

Video: Notion Ink Adam, iPad alternative - mrphoebs
http://www.technoholik.com/news/sneak-peek-video-notion-ink-adam/

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cwilson
When there is a device like this that I can walk into a store and play with
before buying as well as have access to thousands of quality applications that
make my life easier or more fun then I'll consider it a competitor to the
iPad. Until then this is nothing more then a cool gadget that likely won't see
the light of day inside any major retailer.

The iPad is currently the only "tablet" that will ever see mass consumer
adoption for a few reasons: 1. Apple is releasing it (meaning it's hyped up,
has that cool factor, and you can go play with one in any Apple store first),
2. The app store is unlike anything else out there, and 3. The user experience
on the iPad/iPhone is superior to anything else out there right now.

This doesn't mean the Adam won't be cool, but why would any "regular" consumer
(meaning not Hacker News readers or anyone like us) consider buying one, or
hell, how would they even know it exists?

~~~
dzlobin
>The app store is unlike anything else out there,

If you run Ubuntu on the Adam, I'm pretty sure the internet w/o limitations >
the app store.

~~~
SwellJoe
It's always been amazing to me that Apple has managed to convince a sizable
number of otherwise intelligent people that a walled garden, tightly
controlled by an overbearing schoolmarm, is preferable to the Internet and a
totally free market.

The app store is a huge bug, not a feature. It's just plain bad for developers
(because Apple owns yours customers and the pipeline to those customers, and
can cut you off without warning if you happen to compete with them or do
something they don't like), and bad for consumers (because the approval
process slows updates, puts a filter in the relationship between developer and
user, keeps useful applications out of users hands, and insures that Open
Source applications have almost no room in the market). If consumers (and
developers) were smarter, it would be a killer bug; one that prevented anyone
from ever buying an iPhone or iPad or developing for it. But, people don't
always act in their own best long-term interest, if the packaging is pretty
enough.

~~~
Lazlo_Nibble
What amazes me is the number of otherwise-apparently-intelligent people who
appear to honestly believe that Apple users are just vapid trendoids who are
fooled by all the pretty colors. Strangely, none of them seem to have figured
out how to slap the same pretty colors onto their otherwise-superior
products/platforms and carve out a chunk of the vapid trendoid market for
themselves. How hard can it be?

~~~
SwellJoe
_Apple users are just vapid trendoids who are fooled by all the pretty
colors._

You said it, not me.

I never said anything about the quality of Apple products. I mentioned one
very specific, but serious, bug in the Apple iPhone/iPad products. I'm not
saying Apple doesn't make beautiful products, or even that their products are
poor quality (with a pretty face). I said that the App Market is a bug, not a
feature, and that I'm surprised that anyone would consider it a positive
market trend. I also implied that I'm disappointed that many people who I
otherwise respect, have fallen into the trap of being sharecroppers on Apple's
land. I'm disappointed because they're enabling what I consider a power shift
in the wrong direction (back towards big corporations, and away from consumers
and independent developers).

Your argument is not relevant to my comment, and I don't have any opinion on
vapid trendoids and their choice of computer, phone, or tablet. You can argue
with someone else about that.

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MaysonL
This looks like it's going to be technically quite impressive versus the iPad:
Pixel Qi screen[1024x600], multi-touch (plus a backside trackpad!), camera, 3
USB ports, running Android, Ubuntu, or Chromium, with a dual-core 1Ghz Tegra
CPU + GPU.

More specs: [http://www.technoholik.com/news/exclusive-a-sneak-peek-at-
th...](http://www.technoholik.com/news/exclusive-a-sneak-peek-at-the-notion-
ink-adam-tablet-specs-pics/)

~~~
Zev
_running Android, Ubuntu, or Chromium_

Then its not an iPad competitor or alternative. It might be a tablet, but it
is not in the same market as Apple is in with the iPad. None of these three
OS's is a drastic change from what a computer is or how a computer is
currently used, which the iPad is shaping up to be.

