Good to hear, we really tried hard to get rid of anything unnecessary.

-Ismael

I think you’ve outlined the bare minimum now. Thought you had a couple extra layers of shrink wrap in there for some reason.

You’re right, reducing the use of packaging materials is definitely one of our goals. Here is what we are planning to use so far: screen protector for the device itself, foam pieces for protecting against shocks during transport, and shrink-wrapping plastic for protecting the cardboard box, which many people will want to keep. I do not see how we can get rid of any of these. Do you?

-Ismael

Enough with the plastic on plastic on plastic! Is there any valid reason to shrink wrap the device if it’s enclosed in foam and has a screen protector on it already? I appreciate that you’re trying to limit the environmental impact of the packaging through online documentation, recycled materials and glue elimination, but why not seek to reduce/eliminate the plastic as well?

This page gives a good overview.

As you already pointed out, the use case for the device is very much a work in progress. I have some intuitions, but they need to be refined. Nevertheless, here are some elements that make the device unique.

Unlike the OQO or a UMPC, it’s built around a mobile phone platform, not around a computer platform. In essence, it’s an oversized mobile phone, not a downsized laptop computer. As a result, it’s a lot cheaper to manufacture (at least half the cost of a UMPC), and should provide significantly longer battery life.

Size and weight also matter. The device should be half as thick and half as heavy as your typical UMPC. As a result, portability will be significantly improved, making many use cases more practical.

All that being said, keep in mind that experimentation is the whole point of the exercise. We’re designing a unique form factor on purpose, and it might very well fail, falling in between two already successful form factors (mobile phone and laptop computer), never finding its killer use case scenario. That is a likely outcome, and we’re willing to take the risk. Also, the project itself is interesting. This is the first time we get to build our own piece of hardware, and this is downright cool. It’s all about the journey…

Best regards
 -Ismael

But I was wondering if you could remind me of the purpose of the device, or exactly what you expect it to do. I mean, it seems there are several devices out there that already meet the need for connectivity, viewability, usability, etc. You mentioned the HTC Advantage and the OQO model 2. And what about a UMPC? Aren’t those devices at least close enough to meet the needs you had in mind? I realize the OQO is expensive, so since cost is a factor, that would be out. But it seems a huge step to design and manufacture (right down to the power supply and packaging) a device that does what it seems other devices may already do. Put some very good software (à la Etelos) behind some currently available devices, and I think you have a winner.

So, please point me to where you listed the things you expect out of this device. What is its purpose, and how do you see it being used, what functions would it provide that other devices can not? I’m sorry I haven’t read everything here, so if you’ve already answered these questions, please just point me to the right spot.

Thanks,
 -John

PS. I appreciate your thought process on this project and hope to continue to follow your progress on this device, wherever its evolution should take you!

Regarding the protection cover for the device, we have deviced not to develop any, much like Apple does, and leave it to third party providers to do it. Users have too many conflicting requirements for these, not to mention different tastes for materials and colors, and we cannot provide something that would match the needs and expectations of a large enough group.

Regarding cables, keep in mind that the USB cable we will provide is used to charge the device itself, much like you do with an iPhone. All you need is one cable, and you could use any Mini USB cable for doing so. There are many retractable cables you could buy to make it easier to carry around if you want to. But for our design, we want to keep it as simple as possible, and innovate only where it truly matters: at the form factor level, and maybe a little bit at the web service level.

Best regards
 -Ismael

Might I suggest a tight fitting bag made of some a soft material for protection? It should not be too bulky or you will lose the benefit of the slimline design. Have you considered color? Black and white seem to have been done to death, but I might go for a dark blue myself.

You might want to consider some innovation on the power supply, I find that I have many supplies, each with cables that just get tangled together. My suggestion would be a cable spool that allowed you to wind both the mains and the DC cables at the same time into a cassette arrangement. It could be part of the power adapter perhaps, or separate and plug into the power adapter. Probably too expensive though.

Cheers
 -Bob