually - an insurance guy came round and I had to sign on it) with various Palm, Z88s, Phones and whatever inbetween.
Nothing IME beats an A5 ringbound paper pad (or moleskin if you want to be fancy) and a Rotring altro stylograph pen for instant 'it just works' with no worries over dropping it, getting it wet, breaking it or running out of batteries. Anything else is technowank. You learn that as you get older and the drawer full of gadgets you aren't using no longer closes.
Nothing IME beats an A5 ringbound paper pad (or moleskin if you want to be fancy) and a Rotring altro stylograph pen for instant 'it just works' with no worries over dropping it, getting it wet, breaking it or running out of batteries. Anything else is technowank. You learn that as you get older and the drawer full of gadgets you aren't using no longer closes.
Eh? I worry all the time that I'll lose or get my log book soaked. At least all my digital info is backed up somewhere.
I used to use a variety of digital tablets/digitizers/etc but they are still a tad too clumsy. My fav was the Seiko SmartPad but alas I don't use a Palm anymore as a PDA. It would be awesome to get it to work with an iPhone...
Eh? I worry all the time that I'll lose or get my log book soaked. At least all my digital info is backed up somewhere.
Waterproof ink in the Rotring. I rip pages out and scan them if they're important - usually after I've soaked them of course but try getting your electronic backups back after a dunking.
And since I seem to have 3 or 4 notebooks on the go at a time, I think of it as my personal paper RAID system.
Comments
On every college campus on the planet students take notes in class. In meetings all over the world people take notes. The overwhelming majority of this note-taking is done with pencil and paper. Taking notes on a laptop with a keyboard sucks. When you take notes you want to include diagrams, you want to show relationships between ideas by the positions in which you place items on the page, you want to emphasize concepts by underlining or circling.
Totally agree. I work from home and I always have a pen and paper around, and postit notes etc.
The company that finally produces a tablet that allows relatively natural, responsive handwriting (with stylus), AND searchability, will make a fortune. The problem with paper is that you have to keep it organized. Ever spend 10 minutes flipping through a legal pad of hand written notes for a date you know you recorded? Ever spend two hours searching a file cabinet for ideas you know you jotted down a couple years ago? A program that allows notes to be stored as drawn, but uses character recognition to enable search, would be the killer app that would make this device indispensable. Add multi touch to the interface and you have a recipe for the death of paper. Add downloadable textbooks and you've got an unthinkably valuable tool for academia. It could be like having an infinitely thick pad of paper, and a library all in one. The uses of such a tool are boundless.
This is a tablet, not a folding laptop. Size wise I'd make the device itself 8.5x11 with a screen as large as possible, and the whole thing thin like a MacBook Air. I'd pay any price Apple asked.
You're describing the Mac touch you do know that, don't you? 9"x7" gives it around a 10" screen. 10" or 11" would be spot on. And all books for your class could de downloadable too.
No stylus.
You guys still don't understand what multitouch is.
Yeah, I only do touch and UIs for a living. WTF do I know?
If there are any owners here of the original fingerworks multtouch touchpad mouse replacement for the PC then those at least would understand.
Had one. Also a spaceball, cintiq, tablets, a gazillion other UI devices.
Each has advantages and disadvantages. None stands alone.
The stylus is desireable for direct manipulation and input of precise graphics. As in for folks that draw on the screen like it was paper with the image/line/brush appearing directly underneath the stylus.
No stylus.
You guys still don't understand what multitouch is. If there are any owners here of the original fingerworks multtouch touchpad mouse replacement for the PC then those at least would understand.
EDIT: Frankly, even Apple doesn't fully understand what multitouch is! Since Apple bought out fingerworks, they have been implementing Fingerwork's tech one feature at a time and I believe they are still even now learning what to do with it. Otherwise they would have figured out how to do cut and paste on the iphone already.
You can't write or draw without a stylus. And a tablet that you can't write or draw on is just a big remote control.
What I want to explore here is the question, "What features would ACTUALLY compel you to purchase such a device, why do you need them, and how much would you pay for them?"
