Order of the Butterfly
Posts: 328 from 2003/5/19
Well.. I believe in a "general portable digital device" thingy. I
think it's wrong to claim that the market isn't ready.. more likely
the tech isn't ready for market yet.
I think it will be a hit when someone can make an affordable device with:
- About 8-10" display
- Durable and replaceable plastic display protection layer (it will get scratched, better face this problem)
- Connectivity over phone network or local wireless
- Web browser adapted for touchscreen input
- Voice and video phone features (not necessarily very good video capabilities)
- TV/radio receiver and display
- Ability to store and play back movies as well as music (dedicated decoder chip)
- Dual headphone connectors (for friends or partners killing time on the bus/train/plane)
- Headset included as standard, as phone usage will be very clumsy without one
- Well thought out software for calendar and note keeping
- Easy-to-use voice memo / sound recording app
- Good pen-based input, mainly for email/text messaging and calendar/note keeping (keyboards rule when you have a table, but mini-keyboards suck and especially so when you *don't* have a table)
- Good battery time
- USB for charging and file transfer, and to make it possible to attach mouse and keyboard if available
- Some games (mainly of the "timekiller" variation)
- GPS
- Map services
It seems to me that such a device should be technically possible rather
sooner than later, but of course there's no way Genesi could do it without
a very strong partner. Probably some major cell phone maker, for two
reasons: manufacture is likely to be more similar (ultra compact,
moldable batteries etc..) to cell phones than portables, and because
it will require a strong partnership for services in the mobile area.
With this said, I'm a bit doubtful that something based on the Efika would
be a success.