Neo1973/OpenMoko as a laptop replacement

AVee openmoko-comunity at avee.org
Fri Nov 16 18:32:11 CET 2007


On Friday 16 November 2007 02:11, Ted Lemon wrote:
> On Thu, 2007-11-15 at 23:11 +0100, Erland Lewin wrote:
> > I imagine a kit the size of a regular book for the Neo containing a
> > fresnel lens with a frame for attaching to the phone, a foldable
> > keyboard, a small mouse, and a battery pack loadable with, say, 2
> > regular 'C' size batteries.
>
> The keyboard needs to be an old manual typewriterkeyboard, and the UI
> should be white on black for maximum compatibility with Brazil.
>
> Seriously, though, I think this is a cool idea, but once you have a
> proper focusing system it's probably not going to be lighter than a
> laptop, so what's the point.
>
> What I'd like to see is someone (FIC?) making a computer *like* the Neo
> that's a real laptop replacement.   1Ghz ARM, DVI out, 640x480 screen
> just like what we have in the Neo, runs slow when it's on batteries,
> fast when it's plugged in, a couple gigabytes of flash, an external hard
> drive for when you're near power, and Bob's your uncle.

Frankly, the screen size is becoming a problem for most desktop apps. I have a 
computer hooked up to a TV in my livingroom which is running at 640x480 and 
that's is really annoying at times. Enough to make me walk up the stairs to a 
real PC. A lot of desktop apllications simply assume (rightly so) you have at 
least 800x600 available. You must adapt the userinterface of most programs to 
this resolution to be able to use it sensibly.

> You can pack a monitor in your luggage when you travel, and have a nice
> setup wherever you land.   It would fit in your pocket when you're
> flying, but be powerful enough to actually use when you arrive.   It
> could be a bit bigger than the Neo, and if it had a GSM modem and GPS in
> it, it'd double as a phone.   Neo's big brother, you might say.

Or you they could add display connectors to a next version of the neo. And 
sell a laptop sized tft screen as an accessoire. The next neo is likely to be 
faster anyway. I could see the use of that, it would make me think twice 
about buying a laptop. (OTOH, when the next neo has a heigher resolution 
display the lens thing might work well enough after all)

AVee

-- 
I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing...
  -- Thomas Jefferson




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