~~~
markkanof
In what way is the iPad OS so different from a traditional desktop OS that
Android or Chrome are not?

~~~
Zev
Android has a file browser. Plus, it seems to be designed around small,
portable devices. Which the iPad (and the tablet in the video) isn't.

And are there any devices with ChromeOS available or about to be available in
the next month or two? It was announced months and months ago. Can you write
apps specifically targeting it yet? Do you even want to? What kind of device
is Google targeting with ChromeOS? Whatever it can fit on? How is a ChromeOS
app different from an HTML5 app on the iPad?

I don't even know what Google's intentions with ChromeOS are. At least with
Android, theres some sort of direction, even if it does get hijacked and
thrown away by other companies. With the iPad, you know what market the OS is
aimed at. Not so with ChromeOS or Android, to a lesser degree.

~~~
theBobMcCormick
Android does _not_ come with a file browser, although there are third party
file browsers available in the Android Market. By default, all access to files
on the SD card are through the individual that manage those types of files.
For example, there's a built in service that index's all media files (mp3s,
AAC's, etc) and presents them, with metadata, to any app that wants them. Same
goes for pictures.

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bj
WOW, a real computer actually.

This is pretty much what I was expecting the iPad was going to be instead of
just an oversized ipod touch that doesn't run real applications but a bunch of
jokes from the app store.

After the iPad was officially announced I thought I was going to have to get a
joojoo instead but this looks way more promising.I think I will wait a few
months then.

~~~
andrew1
> I thought I was going to have to get a joojoo instead

You could always just not get a tablet thing and make do with whatever
technology you already have. The stuff we have now seems to work OK.

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sker
The camera is one of those things that makes you say "why didn't I think of
that first."

I was kinda allergic to all the tablet hype that is surrounding the tech scene
lately, but this really makes me consider one. I want one, actually.

~~~
amandle
Swiveling cameras are not a new idea, Sony picture books had one at least ten
years ago:
[http://www.transmetazone.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=381&#...</a>

~~~
jimmyjim
He mentions in the video that he filed a patent for it not so long ago.

I suppose there might prove to be a few problems there that may ultimately end
up delaying its release, or worse, killing it altogether.

~~~
sunchild
Filing a patent != having a patent. The Sony device is clearly prior art. I
had one of those Sony's, BTW.

I can't believe anyone would compare this device favorably vs. an iPad. That's
willful ignorance, I guess.

~~~
dagw
I will happily compare it favorably vs the iPad for two simple reasons. 1.
Better screen for what I'll be using it for and 2. more open and thus easier
to make it work the way I want a tablet to work.

Will it outsell the iPad? No. To want this device more than an iPad? Very much
so.

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sjs382
This is _exactly_ what I was hoping for from the Apple Tablet.

~~~
weaksauce
I agree with you to a degree. I would like the Apple Tablet to have those
features except I want the Apple tablet to have the same screen that it does
now. I know that a good portion of HN readers appreciate the difference
between a TN Screen and the IPS screen that Apple is putting in the iPad. The
epaper screen in this tablet is just not the way that apple wants to go with a
tablet. It's also a direction that I don't think that apple should go because
battery life and readability in direct sunlight are the only real draws to the
epaper screen.

The real thing that makes an ebook readable on a computer screen is dpi and
the dpi on the iPhone is good and they continued this with the iPad. This is
not to say that the kindle et al are not readable but they give up a lot just
to be good book readers. The iPad is not aiming to be just a ebook reader.
It's aiming to be a portable media device.

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glymor
This has a Pixel Qi screen not a e-ink screen. (The OLPC screen has the same
technology.)

It has the same reaction speed as a LCD. I'm not sure how good the colour mode
is (probably TN level). The monochrome mode has 3 times the DPI (because of
each RGB sub-pixel).

