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Posts: 345 | Thanked: 117 times | Joined on Jan 2010 @ uk
#611
Originally Posted by pichlo View Post
That's it, juice, you've nailed it!

I realized a long time ago from following this thread that what we want is basically... a netbook. Perhaps a smaller one so it can be called handheld to fit the subject but that is a detail.

The netbook era has come and gone. It lasted all of what? A year? It left such a lasting legacy that most of you will possibly not even know what a netbook is.

Most netbooks that I know of came with some sort of Linux preinstalled, to push down the cost. They were designed to run Linux. They failed to make a hole in the world. Manufacturers then woke up and started offering the same models with Windows. That took off slightly better but still not good enough. When first iPad and then Android copycats emerged, that was the end of the netbook era.

I am still trying to figure out why. As far as I am concerned, something of a laptop form factor, with a general computer capabilities, but smaller is far superior to a flat slab with a glass front and no buttons. It seems that the masses disagree. Not only general masses: just look at our own community. The overall feeling that yet another iPhone wannabe is the bees knees is almost palpable. The fact that it runs something that could just about pass for Linux is often used as an argument although to me it sounds more like an excuse.

In short, no one wants a hanheld computer any more. You and I may want one but we are small individual islands surrounded by a sea of apathy. We need to wake up and realize what the manufacturers have realized a long time ago: trying to bring a handheld general computer to the market is an economic suicide. If anyone would even consider doing that, it would be only a big manufacturer like Sony, doing it on the side and subsidizing it heavily from their other businesses.

In even shorter, it ain't gonna happen. DIY or nothing.
Really agree with you on most of that, but I'd say that if marketing was better and the uses of such devices were sold as things like "portable gaming rigs you can turn on and play" instead of "narrow-niche geek/nerd toy" then it could have worked.

The GPD Win gets a lot of attention and sales. It is a small windows device that plays games and fits in a pocket - maybe not the latest, but recent enough games - and you can also do Steam games etc too.

To most of the general population, Linux just immediately hits a spot in their head that says "woah -too much work, I don't want to have to learn to code just so I can play a game" or "but that can't run anything, I'm not touching that, I need to be able to use spreadshees, and do word processing" or even "Linux, what's that - never heard of it. Must be rubbish"

The general public at large don't know/understand about things like libre office, Wine, or even emulators. And I don't think most people associate Linux with beinf able to do the things they are used to doing on a PC or Mac.

I also believe manufacturers are churning out rectangles with no vuttons because of simular false premises. It wouldn't take much for that to change.- just a couple of sucess stories that can sgow there's a profit to be made in small pocket PC's with keyboards. They are only stuck on the "tablet" idea because that was the form factor of the ipad, which was "what all the cool kids wanted" at the time when the hardware and software became good enough and affordable enough for significant amounts of people to afford.
They are scared to leave the comfort zone mostly, yet devices tgat do can be popular. The Yoga, for example, and even the GPD devices, although more indie/small scale.
Even with the likes of the MS surfaces - their big delling point is sticking a f-ing keyboard onto them. LOL - so they'll happily tell us they just don't see a market out there for buttons or keyboards - yet also love selling these as add-ons.

How many people does everyone know who has complained about "soft buttons"? I bet everyone knows more than one. I am writing this on a phone with 2 constant soft buttons. What is the f-ing point of those f-ers? LOL. The makers take away buttons to help increase screen size, then limit screen size with soft buttons. A button coyld be on the edge, taking up zero screen space. I am also always touching one when not meaning to. Almost every day I will hear someone say something about deleting the text they were trying to send etc, due to just touching one of these,

Back on track though (sorry for rambling) - I think to succeed a device needs to cone pre-installed with some public-pleasing "gimmicks" - a few games, libre office, some installer packages for various other goodies.- if peopke see a lot of apps and games for free that is a big selling point...AS long as they don't have to do any work. The more "pick up and play" the better.
Perhaps this hypothetical device would come with an OEM windows installed even, and Linux pre ibstalled on a dual boot- available for anyone that wants it.

So - couple it together like this as selling points in some sort of clamshell forn.:
"Fits in my pocket, yet screen is still decent size (6 inches?)"
"Got a full qwerty, and can't "pocket dial" anyone"
"Is pick up and play, or geeks can 'nerd out' "
"can do office tasks on the go"
Etc.
 

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