2012-02-16
post/17717084303
(via adactio)
2010-06-20
post/717944826
Russell Beattie: The end of WIMP and the rise of Touch
You could argue this is stating the obvious, but this is still a worthwhile article, since the obvious is often easy to miss.
2010-02-04
post/370555168
Dick Brass in an editorial for the New York Times:Microsoft’s Creative Destruction.
After my post about possible iPad competitors, it was suggested that I was premature in ruling out Microsoft, with a link to a Gizmodo story about the Courier tablet project. However, years of experience have led me to dismiss anything Microsoft produces as a mere demo; for example, WinFS never shipped. Even if Courier does form the basis for a device’s OS, I don’t see the company being able to abandon the well-worn Windows metaphors.
Meanwhile, this editorial is a good summary of the problems Microsoft has. Sure, it’s still profitable (on the back of Windows/Office), but even their one undeniable hit of the last decade, the Xbox, isn’t dominant in the same way, and they have plenty of failures to point to. Perhaps the most telling quote is just after the one I’ve used above:
“Despite the certainty that an Apple tablet was coming this year, the tablet group at Microsoft was eliminated.”
2010-01-31
post/363181850
Brooke Crothers, a couple of weeks ago, in Tablet runs Motorola-Verizon software, Android. Maybe Google might not want to compete with a tablet, but ICD/Motorola/Verizon might.
On the other hand, even this short demo feels like it shows a lot of the dangers for an Apple competitor. For example, the commentary on the video states that the device can run either Android or Windows CE: why not pick just one? The photos app looks nowhere near as straightforward or, for want of a better word, pleasurable as the iPad’s demo has.
On top of that, the fact that multiple companies are involved is usually a bad sign. Still, it’ll be interesting to see if this can resist the juggernaut when (if?) it ships.
2009-12-31
post/310186933
2009-12-08
2lmc’s kitchen computer
How about this as a use-case [for a tablet].
Attach it to the wall by the front door so I can see how my trains are running and if I need my umbrella as I leave the house in the morning.
Not saying I’d pay $500 for one but it’s certainly something I’ve considered building for my own use.
2lmc had a computer, called spoon, that had a touch screen and sat in the kitchen, showing news headlines, the weather and the state of the Tube. It was sort of nice, but the fact I’ve never bothered to recreate it since seems to imply that the whole “fridge screen” idea isn’t going to be a huge seller. I suppose I could be wrong, but if Apple suggest that’s the use for their $500+ tablet, I’ll be amazed.
2009-12-07
Crunchpad manufacturer renames product JooJoo, promises launch this Friday at $499
nrbd:
Assuming this is necessary is a Bill Gates fallacy: assuming that the general public has the same demands and priorities as geeks like us.
I have an iPhone and a MacBook, and I recently sold my Dell Mini 9 netbook. I thought, as a geek, that there was a hole to be filled between Real Computer Tasks like coding and Photoshopping, and Tiny Mobile Tasks like checking Twitter and email and little games. There, in fact, is a hole there. It’s called go outside, and/or talk to real people in person.
I managed to figure out there was no “hole” that a netbook would fit in without buying one. Go me, I suppose.
There is one company I’m waiting for a tablet from: Apple. It’s not because I love everything they do, but because they won’t launch a product without describing a use case. It might be obscure and irrelevant to me (like the Apple TV), but at least it’s part of the sales pitch. Unsurprisingly, tech-led products like the JooJoo lack that entirely, which is why I wouldn’t buy one even if it was only $200.
