Hands On With Notion Ink's Pixel-Qi Equipped Adam Tablet

Jax7 writes with this snippet from Technoholik, which dispatched a team with a video camera to get some early footage of the upcoming Android Tablet from Notion Ink, with Android and a Pixel-Qi transflective screen. Also interesting is the back-mounted touchpad. "We flew down to Hyderabad and caught up with the Notion Ink team just before they left for Barcelona to showcase the Android-based tablet tomorrow at the Mobile World Congress. Note that this product was 'one engineering day short' but we aren't complaining since we literally badgered them into giving us this sneak peak. The top panel over the screen was still a bit loose, so they took it off before booting the system."

Comments

Nice, but Android?

[BadAnalogyGuy]

I like Java as much as the next guy, but why would you want to force all your developers into that language?

Since it's clearly able to run Linux, just provide a standard Ubuntu installation. That'd be much better.

Re:Nice, but Android?

[LukeWebber]

Java has the advantage of running in sandbox, and security is serious issue for something as connected and pervasive as a smartphone. I also means that Google only need to provide a single API, hence fast turnaround of new releases.

And it must be said that coding in Java beats the hell out of writing Objective C on a Mac, which is the only supported environment for the iPhone.

Re:Nice, but Android?

[Hurricane78]

But it’s not real Java. It’s some messed-up version from Google. So the whole advantage of running pretty much every cell phone app out there (which are nearly all Java apps) is gone.

Re:Nice, but Android?

[cduffy]

Android has a NDK (Native Development Kit); it's possible to write Android apps for the Market in languages other than Java.

Re:Nice, but Android?

[cduffy]

Well -- not so much, really.

Android doesn't rely on Dalvik doing sandboxing as much as it relies on the OS to handle security constraints; each application gets their own UNIX user and group created, and these are automatically managed to give applications access only to what the user approved for them on install.

This is why availability of the Android NDK doesn't compromise security.

Re:Nice, but Android?

[EdZ]

Since it's clearly able to run Linux, just provide a standard Ubuntu installation. That'd be much better.

The spec page lists "Android, Ubuntu, Chromium" under OS. I'm guessing that just means they're leaving it open for you to install whatever you want on it rather than shipping multiple version with different OSes, but I could be wrong.

Re:Nice, but Android?

[AuMatar]

Possible, but definitely not recommended- the APIs for anything OS specific except file access are non-existant. You end up with a Java GUI calling C/C++ via JNI, which probably has to call back into Java via JNI again. There may be multiple levels of language switching there, all of which are expensive. And that leaves you an environment pretty difficult to debug.

In reality the NDK is only really suited for creating a graphical UI to a command line C or C++ program. Anything else and you'll feel less pain rewriting. Which is a shame, since its just a linux box in the end. Google needs to release some real C APIs. At a minimum give us draw to screen APIs and the like, they don't need to copy the whole activity model to C. In fact I'd prefer if they didn't, I don't see a lot of value in it.

Re:Nice, but Android?

[Daengbo]

The swivel camera is an amazingly obvious (in hindsight) fix to complaints about front or rear-facing cameras, and (as pointed out in the video) you could position the camera in the middle to record while taking notes.

I also like the trackpad on the back. I think it would take some getting used to, but once you figured it out, there would be no need to move your hands from front to back all the time.

Re:Nice, but Android?

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

I don't know exactly why loads of random vendors who would never have touched linux are putting out android devices rather than stock linux devices, or maemo devices, or moblin devices; but I'd say that Google's motives for using more-or-less-java are fairly clear:

First, of course, they bought Android when it was a startup, founded primarily by ex-Danger guys. They were using java for Android because they had used it for Sidekick, where they had presumably been using it to give themselves some degree of architecture independence.

Second, if Google is planning in the long term for Android, they won't necessarily know what architectures it will be running on. ARM is obvious today; but, who knows, intel might get their mobile act together, or Android might become the darling of set top boxes, or whatever. If the vast majority of 3rd party applications are running in Dalvik, rather than natively, there is some hope that the market won't be hopelessly fragmented by devices of different architecture.

Re:Nice, but Android?

[slim]

Android is fine, no touchscreen but a trackpad in back?? EPIC FAIL. this junk will never sell.

It has BOTH. The rear trackpad for when you're holding the device in your hand. Touchscreen for when it's on a desk or your lap.

Re:Nice, but Android?

[Per Wigren]

The screen is colour, but it "looks" black'n'white when the backlight is turned off, aka "e-reader mode". Probably you'll see some colours without the backlight if you have a very bright light source (the sun). It will come with Android but it's not locked down so you'll be able to run any Linux distribution on it as long as it supports the Tegra 2 platform.

Personally I want to have one already! *drool*

Re:Nice, but Android?

[naz404]

Interesting thing I see about rear-touchpad is that your finger won't obscure the display. That's one problem when building apps for touchscreen such as games, because your big clunky fingers will get in the way of seeing stuff like small targets onscreen.

