Comments on: Usage Scenarios http://itredux.com/2007/09/27/usage-scenarios/ New Rules for a New IT World Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:35:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7-beta3 hourly 1 By: Ismael Ghalimi http://itredux.com/2007/09/27/usage-scenarios/comment-page-1/#comment-488967 Ismael Ghalimi Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:26:38 +0000 http://itredux.com/blog/2007/09/27/usage-scenarios/#comment-488967 Teddy, I like your approach. The screen we have selected is W-XGA (1280 x 768), with an 8.9" diagonal. I like your approach regarding the device's width. Ours is currently set at 5.5", but we might be able to bring that down to 4" in order for the device to fit into your jacket's pocket. Let me think about it some more. Best regards -Ismael Teddy,

I like your approach. The screen we have selected is W-XGA (1280 x 768), with an 8.9" diagonal. I like your approach regarding the device’s width. Ours is currently set at 5.5", but we might be able to bring that down to 4" in order for the device to fit into your jacket’s pocket. Let me think about it some more.

Best regards
 -Ismael

]]> By: Teddy T. Bear http://itredux.com/2007/09/27/usage-scenarios/comment-page-1/#comment-488587 Teddy T. Bear Thu, 04 Oct 2007 11:56:36 +0000 http://itredux.com/blog/2007/09/27/usage-scenarios/#comment-488587 Regarding the form factor: I did a lot of research about a year ago to find out the optimum form factor for my own personal dream device, if technological and financial constraints were inexistent. Screen resolution should be as high as possible, with a minimum of 1280 x 768 pixels resolution (W-XGA). That way you can show XGA (1024 x 768) websites easily, as well as 720p video (1280 x 720). Even more important for me: full page PDFs can be shown with 100 dpi resolution on a screen like this without scrolling! Naturally WUXGA (1900*1200) would be even better, as you could show native full HD with 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution. On the other hand, it should be as small as possible, so you can put it into the inside of your jacket or into a fanny bag. So I think the optimal size would be somewhere between 16 x 10 x 2.5 cm (paperback book around 6 x 4 x 1 inches) and 20 x 10 x 2.5 cm (around 8 x 4 x 1 inches). The thinner, the better (mostly dictated through technology constraints right now!), but it should not be wider than 10 cm if you want to put it into your jacket pocket or fanny bag. On a 16 x 10 cm device, the screen should be 15 x 9 cm, with just 0.5 cm edges. With 1280 x 768 pixels this would give 217 dpi, which is still perfectly readable and might be zoomed like with the Nokia 770 / N800 tablets, if your eyesight is not perfect. I will be in San Francisco in January for Macworld Expo. Will you be there? I could show you some prototypes... Regarding the form factor: I did a lot of research about a year ago to find out the optimum form factor for my own personal dream device, if technological and financial constraints were inexistent.

Screen resolution should be as high as possible, with a minimum of 1280 x 768 pixels resolution (W-XGA). That way you can show XGA (1024 x 768) websites easily, as well as 720p video (1280 x 720). Even more important for me: full page PDFs can be shown with 100 dpi resolution on a screen like this without scrolling! Naturally WUXGA (1900*1200) would be even better, as you could show native full HD with 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution.

On the other hand, it should be as small as possible, so you can put it into the inside of your jacket or into a fanny bag. So I think the optimal size would be somewhere between 16 x 10 x 2.5 cm (paperback book around 6 x 4 x 1 inches) and 20 x 10 x 2.5 cm (around 8 x 4 x 1 inches). The thinner, the better (mostly dictated through technology constraints right now!), but it should not be wider than 10 cm if you want to put it into your jacket pocket or fanny bag. On a 16 x 10 cm device, the screen should be 15 x 9 cm, with just 0.5 cm edges. With 1280 x 768 pixels this would give 217 dpi, which is still perfectly readable and might be zoomed like with the Nokia 770 / N800 tablets, if your eyesight is not perfect.

I will be in San Francisco in January for Macworld Expo. Will you be there? I could show you some prototypes…

]]> By: Teddy T. Bear http://itredux.com/2007/09/27/usage-scenarios/comment-page-1/#comment-488572 Teddy T. Bear Thu, 04 Oct 2007 11:38:18 +0000 http://itredux.com/blog/2007/09/27/usage-scenarios/#comment-488572 Water (and sand proofing) of a tablet, PDA or mobile phone is quite simple and inexpensive: just put it into a waterproof clear plastic bag that you can buy in electronics stores or stores for diving or expedition equipment. I have been using these for many years when I use my PDA or mobile phone on the beach. Even using the mobile phone through the plastic bag is no problem. Water (and sand proofing) of a tablet, PDA or mobile phone is quite simple and inexpensive: just put it into a waterproof clear plastic bag that you can buy in electronics stores or stores for diving or expedition equipment. I have been using these for many years when I use my PDA or mobile phone on the beach. Even using the mobile phone through the plastic bag is no problem.

