I'm happy to see research on higher DPI small screens because perhaps this forecasts seeing the next resolution jump in phones soon. As others have noted, the 4"+ diagonal screens on phones now are typically 800x480 or 854x480 and that just isn't good enough for my eyes (a bit worse than average). But go to 1280x768 (my favorite aspect ratio sitting between 1280x720 which seems kind of narrow for a phone and 1280x800 which is a little wide) and you have the following DPI vs. diagonal:
4.1 364 4.2 355 4.3 347 4.4 339 4.5 332
For me, bigger is better up to about 4.5 and after that (e.g. Dell Streak), devices get too big to comfortably pocket. But any screen in this range with at least 1280x720 will be a welcome addition to Android or other phone platforms.
I don't think companies should give up on this model (selling and supporting an unsubsidized phone). Google failed, but my understanding is they didn't have the right support infrastructure (and the phone with the carriers available had too many initial problems requiring support). But a better phone and organized support could still succeed in the US (elsewhere is easier I hear). But there needs to be better promotion of how much it will cost you assuming you don't break your phone in the first 2 years (most won't) compared to plans that subsidize phones. I don't even know what the best US carriers are for offering unsubsidized plans. How much cheaper are they per month? Since phones are often subsidized $350 or more, they'd have to be $15/mo cheaper compared to a 2 year subsidized phone plan.
I'm sure most slashdotters know of this phone (geeksphone.com, great video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC1M77xKn6w) , but I just found out about it - out of the box rooted. That's the way all phones should be, but how many will by this one (which is seriously outdated now - I'd only consider their next model).
This problem is annoying. I tried a G1 for a month and didn't like it, and have been using an iPhone 3G for almost two years (it is marginally better overall than the G1 but with a different set of problems for me).
Really in the long run, the solution is to break the carrier subsidy altogether for phones that can only be used on that carrier. To increase real competition, one needs to be able to buy a decent phone for about 3-$400 in today's money and then get month to month service from different networks at a price that overall after 2 years is not any more expensive than getting a carrier subsidized phone and a plan that locks you in for two years (hopefully it will be less with competition). I come from the perspective of wanting a lot more government regulation so I see no problem with the US government telling carriers they have to do it this way so we can have a truly competitive market. I know it's unrealistic now, and there is an added problem that different networks have some different hardware requirements (for different waveforms), but future silicon should be able to handle this (I think there is already at least one model that will do CDMA or GSM).
I'm frustrated enough with the current Android situation that I find myself musing about the Meego OS. Tne Nokia N9 is nothing but rumors now - I'll have to see how good it actually is. Won't be available when my contract is up though (Dec), so I may just search for an Android phone that I know can either be rooted or is essentially a stock Android release (3.0 I hope) with very little crap added on and nothing taken away (as is my impression of the original Droid).
This argument (backcountry communications causes more problems than it will solve) was hashed out many times (with me as one of the participants) in rec.backcountry 20 years ago. I still feel strongly that I'd rather have universal communications over the globe for everyone at reasonable cost and we will sort out downsides later. When you or a friend/family member are the one with a difficult to treat medical condition in the backcountry, you will most likely want it too. Satellite bandwidth is expensive and high bit rates to satellites take a lot of power, so for me, I'd rather have small handsets that can send ~1 kpbs packet messages and use text and (perhaps a few pictures if there is a medical situation).
The story references people who press a single button asking for a rescue. Well anyone can see this is never going to work well. Rescuers need to be able to communicate with the backcountry party to determine if a rescue situation is really necessary, or if simply giving directions (for a small fee perhaps) will suffice. They can even give the price of the rescue over the device if they are trying to discourage the particular rescue. I personally feel that if a party does nothing stupid, and gets hit by something unexpected in the backcountry that a rescue should just be part of the overall expense of universal health care, but I understand many people will feel differently. But it really bugged me in the past to have people argue against technology in the first place. Given this is Slashdot, I don't expect to see that much of this type of argument. For sure, we need better technology than one button rescue devices.
I have never seen dBm/sqrt(Hz) before and I'm not sure what that wound mean. At work, we use dBm/Hz all the time, and I know that means: x_dBm = 10*log10(x_mW/Hz). Where x_mW is a measure of milliwatts from 1 Hz of bandwidth (BW). Power scales with BW, not the sqrt of BW, so I don't know where your unit could come from.
Well for one, some people are capable of focusing a lot closer - 4 and even 3 inches is possible. 12 inches at 300 DPI is like 3 inches at 1200 DPI. For me, I can't even come close to focusing at those distances so 300 DPI is about the limit. For another, the cost penalty of going from 300 to 600 to 1200 DPI isn't that significant for a printer, so why not? When display technology improves even further, we'll see if higher DPIs offer a marketable advantage, but I suspect we are getting near the end.
I've been a proponent for 300+ DPI screens for quite a while. I never got to see the Neo Freerunner (282 DPI), but the Droid (265 DPI) looks good. Jobs is correct, from about about 10-12 inches viewing, this is what is needed to have the device seem like paper. My preference though is to take that high DPI to a bigger screen - say something like 1280x720 with 4.8" diagonal (308 DPI). New Snapdragons are supporting 1280x800 (not sure I like 16/10 better than 16/9 for phones - it is the standard for laptops these days), so hopefully we'll see some Android phones with these high DPI numbers soon.
I have an iPhone now (after bailing on my G1 after a month) and I'm thinking of this type of large display phone when my contract is up this December. After using a 3.5" 3x2 screen, I can appreciate wanting a much larger one. Some have said the Dell is too big - it's too small to do real work on, but yet too big to fit comfortably in your pocket (or up to your head if you don't have bluetooth handy). This may be true, but the larger form factor (say a screen at least 4.7" - the Dell Streak was often quoted to have 4.8", but O2's sheet (http://www.o2.co.uk/dellstreak/dellstreakspec) says 5", anybody know the real answer? also, a 800x480 screen is not 16x9 unless the pixels are not square - is that the case?) does have its advantages when using onscreen keyboards or viewing maps, photos, or web content. My eyes just can't focus much closer than 10" anymore, so I appreciate a good angle of view at that distance. In the future, I hope these size devices can pump up the resolution - by the time you get to 4.7 to 5", it really is meaningful to go all the way to 720p (1280x720). The video camera of these devices will capture at that resolution and of course a lot of youtube content at 720p is available.