Re:Nice, but Android?

[Jimmy_B]

You aren't forced to write in Java, you're forced to write for the JVM. There are other languages that target the JVM, including versions of Ruby, Python, LISP, and my personal favorite, Scala. Using the JVM means that Android isn't locked in to using any one particular CPU instruction set (which was what destroyed the original PalmOS), and that all Android programs and libraries are API-compatible with each other without the need for setting up special bindings.

I might switch

[iMac Were]

Love the touchpad. Like any Apple fanboy, I'm a big fan of reach-arounds.

Not really

[SuperKendall]

And it must be said that coding in Java beats the hell out of writing Objective C on a Mac

Having done both for a great deal of time on each platform, I disagree.

It's not that much different, and most memory problems you have are the same ones between Java and Objective-C - over-retention. That's not something GC fixes for you.

Re:Not really

[renoX]

>[cut] most memory problems you have are the same ones between Java and Objective-C - over-retention. That's not something GC fixes for you.

A GC *could* help: there has been some research with GC which cooperates with the kernel's virtual memory manager, the main advantage is that memory referenced but unused can be swapped instead of being kept in memory by the garbage collector, see http://lambda-the-ultimate.org/node/2391

Unfortunately this require modification of the kernel's virtual memory manager, so AFAIK the research has never been used :-(

Like the LCD

[SuperKendall]

The LCD does look pretty impressive, it seems like it would totally address all of the concerns of those who claim you can't read books on an LCD. They forget that no LCD is emissive, they are all reflective at heart... it's just a matter of what the light source is.

I think the form factor seems decent, I like the faux notebook look and I think the bulge up top is to let you get to the trackpad easily when the device is on your lap - though the trackpad on the back seems a little wierd when you already have a touch-screen, it will be interesting to play with that and see how it works in practice.

The only thing that I saw as a potential downside is the tracking looked kind of slow - when he scribbled rapidly across the screen it lost almost all the input, it was only when they drew much slower that it worked and even then there was a little lag. But hey, they are still working on the software. I wonder what the SDK is like for this device, since it's Android what have they added I wonder?

Re:Like the LCD

[xlsior]

though the trackpad on the back seems a little wierd when you already have a touch-screen

Except the touchscreen is difficult to use while you're walking around -- a 10" panel is kind of unwieldy to balance in one hand, especially while applying pressure to the touchscreen in varying locations. Overall this looks like a pretty ingenious setup, although I do wonder if the touchscreen on the back is going to be affected by other things than fingers pressing it.

I'm curious how the monochrome version compares to actual eInk displays.

Re:Like the LCD

[hitmark]

the one problem i have had with browsing when using a touch screen, is the need for "mouse over" various elements.

Re:Like the LCD

[TeknoHog]

The LCD does look pretty impressive, it seems like it would totally address all of the concerns of those who claim you can't read books on an LCD. They forget that no LCD is emissive, they are all reflective at heart... it's just a matter of what the light source is.

Actually, LCDs are transmissive by nature. Put a mirror behind it, and it becomes reflective. This is how digital watches and calculators have worked for ages, though the "mirror" is not a smooth, shiny reflector for practical reasons. Today you can have a transreflective display with both a backlight and a mirror, thanks to improved light transmission through the LCD.

Re:Like the LCD

[Anonymous Coward]

Most touchscreens are capacitive these days, so I don't think it will register anything else beside fingers.

All eleven of them.

"literally badgered"

[jellyfrog]

What, with real badgers?

Re:"literally badgered"

[Trepidity]

Unfortunately, I think this particular rearguard action was lost a century ago.

Re:"literally badgered"

[Anonymous Coward]

real badgers, mushrooms and an occasional snake.

Re:Sigh,

[obarthelemy]

Since that thing has integrated USB ports, you can put it pretty much on any stand you like to keep it propped up while you eat. It will also work with a range of USB and Bluetooth keyboards/mice, making conversion to a netbook easy. The CPU should be quite good, and the screen looks like a winner. I'm a bit worried about price though.

Re:Frankly...

[DeBaas]

...this is the first touchpad I was ever excited about. And the first device since the N900.

So you haven't been exited about a device since September last year.... Hard times

Think Kick Ass Book - Not Computer

[Shihar]

I think a lightweight tablet has a lot of potential if it is cheap enough. The $500+ Apple tablet I think costs WAY too much for any but the fanboys who will buy anything Job's touches. If they could get this tablet down to the $200-$300 range I think they could have a winner. I would love to have a little tablet that lets me browse the web, read e-books, store/play music, maybe watch movies, and do other passive media consumption tasks. It is easier and more ergonomic than a laptop when lounging around the house, is the sort of thing you can take on the subway on the way to work with you, and in general is a decent substitute for a book. I can't pull out my laptop and use it while waiting in line, but I could pull out a tablet.

