Your Ideal Handheld Device?


Surprised no-one's said this yet, but:

One that can run Crysis!

On a more serious note, I'd basically like something as powerful as my desktop pc, with a decent camera and projector. I'm not holding my breath though.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Surprised no-one's said this yet, but:

One that can run Crysis!

On a more serious note, I'd basically like something as powerful as my desktop pc, with a decent camera and projector. I'm not holding my breath though.
Didn't 3m or some company just come out with a pocket size portable projector? That is something to watch with portable gaming. Imagine being able to have a 60" screen in your pocket! The kids would really like that, imagine a bunch of teens hanging out a wall so they can project the latest video game on it from their handheld gaming system. I can just hear me on the phone with the cops trying to get them chased! (I live in a corner house in a city)

Chris
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Even full-size projectors are hard to use in daylight, I'm not sure where I'd be able to use a battery-powered one.

I'm excited for e-paper. E-paper only gets easier to read in bright light. To a point.
 
Even full-size projectors are hard to use in daylight, I'm not sure where I'd be able to use a battery-powered one.

I'm excited for e-paper. E-paper only gets easier to read in bright light. To a point.
I have a front lit ipaq which is easy to read in all lighting conditions from pitch dark to twilight to full summer sun. I've actually faced the lcd directly into the sun and was still able to read it quite easily (not that it's good for the lcd to be deliberately faced to the sun). In my experience, I like the ipaq best for reading. E-ink is too slow when you change pages and doesn't have a touch screen. The touch screen really comes in handy on a reader because you can double click a word and get the definition.

Chris
 
Last edited by a moderator:
. In my experience, I like the ipaq best for reading. E-ink is too slow when you change pages and doesn't have a touch screen. The touch screen really comes in handy on a reader because you can double click a word and get the definition.
Chris

I agree in that I like my Toshiba Pocket PC as an e-book reader. The screen visibility isn't that good in sunlight, though. I haven't used any e-ink devices, but I think all the current ones are too big to be really convenient to carry in a pocket. Not too concerned about a touchscreen for a dedicated e-book reader, but there's no reason a touchscreen couldn't be implemented on one - in fact, the iLiad already has one (a Wacom digitizer behind the screen), and it would be nice to see a completely open e-book reader (somewhat similar to the iLiad, but cheaper, and maybe smaller).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
. In my experience, I like the ipaq best for reading. E-ink is too slow when you change pages and doesn't have a touch screen. The touch screen really comes in handy on a reader because you can double click a word and get the definition.
Chris

I agree in that I like my Toshiba Pocket PC as an e-book reader. The screen visibility isn't that good in sunlight, though. I haven't used any e-ink devices, but I think all the current ones are too big to be really convenient to carry in a pocket. Not too concerned about a touchscreen for a dedicated e-book reader, but there's no reason a touchscreen couldn't be implemented on one - in fact, the iLiad already has one (a Wacom digitizer behind the screen), and it would be nice to see a completely open e-book reader (somewhat similar to the iLiad, but cheaper, and maybe smaller"].[/quote]The problem with open devices is that they have to turn a profit at sale and they can't be subsidized by future sales of content. Since an ebook reader has to compete with paperbacks there is a ceiling for the price that people are willing to pay for the content, further limiting the amount of extra revenue generated by content sales. Ultimately I think they are going to go to subscription base which would mean you never own the content and the authors get screwed in this deal too.

Chris
 
Last edited by a moderator:
aaah, can't resist posting - i am thinking about that since someone stole my hp 95lx 13 years ago... well.

basically, i'd like a full desktop machine to go. same width and depth as pandora, but much slimmer. it should
.) dock to keyboard, mouse, monitor and ethernet with one or zero plugs (wireless usb 3.0 or so, that would be cool)
.) really cool would be the option to recharge it wirelessly (the technology does exist)

.) it should use zero power when turned on and no action by user and no data needs to be processed.
-) that implies some kind of e-paper display (recently there have been some interesting hybrid display prototype)
-) that also implies deep sleep power states
.) it would be cool if all storage (disk and ram) would be of m-ram type (non-volatile but fast as dram)
.) with the above, there is no need for suspend or hibernate, as the machine is on with zero power consumption (you could even replace the batery while running)

oh, and of course it should have wifi, 3g and some easy vga out to give presentations.
and the display resolution should be at least xga
yeah, and it should run a full linux distro like debian.
 
Oh well, my ideal handheld:

-640x480 VGA 4" OLED touchscreen display
-128 MB DDR RAM 32bit
-1x SDHC Slot
-no keyboard, no clamshell design
-WLAN
-roughly GP2x dimensions, but thinner
-mini joystick like the Neo Geo Pocket
-suspend mode
-not more than 200 €
-high quality video out (RGB, VGA or DVI)
-ARM architecture (ARM11 or higher, FPU)
-USB host without adapter
-OpenGL ES 2.0
-Linux OS
-no DRM
-fast boot (less than 4 sec.)

Regards,
Stephan
 
Low price pandora.
oh well now you're just asking for the impossible :p
I wonder how much cheaper the Pandora could be if it were being made in quantity? A Pandora with a $200 price point would be a killer device. I also wouldn't mind having the device that Mackenzie carries around with him in Imperial Earth by Aurthur C. Clarke. You get one when you are a kid and it can store your whole life for the rest of your life. I think it was called a comsac or something. Great book for sci-fi fans.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
If you could have a handheld device that did just what you wanted, what would it do, what would it's features be, etc.
I'd just like the Pandora to have a camera built-in near the screen (or rotatable on the edge of the lid). I was talking to relatives overseas in google chat using the camera on my NC10 and it was ace - I immediately wished that the pandora could do the same, but it can't now unless I add a USB camera dangling off the side, which is just messy :-(

D.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I wonder how much cheaper the Pandora could be if it were being made in quantity?
I doubt very much if we`ll see a cheaper Pandora in the future, If ever. Considering the Pandora is being sold as cheaply as possible already (for the the type of device, Size of the project and technology we are getting), Any profit the Pandora team can make on release and in the future is rightly deserved.

Just think of all the time, Energy and resources (Blood, Sweat and tears) that have been poured into bringing the Pandora to the masses. They have to make it worth their while, Otherwise, What is the point ?. Any money the Team can make above and beyond development and production costs, Could possibly be used to fund the next version of the Pandora, Or some other project.

The GP32 never really saw a reduction in price during it`s active life, Neither did the GP2x, And i very much doubt the Wiz will or the Pandora.

Trooper
 
Last edited by a moderator:
8x8 screen resolution!

MeggyJr.png
 
My ideal device runs some sort of magical version of GoboLinux that is actually usable.
A man can dream, though...

Also, it's powered by this entirely fictional singularity engine that I thought of recently. It's fictional because none of the principles that it uses could ever work.
 
Back
Top