The things that disappointment me on this phone are a) there is too much margin from the screen to the edge,b) it's kind of heavy, and c) Android 1.6. Assuming it is a 5", square pixel, 800x480 screen with case dimensions 153x79 mm, that results in borders of 11.5 mm on the sides and 27 mm top and bottom. My iPhone has 6 and 21 mm and I want to see this dropped to 5 and 12-15 (depending on how much of a constraint the mic and speaker are). I want a big screen, but I still want to get a slim profile in my pocket. It's nice they got the thickness down to 10 mm, but I'd rather take a 1 or 2 mm hit on thickness to shrink the other two dimensions. I suppose the big device with Gorilla glass had to weigh that much, but holding 220 g in my pocket might take some getting used to. Finally, the choice of a modded 1.6 OS is ridiculous. Just give me the stock Android already. I wish Google would market the advantages of using a standard stock OS (like easier updating) and more of the manufacturers would offer stock models. I'm not interested in any of modifications (regardless of the success HTC has supposedly had), the whole point of Android for me was to have companies differentiate themselves on hardware (like a PC), not on software.
I hope they are many 4.7"+ devices available by the end of the year.
> I've never heard of anyone having problems with fumes from a zamboni. If you're going to paint hypotheticals about front-row asthma sufferers as an advantage of the electric version, then citation needed.
Sorry, I don't have a citation, but my sister felt bad after ice resurfacing when we were kids (35 years ago) and my parents took her to the hospital and she did have elevated CO levels in her blood (sorry, I don't have numbers for you). I assume the device (Zamboni or not) was not operating correctly. At least when electric devices don't operate well, they don't make more pollution. A good reason to move to electric cars and infrastructure to support them if you ask me.
I don't wear glasses (but I'm close), but I wonder if we will start to see prescription eyeglasses with circular polarization if 3D TV really takes off. I forget the logic of polarizing sunglasses for glare - something about reflections off water to be more likely to be polarized a certain direction. I suppose the is a 3 dB hit in light intensity, so the glasses would pass less light (maybe not as good for reading glasses). But a photo-chromatic pair of circular polarized sunglasses that got reasonably clear for watching TV or movies at the theater, could be possible I would think.
Although this thread has nothing to do with this topic and I doubt many will read this, I just want to chime in with a pitch for high DPI displays that are meant for viewing close (phones, laptops). I use a 15.4" WUXGA (147 DPI) laptop and an iPhone (165 DPI) now. But I'd happily upgrade to an 11 cm (4.34") diag 1280x720 phone display (339 DPI) which at near 10" in viewing distance is sharp enough (i.e. the pixels aren't wasted if your eyes can focus as close as 10" or so). For a laptop, I'd like 14.1" (I'd prefer this size now, but no one makes a 14.1" WUXGA that I know of), and I'll take as much DPI as I can have up to 300+ just like the phone (e.g., 3840x2160 is 312 DPI). I realize the laptop size is tough, but given some very high DPI 854x480 phone screens (the Droid is 265 DPI), I think we will see a phone display like this in a few years.
It's true some software doesn't handle this well and I don't have much Linux experience on anything but 19" 1600x1200 screens (my laptop is XP which is good enough more or less at 165 DPI with the DPI set in the display properties). But the bottom line is we have to move away from this software to easily scalable GUIs NOW. The fact that Android isn't as far as I know sucks. I thought some of the GUIs for Linux weren't that bad, but again I don't really know.
But just think of what you can do with such high resolution displays. How much easier is it when you don't have to zoom way in to a map to read features and then pan around when if it were as good as paper, you could get quite close to the display and zoom out and still see what is going on. This helps for street maps and topo maps. Then there is the ability to be the best photo display possible (and perhaps reducing the need to make as many prints). And there is the appeal of a portable HD video display (on the phone size).
Even with the criticisms (e.g., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MagSafe), one thing I've been impressed with Apple on (and there aren't that many) is the MagSafe connector. I've had way too many problems with other connectors wearing out and not working, and occasionally, the the yanking unintentionally almost causing havoc problem.
I'd love to see the next generation data connections (with power transfer) be magnetic. To solve the short problem, the power transfer could be inductive, and the optical connection isn't going to short. I'd be happy to have every single damn cable I ever have to use in the future be some variation of MagSafe.
I really enjoyed and agreed with almost the entire piece by John Gruber linked to in the summary (http://daringfireball.net/2009/08/the_android_opportunity). My problem with the G1 was my impression of the hardware, I actually returned it and got an iPhone 3G. I coworker kept his G1 and is now complaining that he can't load as many apps as he wants due to the restriction of where apps can be loaded (not on the SD card). Android itself seemed OK, definitely not polished enough for my tastes, and I know Google can do better - I'm mostly satisfied with search, email, Picasa, Google Earth, etc.
However, the comment that the high end Android phone to knock the iPhone 3Gs off the throne should have a built in battery is crazy. If the only reason is to prevent a creaky case, I'm sure there is a solution that uses screws that would at least allow users to replace batteries without having to go somewhere or send their phone in the mail. Better yet is to allow a battery on the back that goes on with a single recessed thumbscrew or bayonet that can be made snug (e.g. my Garmin eTrex has no creaking) AND allow for multiple 3rd party options for battery packs that run the gamut from thin low life to very thick, very long life.
My other thoughts on what I want in a high end phone are:
- a very high resolution large screen: 3.5" 480x320 isn't doing it for me. I want at a minimum 4.5" 854x480 and even better would be to go all the way to a 720p HD screen for watching video (1280x720, 60 Hz refresh or better, enough bits for a good color gamut). If a phone can be made with very thin borders on either side of the width of the screen (say 3 mm) and only moderate borders on the length (say 8.5 mm), then a 5" display can fit in a phone that is 128x68mm which is smaller than a Nokia 810 (with only a 4.1" screen). If bigger borders are needed, scale the diagonal down a bit to still fit in the 128x68 mm form factor (just a bit narrower than a 3"x5" card).
