
All I need is an iPod touch and Monitor - dell9000
http://ryanspoon.com/blog/2009/01/31/all-we-need-is-connectivity-why-the-ipod-touch-netbooks-matter/
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mikeyur
I am really excited to see what the TechCrunch Tablet brings. For $300 it's in
the price range of the iPod Touch, has a bigger screen, can be used with an
external KB/Mouse if needed.

Once the tablet drops I will be one of the first to spend $300 on it. Much
more value for my money than a netbook, in my opinion.

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otto
This idea has been discussed. I personally remember 3 years ago when everyone
though people would be working off of thin clients within the year.

However a lot of people do more with a computer than currently offered by
online spreadsheets and email.

Not to mention companies and government that have strict IT security policies
that wouldn't allow data on these external networks.

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dmix
3 years? In 1995 Larry Ellison and quite a few other people were completely
convinced that thin clients (or network computers) would win over desktop PCs
with all applications being hosted on an external server and running off of
central databases.

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menloparkbum
Oracle and Sun both. In 1999 the startup I worked for actually beta tested
some of Sun's thin client systems. Ahh... bad times, bad times.

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mattmaroon
Dropbox is web-based? Because I have to install a program for it. In that
case, Outlook is web-based.

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jodrellblank
It's web based because the main data store is not on your computer but 'out on
the web', and you can access any of your data stored in it by logging onto
their website.

You can install a program for your convenience, but you can use the core
remote-storage of dropbox without it.

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mattmaroon
It's entirely the same of Outlook/Exchange, yet I don't think anyone would
consider that web-based.

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jodrellblank
Sounds like you're drawing the distinction at "primarily browser based" and I
was using "primarily internet based".

As such, I think Outlook/Exchange is not web-based, but Outlook/Hosted-
Exchange is web based (because the Exchange server is "out on the web"
somewhere out of sight, out of mind).

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tsally
Two major frontiers before web based computers become a reality:

1.) Games.

2.) Powerful office/business programs.

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PieSquared
To 1.) Steam? Still requires the power of a gaming computer, but web based and
portable game.

~~~
Shamiq
Isn't steam more of a distribution channel?

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jodrellblank
_and decent input_

There's no way you could work productively with an iPod touch and monitor if
the iPod touch keyboard was all you had to type on. I simply don't believe
it's practical.

And on that note, sod the big monitor - how about a HMD (I guess a pico-
projector would do), iPod Touch and wearable keyboard (I guess foldable
portable would do)?

Well you could do that now - pico projectors exist, apps exist for hacked
iphones to display more than just video to the TV out port, there's a hack to
get an external keyboard working somewhere, and of course MobileTerminal,
Python and Safari are already available.

iPod Touch, foldable keyboard, portable projector - smaller yet more useful
than a netbook? Now? One day soon?

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nirmal
Input is huge. I have a coworker who has done a lot of research on two thumb
qwerty keyboards like the one on the Blackberry. He's actually found that
users can type fairly accurately and upto 60wpm with about 400 minutes of
practice [1].

Also another friend has looked at the Twiddler, a one-handed chording
keyboard. It requires more practice but you can type accurately and touch type
[2].

[1] <http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~jamer/pubs/mq%20-%20TOCHI06.pdf>

[2] <http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~kent/pubs/twiddler-iswc.pdf>

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menloparkbum
I have a twiddler. When I lived in boston, there was a crew of guys at MIT in
the late 90s/early 2000s who were into them, so I bought one. I can't stand
it. It doesn't seem to work well with my hands. I have large, rugged, yet
sensitive hands. Even so, I could type way faster with my thumbs on a SideKick
keyboard than I could on the twiddler. It seems to work better for typing
text. It was bad for programming. Maybe I didn't spend enough time customizing
my environment.

Also, they aren't made anymore.

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jodrellblank
I went looking and see they've basically shut down - parts for v2 are no
longer available, they're in debt and they can't afford to develop v3 and that
was a couple of years ago.

There are none on eBay.com or .co.uk active or recently completed, or any on
Froogle either.

Shame; I never thought they looked brilliant, but quite liked that they exist.

~~~
nirmal
[http://wiki.cc.gatech.edu/ccg/classes/7470/7470-f06/bluetoot...](http://wiki.cc.gatech.edu/ccg/classes/7470/7470-f06/bluetooth_twiddler)

These guys worked on a Bluetooth version that was HCI Profile compliant. They
worked for my advisor.

