Danger's Mobile Device - The HipTop

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?

Comments

What more could people want in a toy?

[yatest5]

Ummm, variable speeds?

Since you asked...

[Talisman]

"Excluding a color screen, what more could one want in a toy?"

- GPS
- Hologram projection device
- Grappling hook
- Uranium energy cells (no need for batteries. ever.)
- Death ray (add pistol to list of things i can stop carrying around)
- Interfaces to every type of gaming console in existence
- Quake 3

Santa's gonna get a shakedown unless he produces the goods.

Talisman

Neat

[Mr_Silver]

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 ...

Someone tell me again...

[ChristianBaekkelund]

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

Re:Someone tell me again...

[lynx_user_abroad]

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.

Nokia Phones

[jeriqo]

Both Nokia 9110 and 9210 have a keyboard, a few PDA features, and of course, cellphones.

They're pretty expensive, and probably not as powerful as regular PDAs, but they may fit your needs.

For more info, check the nokia website:
9910
9210

The 7650 is pretty interresting too, but has no keyboard.

-J

another tricorder wannabe

[kaoshin]

It doesn't look like it has enough lights. How are you supposed to analyze the atmosphere on an alien homeworld without rows of blinkin LED's?

Man...

[Graymalkin]

What I REALLY want in a handheld device is something akin to the PADDs in ST. Ever since I first saw a Newton Messagepad I've been waiting for something that would really fit that sort of roll. Palm based devices are too fucking small for my hands and I can't exactly read the text at a glance. A handheld ought to be something you can store a bunch of notes on, control presentations from, and interface with other systems by. Here's what I would spend some dough on:

• The size of a good notepad, 6"x9" with screen real estate being most of that area.
• A screen with good contrast but not necessarily colour, preferably reflective with a switchable backlight.
• An internal antenna set, a set of them maybe three in the housing each tuned for a different band
• Multiple expension modules, specifically so I could have a AirPort/PCS/GSM/ect modules hooked to the antenna set (hence multiple band antennas) and I could also have other expansion modules in.
• Serial port and bus connectors somewhere so I can plug it into just about anything and use it as a terminal or storage device or use something else as a storage device.
• Really thin with a long battery life.
• 
  
  I also want to be able to remotely control the Enterprise with it too. Or at least play Nettrek on it.

Re:Man...

[Mwongozi]

It sounds like you want a tablet PC, although this being SlashDot I'm sure a lot of people will hate the fact that it's Microsoft.

Why you don't like the idea

[Katravax]

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.

I'll tell you why - because if your scanner breaks, you're also without your copier. If your printer breaks, you're also without your fax. If you run out of ink for your printer, you also can't print faxes or copies, and so on.

I find the idea of saving space attractive, but don't like the idea of a single, simple hardware failure disabling several devices. My rule in the past few years has been to buy the highest-quality item with the longest warranty and best reviews that I can possibly afford. The all-in-one printer/fax/copier/scanner job sounds more like four cheap and probably unreliable devices all at once.

People who fly..

[StevenHallman76]

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!

Err... it already exists in Japan!!

[nikko]

Dude, check out the latest DoCoMo phones. THey do it all. They have built in keyboard, built-in PDA, run Java, built-in tiny digital camera. They send email, they browse the web (well at least i-mode sites), they can attach pictures to your email.

Oh yeah, as an added bonus the mobile phone service actually works!! (unlike in the U.S.).

Unfortunately they're only available in Tokyo (looks like a decent place to live). I don't think people in the U.S. realize just how far behind our mobile communications infrastructure has fallen.

Re:this is a conceptual device only

[bluescreen]

In addition to being uninformed, you also didn't bother to read.

They are funded pretty well, and I can tell you
that I've personally seen real and working danger devices. I beleive they also did a working demo at comdex.

I know this may seem like flaimbait, but I cant stand it when people post armchair assertions as fact from a quick skim of a site..