- some powerful ports: with such a nice display, I'd like a tethered camera with a lens that is much nicer than anything I can fit into a phone and then plug it in to take a picture. This way I can a) hold the lens part high in the air to shoot over people's heads or low to the ground to shoot kids from a better vantage point while still standing comfortably as well as face the display any direction I want even with a jacket over my head if the sun is too much for the display.
- add a radio section (software radio if possible) that is optimized for medium distance (a mile or a bit more) data communications on unlicensed bands between two devices without using any cell phone towers. I'm often out of service when in the backcountry and sometimes need to coordinate with a partner (sometimes the partner is only 50 meters away on a climbing rope and I can't yell to them or get rope tugs to work very well)
If this is a significant issue, I would have expected to see a bigger problem on Android phones by now. I had a G1 for 30 days, and then switched to the iPhone as the G1 in November was too flaky for me, but the one thing I absolutely hate is not being able to put a program I write or download from a trusted source onto my phone. I'll probably go back to Android in another 1 1/2 years and by then, hopefully the hardware will be better. Or maybe Apple will remove this annoying restriction at some point before then and they might keep me. My iPhone is a bit flaky too, they need better hardware also - I've reinstalled twice when it wouldn't turn on. I'm a bit hesitant to jailbreak and potentially be causing myself more headaches.
Dara
The one app I'm willing to pay for is at least out for the iPhone (in 4 flavors) and is unavailable for the G1 - the ability to view topographic USGS maps offline with your position (search for topographic on the app store). So there is something to be said for being on the more popular platform. I sure hope Android gets more popular - I wish I could have helped, but that first phone was driving me crazy.
Disclaimer: I'd rather have a thinner phone with only an on screen keyboard (better than the iPhone's which I don't like in portrait mode at all)
I tried the G1 out yesterday at a store and I was pleasantly surprised at some things - the bend at the bottom (the chin) wasn't nearly as annoying as I thought it would be. It still fits in my pocket comfortably and with my sized hands, I had no problems reaching with my right hand to the middle of the keyboard without the chin part in the way. Though I don't buy the idea that the microphone positioning is helped that much by the bend, it does sit in your hand nicely when the phone is up to your ear. I still think the chin was a bad idea though because a) they have been getting a ridiculous amount of bad press about it because it looks dumb, and b) if they had just gone with a full length slider instead like an Xperia or Nokia N810, they could have used the full length for the keyboard which would have made the spacing better yet. But the biggest problem with the phone for me is that the keys do not raise up enough from the surface. My thumbs get some serious resistance from the surface around the key before it is depressed enough to actuate. That sucks. I liked the keyboard on the Sidekick I tried in the store better.
The other hardware quirk that bugs me, but isn't a deal breaker is the stupid proprietary connector (http://www.hardwarebook.info/ExtUSB). I'd rather have a standard Micro-USB (http://news.cnet.com/Pros-seem-to-outdo-cons-in-new-phone-charger-standard/2100-1041_3-6209247.html) and a 3.5 mm headphone jack (using the same 4 connector design Apple uses if this is non-proprietary, or 3 connector if it isn't).
My other main concern is just how well the GPS works. One poster here said it worked great. The reviews are very mixed - some say it is terrible, some pretty good. I'm waiting for a thorough analysis of its performance (especially unassisted performance) before deciding to get it or wait for a G2 from T-mobile or someone else (I'm an AT&T customer now, but though I don't have any horror stories, I don't particularly like their policies either). I started a thread at http://forums.t-mobile.com/tmbl/board/message?board.id=87&thread.id=1969&view=by_date_ascending&page=1 on the topic of unassisted GPS performance in case anybody is interested.
I only skimmed the article, but one thing I looked for that I'm hoping to understand someday is why a different protocol wouldn't have worked just as well and gotten rid of the problem of interference with mp3 players in your pocket and other devices (until you actually get a call or message). My idea is simple: All towers have unique id sequences that are broadcast on some type of beacon. Phones can be on some type of schedule where they wake up every few seconds to few minutes, demodulate and decode the beacon and determine if the id sequence has changed. Only if it has changed, does the phone need to contact the network to let it know it has moved to a different cell. I'm sick and tired of sitting at my desk and having my phone cause interference every 10-20 minutes. This is a waste of power and it annoys me.
I mostly agree with the idea that my impression of an SDK shootout was it would give me an idea of the ease of development of a particular type of application given some familiarity with the design flow on each platform. But it is also true that there are a few annoyances on the Apple SDK side. I have access to a Mac, but it is one point behind on the OS - no go. Maybe there is some justification for this, but it still is annoying. If I get the person who owns this Mac to upgrade it, I still am extremely unhappy with some of the terms of the SDK involving what you can talk about in forums with other developers. One of the main apps I'd like to see on Android or iPhone (I haven't picked a platform yet) is the ability to view topographic maps (either freely available, or ideally, ones you have purchased from say National Geographic like I have) whether or not the phone is connected to the network. I can see the likelihood of this type of app being much greater if it can be developed in a more community like atmosphere than the one Apple currently has in mind. So the other stuff matters too. Probably articles should be written towards one point or the other and then titled appropriately.
Will Android be able to handle higher resolutions than 480x320? I'm interested in much higher resolution displays. There is a 2.9" 800x480 display right now (320+ dpi), so my wish for a 4.5 to 5" screen with 1280x720 isn't that crazy. I want all the resolution I can get to display maps and photos at resolutions approaching paper. For a phone with a screen this big, I don't want any buttons at all on the front face, but a slide out keyboard would be nice.
I've heard the arguments against mail in ballots such as loss of anonymity, and possibilities of coercion, but they don't strike me as big as a problem as some of the disasters we've had in the US recently in Florida and Ohio. I live in California and am on permanent absentee ballot status. In Oregon, everyone is in that boat. If you search for oregon mail vote, you will find positive articles as well as this FAQ: http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dbcs/elections/election_information/voting_in_oregon.shtml where they say:
Can someone find out how I've voted? No. All ballots are separated from the return envelope before the ballots are inspected. This process ensures confidentiality.
