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NETBOOK PC PC : DISCUSSION

Wireless Docks
Posted in Netbook PC | March 27, 2009 12pm

While looking through a box of old audio and computer cables, I recently came across the dock from my first laptop, a Gateway 9300 Solo purchased around 2000.  The 9300 is a fairly large computer, and I still use it today as a DVD player. However, I rarely used the dock, even when it was my primary computer.  The dock offered few advantages over the laptop itself besides an additional PS/2 and USB port.  The dock was really more of a giant single connection point that permitted you to keep all of your peripherals permanently attached to it.  I never found it difficult to connect a few cables, and now I'm stuck with an outdated, but still working, piece of equipment that I feel is wrong to just trash.Have docks advanced in recent generations?  A quick look through the available docks indicates that the connection between the laptop and the dock has been reduced to a single USB cable, but the dock itself remains at best a fancy connection point, and at worst an expensive USB hub. What are some features that would actually be useful in a dock for a netbook?  Since I would expect the netbook to already have proper video, audio, and USB connections, those don't need to be replicated.  Since the dock isn't mobile, potentially heavy items come to mind: extra processors (CPU and video), more cooling ability so the netbook can run hotter, and a quick-charging system for the battery.  But, in truth, even these features strike me as bit weak.I'd prefer to see next generation netbooks start to make headway on a full compliment of wireless connectivity.  I want a wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, wireless USB hub for legacy devices, and a wireless connection to a second monitor.  The laptop in general does a good job at cleaning up and integrating all the necessary parts of a computer, but if you want to use external inputs and a second monitor, you're right back to a mess of wires and limited mobility.  Imagine a desk without dusty wires; imagine walking into a conference room and being able to wirelessly send video to a shared projector or large monitor for everyone to see, just like a printer.  That's the kind of dock I'd use.

NETBOOK PC PC : DISCUSSION

Touch Screen Keyboard
Posted in Netbook PC | March 9, 2009 1pm

One of the leading ideas for Asus's Community Designed Netbook is an integrated touch screen.  Several of the top designs, listed here http://www.wepc.com/blog/view /5941/It_all_started_with_a_d ream, include touch screens in addition to, or in place of traditional keyboards.  The success of Apple's multi-touch iPhoneinterface has brought touch screens to the forefront, and so I suspect we'll see them permeate into many devices. While in graduate school, I gave myself a bad case of repetitive stress injury (RSI) by working too hard on a laptop.  Essentially, I abused some of my tendons and they swelled up larger then the bones in my wrists could accommodate, which set off a nasty feedback loop of more swelling.  Carpal tunnel syndrome is a form of RSI (my swelling was in a different tunnel).  To mediate the damage and keep working, I tried out a large number of different pointing devices and keyboards by borrowing them MIT's ATIC lab.  One of those keyboards was the TouchStream LP, which is an integrated zero-force keyboard and trackpad with includes a series of multi-touch gestures.  Essentially, it's a big touch pad with letters silk-screened on in the shape of keyboard. The gestures were really cool and quite useful.  Common actions like open and closing windows, switching between applications, and copying and pasting became flicks of my fingers, and were super fast.  Typing, however, was a continuous challenge without thetactile feedback of keys.  My fingers kept losing their place, and despite the zero-force requirement, I would nonetheless unintentionally press too hard; over time, all that slamming of my finger tips made them sore.  Turns out the springs in a traditional keyboard serve a pretty important purpose of reducing impacts.  Some people report being able to adjust to the zero-force keyboard, but it's a pretty radical departure from a traditional keyboard.  So, my suggestion would be to include a giant touch interface in addition to a normal keyboard for the netbook.  Save touch-interface only for devices that really don't have space for a full keyboard.Do you think you could handle a zero-force keyboard?

NETBOOK PC PC : DISCUSSION

Multiple screens and touch interface
Posted in Netbook PC | March 5, 2009 11am

From the avalanche of suggestions and features submitted by users to WePM, the ideas of multiple screens and a touch interface are leading the pack. How would these features increase your productivity on a netbook?In both of my computer setups, at home and at work, I use multiple screens.  There is no doubt that multiple screens makes you more productive.  While totally unglamorous, much of my computer work is organizing and collating data, and that goes fastest if I can have one program open in one screen and another open in a second.  However, what does multiple screens on a netbook mean?  I think the likelihood of two fully independent and usable at the same time screens just isn't going to fit -- size or budget-wise -- in a consumer-level netbook.  So, we're talking about a normal laptop-style screen, and an external screen on the opposite side.  The opportunity here is to use reflective display technologies, rather than emissive, so you can use this external screen in bright natural light.  But, what kind of information does one need access in this configuration?  Books?  Email?  Really cool graphics to customize your netbook's appearance?  Without the ability to use both screens at the same time, this feature isn't something I would use.  Are you're use-patterns different?  What would you use it for?A touch interface is something I've always wanted on my laptops.  There are times when it's just faster to drag and draw on the screen over using a trackpad or mouse.  The original tablet PCs were cool, even with the requirement of using their special stylus.  Something that works with just your fingers?  Perfect.  One of the surprising things I found while working on a tablet even with a a stylus, was the ease two people could work on the same computer.  Since the cursor can jump to where you touch, there's no fighting for the cursor, or dragging it back to where your eyes are looking.  The experience is suddenly collaborative rather than adversarial. What are your thoughts?

