Mobile internet solution by dreamtrove

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Mobile internet solution

POSTED BY: DREAMTROVE
UPDATED: Sunday, August 23, 2009 17:32
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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 5:29 PM

In the midst of the post-mud slinging dust settling semi-partisan display, where everyone is really more sick of both parties than they usually would care to admit, I want to break for a real world event of a non-political nature.

I'll be updating this post with any new information I find, if anyone has any ideas, comments, info or reviews, post them please, and I'll update this comparison

I have not yet joined the mobile cell phone world for two basic reasons:

1. I don't like monthly subscriptions
2. I don't like being called on the phone

3. Oh yeah, and three, I have no coverage in my area.

That said, I think it's time to think about having a mobile internet device.

Sure, I could take my laptop everywhere, but that's a real inconvenience: a) I have all my stuff on it, and it would suck to lose it somewhere, but b) it's just took bulky to pocket. c) oh yeah, there's also a battery life issue. It's about 6 hours now that I made it a solid state machine, but still...

So, a friend of mine took an iPhone, made a mod so it would skype to local wifi. This works fine, and is a nice solution. You can then browse the net. Only problem: No keyboard. Most of what I do is write, and no keyboard slows me down.

Hence I examine the class of "way too expensive for what they are" MID devices (a terrible acronym, it'll never be a keyword.)

The netbook is just too big. It's not going to be much of an improvement in the mobile world over a small laptop. Take an M140 or any small widescreen notebook, put in an SSD and linux and you have a better machine for less. So sadly, I have to scratch the samsung NC10, and the eeePC:

(pocket that?)

Then there are a host of comparisons of remaining machines. A useful device should have some basic qualifications:

a) it should be a real computer, not a "computing device" filled with proprietary protocols.

b) it should fit in your pocket

c) it should have a decent battery life (as long as you would use it for in a day, 5-10 hours would be nice)

d) it should have a keyboard on which you can actually type.

e) oh yeah, e: It should have a decent screen, touch screen, not tiny.

Continuing:

Viiv S7:

9 hour battery, size? I can't tell. It's not looking pocketworthy

Raon Everun Note

nice looking machine, no wasted space. High power processor might make for a battery life issue.

Umid Mbook

This looks like the winner so far, it's definitely pocketworthy, and the battery life is very decent. Screen is a little small.

iRiver D50N

Looks medium sized, square. I'm not sure it's US available.

Lenova Pocket Yoga

The screen is nice, the keyboard is a little smallish, have to check the battery life, but this is probably the most pocketworthy.

Fujitsu Lifebook u810

http://www.laptopical.com/img/?id=79

Smallish 5"x6", depends on the pocket. Just ran across this, no thoughts yet.

Sony Vaio P500

I heard this was being abandoned, but it looks decent, small, atom processor probably means decent battery life, I'll try to update these stats as best I can.

Kohjinsha SK3

6"x4", pocket stretcher. Another Atom. Like some others here, it swivels to become a pad.

3K Razorbook 400

Low res screen, cheap, not so mini, low specs, maybe there's a newer version available.

Clevo TN70M

http://www.antharius.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/clevo3.JPG

Another one probably not quite small enough. All of these need investigation for specs.

Dell mini seems to be a full netbook, not a pocketbook, so I'm skipping it for now, unless there's an ultramini. Other than that, there are a host of pocket cellphone like 3g things which can be hacked, but I'm looking for decent pocket wifi portable web machines that I can do my work, call it "my office in a pocket" but one that I can work with at full efficiency. If using a device knocks me down to 20 wpm, it's really going to defeat the purpose.

Some interesting other ideas

http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/05/15/why-should-i-want-this-mid/

I'll try to update this with dimensions, battery life, flexibility, key stats.

If I missed any machines, by all means, let me know.

Questions, comments?

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Wednesday, August 19, 2009 6:41 AM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

The whole idea of "netbooks" just kind of leaves me shrugging my shoulders. For one thing, I have large hands, so I pretty much require a full-sized - or at the very least, a laptop-sized - keyboard. Anything smaller, and I don't care if it's a QWERTY layout, I can't use it efficiently. I'm an old-school touch-typist (75wpm), so things like texting just seem ridiculous to me. I can type whole words faster than most people can text their little txt-spk stuff, so a real keyboard is my preference.