I realize this isn't good enough for some and it wouldn't be good enough for me in many other countries but as much as I distrust my government in other ways, I'm willing to trust them enough to always vote my true preference here (hell, I don't mind admitting who I voted for on the internet either, so I guess I don't really count).
I can't imagine what it is like to have a spouse coerce your vote. I suppose it would be possible if someone was that pathological, they could demand compliance at the voting booth and scare the other person into thinking they couldn't lie and get away with it either. It would be interesting to see the numbers of this happening and compare that to the numbers of disenfranchised voters in Ohio waiting for hours in the rain.
My choice in the US is for a common format mail in ballot for all the states. (It is also for a heck of a lot of other election reform, some of which could be taken from the UK - like having shorter election schedules - I'm ready for this one to be over now.)
I may end up getting a D830 instead, but I'm going to consider an E1505 anyway. For anyone else thinking of getting one, how would they configure it? I know I'd get the densest screen (which unfortunately isn't WUXGA) and probably a 120 GB drive and the DVD writer. I'm less clear on how to choose processor or memory though. For processors, speed, cache size, FSB speed all vary:
Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T7200 (4MB Cache/2.00GHz/667MHz FSB) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T5600 (2MB Cache/1.83GHz/667MHz FSB) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T5300 (2MB Cache/1.73GHz/533MHz FSB) Core(TM) processor DUO processor T2350 2MB Cache/1.86GHz Pentium® dual-core proc T2080(1MB Cache/1.73GHz/533MHz FSB)
I figured I'd get the T5600 but no real logic there.
I've never used 2 GB on a Linux box, so I don't know how much better that makes things, but the memory options are:
512MB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 DIMM 1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm 1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHZ, 2 DIMM 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHZ, 2 DIMM 2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHZ, 2 DIMM
I'd get at least 1 GB, but I don't know how to choose between the two types.
I won't get a System 76 machine, because I'm unhappy with the maximum resolution on the screen. I'm not aware of too many other Linux preloaded solutions with at least a 1680 x 1050 screen so if I want to support a company that is going to make Linux available, this is my main chance so far.
(update: I see they have added an NVIDIA video card option - presumably I'd go that route over Intel for better performance watching HDTV on a high res screen).
It's true that Apple's share of the business market is less than Dell's, but I think that is for different reasons than Apple making only 2 well designed model lines (though not my speed - I don't like OS X). There is no reason that any of the features you list can't be options on the same laptop offered for home use (in fact biometric stuff is optional on Latitude last time I checked). I think many home consumers want a reliable laptop with decent battery life that is well built - it's annoying to have so many choices placed in a different category that is (according to some) more difficult to buy from if you are a home user. If it were me, I'd change the Latitude not all that much and dump most of the Inspirons.
Well if this is the lineup ("We will be launching a Linux based OS (Ubuntu) on the E520, 1505 and XPS 410 starting next Thursday, 5/24." from Jeremy's Blog), I guess I have to wait longer. I'm only interested in WUXGA - the 15.4" Latitude D830 would have been nice, but I'd have considered the E1705 too. If I have to buy an unsupported model and install Linux myself, there is less incentive to pick Dell in the first place.
I seconded ideas on ideastorm that suggested Dell get rid of this stupid division between Latitude and Inspiron, but who knows if that will ever happen. Just a single line of well built laptops in a few different screen sizes is all we need (it works for Apple and if Dell wants to entire the retail market seriously, it would help to have a reduced model line).
I've been poking around ever since the announcement, but haven't come across any information on which laptops will be offered. I'd probably opt for a Dell latitude D830, but I have a feeling it is only Inspirons that will be made available with Ubuntu. I'm not sure when anything is supposed to be available either - there was talk of a couple weeks earlier this month though. Is anybody speculating yet?
When I type in 1945 and 2005 into http://www.westegg.com/inflation/, it shows an inflation of about a factor of 10. Given I don't think they had 1/10 of a cent in 1945, what the hell do we need with either of these stupid coins now? If it were up to me, I'd get rid of the quarter too and use the more sensible 1, 2, 5 progression of the Euro. So we can keep the dime as is, come up with a new design for 20 cents , 50 cents, 1 dollar and 2 dollar and then redesign the paper bills (5, 10, 20, 50, 100) to be telescoping in length as they should have been this last go around.
I completely disagree with this ridiculous waste of money we've been spending in the US on electronic voting. The best solution by far is to do what Oregon does or what any voter can choose to do in California (and perhaps other states) which is get a ballot a month or so in advance and fill it out with a pencil. You don't have to mail it in, you can drop it off at the polling place last minute (usually the case for me).
Now, addressing Hugh's points to this question:
1] Disabled voters: Why in the world does it matter for disabled voters to cast their ballot using the same mechanism? With that logic, every stall in my workplace bathroom should be wheelchair accessible. Of course machines need to be available for disabled voters to vote, but these should only spit out a marked paper ballot that is identical to everybody else's and then get pushed into the same counting mechanism. This way the machines need no networking software, (ok, they need a printer, at least there wouldn't be that many of them)
2] Ambiguity: I just can't accept the idea it is difficult to make optical scanning machines that literally NEVER make an error an anything resembling a reasonable mark on a ballot, stray marks or not. How hard is it to compare the count on the number of black pixels (below a certain threshold of reflectivity) and award the vote to the circle with the most number of black pixels? Sure, there will always be voters too stupid to follow directions and will fill in two circles. I'm willing to optimize the ballot design for these people (i.e., no poorly designed butterfly ballots), but not to use them as justification for giving up on pen and paper.
3] Counting efficiency: I suspect this is a false economy. I need the overall cost it took to tally Oregon's votes vs. what other states have spent on machines. Then there is the wasted time of my legislators dealing with this stupid problem as well as the media covering it when they could be covering any number of other important issues.
We need improvements to the pen and paper system perhaps: uniform ballot design for the whole US, and a ballot that can accept ranked voting schemes such as for San Francisco's mayor, but I'm completely unimpressed by the effort to move to electronic voting machines.
