Handtops, UMPC - Handtops as consumer electronics.

Due to the enthusiast nature of this forum, and the obviously high level of technical know-how of the individual members, we all sometimes miss the point, just as the industry generally has been missing the point from day one. The success of the Handtop form factor, and its very existence, is dependant not on the size and type of keyboard, or the screen resolution, or the CPU, RAM , HDD, OS, or any other technical detail. Those are simply components. The success of the Handtop form factor is dependant on producing a device or devices that meet the perceived requirements of a whole lot of people at a reasonable cost.

So far, no Handtop computer manufacturer has managed to achieve anything close to this.

The simple reason for this failure is that they are constrained by the limitations of technology, finances, and an understanding of what is really needed to fire the public imagination and come up with a “must have” concept.

Before we have a mass of emotional “it needs a touch type keyboard” type of responses, lets look at this dispassionately. The reason no Handtop has as yet become a consumer item (a fridge or VCR or DVD Player or microwave oven) is that there has never as yet been a computer, far less a Handtop computer, that fits so naturally into our lives that it could be considered to be practically indispensable.

The closest things we have to this type of device that could be compared to Handtop computers are the cell phone and the iPod. Conceptually, they are small, simple to operate (with reference to their core functionality) devices that perform a useful function at a affordable price, and can be kept with us all the time.

So what is it that would be needed to make the Handtop a consumer item? Forget for a moment the hardware and OS, they are simply the means of achieving the goal. What is the conceptual basis of a consumer Handtop?

Obviously, the first factor is size and weight. To be universally successful, the Handtop would need to be small enough an light enough to be carried everywhere, as are cell phones today.

The second major factor must be battery life. The Handtop needs a battery life of at least eight hours on the go.

The third factor must be instant availability. To succeed, the Handtop must be available when needed without a waiting period.

The forth factor would be the interface. The operation must be simple and intuitive and shield the user from the complexities of the computer OS, but at the same time be open ended and infinitely configurable. The input must be simple and fast and easy to use, and the output must be simple and easy to interact with.

The fifth factor must be connectivity. For the Handtop to succeed, it must have universal fast connectivity that does not require user intervention.

The sixth factor needs to be storage. The Handtop must possess sufficient storage in a structured environment.

The seventh factor is performance. For the Handtop to succeed, it must have a reasonable level of performance when used for average tasks.

And the eighth and last major factor, but by no means the least important, is cost. The Handtop must be affordable to the average consumer, as is the cell phone at present.

While the above might at present look like science fiction and in today's technological environment it is as yet not completely achievable, we can probably go a long way towards achieving such a design already, if we are prepared to think outside the box, and leave our current preconceptions behind.

The first preconception that we might have to abandon is the concept of a unitary design. Who says that the Handtop has to be one single unit? The iPod is not, it is a player and separate earphones. Why could the same principle not be applied to the Handtop. Input and output devices separate from the main unit, perhaps even interchangeable with other types depending on situation? Like the bluetooth headset on a cell phone, this concept only seems strange until people start using it.

The second preconception to get rid of is to do with interface. Why view things on a screen limited by the size of the unit. Roll out screens will be here soon, but we already have projectors and monitor glasses. Do we need a keyboard as part of the unit? Could we not use a separate, folding keyboard and never have to take the unit out of a pocket? What about virtual keyboards projected from a watch, or voice input for simpler tasks?

The third concept to abandon is functionality. Why should a Handtop function like a traditional computer? Why not pre-program the most commonly used features to be accessed like on a cell phone, or better still a TV remote? If one wanted the traditional OS interface, it would still be available, but should it be the primary interface, and should it determine functionality, as it does today?

Battery life, availability and performance are related and can not be dealt with separately. Would sacrificing CPU performance not lead to better battery life, which in turn would lead to better availability? What about lots of separate, low powered general purpose micro cores on a CPU that perform individual operations and shut down when not in use?

Storage and communications also go hand in hand. SSD's can provide enough low power consumption storage to make the unit work, but are expensive and prohibit high capacities in a low cost unit. But if one had a small SSD in the unit, remote storage could be used for larger volumes of data, presuming inexpensive, high speed pervasive communications. This could also permit the access to increased computing power where needed by handing off tasks to powerful base stations attached to the Handtop via the communications net.

Price could be dealt with by volume sales, sponsorships from cell phone carriers or providers of communications, and the use of less expensive, standardised components.

The only factor that we do not have an available or potentially available solution for at present is battery life, and that will come.

These are just some ideas on how to approach the problem, and there are probably a great number of better ones out there. But one thing is for sure, we need to approach the problem, as it is real and at present limiting the Handtop to a niche, high price market.

Finally, the above conceptual approach does not do away with the Handtop as it is at present. Just as lightweight laptops have not killed gaming laptops, so this conceptual Handtop would not do away with Handtops as we know them. What it would do is popularize the Handtop concept, and turn the Handtop into a consumer electronic device, ensuring the survival and prospering of the traditional Handtop at the top end of the market for those that need it.

*EDIT - Just a week or so after this blog was written, we have a release from Intel in a similar vein. link