]]> By: Ismael Ghalimi http://itredux.com/2007/09/27/usage-scenarios/comment-page-1/#comment-478622 Ismael Ghalimi Sat, 29 Sep 2007 03:29:46 +0000 http://itredux.com/blog/2007/09/27/usage-scenarios/#comment-478622 David, Ruggedizing a device is actually quite difficult, especially one with a touchscreen. A more cost effective solution would be to develop a waterproof case for the device, similar to the ones being used by SCUBA divers for encasing cameras. If your production run is in the thousands of units, all you need is a soft tool, which would cost around $25,000 to make. Once done, marginal production costs are close to zero (plastic is cheap), allowing you to sell your cases for less than $100 a piece. With the tablet safely enclosed into this waterproof (and buoyant) case, all you need is a way to control it remotely. I would suggest the use of a Bluetooth remote control, which would have inputs similar to the Apple Remote. This makes me think that the applications running on the device should be designed to take inputs from such a remote control, and brings back the question of whether or not the tablet itself should have buttons similar to the ones found on the Apple Remote. If it were to have them, adding such buttons on your waterproof case with environmental seals would be pretty simple and cost effective. Another option would be to add such buttons onto the waterproof case and have them press on the tablet's touchscreen directly. This might actually be the most elegant solution, and one that could be customized for specific applications with more or less buttons, without having to make any changes to the tablet's hardware. I like it! -Ismael David,

Ruggedizing a device is actually quite difficult, especially one with a touchscreen. A more cost effective solution would be to develop a waterproof case for the device, similar to the ones being used by SCUBA divers for encasing cameras. If your production run is in the thousands of units, all you need is a soft tool, which would cost around $25,000 to make. Once done, marginal production costs are close to zero (plastic is cheap), allowing you to sell your cases for less than $100 a piece.

With the tablet safely enclosed into this waterproof (and buoyant) case, all you need is a way to control it remotely. I would suggest the use of a Bluetooth remote control, which would have inputs similar to the Apple Remote. This makes me think that the applications running on the device should be designed to take inputs from such a remote control, and brings back the question of whether or not the tablet itself should have buttons similar to the ones found on the Apple Remote. If it were to have them, adding such buttons on your waterproof case with environmental seals would be pretty simple and cost effective.

Another option would be to add such buttons onto the waterproof case and have them press on the tablet’s touchscreen directly. This might actually be the most elegant solution, and one that could be customized for specific applications with more or less buttons, without having to make any changes to the tablet’s hardware.

I like it!

-Ismael

]]> By: David French http://itredux.com/2007/09/27/usage-scenarios/comment-page-1/#comment-478184 David French Fri, 28 Sep 2007 23:41:18 +0000 http://itredux.com/blog/2007/09/27/usage-scenarios/#comment-478184 I will be looking for this device to be the email interface for HF/SSB radio when <a href="http://www.sailmail.com/">ocean sailing</a>... I will not want to be running expensive, power hungry laptop computers. I would like to browse the Internet to download charts until I reach a port. Any chance of ruggedizing the Redux Model 1? Protecting it from the salty elements can't be much more of a problem than the exposure to coffee around meeting rooms. -David I will be looking for this device to be the email interface for HF/SSB radio when ocean sailing… I will not want to be running expensive, power hungry laptop computers. I would like to browse the Internet to download charts until I reach a port. Any chance of ruggedizing the Redux Model 1? Protecting it from the salty elements can’t be much more of a problem than the exposure to coffee around meeting rooms.

-David

]]> By: Ismael Ghalimi http://itredux.com/2007/09/27/usage-scenarios/comment-page-1/#comment-476589 Ismael Ghalimi Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:00:10 +0000 http://itredux.com/blog/2007/09/27/usage-scenarios/#comment-476589 Darren, Gaming: you're right, the best solution would be an external Bluetooth controller. Adding buttons to the Mini Tablet's form factor just for gaming defeats the purpose. Also, keep in mind that you can use the touchscreen for playing some games. Screen Sharing: I really like the scenario. We will have to work on this. Thanks for sharing these ideas! -Ismael Darren,

Gaming: you’re right, the best solution would be an external Bluetooth controller. Adding buttons to the Mini Tablet’s form factor just for gaming defeats the purpose. Also, keep in mind that you can use the touchscreen for playing some games.

Screen Sharing: I really like the scenario. We will have to work on this.

Thanks for sharing these ideas!

-Ismael

]]> By: Darren Ehlers http://itredux.com/2007/09/27/usage-scenarios/comment-page-1/#comment-476475 Darren Ehlers Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:52:12 +0000 http://itredux.com/blog/2007/09/27/usage-scenarios/#comment-476475 Hi Ismael, Scenario 1: One other thing it should do is play games. In addition to watching movies and working on long flights, sometimes I like to zone out for awhile. Not sure about how to play the game — maybe a bluetooth controller? But then you'd have one more thing to carry. You could probably have touch buttons on the bottom of the screen for basic control. Scenario 2: Built-in screen sharing (rumored in leopard). If you have three users, I want to instantly be able to share my screen with them so that we can collaborate on whatever is the topic. —Darren Hi Ismael,

Scenario 1: One other thing it should do is play games. In addition to watching movies and working on long flights, sometimes I like to zone out for awhile. Not sure about how to play the game — maybe a bluetooth controller? But then you’d have one more thing to carry. You could probably have touch buttons on the bottom of the screen for basic control.

Scenario 2: Built-in screen sharing (rumored in leopard). If you have three users, I want to instantly be able to share my screen with them so that we can collaborate on whatever is the topic.

—Darren

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