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so it's just like Flybook

I have two Transmeta Crusoe Flybooks and they are very slow compared to PM processors of equal GHz. The company and the technology is interesting, but I am afraid the Crusoe processor has failed to deliver any advantages to the customer. Unless Transmeta can build a faster CPU, people won't buy their products. The CPU is not the only component using up power. Why should we invest so much research in energy efficient CPUs while we still use storage with moving parts (HDDs)? Why not invest all of our resources in researching and implementing better batteries?

It really looks like a Flybook subnotebook, which is about the same size and has the same 1024x600 resolution. I own two of them. The good thing about Flybook is that it can connect to the Internet through cellular networks supporting GPRS (53 kbps), UMTS (384 kbps), and HSDPA (1.8 to 3.6 mbps) and that it runs on a x86 processor (Transmeta or Pentium M). The bad thing is that its standard battery has just 1-2 hour autonomy depending how you use it (but the extended battery has much more, from 3 to 4 hours depending on use) and it lacks an integrated DVD drive. I would like to point out that Flybook is designed to be usable while you walk, as the pointing device is located at the top right position (unfortunately there is no left-hand version!). I notice that this Palm Foleo machine has its pointing device on the centre, which would make it difficult to use it while walking. Palm's claimed battery life is 5 hours, which is too low for an ARM-based machine (my HTC Universal with the extended battery has 22 hours autonomy, and I'm able to connect to the Internet through cellular GPRS and UMTS networks from it, connect to my servers via SSH, code in Python, and browse Slashdot at 640x480 thanks to OzVGA. Actually I would say that HTC Universal would be completely perfect if it had more memory, wasn't based on Winblows, and could connect via HSDPA just like Nokia's E90 does). I also notice that the Palm Foleo's keyboard seems very well designed, while I can't say the same about Flybook's keyboard (try coding in C or another language with lots of brackets, or use any application requiring heavy use of PgUp and PgDown keys on a Flybook keyboard while standing up and you'll understand). There are many interesting mobile devices out there (see HTC's new toy or Sharp's Zaurus) and only time will tell whether Palm's new machine will be a hit in the mobile warriors's market. It's interesting to note that as x86 subnotebooks become smaller and ARM machines larger there are less and less differences between them, to the point where we may have difficulty distinguishing them at first glance.

I am unimpressed. The device looks like Flybook for double the price (I own two of them). They even have the same screen resolution and the same CPU. I would expect more originality and innovation from Paul Allen.

When I want to beat procrastination I cut down the task in smaller sub-tasks with their own deadline.

For example, if it is 1 January and I have to write a paper until 31 December, then I will try to estimate how long the paper should be and of what parts it should be composed. If I find that I need to write about 10000 words and that the paper should be divided in 6 parts, then I will try to estimate how long each part ought to be. Suppose I find out that 1000 words should go in part 1, 3000 in part 2, 1000 in part 3, 2000 in part 4, 2500 in part 5, and 500 words in part 6.

Then I will attempt to guess the requirements that should be met before writing each part, for example part 2 may require some extensive research before I sit down typing, and part 4 may need to wait until the results of a computer simulation are available. The research may require some reading on my part, so I will have to know how many books I must read and how long or difficult these books are.

If I can calculate the prerequisites for writing the different parts, then I assign deadlines to the completion of each part. I continue breaking the subtasks into smaller and smaller tasks, until I can create weekly or daily schedules. Then I use my PDA, timesheet software, or a personal wiki for tracking my progress.

Another important technique for cutting down procrastination is to minimise startup time/costs. If I need to power up my laptop before typing my essay, then I just leave the laptop open at all times.

Finally, for people who have to spend their days in multiple locations within each day, it is imperative to maximise your mobility. For example, I want to learn some Python, but I have little formal time for investing in it. What I did was to load PythonCE on my HTC Universal PDA (which, by the way, has a QWERTY keyboard and broadband Internet access), so while I commute to work and university I spend the time reading Python tutorials over the Internet and typing programs into the Python interpreter. The fact that this runs on an always-on PDA (with an extended 8h battery and nearly always-on Internet connectivity, too) means that it is very easy to start from where I left even between days (there is no frequent shutdown-bootup cycle in PDAs).

Another example I can give for increased mobility is with e-mail: I was using a POP email server which made life difficult when I couldn't access my mail which was stored on my home's hard disk because I was away from home. What I did was to switch to using my own IMAP server. Combined with RoundCube Webmail software, this really created an environment where I can access my email, including my drafts, from anywhere in the world and with any IMAP client I have in hand.

Other tips for mobility that I know from experience is using laptops with cellular Internet access such as Flybook, and using Web-based tools on your own Web server instead of desktop applications (sometimes I had to write my own Web tools in PHP) so that you are not tied to one particular machine. Use of SSH/VNC with an always-on broadband connection at home is also useful if you need to access your home PC when you travel (assuming you do leave your PC open 24/7 as in my case).

Of course, in actual practice, procrastination still occurs and the planning isn't always reflective of reality, and sometimes you just need to accept this fact and stop worrying too much (especially if you are a Type A personality).

A very good tablet that can run GNU/Linux and Windows XP, and has an internal 3G antenna for Internet access on the go, is Flybook. I own two. The only problem with them is their price (up t0 4000 EUR for a fully equipped top model with accessories, etc.). The old models I own, A33i, also had that Transmeta CPU that slowed down the machine a lot, but the new models, V33, have a Pentium M at 1.1 GHz which ought to be enough.

What a wonderful notebook. Unfortunately, I see no GPRS/UMTS/HSDPA antenna built-in. I wonder why notebook manufacturers keep releasing subnotebooks with no built-in Internet capability. An innovative company has released Flybook which can connect to the Internet with up to 1.8mbps speed through HSDPA 3G networks. While it's true that you can just put a PCMCIA card and have 3G in every laptop, I think that the internal antenna worths the extra money. All high-end PDAs, like HTC Universal, have 3G connectivity nowadays, but few high-end laptops have it. In this sense, PDAs seem to be more advanced than laptops. I just wonder when manufacturers will wake up and understand that built-in GPRS/UMTS/HSDPA connectivity in a laptop multiplies its value to the user more than one hundred times.

Flybook... Nuff said...

At this link (http://www.compu-technics.com/pages/25/index.htm) , reached through AtomChip's contact link, they have a product listed as their own which is actually a Flybook (http://flybook.biz/) with the logos crudely covered. Not that they were believable claims anyway, but there's my nail for the coffin.