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Would You Use a Smartphone-Style Laptop With a Three-Day Battery Life? (king5.com)
An anonymous reader quotes USA Today:
"Always connected personal computers" -- or ACPCs -- refer to a new breed of Windows laptops with three key features: a battery that can last multiple days; instant-on access when you open the lid or touch a key; and an optional high-speed cellular connection, to avoid hunting for a Wi-Fi hotspot to get online. In other words, your laptop is going to behave a lot more like your smartphone...
In fact, with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, ASUS is claiming battery life of up to 22 hours of continuous video playback, and up to 30 days on standby. At $799, the ASUS NovaGo (model # TP370) will also be the first always-connected PC with a 360-degree flip hinge -- making it a "2-in-1" that can convert from laptop mode to a tablet by bending back the 13.3-inch screen -- and the first with Gigabit LTE speeds, for an always on, always connected experience.
ASUS's media relations director touts the high-speed cellular connections -- which consumers pay for separately -- as 3 to 7 times faster than broadband. "It allows you to download a 2-hour movie in about 10 seconds."
And Qualcomm's senior director of product management says there's more ways that it's like a smartphone. "Even when the screen is off, it's still connected, so when I open the lid, it does facial recognition, and I'm in."
In fact, with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, ASUS is claiming battery life of up to 22 hours of continuous video playback, and up to 30 days on standby. At $799, the ASUS NovaGo (model # TP370) will also be the first always-connected PC with a 360-degree flip hinge -- making it a "2-in-1" that can convert from laptop mode to a tablet by bending back the 13.3-inch screen -- and the first with Gigabit LTE speeds, for an always on, always connected experience.
ASUS's media relations director touts the high-speed cellular connections -- which consumers pay for separately -- as 3 to 7 times faster than broadband. "It allows you to download a 2-hour movie in about 10 seconds."
And Qualcomm's senior director of product management says there's more ways that it's like a smartphone. "Even when the screen is off, it's still connected, so when I open the lid, it does facial recognition, and I'm in."
netbook?
#DeleteChrome
Phone with a big screen and decent keyboard? Sounds great.
Based on the frequency of my auto-correct based typos you can probably tell that I post from my phone a lot already.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
Do not want under any circumstances. *I* decide when *MY* devices connect.
Do you want to use an Intel Atom notebook for 800 bucks? Cause that is what is actually asked.
If it's anything like the last ASUS I owned (a TF101 Transformer) the keyboard will be shit (half the keys will stop working within 12 months) and there'll be a half-dozen dead pixels that, with microscopic examination, turn out to be grass seeds under the glass. How the fuck do grass seeds get inside a screen at the factory?
My Tandy 102 has over a week of battery life.
My "feature phone" cellphone I used to use before I had to get an android for work e-mails, lasted almost a WEEK with constant use.
If it were up to me, I'd have a shitty feature phone that ALSO had a hotspot support, and then I'd just use my laptop whenever I want.
Touchscreens are complete shit and the antithesis of productivity. I'm not writing comments online with a freakin' touch keyboard, it's a PITA--let alone anything productive on a cellphone. Other than checking e-mails, phone calls, and texts, there is nothing productive that comes from my phone. It's just dinking off viewing social media when I should be taking a shit.
Yes if I can install Linux on it. I love the concept of very lightweight, long battery life and still a full OS with a keyboard.
I've got a Lenovo MIIx, which I like, but never managed to get Linux running on it properly as it needs 64 bit UEfi but the processor (atom) is limited to 32 bit. I managed to get multiarch Debian on it but it would freeze within minutes after boot. It's probably my only device with just Windows on it and I now hardly ever use it.
A device that can run for days, and has a full desktop OS on it definitely has purpose for me, I just prefer that to be Linux.
Btw this link has much more info on the device
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Would You Use a Smartphone-Style Laptop With a Three-Day Battery Life?
Just reading that headline made me think of a tiny smartphone sized laptop, but on further inspection they seem to be talking about a regular old 13.3 inch laptop with a built in mobile network chip, lots of batteries and 360 degree hinges so you can use it as tablet. I will never say no to more battery capacity and I like the idea of a mobile network chip built straight into the laptop. My dad had a similar device from ASUS and quite frankly I was not impressed with their service or the robustness of the hinge system and Asus' battery life claims were extremely optimistic. The thing also died after a few months of light use and had to be replaced, but I am going to assume that is not the rule with Asus devices since I have not used enough of their gadgets to judge. Finally, I would probably want to run something other than Windows but that is a personal preference.
1. it runs Linux, I mean the manufacturer (e.g. Qualcomm) is committed to integrate and support Linux
2. The manufacturer is committed to enable the most efficient powersaving with Linux
3. Specs are not limited or crippled in some way (like netbooks in the past)
Otherwise I'd move along...
I have a Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 pro that does this, add a bluetooth keyboard - and you have that laptop you're talking about.
The key to long battery time, is to DISABLE WIFI. Bluetooth is okay, it uses a fleafart's energy of power, but WIFI is another beast, it sucks the batteries dry within hours of any device.