You have 662 posts. I'd wager that there are over 662 threads on New Newtons, iTab, Tablets, convertible laptops, and the like in here. This discussion has been beaten to death over the past 10 years in here. There is nothing anyone can say in this thread that has not already been said at least 4 or 5 times, and I do mean at the least.
If you look at the first page of the FH forum you'll see there were two threads already. Go a few pages deep, and you'll find more than the list below.
These threads are pages long, and full of the questions and answers you're inquiring about. Next time use the search feature. Thank you.
As you can see I have had it with the tablet threads every day there is a new one, I mean come on. Is it really necessary to say the same thing again and again?
Larger Apple multi-touch devices move beyond prototype stage
Mac Tablet Idea
My Concept For A Mac Tablet
Any word on a Multi-Touch Gesture pad from Apple?
Intel: Apple tablet comment simply untrue
Intel exec vouches for Atom-based Apple Newton tablet - report
New iPhone in May? Tablet in June?
Macbook Touch ????
Official Apple Multi-touch 'Mac tablet' discussion, poll and mock-up thread.
Apple patent for multi-functional handheld device
Ok, there have been a lot of ideas tossed around in various threads about what a larger multitouch device from Apple ought to look like, what features it should have, etc etc etc. I think we all have our own little fantasy-dream device that we'd love to have.
That should be "devices". I say that because I see multiple needs with respect to portable electronics.
What I want to explore here is the question, "What features would ACTUALLY compel you to purchase such a device, why do you need them, and how much would you pay for them?"
An OS with its communication ports fully implemented. Right now the iPhone and Touch are very limited in communications ability. BlueTooth is barely implemented and USB support is lacking. The frustrating thing here, at least with respect to iPhone, is that the hardware is already there. Adding full Bluetooth stack for example shouldn't stress the OS nor its storage foot print.
So starting from the current (3G) iPhone and an as-yet imaginary, but similarly equipped, iPod Touch as a reference, what would you change and why?
The current size of the Touch needs to remain in the line up. I would certainly add Bluetooth to the device and update the USB port to USB on the GO.
I suspect though that that is not really what you are getting at. To that end I want a larger Touch and or iPhone that provides a larger display keeping the same pixel density. Bluetooth needs to be fully implemented and as mentioned above must have USB on the Go. An alternative to USB on the GO would be the implementation of a standard USB host port.
(Maybe also mention why the current iPhone or an equivalent iPod Touch doesn't meet that need.) And let's be realistic here.
That is so simple as to be almost foolish to ask, more pixels on a larger screen just leads to a better user experience. The question then becomes how large and that of course depends on how one perceives that it will be used. I could see a display that is about 3/4" high implementing a 16:9 ratio as very compelling. There does not need to be a huge increase in size for the delivery of media in a handheld device.
Off the wall junk that very few people would use will never make it into a device unless it's as part of a larger, more widely applicable feature (for example, geocaching could be introduced courtesy of a GPS that can do navigation also).
Again it depends on need. I'm sure of one thing that the majority of people using said devices as a media player do not need GPS. However that doesn't mean that Apple shouldn't offer up models with it.
Lets also try to think of the problems that our ideas would present. What would be the complications of adding our desired features?
Here are my items:
? Bigger Screen (say, about 7"-9"):
To big! As long as you are talking about a handheld media player in the Touch mold that is. One should not be confusing Touch or the iPhone with a tablet computing platform in the mold of a laptop.
There are a lot of secondary justifications for this (better web browsing, movies, easier in-car navigation (TomTom is coming), easier typing, etc.) The big sticker for me though is that I really want a nice graphing calculator. I'm a physics undergrad and I make a lot of use of my TI-89.
What you want is a modern Newton, the suggested Newton2. In many ways this is on the large side of sizes I'd like to see. The pocket should still be a possibility. So thin is important as is weight management.