NETBOOK PC PC : DISCUSSION

Narrowing down the ideas
Posted in Netbook PC | February 23, 2009 1pm

Thanks to you, there are some really sweet ideas for Asus's next generation Netbook.  Over the course of the WePC campaign, we've been collecting dreams and ideas, and now it's time to narrow those down into something real that can actually be built.  So, over my next three posts, I'll be highlighting and discussing those ideas, and on the the fourth post, I'll be doing a wrap-up including your choices.But first, let's take a moment to consider this whole campaign.  In every phone call I've had, the Asus representatives have been excited and committed to actually building a netbook that has strong input from the community of people here.  That's pretty cool, and I hope you'll join me in taking advantage of this opportunity by giving them useful feedback.  The engineers at Asus have generated a list of 11 ideas, each supported by a number of postings on WePC.  To choose which ideas you think are most important, I'm asking you to allocate $100 (virtually!) between the 11 ideas.  If one idea is your top choice by a wide margin, give it all $100; if the ideas are equal in value, give them each $9.  Respond in the comments with each idea's number and your dollar amount -- make sure the total adds up t0 $100!Here are the first four ideas; we'll discuss the remaining seven in future posts.  Please weigh in with your dollar-amount allocation during any of the posts.There's no question that more screen real estate makes you more productive.  These ideas aim to integrate more screens, and make you more productive.  However, with a netbook aiming to come in below a laptop in both price and weight, I think this is an idea better suited for beefier machines.  1)  Extended secondary display, Projector display, Dual display, and Dual touch screen display:http://www.wepc.com/v ote/view/idea/4334/dual_scree n_slide_displayhttp://www.wep c.com/vote/view/dream/152/Lux ury_Double_Screen_Notebookhtt p://www.wepc.com/search/touch +the+air/1http://www.wepc.com /vote/view/dream/4749/Fogliht tp://www.wepc.com/vote/view/d ream/5673/Asus_TTThttp://www. wepc.com/vote/view/dream/1509 /Create_awehttp://www.wepc.co m/vote/view/idea/235/Dual_Tou chscreens_Dual_Screenshttp:// www.wepc.com/vote/view/idea/5 62/projector_pchttp://www.wep c.com/vote/view/dream/197/The _Ultimate One of the fears around buying a laptop or netbook is being locked into that specific hardware for the life of the machine.  User-upgradeable parts, or better and easier connections to external hardware can do a lot to address this concern.2) Expandable:http://www.wepc.co m/vote/view/dream/5812/Portab le_Desktop_II___The_Gee_PC_Ga ming_Righttp://www.wepc.com/v ote/view/dream/5714/DIAL_DS_2 009http://www.wepc.com/vote/v iew/idea/15/Expandable_Screen http://www.wepc.com/vote/view /idea/252/Expandable_Netbook Do you want a netbook, with a full- or mid-sized keyboard, that fits in your bag, or pocket-sized computer wit a touch screen or micro-keyboard?3) Pocket sized notebooks in a clam shell? Querty keyboard in a oqo style?:http://www.wepc.com/vo te/view/dream/5495/pocket_net bookhttp://www.wepc.com/blog/ view/5674/Getting_technical_w ith_netbookshttp://www.wepc.c om/vote/view/dream/5718/touch _pad__track_point__no_touch_p adhttp://www.wepc.com/vote/vi ew/dream/1373/personal_pocket _assistanthttp://www.wepc.com /vote/view/dream/2551/Pocket_ Netbookhttp://www.wepc.com/vo te/view/dream/801/5MX_2008htt p://www.wepc.com/vote/view/id ea/1553/The_true_pocket_lapto phttp://www.wepc.com/vote/vie w/dream/2132/psion_10_years_l aterhttp://www.wepc.com/vote/ view/idea/2884/Psion_5_reborn http://www.wepc.com/blog/view /5188/ASUS_is_joining_the_con versationhttp://www.wepc.com/ vote/view/dream/5655/Pocketab le_Computer I've got 6 things plugged into my laptop right now!  Wireless USB hub is high on my list.  4) Wireless USB hub:http://www.wepc.com/vote/ view/idea/3451/wireless_USB_H UB_built_in_to_laptophttp://w ww.wepc.com/vote/view/idea/12 4/FreeUSBhttp://www.wepc.com/ vote/view/dream/431/Vanguardh ttp://www.wepc.com/vote/view/ dream/553/Tileshttp://www.wep c.com/vote/view/dream/1045/en ergy_saving_high_endhttp://ww w.wepc.com/vote/view/dream/16 18/Headless_Herohttp://www.we pc.com/vote/view/idea/2603/Sh ort_Distance_Remote_Computing _SDRChttp://www.wepc.com/vote /view/idea/4884/Zeelhttp://ww w.wepc.com/vote/view/dream/52 36/The__Look_Ma__No_Wires___P ort_less_Notebook_http://www. wepc.com/vote/view/dream/5478 /Ultimate_portable_PC Coming up in future posts:5) Small power adapter, magnetic plug like apple6) Long battery life, solar or kinetic recharging system like kinetic watches7) Waterproof laptop8) Flexible elastic lcd screens like paper that can be touched9) Built in internet air radio or entertainment10) Child mode? Theft mode?11) Instant on