Time for the ultra compact handheld laptop?
It looks like polymer batteries, 1.8 HD and so on have sparked the development of very small tablet* computers. Is it going to be a flop as "we" always say?
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/04/17/modular.computing.ap/index.html"; target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/04/17/modular.computing.ap/index.html</a>;
*Sorry for the dirty word.
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/04/17/modular.computing.ap/index.html"; target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/04/17/modular.computing.ap/index.html</a>;
*Sorry for the dirty word.
Comments
for $1000 that thing sounds neat! But I dont know how well it could ever run XP and how good does XP look at 4 in?
I don't know if this is the best form-factor. It looks chunky and the screen isn't touch sensitive, but a simple design ('a la the ipod) can grow to be something bigger...a spoke from a digital hub.
I hope Apple gets to subnotebook soon. The desktop isn't dead, but I can see that computing has been in a bit of a size stall with pda's ... and the next big push will be in the pocket market, not the laptops.
<a href="http://www.oqo.com/"; target="_blank">http://www.oqo.com/</a>;
click on the "hardware" link about 6 times, until the list"Prod Description, features, specs" and hit specs, then scroll down.
"Synaptics Touchscreen"
and it was designed by the guys who did the TiBook,
<a href="http://www.zdnet.co.za/anchordesk/stories/story/0,10738,2861563,00.html"; target="_blank">http://www.zdnet.co.za/anchordesk/stories/story/0,10738,2861563,00.html</a>;
second article down.
Looks cool- sort of what was rumoured for the iPad/Newton 2002, too bad it running XP. Apple has 6 months to beat this thing to the market, if they want to realease an iPad at all, they better do it soon.
The device is meant to be plugged into another screen when needed. Plus Bluetooth gives it access to wireless keyboards and mice.
I'd love to have a 17" 1280x1024 screen plugged into it and have BOTH screens running, 17" for work, 4" for email client. You could use the firewire port to plug in a good CD_RW/DVDR drive plus USB gives you printers, cameras etc..
This thing is HOT and if it delivers on its promises, this is where portable computing will end up.
I want one!
<strong>It looks like polymer batteries, 1.8 HD and so on have sparked the development of very small tablet* computers. Is it going to be a flop as "we" always say?
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/04/17/modular.computing.ap/index.html"; target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/04/17/modular.computing.ap/index.html</a>;
*Sorry for the dirty word.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I think what Apple needs is something like an iBook screen with an iBook prcesser, but no foot w/ keyboard etc. Like just thee screen, nothing else, with a full version of OS X/9.
As for what sparked the ipad rumors, they have been with us ever since Apple killed the Newton. Nothing new, and I am still not convinced that there was ever anything behind them (aside from the reasonable assumption that the company that pioneered the PDA might eventually get back into the market).
<strong>The fact that multiple top apple powerbook designers are working on this outside of Apple proves beyond any doubt that Apple knew about this and shot it down. This is surely what sparked the "ipad" rumors, but its release as an xp machine means no chance for an apple branded one.</strong><hr></blockquote>
You are bending the facts to fit your statement. No where does it say "multiple, top ... designers". It merely says that the company was "founded by engineers who worked on Apple's Titanium PowerBook." Now, some people have been laid-off by Apple, so that's who this could be. Or, maybe it's some engineers in Taiwan (sp?) that indirectly touched the TiBook as it wa being manufactured.
Stop looking for conspiracies!
<strong>
You are bending the facts to fit your statement. No where does it say "multiple, top ... designers". It merely says that the company was "founded by engineers who worked on Apple's Titanium PowerBook." Now, some people have been laid-off by Apple, so that's who this could be. Or, maybe it's some engineers in Taiwan (sp?) that indirectly touched the TiBook as it wa being manufactured.
Stop looking for conspiracies!</strong><hr></blockquote>
Look on <a href="http://www.oqo.com"; target="_blank">www.oqo.com</a> and there are biographies of the people involved. Please research before you try to attack people. You end up making a fool of yourself. Secondly, it would be unusual for major designers of highly successful apple products to be laid off, and any projects they worked on would be either within the company or with financial backing from the company. Apple would not easily give up these people after their successes. At the very least, even if all of the design was done outside of apple, the oqo folks would have tried to sell it to apple since such a sale would have all but garaunteed a success (and remember that that sale is dependant on Apple's faith in the computer's potential within their matrix), dramatically more than they will likely get on their own. Apple has the reputation, customer base and the resources to extensively market the computer.
But all this is obvious.