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I'm happy to see research on higher DPI small screens because perhaps this forecasts seeing the next resolution jump in phones soon. As others have noted, the 4"+ diagonal screens on phones now are typically 800x480 or 854x480 and that just isn't good enough for my eyes (a bit worse than average). But go to 1280x768 (my favorite aspect ratio sitting between 1280x720 which seems kind of narrow for a phone and 1280x800 which is a little wide) and you have the following DPI vs. diagonal:
4.1 364
4.2 355
4.3 347
4.4 339
4.5 332
For me, bigger is better up to about 4.5 and after that (e.g. Dell Streak), devices get too big to comfortably pocket. But any screen in this range with at least 1280x720 will be a welcome addition to Android or other phone platforms.
I don't think companies should give up on this model (selling and supporting an unsubsidized phone). Google failed, but my understanding is they didn't have the right support infrastructure (and the phone with the carriers available had too many initial problems requiring support). But a better phone and organized support could still succeed in the US (elsewhere is easier I hear). But there needs to be better promotion of how much it will cost you assuming you don't break your phone in the first 2 years (most won't) compared to plans that subsidize phones. I don't even know what the best US carriers are for offering unsubsidized plans. How much cheaper are they per month? Since phones are often subsidized $350 or more, they'd have to be $15/mo cheaper compared to a 2 year subsidized phone plan.
I'm sure most slashdotters know of this phone (geeksphone.com, great video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC1M77xKn6w) , but I just found out about it - out of the box rooted. That's the way all phones should be, but how many will by this one (which is seriously outdated now - I'd only consider their next model).
This problem is annoying. I tried a G1 for a month and didn't like it, and have been using an iPhone 3G for almost two years (it is marginally better overall than the G1 but with a different set of problems for me).
Really in the long run, the solution is to break the carrier subsidy altogether for phones that can only be used on that carrier. To increase real competition, one needs to be able to buy a decent phone for about 3-$400 in today's money and then get month to month service from different networks at a price that overall after 2 years is not any more expensive than getting a carrier subsidized phone and a plan that locks you in for two years (hopefully it will be less with competition). I come from the perspective of wanting a lot more government regulation so I see no problem with the US government telling carriers they have to do it this way so we can have a truly competitive market. I know it's unrealistic now, and there is an added problem that different networks have some different hardware requirements (for different waveforms), but future silicon should be able to handle this (I think there is already at least one model that will do CDMA or GSM).
I'm frustrated enough with the current Android situation that I find myself musing about the Meego OS. Tne Nokia N9 is nothing but rumors now - I'll have to see how good it actually is. Won't be available when my contract is up though (Dec), so I may just search for an Android phone that I know can either be rooted or is essentially a stock Android release (3.0 I hope) with very little crap added on and nothing taken away (as is my impression of the original Droid).
This argument (backcountry communications causes more problems than it will solve) was hashed out many times (with me as one of the participants) in rec.backcountry 20 years ago. I still feel strongly that I'd rather have universal communications over the globe for everyone at reasonable cost and we will sort out downsides later. When you or a friend/family member are the one with a difficult to treat medical condition in the backcountry, you will most likely want it too. Satellite bandwidth is expensive and high bit rates to satellites take a lot of power, so for me, I'd rather have small handsets that can send ~1 kpbs packet messages and use text and (perhaps a few pictures if there is a medical situation).
The story references people who press a single button asking for a rescue. Well anyone can see this is never going to work well. Rescuers need to be able to communicate with the backcountry party to determine if a rescue situation is really necessary, or if simply giving directions (for a small fee perhaps) will suffice. They can even give the price of the rescue over the device if they are trying to discourage the particular rescue. I personally feel that if a party does nothing stupid, and gets hit by something unexpected in the backcountry that a rescue should just be part of the overall expense of universal health care, but I understand many people will feel differently. But it really bugged me in the past to have people argue against technology in the first place. Given this is Slashdot, I don't expect to see that much of this type of argument. For sure, we need better technology than one button rescue devices.
I have never seen dBm/sqrt(Hz) before and I'm not sure what that wound mean. At work, we use dBm/Hz all the time, and I know that means: x_dBm = 10*log10(x_mW/Hz). Where x_mW is a measure of milliwatts from 1 Hz of bandwidth (BW). Power scales with BW, not the sqrt of BW, so I don't know where your unit could come from.
Well for one, some people are capable of focusing a lot closer - 4 and even 3 inches is possible. 12 inches at 300 DPI is like 3 inches at 1200 DPI. For me, I can't even come close to focusing at those distances so 300 DPI is about the limit. For another, the cost penalty of going from 300 to 600 to 1200 DPI isn't that significant for a printer, so why not? When display technology improves even further, we'll see if higher DPIs offer a marketable advantage, but I suspect we are getting near the end.
I've been a proponent for 300+ DPI screens for quite a while. I never got to see the Neo Freerunner (282 DPI), but the Droid (265 DPI) looks good. Jobs is correct, from about about 10-12 inches viewing, this is what is needed to have the device seem like paper. My preference though is to take that high DPI to a bigger screen - say something like 1280x720 with 4.8" diagonal (308 DPI). New Snapdragons are supporting 1280x800 (not sure I like 16/10 better than 16/9 for phones - it is the standard for laptops these days), so hopefully we'll see some Android phones with these high DPI numbers soon.
I have an iPhone now (after bailing on my G1 after a month) and I'm thinking of this type of large display phone when my contract is up this December. After using a 3.5" 3x2 screen, I can appreciate wanting a much larger one. Some have said the Dell is too big - it's too small to do real work on, but yet too big to fit comfortably in your pocket (or up to your head if you don't have bluetooth handy). This may be true, but the larger form factor (say a screen at least 4.7" - the Dell Streak was often quoted to have 4.8", but O2's sheet (http://www.o2.co.uk/dellstreak/dellstreakspec) says 5", anybody know the real answer? also, a 800x480 screen is not 16x9 unless the pixels are not square - is that the case?) does have its advantages when using onscreen keyboards or viewing maps, photos, or web content. My eyes just can't focus much closer than 10" anymore, so I appreciate a good angle of view at that distance. In the future, I hope these size devices can pump up the resolution - by the time you get to 4.7 to 5", it really is meaningful to go all the way to 720p (1280x720). The video camera of these devices will capture at that resolution and of course a lot of youtube content at 720p is available.
