JK posted the following in a comment here, that I thought it was worthwhile posting again here:
“You’re not kidding. The first 24 hours after my review of the Sony U-70 with Tablet OS was published on my site I had over 60,000 views! I have long said there is a huge segment of potential Tablet owners that need a very small Tablet PC. I’ve been told time and again by various MS Tablet people that the future for the Tablet PC is convergence with laptops.
To that I say: WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! Users want a Tablet PC they can actually take around with them. Not just around their office but everywhere. The interest in my review tells me I’m right about this.”
JK has some more pictures of his converted Sony here.
I see a similar market ripe for the picking–with just the right combination of hardware and software. As the Tablet PC’s capabilities merge in with standard notebooks, it simultaneously clears the room for more unique form factors. A hand-held unit that you can carry on a belt, yet has the power and abilities of a full-fledged Tablet makes a lot of sense.
A few OEMs have tried these waters before, but I don’t think they made it because they were missing some important software and hardware complements. For instance, all devices today need WiFi or similar. It should be standard. Likewise, a high res display and digitizer are a must. The higher the resolution the better. Even an 8×6″ handheld needs to be high res. You want the user experience to be as close as possible to what they would see on paper—or better. I also think the smaller the device, the more practical it is to have a thumb keyboard. It seems counter-intuitive, but the advantage the small devices have is that you can hold the unit more easily toward the bottom (where presumably the keyboard would be). A three pound Tablet would be too heavy since its center of gravity is too far away from the grip.
Now, that being said, NEC has a super light Tablet under two pounds that it’s experimenting with. That would make a Tablet worthwhile to carry around for long periods of time, although it still looks a bit too large for a factory floor worker or field tech. Like JK, I see a niche for an under two pound, half-size Tablet that you can put in a side pocket or a purse.
Oh, and it also has to have instant on. The more mobile the device, the more “instant” it has to be. And an indoor/outdoor display is just as important too. The more mobile, the better the display has to be. Anything else will fail.
That’s exactly right. While the Sony U-70 may be too small for many there is a lesson to be learned here for alternate form factors for Tablets. Maybe an 8″ diagonal screen would work for many people and operate nicely at 1024×768. The key is portability that encourage (and reward) owners who take the Tablet anywhere. Thanks for letting me get my POV across.