I’d love to find a carry-around-all-the-time computer with a screen that’s easy to view Web pages and documents, a QWERTY keyboard that’s good enough to type relatively quickly, WiFi, Bluetooth, the ability to connect an HSDPA and a 1xEV-DO cellular modem — and fits inside my pocket (okay, it can be a very big pocket).
I haven’t found anything that meets all those requirements, although it’s getting close. The new “Mobile Internet Devices” (MIDs) introduced last week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, offer features that are good enough for me. However, the ergonomics that combine a semi-touch (at least) typeable keyboard with a small size might not be here yet.
Update (1/20/08): Engadget has posted an article about two UMPCs from Inventec that look very interesting. The UMPC 7–A with the slideout keyboard (see below) looks like it could fulfill my requirements, except that I wonder how big, heavy and expensive it is. It appears too large for my take-anywhere/anytime requirement.
The UMPC 5–D doesn’t have an attached keyboard, but it can be connected to a variety of docks (see below). This is an interesting capability, but for some time I’ve been pondering the concept of docking cellular phones.
My pondering is whether high end cellular phones are becoming so powerful and feature-rich that they will replace laptop computers for some people. Analysts for years have been discussing phones versus laptops, but I’m thinking about cellular phones that could be connected to docks with a monitor, regular QWERTY keyboard, etc.
Alan, I was thinking just recently that soon we will be able to connect our mobile phones to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse and act like we are sitting at a traditional desktop. I think this is a real possibility in next few years.
Now that would be a great way to bring computers to the poor if there was a way to subsidize the cost of these hi end phones. Just have docking stations at internet cafes, schools, etc.
Posted by: Jeb | Monday, January 21, 2008 at 02:18 AM