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Comment by axod | Hacker News Reader

>> "Its usefulness is blatantly obvious"

Please explain for me. I have an iPhone for portability, I have a laptop for semi portability. I have a mac mini for watching movies etc.

I can't think of how a tablet device like that would be useful. It's sort of too big and delicate to take traveling - nothing to protect the screen, so a laptop or netbook wins there.

The only use I can imagine is having it in the kitchen on the wall to look up recipes :/

Perhaps "the industry hasn't been able to do this" because there's not a proven market there. Further, there have been several tablet type laptops with flimsy swively screens, most of which seem total failures.

I can completely see geeks buying this. But that's a small market and one which I don't think you can make a lot of money from.

Also could the packaging be any more copied from Apple packaging?

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Basically a lightweight, handheld, kiosk computer. It is what Microsoft's Origami should have been.

Although now you bring it up, I don't know the biggest reason behind Origami's failure. Maybe I overestimate its usefulness. I can see Walmart and such taking a big interest though, for inventory control and also modified for in-store use. But you may be right.

As for the packaging, unless Apple is truly the one that started this kind of packaging (which I doubt, but could be wrong, but also wouldn't care), it doesn't strike me as an Apple rip. To me, they're all obnoxious... to hell with the "experience" :-P

I can see my parents each buying one of these. I can see my siblings buying one of these for each of their kids.

I would never buy one of these because my tech needs, like yours, are a bit more "nuanced" depending upon my need at the moment.

Look at this as a "gateway" device for people that aren't as "hardcore" as you or I.

Mom, Davey stood on my tablet and all goo is coming out of it

Please explain for me.

Well, my grandmother is technically inept, the concept of computers scare her - the keyboard, mouse, so many wires etc. It becomes a little overwhelming.

This sort of device would be something she could use to play games like solitaire, perhaps read emails from family (maybe sending them back depending on how easy it is to use) and generally, it would be more instinctual for her to touch the things she wants to navigate, rather than have to grab a mouse and direct it to click onto what she wants to look at.

It's a device for people who aren't like us. The odd thing is that it will be pushed by techcrunch - I hope they have a more direct to consumer marketing plan in mind than just advertising on techcrunch, as I think they'll really be missing out on it's real potential.

The technological device for people scared by technology

Using the internet on the couch, in the kitchen, around the house, in the shed. Probably the biggest usage factors are that its always open and it has a big screen.

I find myself using the iphone while I'm in the house. Just because I dont want to lug my laptop around. The number of applications you could build for this.

Hang in next to your door.

1. Have it show your daily schedule, weather, errands as you walk out the door. You can add to the schedule and errands/todos from your iphone, computer at work etc. 2. Your gym routine for the day.

Keep it in your toilet.

* Browse the web/email while your on the toilet. * Have it play Pandora while your in the shower.

Keep it in the livign room.

* Instant TV guide.

Kitchen.

* Grocery list. * recpies

Essentially any application where you dont need telephony but you do want a big screen and a kiosk like interface. (Ie where a keyboard is needed minimally).

My mom, would love such a thing. Instant on would be really nice in something like this.

Also could the packaging be any more copied from Apple packaging?

Surely that's a plus, even though it's NIH.

In undergrad we had an intel prototype version of this (can't remember the exact name). It pretty much ruled because it was ~1998 and nothing even close to it existed (i.e. small and lightweight laptops). We couldn't figure out why a market didn't exist for the product either. Apparently after a fully functional prototype, Intel couldn't find a market for it either. Still puzzles to me.

Then big issues in the device then were lack of flash and lack of power. They claim those have been resolved. We shall see.

Will a device like this become ubiquitous? I can see it finding a home in the kitchen, next to the bed or on the coffee table. The key here is making it lightweight and not delicate. I'm thinking something more in between a TOUGHBOOK and a MacBook. Something you can drop in the kitchen and throw on the couch and have the kids play with. Perhaps, with a aim of $200 that doesn't even matter.

One of the reasons a laptop is the design it is, is that the screen is positioned in a comfortable position for viewing. I can't really see how you can sit comfortably with a tablet like thing. Hold it with one hand and try to navigate with the other? Could get tiring.

Books and paper have a similar problem. You can buy stands, and some desks have tilted surfaces.

The separation of input/output areas is an improvement on paper. Starting with the typewriter, it's been an enduring and ubiquitous design. Exceptions like the iPhone are primarily output.

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