The other thing is, as my eyes get older, they're failing. I really can't see where a 7" screen is going to be useful to me for much of anything. If I really need to have access to all that porn, I think I'll just hoof a laptop along for the ride. :)

But then, that's just me. Your mileage may vary...

Mike

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Wednesday, August 19, 2009 12:42 PM

DREAMTROVE

lol,

my fingers are small, my typing about the same speed as yours, probably fewer miles, I don't know. i always assumed you were my age.

I wonder how some of these minor disputes break on age lines. I personally have had a lot of friends who have been killed by personal handguns and assault rifles in non combat situations. It undoubtedly effects my attitude towards guns.

And interesting non-partisan study. I know you're politically to the left of me, but not on this one.

but back to the topic, yeah, i can't handle cell phone typing, i want a real kb, but it can be small, jornada size was fine for me. smaller would be too small.

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Wednesday, August 19, 2009 1:32 PM

KWICKO

Hrrmmm... The keyboard on my 17" MacBook is about as small as I can comfortably go. I've got a smaller Dell laptop at work that I use, but I plug an external full-size keyboard into it, because the smaller keyboard on the computer itself just doesn't line up right for me to type efficiently or quickly on it.

What I'd *LIKE* to see would be a smallish netbook-style unit with "wings" - panels that fold outward to reveal a full-width keyboard. I can fiddle with the display and zoom it in where I need it to be, but a tiny keyboard will put me off a unit pronto. If the sides flipped out and the caps-a-s and l-;-enter keys were on the flip-out "wings", that just might work.

'Course it won't be long before all you really need to carry is your keyboard, in whatever form it comes - your screen will be a little roll-up wireless unit that you just unfurl and hang wherever...

Mike

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Wednesday, August 19, 2009 2:13 PM

DREAMTROVE

Mike

Wings, I like the idea. Like the targus stowaway. Of course the argument against it will always be "one more thing to break." But if the KB detaches, than if it breaks, you replace it. Also, detaching would be a nice feature. My mother is farsighted, and can never use a laptop, the screen is too close to the KB.

I'm not sure about the roll up screen. Projection screens never took off. I expect to see a similar design to the notebook for a long time.

Myself, I like the kb small, but I might get annoyed at the screen zoom. I like a decent sized display. I can't bet on a webpage having a sensible layout, and I find it inconvenient to have off-screen stuff. I don't care for the linux multi-page desktop.

Best idea for me, flip open, qwerty on one side, letterbox screen on the other, 1024+, with all my functions included in one device, no attached plans, contracts, etc. It's freedom in computing, I can leave the desk, and just take my job, my friends, and my research, my hobbies, stick them in my pocket. Store everything online, mirror it, so if I lose the gadget or it dies, I'm not out anything. Write everything in an obscure foreign language or two, and never be anyone of significance, it's the best defense. If all your stuff is in hungarian, and is posted on non-public pages, nothing searchable will come up.

I feel as if I just had to forceably extract myself from an otherwise well intentioned libertarian constitutional PAC. Initially, it was all about restoration post Bush, but it became anti-immigrant, and now I have the nagging feeling that I just posted this. Argh. Memory... brains, get back into my head.

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Wednesday, August 19, 2009 2:34 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Not projeciton screen: paper-thin LCD.

Quote:
LG.Philips LCD, the world’s biggest LCD produce announce the worl’d first 14.1 inch paper thin LCD display, also known as e-paper. The E-paper comes with 4,096 colours and a a full 180 degrees, which is a huge improvement over the first generation of e-paper that is only available in black and white. This would literally change they way manufacture design mobile phones and gadgets. The so called e-paper panel is designed to be energy-efficient, only using power when the image changes on the display. Images when viewed on this paper-thin panel always appear to be sharp, even when the display is bent.

www.geckoandfly.com/2007/05/17/lgphilips-paper-thin-lcd/

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Wednesday, August 19, 2009 3:32 PM

DREAMTROVE

yeah, i know, i said, like the projection screen. Logically, the projection screen should have taken off. I suspect that the diplay panel is here to stay. It's not a judgment call on any technology, just a prediction based on persistence forcasting. Usually, the manner in which we do things does not change very often.

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Sunday, August 23, 2009 5:32 PM

DREAMTROVE

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