The things that disappointment me on this phone are a) there is too much margin from the screen to the edge,b) it's kind of heavy, and c) Android 1.6. Assuming it is a 5", square pixel, 800x480 screen with case dimensions 153x79 mm, that results in borders of 11.5 mm on the sides and 27 mm top and bottom. My iPhone has 6 and 21 mm and I want to see this dropped to 5 and 12-15 (depending on how much of a constraint the mic and speaker are). I want a big screen, but I still want to get a slim profile in my pocket. It's nice they got the thickness down to 10 mm, but I'd rather take a 1 or 2 mm hit on thickness to shrink the other two dimensions. I suppose the big device with Gorilla glass had to weigh that much, but holding 220 g in my pocket might take some getting used to. Finally, the choice of a modded 1.6 OS is ridiculous. Just give me the stock Android already. I wish Google would market the advantages of using a standard stock OS (like easier updating) and more of the manufacturers would offer stock models. I'm not interested in any of modifications (regardless of the success HTC has supposedly had), the whole point of Android for me was to have companies differentiate themselves on hardware (like a PC), not on software.
I hope they are many 4.7"+ devices available by the end of the year.
> I've never heard of anyone having problems with fumes from a zamboni. If you're going to paint hypotheticals about front-row asthma sufferers as an advantage of the electric version, then citation needed.
Sorry, I don't have a citation, but my sister felt bad after ice resurfacing when we were kids (35 years ago) and my parents took her to the hospital and she did have elevated CO levels in her blood (sorry, I don't have numbers for you). I assume the device (Zamboni or not) was not operating correctly. At least when electric devices don't operate well, they don't make more pollution. A good reason to move to electric cars and infrastructure to support them if you ask me.
Dara
I don't wear glasses (but I'm close), but I wonder if we will start to see prescription eyeglasses with circular polarization if 3D TV really takes off. I forget the logic of polarizing sunglasses for glare - something about reflections off water to be more likely to be polarized a certain direction. I suppose the is a 3 dB hit in light intensity, so the glasses would pass less light (maybe not as good for reading glasses). But a photo-chromatic pair of circular polarized sunglasses that got reasonably clear for watching TV or movies at the theater, could be possible I would think.
Dara
Although this thread has nothing to do with this topic and I doubt many will read this, I just want to chime in with a pitch for high DPI displays that are meant for viewing close (phones, laptops). I use a 15.4" WUXGA (147 DPI) laptop and an iPhone (165 DPI) now. But I'd happily upgrade to an 11 cm (4.34") diag 1280x720 phone display (339 DPI) which at near 10" in viewing distance is sharp enough (i.e. the pixels aren't wasted if your eyes can focus as close as 10" or so). For a laptop, I'd like 14.1" (I'd prefer this size now, but no one makes a 14.1" WUXGA that I know of), and I'll take as much DPI as I can have up to 300+ just like the phone (e.g., 3840x2160 is 312 DPI). I realize the laptop size is tough, but given some very high DPI 854x480 phone screens (the Droid is 265 DPI), I think we will see a phone display like this in a few years.
It's true some software doesn't handle this well and I don't have much Linux experience on anything but 19" 1600x1200 screens (my laptop is XP which is good enough more or less at 165 DPI with the DPI set in the display properties). But the bottom line is we have to move away from this software to easily scalable GUIs NOW. The fact that Android isn't as far as I know sucks. I thought some of the GUIs for Linux weren't that bad, but again I don't really know.
But just think of what you can do with such high resolution displays. How much easier is it when you don't have to zoom way in to a map to read features and then pan around when if it were as good as paper, you could get quite close to the display and zoom out and still see what is going on. This helps for street maps and topo maps. Then there is the ability to be the best photo display possible (and perhaps reducing the need to make as many prints). And there is the appeal of a portable HD video display (on the phone size).
That's my take at least,
Dara
Even with the criticisms (e.g., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MagSafe), one thing I've been impressed with Apple on (and there aren't that many) is the MagSafe connector. I've had way too many problems with other connectors wearing out and not working, and occasionally, the the yanking unintentionally almost causing havoc problem.
I'd love to see the next generation data connections (with power transfer) be magnetic. To solve the short problem, the power transfer could be inductive, and the optical connection isn't going to short. I'd be happy to have every single damn cable I ever have to use in the future be some variation of MagSafe.
Dara
I really enjoyed and agreed with almost the entire piece by John Gruber linked to in the summary (http://daringfireball.net/2009/08/the_android_opportunity). My problem with the G1 was my impression of the hardware, I actually returned it and got an iPhone 3G. I coworker kept his G1 and is now complaining that he can't load as many apps as he wants due to the restriction of where apps can be loaded (not on the SD card). Android itself seemed OK, definitely not polished enough for my tastes, and I know Google can do better - I'm mostly satisfied with search, email, Picasa, Google Earth, etc.
However, the comment that the high end Android phone to knock the iPhone 3Gs off the throne should have a built in battery is crazy. If the only reason is to prevent a creaky case, I'm sure there is a solution that uses screws that would at least allow users to replace batteries without having to go somewhere or send their phone in the mail. Better yet is to allow a battery on the back that goes on with a single recessed thumbscrew or bayonet that can be made snug (e.g. my Garmin eTrex has no creaking) AND allow for multiple 3rd party options for battery packs that run the gamut from thin low life to very thick, very long life.
My other thoughts on what I want in a high end phone are:
- a very high resolution large screen: 3.5" 480x320 isn't doing it for me. I want at a minimum 4.5" 854x480 and even better would be to go all the way to a 720p HD screen for watching video (1280x720, 60 Hz refresh or better, enough bits for a good color gamut). If a phone can be made with very thin borders on either side of the width of the screen (say 3 mm) and only moderate borders on the length (say 8.5 mm), then a 5" display can fit in a phone that is 128x68mm which is smaller than a Nokia 810 (with only a 4.1" screen). If bigger borders are needed, scale the diagonal down a bit to still fit in the 128x68 mm form factor (just a bit narrower than a 3"x5" card).
