(Note: Amy Wohl’s
responses are written in bold and are reprinted by permission.)
Hi Amy,
You do seem to be hitting
all my hot buttons at once. Pocket computing, or clamshell form factor as you
put it, has been an interest of mine since I got my Poqet PC back around 1990. I'd
been moving to progressively smaller computers, from the old Osborne 1 through
various sewing-machine sized Compaqs and IBMs to laptops. I was using my first
battery-powered laptop, a Zenith Z183, when I ran across the Poqet. The form
factor fascinated me. The touch-type-capable keyboard and the DOS applications
suite (I used AlphaWorks) made it almost as functional as a laptop, while the
size made it practical to use on airplanes. The instant-on and instant-suspend
features meant I wouldn't lose my work through the interruptions of a business
day, and the 20 hour battery life - on standard AAs, no less - inspired
confidence that I could get through more than one day without running for a
power outlet. The Poqet became my constant companion at trade shows and
business meetings.
It was interesting to watch
the technology around me. When I first got the Poqet, I'd sit down at a
presentation and take it out to use for note-taking. Everyone around me would
take notes on a yellow pad. A couple of years later, when laptops began to rise
in popularity, I'd turn on the Poqet and about a quarter of the audience would
boot their laptops to take notes. A couple of years after that, when the Poqet
was near the end of its useful life, I'd take it out and watch everyone around
me ready their yellow pads once again.
That's not to say that I
think there's anything wrong with laptops - my primary computer is a Dell
Inspiron 8000, and I still think portability is a prerequisite for any truly
usable personal computer. But the smaller form factor of a clamshell gives as
much usability as it takes away, especially when the package includes
instant-on, a seamless interface with a PC, and battery life long enough for at
least a day's hard use, and most especially when it's small enough to carry all
the time - which the Poqet, unfortunately, wasn't. That combination of design
factors results in a class of machines that fit usefully between laptops, which
are full-function but too big to keep with you, and PDAs, which can be carried
easily but are very limited in their keyboards and screens and in the range of
applications they can run.
The clamshell I've come to
love is the now-discontinued Psion Series 5mx. A reasonable keyboard, excellent
applications suite, almost crash-proof OS, 20+ hours battery life on AAs, an
adequate (though barely) screen, instant-on, great PC connectivity and usable
Internet connectivity in a package that actually does fit in a pants pocket. I
don't know what I'm going to do when it breaks, other than hunt around eBay for
another one to replace it.
It's a matter of having the
right tool for the right job, at the right price. Thanks to the Poqet and
Psion, both of which cost under $500, I haven't had to open a laptop on an
airplane since the end of the 1980s, and I've spent a great deal less time
transcribing handwritten notes than I would have. The biggest downside? You
wouldn't want to have to read my handwriting these days.
Rich
Rich, we must really have crossed in some former life. I have a Poquet and a Psion in my office, on my formerly used small objects shelf.
I was a consultant to
Poquet in their ill-fated attempts to understand an early market. I
helped them redesign the keyboard (among other things).
I think I've used just about
every small object that has ever breathed. I've got numerous Newtons, an Envoy
(remember that?), HP's of every description, and so on.
I agree with you that
there's room in the market for something in between a PDA and a laptop -- I
just saw a whole bunch of candidates at Transmeta's reception. I have
friends (mainly reporters or travelers) who are deeply attached to this form
factor, too. I helped one of them track one of those Jornado half-size
laptops down on e-Bay last year.
To tell you the truth, I
always end up with a laptop (which I only take when I know I'm going to use
it), a yellow pad, and a PDA. But I remain hopeful.
I'm currently using a
Vaio (not the very small one) and it's still more of a laptop than a small
object, but it comes close. Maybe what I want doesn't exist?
Shall we publish this?
Amy
Hi Amy-
I got home late last night
and didn't get a chance to reply, and I don't have time for a long response
now. But I did want to answer your last message.
If you were responsible for
the Poqet keyboard, I'm impressed. I've held that design up (literally,
sometimes) as an example of how a thing can be built far smaller than people
expect, while still retaining most or all of its intended function.
I think it would be
interesting to pool our experience and points of view and come up with a small
object that meets our needs (and dreams), and that can be built with either
today's technology or with advances that are likely to be available, based on
actual announcements, within the next two years or so. I know I have strong
points of view, based on actual experience, and that you do too. The results
could be worth publishing, or challenging the industry with. Are you game?
I'll be traveling much of
next week, and out of wireless and wired communication range, but will get some
thoughts together.
Rich
Yes, let's have some fun
and publish a "dream machine" specification.
Amy Wohl
Hi
Amy,
I
sat down this morning to put down some thoughts and ended up with over five
pages. That's just a warning to you that there's a good deal to read here. I
hope it acts as food for thought for you.
I'm
looking forward to whatever we come up with. It might never get built, but who
knows? Maybe nobody who designed these devices before ever actually used one.
Rich
(Note:
The five page document, a detailed description of a design philosophy for small
objects, is here.)
Rich, this is just very
special. I don't have time today to comment
properly, but let's just
say I agree more than I disagree.
The question is what
should we do with it?
After I comment and we go
back and forth it needs to be shared.
Shall we publish it as a
special issue of the newsletter, with
commentary? Or do
you have something else in mind?
Amy
Hi
Amy,
I
don't know if you got my voice emails during the weekend. I was in a remote
part of Maine with no mobile text or cellular service, and was picking up your
email via pay phone. I never tried responding to an email by voice before so
you can tell me if the experiment worked. Let me know if you got a couple of
listenable emails from me.
Thanks
for your kind comments, and I'm looking forward to reading your more detailed
thoughts. I've been using and consulting with others on portable devices for
many years, and it's good to talk to someone who has also found them useful
enough to put up with the shortcomings of current (and past) products. As far
as publishing the results, I'd be in favor but I'd rather try to come up with a
design someone might be interested in building - maybe we could develop an idea
far enough to interest an existing company. Given the difference in likely
usage and the checkered past of mobile text in America, I think a good design would
have to include a marketing strategy, user education, recommended adoption
strategies and case studies, not just the device itself.
I
have a selfish interest in trying to get some commercial advantage out of this,
since I'm an independent consultant and looking for clients. Mobile devices
were my specialty the last time I worked full-time for a consulting company,
and I saw a great deal of interest among clients. Some of that interest faded
when people in decision-making positions got a first look at available devices
and infrastructure, but the ones who gave it a serious try often ended up quite
dependent on their wireless email and quick messaging.
From
this end, it seems this conversation may be starting to exceed the bandwidth of
email. If you want to talk further by voice, let me know.
Rich