The real issue is that this IS a limited device. It overlaps with smartphones and computers, and it can't be used for much "real" work beyond reading e-mails. The price has to be such that you can justify getting media consumption tool that is only better than your other tools in its convenience. At $500+, it just costs too much. $200-$300 is, in my opinion, closer to the range you need to be in. If you could get it down to $100-$200 and still turn a profit I think every middle class family and their dog would get one. The real issue in my mind is the price. Price is going to determine if this thing breaks open a new market or if it flops horribly. Apple's price is too high. Their tablet is only going to do well on fanboi'ism, and even then I don't think it will go far. An Android tablet is going to battle it out on price alone. If they try and sell at Apple prices this thing is dead on arrival.

Re:Think Kick Ass Book - Not Computer

[PFI_Optix]

I work in education IT. An application I'm keen to see in a tablet is the ability to control a desktop computer via a wireless tablet such as this device or the iPad. Especially if the software involved allowed the instructor to enter a mode where they can draw/write on the screen that the students see, allowing them to visually communicate information about applications or web sites they are using.

Why not just use the tablet via some wireless video technology directly to the projector? Because it would be hard for the teacher to run Photoshop on a low-power tablet. But controlling it via the same tablet is quite possible.

There's a market for a product like this. In the small school district I work in, we're seeing substantial spending being directed at presentation technologies, and none of them really do what teachers would like. Having an on-screen remote control like a tablet would be perfect for most of our teachers who use projectors...I'd estimate that's 80-100 teachers in this one small district. Multiply that by the thousands of districts in Texas, half of them larger than us, and this state alone could buy enough units to justify the product. And all you'd really need is a 802.11x tablet that could run VNC with a little extra software to provide the draw-on-screen capabilities.

Re:Sigh,

[quadrox]

Obviously you'd have to lay it on a desk or your lap when you for example want to type an email.

For me the point is not that this sort of device can be used as a handheld device (and ONLY that), but it should work well as a handheld device IN ADDITION to being a proper computer, albeit with lower performance than a big desktop machine.

That way you have ONE device that you can take with you anywhere, which is always useful AT LEAST as a handheld device.

Re:Amazing

[0ld_d0g]

Why in the hell do I need 3 fucking USB ports on an underpowered toy?

So that you can connect an external keyboard/mouse? You can step into any generic computer store and buy a cheapo disposable keyboard and work on the device as opposed to being forced to carry apple accessories.

"Hey Apple! Instead of allowing me to connect my existing keyboards, let me pay you extra money so I can only connect apple keyboards!"

What well-adjusted person would connect a fucking tablet to a TV?

To watch movies, photos, online TV (Oh right forgot to mention.. this thing supports flash ;) )? You can step into any generic electronic store and get a HDMI cable for your TV.

"Hey Apple! Instead of allowing me to use my existing HDMI cables, let me pay you extra money so I can only use apple approved TV out connectors!"

What is the benefit of running 1080i video on this tiny ass screen?

"Oh no. This device supports high quality video, let me get that other device that doesn't"

A real genius you are. Got the consumer mindset all figured out...

Re:Amazing

[slim]

Why in the hell do I need 3 fucking USB ports on an underpowered toy?

Keyboard, mouse, flash drive, and they're all used up.

What well-adjusted person would connect a fucking tablet to a TV?

Just as an example, you could show one person your holiday photos on the tablet, or plug into a big TV to show a larger group of people.

What is the benefit of running 1080i video on this tiny ass screen?

They important thing is that this "underpowered toy" can *decode* 1080p video: no need to transcode to a smaller format just to play it on your tablet. Plus, as you noted, plug it into a TV to see the full resolution.

Re:Amazing

[0ld_d0g]

Yes, I won't buy the iPad in its current form. Whats your problem with people expressing their opinion? Regardless of whether you do or don't like their products, do you *want* Apple to screw consumers?

Its a typical strategy which many consumer device manufactures use. "Invent" some proprietary way to connect accessories to their device and get a cut for every "apple approved" accessory sold.

Pixel Qi displays

[naz404]

I've had the pleasure of getting my hands on a One Laptop Per Child XO-1 laptop (which uses a Pixel Qi display).

I'm relatively sure they were shooting it in color backlit mode in that footage. When you put a Pixel Qi display in sunlight/under bright lights, it'll look like classic black and white LCD even when the backlight is on. When you move it back into the shade/low-light, you'll see the backlit pixels in color again. The nice thing about it is that even if you don't turn off the backlight, it'll still be sunlight readable.

Even nicer is that if you turn off the backlight, the display will look like those old black & white Nintendo Game & Watch or Gameboy LCDs and it consumes so little power, extending battery life tons.

Re:Sigh,

[Arthur Grumbine]

According to Notion Ink, there will be different versions (probably based on 3G capabilities, internal storage like the iPad) ranging from $327 to $800. I don't really know how they could be making a profit @ $327 with everything they crammed in there, but I'm pretty damn hopeful.