- some powerful ports: with such a nice display, I'd like a tethered camera with a lens that is much nicer than anything I can fit into a phone and then plug it in to take a picture. This way I can a) hold the lens part high in the air to shoot over people's heads or low to the ground to shoot kids from a better vantage point while still standing comfortably as well as face the display any direction I want even with a jacket over my head if the sun is too much for the display.
- add a radio section (software radio if possible) that is optimized for medium distance (a mile or a bit more) data communications on unlicensed bands between two devices without using any cell phone towers. I'm often out of service when in the backcountry and sometimes need to coordinate with a partner (sometimes the partner is only 50 meters away on a climbing rope and I can't yell to them or get rope tugs to work very well)
Dara
If this is a significant issue, I would have expected to see a bigger problem on Android phones by now. I had a G1 for 30 days, and then switched to the iPhone as the G1 in November was too flaky for me, but the one thing I absolutely hate is not being able to put a program I write or download from a trusted source onto my phone. I'll probably go back to Android in another 1 1/2 years and by then, hopefully the hardware will be better. Or maybe Apple will remove this annoying restriction at some point before then and they might keep me. My iPhone is a bit flaky too, they need better hardware also - I've reinstalled twice when it wouldn't turn on. I'm a bit hesitant to jailbreak and potentially be causing myself more headaches.
Dara
The one app I'm willing to pay for is at least out for the iPhone (in 4 flavors) and is unavailable for the G1 - the ability to view topographic USGS maps offline with your position (search for topographic on the app store). So there is something to be said for being on the more popular platform. I sure hope Android gets more popular - I wish I could have helped, but that first phone was driving me crazy.
Disclaimer: I'd rather have a thinner phone with only an on screen keyboard (better than the iPhone's which I don't like in portrait mode at all)
I tried the G1 out yesterday at a store and I was pleasantly surprised at some things - the bend at the bottom (the chin) wasn't nearly as annoying as I thought it would be. It still fits in my pocket comfortably and with my sized hands, I had no problems reaching with my right hand to the middle of the keyboard without the chin part in the way. Though I don't buy the idea that the microphone positioning is helped that much by the bend, it does sit in your hand nicely when the phone is up to your ear. I still think the chin was a bad idea though because a) they have been getting a ridiculous amount of bad press about it because it looks dumb, and b) if they had just gone with a full length slider instead like an Xperia or Nokia N810, they could have used the full length for the keyboard which would have made the spacing better yet. But the biggest problem with the phone for me is that the keys do not raise up enough from the surface. My thumbs get some serious resistance from the surface around the key before it is depressed enough to actuate. That sucks. I liked the keyboard on the Sidekick I tried in the store better.
The other hardware quirk that bugs me, but isn't a deal breaker is the stupid proprietary connector (http://www.hardwarebook.info/ExtUSB). I'd rather have a standard Micro-USB (http://news.cnet.com/Pros-seem-to-outdo-cons-in-new-phone-charger-standard/2100-1041_3-6209247.html) and a 3.5 mm headphone jack (using the same 4 connector design Apple uses if this is non-proprietary, or 3 connector if it isn't).
My other main concern is just how well the GPS works. One poster here said it worked great. The reviews are very mixed - some say it is terrible, some pretty good. I'm waiting for a thorough analysis of its performance (especially unassisted performance) before deciding to get it or wait for a G2 from T-mobile or someone else (I'm an AT&T customer now, but though I don't have any horror stories, I don't particularly like their policies either). I started a thread at http://forums.t-mobile.com/tmbl/board/message?board.id=87&thread.id=1969&view=by_date_ascending&page=1 on the topic of unassisted GPS performance in case anybody is interested.
Dara Parsavand
I only skimmed the article, but one thing I looked for that I'm hoping to understand someday is why a different protocol wouldn't have worked just as well and gotten rid of the problem of interference with mp3 players in your pocket and other devices (until you actually get a call or message). My idea is simple: All towers have unique id sequences that are broadcast on some type of beacon. Phones can be on some type of schedule where they wake up every few seconds to few minutes, demodulate and decode the beacon and determine if the id sequence has changed. Only if it has changed, does the phone need to contact the network to let it know it has moved to a different cell. I'm sick and tired of sitting at my desk and having my phone cause interference every 10-20 minutes. This is a waste of power and it annoys me.
Am I missing something?
Dara
I mostly agree with the idea that my impression of an SDK shootout was it would give me an idea of the ease of development of a particular type of application given some familiarity with the design flow on each platform. But it is also true that there are a few annoyances on the Apple SDK side. I have access to a Mac, but it is one point behind on the OS - no go. Maybe there is some justification for this, but it still is annoying. If I get the person who owns this Mac to upgrade it, I still am extremely unhappy with some of the terms of the SDK involving what you can talk about in forums with other developers. One of the main apps I'd like to see on Android or iPhone (I haven't picked a platform yet) is the ability to view topographic maps (either freely available, or ideally, ones you have purchased from say National Geographic like I have) whether or not the phone is connected to the network. I can see the likelihood of this type of app being much greater if it can be developed in a more community like atmosphere than the one Apple currently has in mind. So the other stuff matters too. Probably articles should be written towards one point or the other and then titled appropriately.
Dara Parsavand
Will Android be able to handle higher resolutions than 480x320? I'm interested in much higher resolution displays. There is a 2.9" 800x480 display right now (320+ dpi), so my wish for a 4.5 to 5" screen with 1280x720 isn't that crazy. I want all the resolution I can get to display maps and photos at resolutions approaching paper. For a phone with a screen this big, I don't want any buttons at all on the front face, but a slide out keyboard would be nice.
Dara
I've heard the arguments against mail in ballots such as loss of anonymity, and possibilities of coercion, but they don't strike me as big as a problem as some of the disasters we've had in the US recently in Florida and Ohio. I live in California and am on permanent absentee ballot status. In Oregon, everyone is in that boat. If you search for oregon mail vote, you will find positive articles as well as this FAQ: http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dbcs/elections/election_information/voting_in_oregon.shtml where they say:
Can someone find out how I've voted?
No. All ballots are separated from the return envelope before the ballots are inspected. This process ensures confidentiality.