About e-ink readers: it's not the DPI. They generally have 160dpi which is
lower than many mobile LCDs. For example the N770 I used to read on had a 225
dpi screen but I'm still faster on e-ink. I'm not sure what it is, it might
just be the lack of backlight.

~~~
weaksauce
Thanks for the clarification on the Qi screen. There are a few factors that
make ebook screens usable in my opinion. I would say that you need a certain
level of dpi to handle small font rendering well. After a certain threshold I
don't know if it benefits you as much. The second factor is screen size the
n770 had a 4.1" screen which leads to a lot of context switches. The kindle
has 167ppi on a 6" screen. The kindle screen allows for much less context
switches which are jarring to the mind. (context switch in this example would
be turning the page) With the iPad's 10" screen the context switches will be
much less even still. (Though the iPad has the least ppi of all the devices I
mentioned I think it should be over the minimum threshold for readability)

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elblanco
I hold a 24" monitor in my lap and read e-books in a 6 pt font. I context
switch far less than I would with an iPad ergo my lap monitor > your iPad.

I do not understand what your point is beyond fanboyism.

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z8000
The swivel camera is a good idea.

It's tough to really love the thing without more information.

Oh, I love the comparison in sunlight to a macbook ... whose brightness was
clearly turned down quite a bit.

~~~
ZeroGravitas
Why do you think the brightness was turned down? Have you ever tried to use a
macbook in bright sunlight? It's unreadable. In fact I was surprised by how
clear the macbook screen was so I'd guess they had the brightness jacked right
up.

Cameras don't always accurately reflect what the human eye would see but an
LCD backlight simply can't compete with bright sunlight. The Pixel Qi is
effectively acting as a mirror for that light.

edit: this video from last June has a good comparison with the kindle and a
transflective screen right at the start and a standard LCD touchscreen at 5:20

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oawX3wenxNc>

~~~
z8000
I didn't think that the MacBook was actually in direct light. In fact from the
angles it actually seemed to be shilouetted. The one time I did try to use a
MacBook in direct sunlight, I found that turning the brightness off completely
sort of worked ok. But then I just got up and moved somewhere else in the
shadows.

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jasonkester
I like the touchscreen on the back side. I can see that catching on with other
tablets.

The screen that works in direct sunlight is nice too. I'm looking forward to
the day I can get one of those on my laptop.

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Blasa
What I'd like is a device that can fold (but has a seamless screen when
unfolded) so it fits more easily in small places. Also you can type and have
part of the screen angled up at you (this would still be an ergonomic
nightmare for as a 6'4" guy wanting to improve his posture, but less of one
than a purely flat item).

I'd also like one I can set up as a small tv screen (in-built stand) and
remote mouse/trackpad so I can surf you-tube without having to hold it up.

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mrphoebs
More links <http://www.slashgear.com/notion-ink-adam-hands-on-0969281/>

[http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/08/notion-ink-adam-
stripped-...](http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/08/notion-ink-adam-stripped-
bare-and-our-in-depth-video-hands-on/)

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy9fPc1yGSU>

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elblanco
I really really like how they actually spent time thinking about how people
will use the device instead of spending man years being concerned about how
the bezel looks with aluminum hi-lights.

Trackpad on the back? Brilliant!

Pixel Qi display so I can read in sunlight? Awesome!

3 USB ports, why? 1 for keyboard, 1 for mouse and 1 for a thumb drive.
Fantastic!

Now sell it for $250 and I'll have it in my backpack tomorrow.

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nirmal
If you're interested in more behind the display interaction check out the
LucidTouch project.
[http://www.patrickbaudisch.com/projects/lucidtouch/index.htm...](http://www.patrickbaudisch.com/projects/lucidtouch/index.html)

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_debug_
Prima facie, the key feature of the Adam seems to be that it's much more Open
than the iPad. That sounds awesome! Plain Ubuntu + touchscreen + whatever I
can do == wow.

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proee
That swivel camera would be a nice addition to the iPad.

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dataminer
This is awesome, I can read books, watch videos in my backyard under the sun.
I want this tablet

