luckytroll: Wearing my old fave hat (masted)
luckytroll ([personal profile] luckytroll) wrote2008-03-04 11:13 am
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Waiting.

I am waiting for the next generation of tablet web-pads to emerge. I think the idea is to use one of these as a mobile star-trek-TNG style pad to read on, show charts on, and generally use in the cockpit in and around the boat.
Wish list.
Transflective or electronic paper daylight readable display.
Minimum 800x600
Low power - should run for minimum 4 hours on a charge.
Wifi /Bluetooth/ wireless USB capability
touchscreen
Flash based low power storage
CPU powerful enough to play music locally, or stream basic video compressed with modern CODECs
Rugged and IPX7 water resistant


The OLPC machine looks to be almost what I would want to use. The limitations might be the keyboard, or perhaps the strange screen technology. It might be worth waiting for electronic paper to make its way through. I am also eager to see what Intel does with the Atom cpu platform, and whether this 45nm technology can outdo the Geode, once they come up with sometime comparable.

Because, lets face it - those little pads that Captain Picard had were cool.

[identity profile] j-v-lynch.livejournal.com 2008-03-04 04:48 pm (UTC)(link)
if you want to take a look at the XO some time, we've got one.

[identity profile] iambic-cub.livejournal.com 2008-03-04 05:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Have you seen an OLPC in person? I ended up giving mine to my nephew sooner rather than later. Very neat, but there were two major problems:
(1) the keyboard is impossibly too small. You either need very small hands, or very large hands (so you can treat the keyboard like a thumb pad.)
(2)OLPC is not a desktop. There are no windows. The only thing you ever see is what is running in the foreground. This turned out to be an absolute killer for me. I'm too used to multitasking, or at least being able to quickly switch between apps.

What I really would love is a tablet sized iPod Touch or iPhone. Apple managed to finally resurrect the Newton. They just called it an iPod Touch so nobody would notice.

OLPC XO

[identity profile] chief1ic.livejournal.com 2008-03-05 12:48 am (UTC)(link)
I have an XO, though I haven't managed to find much time for it. The software that comes with it isn't geared for adults, but installing a real window manager and Opera isn't very difficult. A friend of mine did it and posted screenshots: http://www.flickr.com/photos/96666521@N00/sets/72157603846937247/

The keyboard is somewhat difficult with adult sized hands.