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Danger's Mobile Device - The HipTop

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the incredible-converging-technology dept.

A random reader writes "All the "convergence" devices I've seen so far are great, but they all miss a feature or two. Cellphones with PDAs but no keyboard, PDAs with keyboards but no phone, etc. Has anyone ever heard of the HipTop? This little baby has a screen the size of a gameboy advance, runs Java, has a cellphone, keyboard, PDA functions, a camera and even an 8-voice MIDI synth... " Excluding a color screen, what more could one want in a toy?

7 of 158 comments (clear)

  1. this is a conceptual device only by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    the pics are mock-ups.
    without reading the site much, they're trying
    to attract funding or licence the concept.

  2. Neat by Mr_Silver · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Neat but in all honesty I'm waiting for the Microsoft efforts.

    Yes, I know that will rile up the majority of /. readers but I'm a PHB who relies almost extensivily on Microsoft products (Outlook, Powerpoint, Excel, Word and Powerpoint).

    I was full synchronisation between my PDA and Outlook. I currently have a Palm Pilot but as nice and small as it is, it's not quite what I want (what do I want? Portable Outlook without the email).

    Phone and PDA convergence is very nice and well but if you're not careful you'll end up with a mediocre PDA and a mediocre phone. Granted, its going to take them a while to get this sorted but something like an iPAQ with a bluetooth and GPRS enabled 8210 would suit me (and a lot of other PHB's) down to the ground for the time being.

    So yes, I'm sorry but I'll be waiting to see what Microsofts efforts are like. Yes, they're a monopolistic company with dodgy business practises but I need something that helps me work and, as much as I hate to say it, they could be the only ones that help me do that ...

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  3. Someone tell me again... by ChristianBaekkelund · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Someone tell me again, why are we trying to achieve "convergence"?...

    I mean, really, what's wrong with specialized devices that are really good at what they do, instead of trying to throw it all into one device which is not as good as the specialized devices at any given task, but just amalgamates them?

    For example, I personally have so far steered clear of those printer/fax/copier/scanner all in one jobs, because I just have a sneaking suspicion that if I bought one, I'd regret it...Can't quite put my finger on why, though.

    With regards to cellphones/pagers/PDAs, etc., I am actually far more in favor of "convergence", but this seems to almost have gone too far?...

    Or am I just paranoid?...heh

    1. Re:Someone tell me again... by lynx_user_abroad · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If you've ever watched a Master Craftsman (Norm Abram springs to mind) do his stuff you'll notice the strong preference for lots of specialized tools, some of which might appear to be identical to the untrained eye.
      I saw one of the New Yankee Workshop series where he uses no less than 5 drivers with slightly different bits to accomplish a task. With proper bits, I could have accomplished the same thing with just one driver, but changing bits between steps would have added an hour to the project.
      This is also why many power users prefer the UNIX-style "large collection of simple tools" (sed, awk, grep, etc) over single do-it-all applications like MSWord (or even Perl) which add unnecessary weight and complexity.

      Then again, the "397 Tools In One" Fix-O-Matic (TM) seems to always sell well with the consumer types who are more interested in feeling productive than in being productive.

      I guess we know which type you are.

      --

      The thing about things we don't know is we often don't know we don't know them.

  4. VaporWare??? by CProgrammer98 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The page is badly /.ed but when you get there, all you see are two paragraphs of text with no detailed tech specs and 6 pictures.

    MAN that keyboard looks TINY. You need real slender fingers to work it!

    Anyone know if this is for real????


    --
    And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour Isaiah 3:5
  5. People who fly.. by StevenHallman76 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why would you want a cellphone/pda combo? or a cellphone/mp3 player combo? The first thing they tell you when you get on a plane is TURN OFF YOUR CELLPHONE. As soon as your devices are combined you lose them all whenever you fly..

    don't combine my cellphone with anything!

  6. Re:what more could one want: 3G or GPRS by adamspiers · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It does have GPRS. Check the product specs section in the Flash demo.