When I disable wifi, it's not uncommon for me to have the device on for a whole week, and still able to just within seconds turn on wifi and go on about my business as nothing happened.
The always-connected isn't really needed, and if it is - you'll be recharging it anyway.
What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
Because it's not about running time, it's about "hey buy our new cool allways-connected-to-the-mothership-so-we-can-track-and-sell-your-data-to-the-advertisment-mob-operating-system".
I have a Chromebook, so I already have a lot of this. I'd like my Chromebook to have more battery life, but it's already really good, and I don't want to carry the extra battery weight.
I don't want to pay a monthly for connectivity for my laptop. If I really need connectivity, I'll tether the phone.
This is too much money to lug around. I like my laptops to be cheap enough to lose/get crushed without me getting upset.
But the real show-stopper for this ASUS thing is that it's Windows. Why in heavens name would I want ANYTHING Windows?
Sounds a lot like the Psion I carried for years when I was a working consultant -- actually a series 3 and then a series 5. liquid crystal display, SSDs for storage and a very usable but tiny keyboard. A pity they never got traction this side of the pond. And ran on AA batteries for weeks -- a very practical pocket computer, something I miss when using my smartphone. With wireless connectivity (still many years in the future) it would have been perfect. Nokia and Microsoft made sure it died... but they still make industrial stuff.
It's making a comeback. Kind of.
https://www.indiegogo.com/proj...
Certainly not if it was locked into a ms os.
12" - 13" ARM Linux Laptop, thin, made of direct recycled plastic.
Point in case: I have a cheapo 11" Chromebook based on ARM. It has the smallest and shittiest battery you can imagine but still runs approx. 6 hours on a single charge. I'd love to have a decent portable rasberry pi style laptop with 30+hrs runtime. I'd prefer that over some overpowered Apple thingie. Especially for us programmers the prospect of a lightweight 30+ hour linux laptop is particularly enticing.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
I like laptops with larger screens and keyboards. A smartphone/tablet doesn't replace the functionality of a laptop.
Maybe it's a Canadian thing but I wouldn't consider this until I could get an unlimited bandwidth plan.
I'd only use the browser minimally except when I had WiFi access which means I would use it the same as any other laptop.
Maybe Google or Microsoft could take on the bit providers here in Canada (Bell, Rogers & Telus) and open up the market(s) for this type of device.
Mimetics Inc. Twitter
The article specifically talks about a device with a cellular connection. If you think wifi uses a lot of power, you are going to have a very nasty surprise with cellular radio on! ;)
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. Polar Scope Align for iOS
Perhaps I fall into the category of your 2nd biggest problem.. but I have no idea about what you are complaining about and what you want.
Scripting/configurability... in the GUI? To do what exactly? What would your ideal OS/GUI/whatever actually look like and do?
" a battery that can last multiple days; "
Who needs that? Unless you live in Kentucky and have to watch the moonshine still for a couple days and watch porn in the sticks.
If I lived somewhere with actual telecom competition and a government willing to enforce it, then yeah, I could see it being somewhat useful.
Since I live in a rural part of Canada and I'm not rich, good 'ol wifi and a 12-hour battery life suits me just fine and I'll keep my cellular devices to the bare minimum.
Log in or piss off.
"Even when the screen is off, it's still connected, so when I open the lid, it does facial recognition, and I'm in."
No. Nononono. Nope. NO.
It's called an iPad Air with a keyboard case. Already connected to Wifi and Cellular, and I can do all my basic connectivity with it that I can on my PC. Only thing lacking is ability to really program on it effectively.
Whatever you do, it doesn't involve squeezing the display and squishing them dead...
. ' .
Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
The only reason I ever touch Windows is for games... everything I do with work, social media, etc is on iOS or a Mac. If these machines wonâ(TM)t run steam and subsequent games unmodified theyâ(TM)re a non-starter.
There is no WAY I'd touch it;
One fine, bright day my Asus WiFi router suddenly went off the air. Hit the power switch to reboot. No lights. Did the wall wart fail? No, good voltage at the connector. Just for giggles, I opened up and bypassed the mechanical power switch. Here it is back on the air! Yea!!!! Wait, no one touch that switch. It was in a closet. WTF!?
Asus ROG G750JW: At least twice a month I have to re-seat drives. It's a 17 inch unit and there enough "flex" so that handling (lifting to my lap) causes the drives to have a poor connection and fail the system
You don't EVEN want to know about the RAM under the keyboard that requires complete disassembly to get at.
"22 hours of continuous video playback"
"It allows you to download a 2-hour movie in about 10 seconds."
"Movies"? Is this all people use computers for these days?
I don't respond to AC's.
So you're literally a lousy German?
echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
The don't do any harm though, apart from being slightly annoying.
it's really annoying when they decide to drop dead behind the glass.
SJW n. One who posts facts.
Sure, if it ran Ubuntu, I'd consider buying it. But honestly, I'm very happy with my Dell XPS13, so it's going to need to work well.