But the durned thing bugs the heck out of me. The display has lousy resolution (something like 160x100 or so), and is B&W. The processor is retardedly slow (its a Motorola 68000 running at 10-16MHz - Thats the same thing that was in the original Mac 128k!) making them almost useless for 3D work, and the user interface is difficult to use.
Considering that I was an original owner of a Mac Plus I can say that you would be very lucky to get 8MHz of performance out of the device. Even so I kept that machine longer than any other..
Commands are so hard to get to that most people use these $150 devices as slightly more than an advanced 4 function calculator. What I really want to see is a version of Maple (really nice math program - go check it out) designed and optimized for an iPod Touch-like device.
This is where a viable Linux based device would come in handy. By the way the Nokia N810 is not viable just in case somebody wants to bring up that piece of junk.
The problem is that it would require a larger display to make it efficient enough for regular use (need a gob of space for buttons and tabs). So, having an iPod model (or mac tablet, whatever) with a large display would make this a very real possibility. Stack on all the additional justifications, and I think we have a compelling argument for a larger display.
Yes man good arguments for a larger display. For me though I don't want to loose portability.
Now, the disadvantage to this is that larger size makes the device more difficult to carry. The iPhone and iPod Touch are just the right size to get strapped to your belt. A larger device really wouldn't be.
I call BS on that. Unless you are a person of very small stature you should have plenty of room in your pocket for the current iPhone/Touch. Right sized a bigger device might go in the pocket and certainly would go easily on the belt.
It won't fit in your pocket. So we'd arrive at a conflict: It would be a device designed to be a pocket gadget, like a phone or pda, that doesn't fit in your pocket. Would that require adding more desktop like capabilities to make it sell? I don't know, but it does sound like an invitation to feature creep to me.
Simple thinking here, just fold it. Its an approach but I prefer the candy bar approach myself. Look at it this way people use to carry HP48's around all the time and never complained.
? GPS: I assume that this would be included automagically, but might as well stipulate it now.
? Built-in Microphone: There are just a lot of uses for this.
GPS - some people just don't need it. At this point it is practically free though.
Microphone - better to have versatile analog inputs to allow you to hook up the device of your dreams.
That's my compelling feature set. Other niceties would include haptic feedback of some sort, good speech recognition to allow dictation, SD card slot, maybe a mini USB port so I could attach a real keyboard if needed, etc, but those are the main ones. For an iPod Touch with those three features, and about 32GB or so of storage, I'd realistically drop $400-500 tomorrow.
You are way to willing to spend to much money.
In any event I just don't see a huge adoption of speech recognition. At least not in a cube farm.
Final thoughts: If Apple were to make not just an iPod Touch type device, but an actual Mac with a slate form factor, that would instantly require a slew of additional, well refined, technologies to go with it: dictation, or other rapid text input method (there are some very innovative software solutions floating around the internet), haptic feedback (would be a must for a full computer), really really good battery life, and gobs of other stuff that aren't coming to mind just now. So I think that an extended and enhanced type of iPod Touch would be much more likely than a full mac slate. It would have a larger market, being usable by both Mac and PC owners, and would benefit from the stronger iPod brand (it's still more socially acceptable to admit to owning an iPod than a Mac :P ).
It is the production volumes that make Touch like devices viable. Thus the need for it to excel as an iPod. With a sound OS all the rest of the functionality is simply a matter of software. With out a core feature set to drive volume the device would be doomed.
What are yall's thoughts?
C
Well you see some of my thoughts above. Frankly I'm not to sure if any of use will get what we are wishing for. As long as the forums continue to express interest in these sorts of devices though there should be a certain amount of buzz inside the walls of Apple corporate. As a side note Nokia could be struck by a bolt of lightening and realize just how badly they screwed up the 810. This could lead to a compelling device running Linux, maybe even the preferred device.
Dave
If you look at the first page of the FH forum you'll see there were two threads already. Go a few pages deep, and you'll find more than the list below.
