You’re making a very eloquent case for the XO. Nevertheless, the XO is a laptop, and I think we might be more successful if we start from a cell phone platform, mainly with respect to power consumption. With that in mind, you might be interested by this new design, built around OpenMoko’s Neo 1973. All that being said, I’ll take a closer look at the XO. This is an option we should consider seriously.

Best regards
 -Ismael

Regarding the form factor and use case of the XO: since the XO is open source hardware, you can change its form factor, rather than design a whole new device. Putting the same guts in another case with the help of its current manufacturing plant should not be hard. Squaring the oval should make it smaller and changing the green to glossy-black and brushed-metal should meet your needs. You could provide a belt holster like other cell phones do.

I know you don’t want the keyboard, but for Web 2.0 use, a touch screen keyboard may not cut it either. Do you blog or use Google Office from your iPhone?

You wrote:

“I’m also very interested in the idea of reusing an existing device (iPhone, iPod Touch, etc.) and building a different form factor around it.”

I wish you luck, though, such a path might make it bigger than you think. The XO’s software is all open source, so you could focus your time on very functional software instead, such as leveraging how the XO is Wi-Fi community physical location aware for those “business card sharing”, “I see what you see” shared desktop demos, and “sign me up at the expo booth where I’m standing now” type applications.

As for a use case, the XO is all about eLearning via the Web 2.0 platform, and simplicity of use for any age group. Alan Kay helped design the original Mac interface and the XO interface.

And again, it’s a power miser.

Cheers,
 -Darius

Regarding your first idea, we’re on the same wave length. Read this!

Regarding the second idea, since we cannot modify the software running on the iPhone or iPod Touch, we cannot add the software driver required to make any input device work, beyond what is supported by default by the hand-held through its docking port.

Best regards
 -Ismael

Instead of having the iPhone/iTouch docked in the back of the Redux, why not have it lie like a trackpad, below the Redux’s main screen but on the front, and just use the pod’s screen as a trackpad. It would change the form factor a bit, but would be much more usable.

Another possibility : maybe some commands (remote-control like buttons, or even a multi-touch display) could talk to the iPhone/iTouch through Bluetooth? I mean, even the Wii remote is now working on the Mac.

What do you think ?
 -Rup

There are a lot of applications that are not usable without a screen that is at least 800 x 600. Salesforce.com is a perfect example for it. It’s mobile edition is essentially useless, and I do not believe that one could make it significantly better without loosing a lot of functionality, even for mere data consumption. Also, a lot of people have less than perfect eyesight, and a small screen with tiny fonts like the iPhone is offering for web browsing , is not a good enough option.

-Ismael

You’re right, the XO is a fantastic device. Nevertheless, the Redux Model 1 is going after a very different form factor, in order to support a very different use case. It’s a lot smaller, does not come with a keyboard by default, and is aimed at adult users (green is cute bot too casual for your average business user). I’m also very interested in the idea of reusing an existing device (iPhone, iPod Touch, etc.) and building a different form factor around it.

Also, the reason why Mac OS X is interesting is because even though most activities would be handled through a web browser, things like configuring the device, listening to music, or watching a video, are still better handled with native applications, and the embedded versions of Mac OS X used for the iPhone and for the iPod Touch do a great job handling these.

Best regards
 -Ismael

I am curious as to what use case is driving you towards needing a larger display? I am wondering if you could not spend the energy in creating a UI abstraction that would let the user perform the same take with the constraint of the iPod touch device.

Thanks,
 -Edwin

I don’t quite get why you want the Mac OS when everything is supposed to run through the browser for the Web 2.0 effect. Also, how different is the Redux Model 1 from the OLPC XO? If the touchpad is not on the screen itself, and the XO can be folded into a book-reading, web-surfing tablet, what else do you need? The XO depends on the net for everything, but is peer-2-peer wireless. It’s in the price range, but at approximately $300 for the individual purchase, two with one donated to the 3rd world. The XO has reduced power consumption specifications like no other device. It has few ports, is durable for 3rd world use, etc.

What am I missing?

Cheers,
 -Darius