First, you will not be getting any 3 days of active use battery life. That is impossible. The screen alone will drain a 60wh battery in less than 8 hours on a 13 incher if you use it with anymuch comfortable brightness levels
Always on and connected is the way things are headed and one reason providers don't want net neutrality and their data plans regulated under utilities rules. Sure, the ASUS NovaGo is $799, but using it, your annual data plan costs are sure to be higher than that.
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
Years ago when WiFi was less prevalent I was using a Sony-Ericsson PCMCIA card in my laptops for Internet connectivity "everywhere". Later I moved on to tethering my Blackberry, it took just a little bit of technical knowledge and cost was quite low. Nowadays though with ubiquitous WiFi it's not clear the idea will serve more than a niche market. Or nostalgia.
If this device can be completely turned-off and not auto-magically get turned on again, yes. I've thought for awhile the convergence of Smartphone technology and laptop would happen in a real way ... eventually.
What I think will happen? This will go over well and I bet I see this floating around soon ... if the price is right.
If I can't run photoshop, won't have it. I use it almost every day. Plus, I have a lot of business specific programs that I have to run, that probably won't work like I want. Good for some, but at that price, I'll take a laptop instead.
Just switch on airplane mode. Make the battery lasts even longer.
The device would either have that mode, or be banned on planes. Would be fun to watch if the device cannot login when offline though.
Oliver.
WIMP is fine with a stylus as long as it's a good one.
The one on my 8" Windows tablet can be set so that touch is a pointer, and click is either a double-tap *or* press and hold *or* one of the buttons on the pen barrel.
Usually I keep it set so that I can drag with press-and-hold and use one of the barrel buttons for right-click.
Of course, the stylus does take a battery. One AAAA battery. Keep a spare, because they're not very expensive but holy hell are they hard to find locally if you need one right away.
if that WiFi is getting data from the Internet then it's using some form of paid service too.
But with a two orders of magnitude higher monthly cap (1000 GB/mo instead of 10 GB/mo), and shareable with another member of your household without an additional fee per device.
you can set them up as a personal hotspot for your laptop or other device with no stress.
Does "Add the personal hotspot feature to your plan for only $xx more a month" count as "no stress" to you?
When you get it for "free" by placing a smartphone chip in a laptop format, why the heck not?
I imagine that the expectation of using cellular Internet may make users more willing to accept application lockdown, with the excuse "you can always SSH/X11/VNC/RDP to your home PC or to a cloud server in order to run apps that the OS publisher hasn't approved." A lot of iPad users have fed me that line when I mentioned that a locked-down device wouldn't be suitable for the lightweight hobby coding work that I did on a Dell netbook.
Youd have the option to subscribe to cellular internet.
How much would "subscrib[ing] to cellular internet" cost over the course of this laptop's expected service life? Add it to the sticker price. Or would you instead recommend that people cancel home Internet to make room in the budget for cellular Internet?
Or you could opt to rely on using wifi
Provided Wi-Fi is available. When I'm riding the city bus between home and work, it isn't, as the bus passes by each individual hotspot too quickly for my device to associate. Thus I need a device whose applications support being offline for up to an hour at a time.
(which could even be by tethering ti an existing cell)
Which in turn becomes cost-prohibitive when your cell carrier charges $359.84 per year plus taxes and surcharges for the privilege of "tethering ti an existing cell". (Source)
I'm still using one of the first T100s [...] Never given me any grief.
Last I checked, GNU/Linux on a T100 was missing a whole bunch of stuff. In particular, backlight brightness cannot be controlled, the camera is not detected, and suspend causes a full freeze.
with ubiquitous WiFi
Depends on the city. Some cities' public transit systems provide Wi-Fi to riders; other cities' do not. Citilink in Fort Wayne, Indiana, does not.
My answer to the question in the headline is a BIG NO.... I have my cellphone that are using 4G all the time, and that is good enough for me. If I want to use a real computer, then I can wait untill I get home.
Just give me a ~13" laptop, with a good quality screen (ie. a good TN panel, or preferably IPS, 1080p), fanless, decent build quality, a good keyboard and a good touchpad, and 15+ hours of battery life.
So in other words, give me my old Acer Chromebook 13, but replace the horribly low-performance Nvidia Tegra K1 for something with actual usable desktop performance, upgrade the battery and ditch ChromeOS for actual Linux. As a bonus, give me a dock connector, or at least full docking (USB+Displayport+charging) over USB-C.
Eat the rich.
How would they know I am tethering?
Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, Debian (or anything else with apt), and Fedora (or anything else with yum/dnf) all phone home to check for system software updates. Your ISP can see what hostnames your device is accessing through DNS requests and the Server Name Indication field of TLS ClientHello. If these include some desktop operating system's software update repository, or Google Play Store while the SIM is in an iPhone, or Apple App Store while the SIM is in an Android phone, you're tethering. Or if these include substantial traffic to sites relying on Flash Player, such as Newgrounds, Albino Blacksheep, Dagobah, Kongregate, or the like, you're tethering. If popular sites that use an m. hostname consistently fail to redirect you to the m. hostname, you're tethering. If you're consistently connecting on ports used by a desktop application not ported to mobile, you're tethering.