Yes but that can be said about lots of things. Like maybe which is the better political party to have running the country. The big difference here is that technology is continually changing which can lead to products that many here would like to see. Lets face it in a month we will have a clearer understanding of just what iPhone 2 offers up with respect to the OS. With software firming up and really impressive capabilities coming on line with respect to hardware there is good reason to take fresh approaches on the subject.
These threads are pages long, and full of the questions and answers you're inquiring about. Next time use the search feature. Thank you.
How do you know if he didn't? Even then the search feature is limited.
As you can see I have had it with the tablet threads every day there is a new one, I mean come on. Is it really necessary to say the same thing again and again?
Then why read them? Really it is not like you have to get sucked in, just be an onlooker.
Dave
You have 662 posts. Blah blah blah...
You have 5,119 posts. I'd think that by now, being one of the venerated seniors of this forum, that you'd have the decency, intelligence, and decorum to read all the way through a fucking post before insulting the writer. If you had done so, and maybe the '(Serious discussion)' tag in the thread title should have been a glaring tip off for you, you would have noticed that I specifically wanted to avoid the silly dreaming and impractical, fantastical wishful thinking of the other threads on tablets. There is a very distinct difference between mental masturbation on a topic, and an actual critical analysis. I have not found ANY other threads in the archives which deliberately take a serious look at the advantages and disadvantages of the current generation of devices. All I've seen is a bunch of "ZOMG!!! I HAVES THE BESTEST IDEAA FOR THE NEXT NEWTONZZZZ!!!!!ONE!1 1" threads. (Yes, that's a bit of hyperbole on my part.)
This is a relevant issue, as we are basically witnessing the birth of a whole new branch of technology. Serious discussion, I feel, is merited. Apparently, judging from the number of thoughtful posts in this thread so far, I am not alone in this.
So rather than assuming that anyone with fewer than 1000 posts must be a fucking noob, why not be a decent person and double check your facts before throwing insults around.
*Last second edit* I agree, it is probable that much of what will show up in this thread is likely to have been at least partially explored elsewhere. The problem is that the ideas are scattered to the four winds, and some may be far out of date. There is a great deal to be said for consolidation and keeping things up to date.
C
Times have changed since many of those older threads were started/finished (and there were recent rumors of a tablet) and thus a new discussion is warranted. Carry on, Celemourn.
To big! As long as you are talking about a handheld media player in the Touch mold that is. One should not be confusing Touch or the iPhone with a tablet computing platform in the mold of a laptop.
...
What you want is a modern Newton, the suggested Newton2. In many ways this is on the large side of sizes I'd like to see. The pocket should still be a possibility. So thin is important as is weight management.
Yes, another PDA level device is precisely what I'd like to see. In fact, if we look at the iPod Touch, we can see that it is very very close to fitting that bill. I'd wager that it already does. I'm not certain, but doesn't it already satisfy all the note jotting, appointment making, etc functions that a full fledged PDA does (taking into account the upcoming App Store)? I own (and no longer use) an HP iPaq 5550 (or something like that). I abandoned it because the UI was clunky and difficult to use, and the OS has horrible tendencies toward crashing. As we all know, Apple has gone to great lengths to make sure that it's mobile OS is stable. Now, 7-9" is definitely on the large side, but for certain applications I think it's almost a requirement. Reading an ebook, for example, would just not be fun on a Touch sized screen. I already touched on the calculator/math package app above. I'm sure there are many other applications that would benefit from it too.
This is where a viable Linux based device would come in handy.
I like that idea. After 7 years of using windows though, I have a strong bias toward Apple's ability to refine the fit and finish, not to mention stability and integration, of their products. So while a linux device would be great (I've seen some iPod Touch sized linux PDAs from time to time) I ultimately would prefer something made by Apple. Just more solid that way, I think.
I call BS on that. Unless you are a person of very small stature you should have plenty of room in your pocket for the current iPhone/Touch. Right sized a bigger device might go in the pocket and certainly would go easily on the belt.
