How Small a PC Is Too Small?

Banner~! recommends an article in IBTimes on the search for the ideal size for an ultraportable computer. One device mentioned is Paul Allen's FlipStart, discussed here recently. After watching early users fumble and nearly drop an early version of the FlipStart while trying to perform a three-finger salute, designers ended up including a single key labeled "CtrlAltDel" in the version that will be shipping soon. From the article: "Each device maker... has a different sense of how small an ultra-mobile can get before it becomes impossible to use. For instance, Microsoft thinks the tiniest screen possible measures 7 inches diagonally, but FlipStart Labs settled on 5.6 inches."

Comments

Re:These are not PC issues, but Windows issues.

[JensenDied]

Ctrl - Shift - Esc is a shortcut to open the task manager.

Re:These are not PC issues, but Windows issues.

[The MAZZTer]

Ctrl + Alt + Del doesn't open the Task Manager on all versions of Windows, just "Home" versions. "Pro" or "Business/Enterprise/Ultimate" versions instead have a menu which allows you to launch the task manager, log off, switch user, lock the computer, or change your password.

Re:These are not PC issues, but Windows issues.

[ClosedSource]

Yes, and it was an IBM design decision anyway and had nothing to do with MS.

Re:These are not PC issues, but Windows issues.

[TubeSteak]

You can change that behavior on Pro (I think)
It's under User Settings in the Control Panel.

ctrl-alt-delete:
If the "Welcome Screen" is enabled, then you get the task manager
If it's disabled, you get the menu with all the choices.

Re:These are not PC issues, but Windows issues.

[Baddas]

You're wrong. I'd post a screenshot, but I'm lazy. Here's a knowledge base article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/281980
This discusses what you're talking about, which is opening task manager. That only happens when you've got it set up to use the 'Welcome' screen. The rest of the time, it pops up a little widget that has

(Lock Computer) (Log Off) (Shut Down)
(Change Password) (Task Manager) (Cancel)

buttons on it.

Re:These are not PC issues, but Windows issues.

[sessamoid]

And the funny (or sad?) thing is that this is only "necessary" in Windows because of all the crap that Windows can get infected with. Neither Linux nor OSX needed to implement the ctrl-alt-del scheme.

OS X uses Command-Option-Escape, which can be activated easily with a thumb and middle finger of the same hand. I don't have to use it often, but things to hang in any OS. Force Quit issues a kill command to the offending application.

Sorry, no.

[DrYak]

This simply isn't true. A system used to run Linux with X, a desktop and some typical end-user applications (say Firefox, Thunderbird, OpenOffice) requires more resources than an XP system with IE, OutlookExpress, Office.

Sorry, what are you sources ?

First, or course, if you go for the memory hogs like OOo or FireFox (whose caching function is both a blessing for quick history rewind and a curse in terms of ressource), the whole stack GNOME + FireFox + ThunderBird + OOo. Can eat some memory.
Incidently that's what I'm running (minus GNOME. I prefere KDE). Also with additionnal software like Gaim and several daemons, including BOINC. Without troubles. On a 8 years old 440BX-based machine (which only beefed up memory and processor since then).

To be fair, if you go for that route, then your XP system should also have included an Anti-Virus (with on access scanning, not ClamWin), an Anti-Spyware, a decent FireWall (zonealarm or such) some popup/ads filtering tool (Or should use FireFox+Adblock too). These are required for any typical Windows installation and are memory hogs too. (I could be cynical and add that the typical Windows installation also has at least a couple of trojans pumping spam).

And in my personnal experience, the Windows setup tends to be less responsive.

Studies done by others show that a machine with 128MB would be happy with most Linux situations, and with a swap and some sensible choice (I'm not speaking about using WMaker and browsing with lynx. I'm saying using KDE and K-applications for the rest to re-use dynamique libraries) even less memory could still be usable.
Actually this situation I use under Linux is one of the worst possible permutation (Simultaneously run KDE, GTK, XUL, and OOo's stacks) and somehow it mnage to do well enough.

Re:These are not PC issues, but Windows issues.

[TeknoHog]

It was there in the BIOS of DOS machines, hardwired to soft reboot, before Windows even existed. Wikipedia seems to confirm my memories.

Re:Hogwash

[jrockway]

> Linux gets orphaned processes all the time, and you'd be blind without a method to view what's running on your machine.

No it doesn't.

But that's not what he's talking about. To log into Windows, you have to press Ctrl-Alt-Delete before Windows will show you a login screen. Linux just boots up to a "username: " prompt.