Tiqit Handheld PC

ParisTG sent us: "Tiqit Computers unveiled the eightythree, basically a handheld PC (as in IBM compatible). It will even boot Linux. Comes with 128-256MB RAM, 266-300MHz, 640x480 18bit screen, and a 10GB hard drive. The brochure with images (pdf) is online."

Comments

A four inch screen?

[eschatfische]

Looking through the specs, one sees that the unit only has a four-inch screen. That's just slightly larger than a Palm's display area, without the silkscreen.

As someone who owns (and uses) an old stylus-based x86 touchpad with an 8-inch screen, it's hard enough on that screen to accurately select things like forms or manipulate windows. Shrink the screen size to half of that, and certain Windows or X controls will be downright lilliputian. It looks like the Tiqit includes a joystick to supplement the touchscreen, but that'd be problematic as well at that kind of screen size. I'd also be very concerned about readability.

With a custom interface, would using the device be viable? Oh sure, probably -- but that's what the other handhelds do already. Using Explorer or E or most existing apps, I can't imagine it being particularly functional.

Eschatfische.

Re:A four inch screen?

[ehikory]

The eightythree has a VGA port, and also accepts USB, so if you don't want to use the supplied touch-screen, use an external mouse, like the FinRing (http://www.bosswave.com/mouse/finring/index.shtml ) or even a Twiddler (http://www.handykey.com/) if you want the keyboard as well. For output, 640x480 should be readable for most things one might want on a PDA, and HMDs get ever closer (you could use the Shimadzu personal display (used on the Xybernaut POMA and Hitachi WIA), if you got a DFP PCMCIA card, but the Cy-Visor (revewed prevously here) would block vision, which might make using the device on the street a little difficult (unless you have a USB camera).