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android

The tablet and the bowling ball

Asus Transformer I was impressed with the Ipad when it came out, the speed, the responsiveness and the battery life. I really wanted one, but my use case for a portable device included a keyboard, standalone usability and easy transfer of data. A netbook would have achieved most of the goals, only it did not provide the form factor I wanted for reading - the portrait work mode.

After reading the AnandTech review of the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, I thought I finally saw a device that met all my requirements. I would highly recommend you read the review of the device. I do believe Asus brings true value and innovation to the tablet space. Asus not only has experience from the Netbook, it also lacks (in a good way) the links and the bondage of a cellular maker. I would only hope that Asus will join up with a Linux distribution to create a Linux ARM tablet.

I have made one mistake in the purchasing this device. I did not buy it for my self, but rather for my wife. It felt like the American husband buying a bowling ball for his wife's birthday. The joke, however is on me. She likes it, and she is by no mean a geek.

While the device is not without it's fault (I mainly find the Wireless connection wanting), it is a well rounded standalone device, which I can see as a replacement for most tablets and net-book devices. It remains to be seen how Asus handles software upgrades over time, and how the battery lasts in day to day use, but so far we are happy with it. Well, she is...

Rethinking the box

Two excellent articles in All About Symbian:

Ewan Spence questions whether whether Symbian needs a new user interface
Steve Litchfield goes against the trend that puts the touch screen as the best phone interface.

To this, let me add my two cents worth.

I like my N900 for what seems like the wrong reasons:

Resistive screen. Possibly because of the I am a Palm veteran, I find I like having a stylus handy, mainly for sketching, but also allowing for higher density applications or checklists.
Hardware keyboard. Maybe Fat fingers; maybe a history with Psion and the E61; maybe the need to actually see whats on screen without the virtual keyboard hogging all the space.

Apple and Android developers would benefit from those articles. Nokia should pay more attention to them as well. If I understand it correctly, Nokia would benefit from having both MeeGo and Symbian with distinctive hardware and interface.