Depends on what size you're thinking of. 7-9" diagonal I think would be too bulky for belt carry. I was in the army and we had a habit of carrying everything we could on our belts, and I tell ya, a big flat, thin piece of tech that size would NOT last long on a belt. It would fit well in a backpack, but not on a belt. Something smaller but still larger than a Touch, I think you're right, would still be manageable though.
Simple thinking here, just fold it.
That's a good idea. The only problem with it, though, is a glaring one: Fold line through the middle of the screen. I'm not convinced that that problem can be solved with today's tech.
It is the production volumes that make Touch like devices viable. Thus the need for it to excel as an iPod. With a sound OS all the rest of the functionality is simply a matter of software. With out a core feature set to drive volume the device would be doomed.
This is an excellent point, and it is, I think, the main obstacle that stands in the way of any larger device making it to market. To achieve the kind of immediate success that Apple seems to mandate, there must already be a market in place for the device. A lot of our fantasy devices, as we imagine them in these forums, do not really meet that requirement. Full fledged tablets wouldn't, barring some exceptional advance in input technology, meet the kind of wide spread need that makes Apple's products so ubiquitous. Everyone has a legitimate need for an iPod. Likewise, everyone also has a legitimate need for a PDA. Just not one that uses the currently available technology. PDAs today are unwieldy, ugly, and just not very compelling. This is the kind of opening that Apple seems to love going for.
Ok, I'm drunk and tired, so I'm gonna finish this off. Hopefully I didn't hash up my spelling or grammar too badly. Laterzzzzz
C
Stylus
wireless keyboard and mouse
built in drawing, and word processing w/ writing and text & speech recognition
a semi iphone/itouch interface... but mostly macosx interface... perhaps more of the iphone UI when using front row (redesigned front row?)
built in, apple supplied, or third party mounts and easy propping up
built in isight, mic
It will work perfectly w/ mobile me
gps
the 9 inch form factor is too small... its too small to have a software keyboard... if you have ever used the Eee PC then you will know that the keyboard is wayyyyyyy to small... and honestly... although software keyboards are on their way up, they arent ready to be put into a tablet computer/ device of this size the thirteen inch factor.. also 9 inches is like everyone says, too small to use as a full computer/ moniter and too big 4 the pocket...
those are the things i can think of now
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showp...9&postcount=21
You have 5,119 posts. I'd think that by now, being one of the venerated seniors of this forum, that you'd have the decency, intelligence, and decorum to read all the way through a fucking post before insulting the writer. If you had done so, and maybe the '(Serious discussion)' tag in the thread title should have been a glaring tip off for you, you would have noticed that I specifically wanted to avoid the silly dreaming and impractical, fantastical wishful thinking of the other threads on tablets. There is a very distinct difference between mental masturbation on a topic, and an actual critical analysis. I have not found ANY other threads in the archives which deliberately take a serious look at the advantages and disadvantages of the current generation of devices. All I've seen is a bunch of "ZOMG!!! I HAVES THE BESTEST IDEAA FOR THE NEXT NEWTONZZZZ!!!!!ONE!1 1" threads. (Yes, that's a bit of hyperbole on my part.)
This is a relevant issue, as we are basically witnessing the birth of a whole new branch of technology. Serious discussion, I feel, is merited. Apparently, judging from the number of thoughtful posts in this thread so far, I am not alone in this.
So rather than assuming that anyone with fewer than 1000 posts must be a fucking noob, why not be a decent person and double check your facts before throwing insults around.
*Last second edit* I agree, it is probable that much of what will show up in this thread is likely to have been at least partially explored elsewhere. The problem is that the ideas are scattered to the four winds, and some may be far out of date. There is a great deal to be said for consolidation and keeping things up to date.
C
I said there are more threads on the subject than you have posts. It's not about how many posts you have it was referring to massive amount of threads on the subject, alright. I made that pretty damn clear. The rest of the post backs it up. So don't take what I said so personal. It's not all about you.
Yes, another PDA level device is precisely what I'd like to see. In fact, if we look at the iPod Touch, we can see that it is very very close to fitting that bill. I'd wager that it already does.