I realize this isn't good enough for some and it wouldn't be good enough for me in many other countries but as much as I distrust my government in other ways, I'm willing to trust them enough to always vote my true preference here (hell, I don't mind admitting who I voted for on the internet either, so I guess I don't really count).
I can't imagine what it is like to have a spouse coerce your vote. I suppose it would be possible if someone was that pathological, they could demand compliance at the voting booth and scare the other person into thinking they couldn't lie and get away with it either. It would be interesting to see the numbers of this happening and compare that to the numbers of disenfranchised voters in Ohio waiting for hours in the rain.
My choice in the US is for a common format mail in ballot for all the states. (It is also for a heck of a lot of other election reform, some of which could be taken from the UK - like having shorter election schedules - I'm ready for this one to be over now.)
Dara
(also posted to Ubuntu Forums in the laptop area)
I may end up getting a D830 instead, but I'm going to consider an E1505 anyway. For anyone else thinking of getting one, how would they configure it? I know I'd get the densest screen (which unfortunately isn't WUXGA) and probably a 120 GB drive and the DVD writer. I'm less clear on how to choose processor or memory though. For processors, speed, cache size, FSB speed all vary:
Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T7200 (4MB Cache/2.00GHz/667MHz FSB)
Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T5600 (2MB Cache/1.83GHz/667MHz FSB)
Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T5300 (2MB Cache/1.73GHz/533MHz FSB)
Core(TM) processor DUO processor T2350 2MB Cache/1.86GHz
Pentium® dual-core proc T2080(1MB Cache/1.73GHz/533MHz FSB)
I figured I'd get the T5600 but no real logic there.
I've never used 2 GB on a Linux box, so I don't know how much better that makes things, but the memory options are:
512MB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 DIMM
1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm
1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHZ, 2 DIMM
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHZ, 2 DIMM
2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHZ, 2 DIMM
I'd get at least 1 GB, but I don't know how to choose between the two types.
I won't get a System 76 machine, because I'm unhappy with the maximum resolution on the screen. I'm not aware of too many other Linux preloaded solutions with at least a 1680 x 1050 screen so if I want to support a company that is going to make Linux available, this is my main chance so far.
(update: I see they have added an NVIDIA video card option - presumably I'd go that route over Intel for better performance watching HDTV on a high res screen).
Dara
It's true that Apple's share of the business market is less than Dell's, but I think that is for different reasons than Apple making only 2 well designed model lines (though not my speed - I don't like OS X). There is no reason that any of the features you list can't be options on the same laptop offered for home use (in fact biometric stuff is optional on Latitude last time I checked). I think many home consumers want a reliable laptop with decent battery life that is well built - it's annoying to have so many choices placed in a different category that is (according to some) more difficult to buy from if you are a home user. If it were me, I'd change the Latitude not all that much and dump most of the Inspirons.
Dara
Well if this is the lineup ("We will be launching a Linux based OS (Ubuntu) on the E520, 1505 and XPS 410 starting next Thursday, 5/24." from Jeremy's Blog), I guess I have to wait longer. I'm only interested in WUXGA - the 15.4" Latitude D830 would have been nice, but I'd have considered the E1705 too. If I have to buy an unsupported model and install Linux myself, there is less incentive to pick Dell in the first place.
I seconded ideas on ideastorm that suggested Dell get rid of this stupid division between Latitude and Inspiron, but who knows if that will ever happen. Just a single line of well built laptops in a few different screen sizes is all we need (it works for Apple and if Dell wants to entire the retail market seriously, it would help to have a reduced model line).
Dara
I've been poking around ever since the announcement, but haven't come across any information on which laptops will be offered. I'd probably opt for a Dell latitude D830, but I have a feeling it is only Inspirons that will be made available with Ubuntu. I'm not sure when anything is supposed to be available either - there was talk of a couple weeks earlier this month though. Is anybody speculating yet?
Dara
When I type in 1945 and 2005 into http://www.westegg.com/inflation/, it shows an inflation of about a factor of 10. Given I don't think they had 1/10 of a cent in 1945, what the hell do we need with either of these stupid coins now? If it were up to me, I'd get rid of the quarter too and use the more sensible 1, 2, 5 progression of the Euro. So we can keep the dime as is, come up with a new design for 20 cents , 50 cents, 1 dollar and 2 dollar and then redesign the paper bills (5, 10, 20, 50, 100) to be telescoping in length as they should have been this last go around.
Dara Parsavand
I completely disagree with this ridiculous waste of money we've been spending in the US on electronic voting. The best solution by far is to do what Oregon does or what any voter can choose to do in California (and perhaps other states) which is get a ballot a month or so in advance and fill it out with a pencil. You don't have to mail it in, you can drop it off at the polling place last minute (usually the case for me).
Now, addressing Hugh's points to this question:
1] Disabled voters: Why in the world does it matter for disabled voters to cast their ballot using the same mechanism? With that logic, every stall in my workplace bathroom should be wheelchair accessible. Of course machines need to be available for disabled voters to vote, but these should only spit out a marked paper ballot that is identical to everybody else's and then get pushed into the same counting mechanism. This way the machines need no networking software, (ok, they need a printer, at least there wouldn't be that many of them)
2] Ambiguity: I just can't accept the idea it is difficult to make optical scanning machines that literally NEVER make an error an anything resembling a reasonable mark on a ballot, stray marks or not. How hard is it to compare the count on the number of black pixels (below a certain threshold of reflectivity) and award the vote to the circle with the most number of black pixels? Sure, there will always be voters too stupid to follow directions and will fill in two circles. I'm willing to optimize the ballot design for these people (i.e., no poorly designed butterfly ballots), but not to use them as justification for giving up on pen and paper.
3] Counting efficiency: I suspect this is a false economy. I need the overall cost it took to tally Oregon's votes vs. what other states have spent on machines. Then there is the wasted time of my legislators dealing with this stupid problem as well as the media covering it when they could be covering any number of other important issues.
We need improvements to the pen and paper system perhaps: uniform ballot design for the whole US, and a ballot that can accept ranked voting schemes such as for San Francisco's mayor, but I'm completely unimpressed by the effort to move to electronic voting machines.
Dara