Yes I do believe that many have already found the Touch and iPhone to be good enough PDA's. More so they have good reason to carry the devices due to their orientation towards the playing of media. I'm very tempted by Touch but the thing that bothers me is that the screen is just a bit to small.
I'm not certain, but doesn't it already satisfy all the note jotting, appointment making, etc functions that a full fledged PDA does (taking into account the upcoming App Store)? I own (and no longer use) an HP iPaq 5550 (or something like that). I abandoned it because the UI was clunky and difficult to use, and the OS has horrible tendencies toward crashing.
I'd say for many users the current Touch device meets the needs a a very large number of people as far as PDA functionality goes. The biggest limitation right now is the limitations on software.
As to PDA only devices I've abandoned a couple myself in the past, in part due to size and part due to functionality. Functionality is an issue when things like syncing and communications become clumsy. My impression is that Apple has for the most part overcome these limitations.
As we all know, Apple has gone to great lengths to make sure that it's mobile OS is stable.
That could be hotly debated. 1. I think the whole software stack was rushed to market to meet a deadline. 2. The SDK is taking a very long time to arrive and I suspect a lot of that is due to issues of software quality / stability. Of course that is a beta, but I see the delays as a sign that they are really trying to move away from the issues of gen one software.
Now, 7-9" is definitely on the large side, but for certain applications I think it's almost a requirement.
Yep for certain applications. Frankly this is why I believe Apple could introduce and be successful with a number of different sized Touch devices. There are a lot of different market needs out there including the rugged / heavy use industrial market. It is all a matter of how aggressive Apple wants to be.
Reading an ebook, for example, would just not be fun on a Touch sized screen. I already touched on the calculator/math package app above. I'm sure there are many other applications that would benefit from it too.
I like that idea. After 7 years of using windows though, I have a strong bias toward Apple's ability to refine the fit and finish, not to mention stability and integration, of their products. So while a linux device would be great (I've seen some iPod Touch sized linux PDAs from time to time) I ultimately would prefer something made by Apple. Just more solid that way, I think.
I see MS as continuing to be unsuccessful in this market place until the get a grasp on their management team. Linux is another story altogether though. The issue with Linux is the lack of a respectable high volume platform that even remotely competes with Apple's offerings.
Along this line I had high hopes for Nokia's N810 when I first heard about it, they had a good platform to expand upon. Obviously though they just don't get the wants of the market place. So I won't discount Linux due to lack of a viable hardware platform. The ultimate flexibility of the software platform is very compelling for some usage.
Depends on what size you're thinking of. 7-9" diagonal I think would be too bulky for belt carry. I was in the army and we had a habit of carrying everything we could on our belts, and I tell ya, a big flat, thin piece of tech that size would NOT last long on a belt.
I guess it depends on what you are comfortable with carried on your belt. In any event I really believe that Apple could increase the size of Touch and not run into a portability issue. Even a half inch of additional screen height and an corresponding increase in length would allow a lot more info on screen. Redesign the home button and the over all length won't grow that much either.
It would fit well in a backpack, but not on a belt. Something smaller but still larger than a Touch, I think you're right, would still be manageable though.
It would fit better in the hand also. That is not to discount the need for larger tablets, just that such move form being portable devices to being transportable.
That's a good idea. The only problem with it, though, is a glaring one: Fold line through the middle of the screen. I'm not convinced that that problem can be solved with today's tech.
This are changing very fast with respect to OLED and similar technology screens. Folding seamless screens could be a reality in a year or so. One company even announced that they we coming out with a roll out screen in a cell phone this year. I've yet to see an actual device though.
This is an excellent point, and it is, I think, the main obstacle that stands in the way of any larger device making it to market. To achieve the kind of immediate success that Apple seems to mandate, there must already be a market in place for the device. A lot of our fantasy devices, as we imagine them in these forums, do not really meet that requirement. Full fledged tablets wouldn't, barring some exceptional advance in input technology, meet the kind of wide spread need that makes Apple's products so ubiquitous.
As to input technology for a larger tablet like device I don't think that is impossible if Apple really wanted to attack the market with hand writing recognition. A larger tablet would likely revert to being OS/X based and have access to much more powerful processors than anything from the past.
Everyone has a legitimate need for an iPod. Likewise, everyone also has a legitimate need for a PDA. Just not one that uses the currently available technology. PDAs today are unwieldy, ugly, and just not very compelling. This is the kind of opening that Apple seems to love going for.
An opening they are already targeting with Touch and iPhone. As an aside though I don't believe most people want more than one of those devices on them at any one time. I really expect iPhone sales to take a big jump once the Flash capacity gets up to and past 32 GB. Right now its Flash capacity is what limits how widely it can be applied by the user population.
Notably too I expect that cell access or possibly WiMax to be a big part of future tablets. That is communications is not something that can be forgotten like it was on the AIR.
Ok, I'm drunk and tired, so I'm gonna finish this off. Hopefully I didn't hash up my spelling or grammar too badly. Laterzzzzz
C
No not bad at all. I'm very interested in what Apple releases for the next go around at Touch based devices. I suspect this will come in September, even if it is rushing things a bit. The biggest problem they need to overcome is the limitations on Flash storage. And NO I don't mean adding disk drives which I see as a joke in a portable device.
Dave
Here are my items:
? Bigger Screen (say, about 7"-9"): There are a lot of secondary justifications for this (better web browsing, movies, easier in-car navigation (TomTom is coming), easier typing, etc.) The big sticker for me though is that I really want a nice graphing calculator. I'm a physics undergrad and I make a lot of use of my TI-89. But the durned thing bugs the heck out of me. The display has lousy resolution (something like 160x100 or so), and is B&W. The processor is retardedly slow (its a Motorola 68000 running at 10-16MHz - Thats the same thing that was in the original Mac 128k!) making them almost useless for 3D work, and the user interface is difficult to use. Commands are so hard to get to that most people use these $150 devices as slightly more than an advanced 4 function calculator. What I really want to see is a version of Maple (really nice math program - go check it out) designed and optimized for an iPod Touch-like device.
The problem is that it would require a larger display to make it efficient enough for regular use (need a gob of space for buttons and tabs). So, having an iPod model (or mac tablet, whatever) with a large display would make this a very real possibility. Stack on all the additional justifications, and I think we have a compelling argument for a larger display.
Maple on the iPhone is a great idea. With the right menu structures, I don't think that the size of the iPhone needs to be a limitation to an effective implementation. It would also be fine if the iPhone version was build on top of the Classic Worksheet interface (essentially just a command-line version). In fact, I liked your idea so much that I just sent an email to Maplesoft inquiring about whether they are planning a Maple light release for the iPhone.
Nothing IME beats an A5 ringbound paper pad (or moleskin if you want to be fancy) and a Rotring altro stylograph pen for instant 'it just works' with no worries over dropping it, getting it wet, breaking it or running out of batteries. Anything else is technowank. You learn that as you get older and the drawer full of gadgets you aren't using no longer closes.
Nothing IME beats an A5 ringbound paper pad (or moleskin if you want to be fancy) and a Rotring altro stylograph pen for instant 'it just works' with no worries over dropping it, getting it wet, breaking it or running out of batteries. Anything else is technowank. You learn that as you get older and the drawer full of gadgets you aren't using no longer closes.
Eh? I worry all the time that I'll lose or get my log book soaked. At least all my digital info is backed up somewhere.
I used to use a variety of digital tablets/digitizers/etc but they are still a tad too clumsy. My fav was the Seiko SmartPad but alas I don't use a Palm anymore as a PDA. It would be awesome to get it to work with an iPhone...
Eh? I worry all the time that I'll lose or get my log book soaked. At least all my digital info is backed up somewhere.
Waterproof ink in the Rotring. I rip pages out and scan them if they're important - usually after I've soaked them of course but try getting your electronic backups back after a dunking.
And since I seem to have 3 or 4 notebooks on the go at a time, I think of it as my personal paper RAID system.