Re: Meego Tablet Pre-Alpha Preview - now we're talking
 

From what I've seen of people using the iPad and large tablets before hand, there really is no good position to hold them in if your not near a table or level surface.

Most people (including me when I tried it) put them in the lap with a knee crossed.

Re: Meego Tablet Pre-Alpha Preview - now we're talking
 

Really looking forward to Meego devices

Re: Meego Tablet Pre-Alpha Preview - now we're talking
 

hmmm, what i wouldn't give for the following:

Nokia/Ovi tablet
5" capacitive screen using colour e-ink tech
Omap4 CPU
Meego 1.1

Re: Meego Tablet Pre-Alpha Preview - now we're talking
 

Actually I did some measurements and the sweet spot is (for me) 10" 16:9 screen. At a thickness of roughly 1".

Why?
At that thickness it is portable and comfortable on hand. Any more, it becomes too thick for some sleeves. Any less, it feels cheap and uncomfortable.

At that size you can view text at 85-100% of original size (usually font 12) and this would be viewed at arms length away (70cm i think) on the couch/bed/carpet. So it's a viewable size for the target length, test it for yourself if you have a netbook/laptop.
On top of this, at 10" the whole page (horizontally) is rendered so the only scrolling you need is downwards.

And on top of this, the 14" (screen and bezel) tablet is easy to hold one-handed when its arranged in a portrait thanks to its widebody (16:9). When held in landscape you need to use both hands, but it is not too large (horizontally) that your hands are too distant leaving touchscreen areas out of reach, and it's not too small causing your fingers to touch each other.

It takes a lot of research by a major company to find these figures, takes me (and most people) a glance.

PS I have large hands but I feel confident that the experience I've noted will conform to adults with smaller hands, though kids (<12yo) will feel it is too large.

Re: Meego Tablet Pre-Alpha Preview - now we're talking
 

I think tablets should be designed in that aspect plus a bonus. I think tablets should get a protective clamshell case that doubles as your keyboard (perhaps with a mouseclit/trackball) and extended battery.
The clamshell can fold open/close like your notebook but unable to turn (stability issue).

I think the solution above is better than a touchscreen netbook with the same dimensions that can turn 180* so its a netvertible.
Both solutions can: act as tablets, act as netbooks, both as protective clamshell.
The difference it that the tablet+clamshell has the ability to be more portable as a standalone tablet, it lacks a swivel-hinge which are prone to damage after moderate use, it has an extended battery which you can choose to swap.

Re: Meego Tablet Pre-Alpha Preview - now we're talking
 

Now as for the processors there are 4 candidates:

1) ARM Cortex 9:
Can't run Windows instead uses MeeGo etc
Most effecient and smallest unit
Performance = regular (5)
Battery Life = high (5)
Eg TI OMAP 4400 = dual 1GHz A9 & SGX540

2) Moorestown:
Can't run Windows instead uses MeeGo etc
Somewhat efficient and small unit
Performance = low (2)
Battery Life =high (4)
Eg Z600 = 1.2GHz & 1080 playback (comparable to SGX540)

3) An Atom:
Can run Windows 7 and MeeGo
The least efficient and larger unit
Performance = regular (5)
Battery Life = regular (3)
Eg N470 = 1.83GHz Atom & ION

4) A CULV:
Can run Windows 7 and MeeGo
Somewhat efficient and largest unit
Performance = high (7)
Battery Life = low (1)
Eg SU7300 = dual 1.3GHz core & HD4330

As you can see it all depends on how good MeeGo (and other OS's) can be quality wise, developer wise, cross-compatability wise and "application support" wise, as it rivals Windows 7 for the tablet/netbook space.
And then it depends on how large the battery is. Normally we need about 6hours per day. So if your device has a 6-cell (5,600mAh) battery the upgrade to CULV for more high performance utility seems like a good trade, but if your batter is only 3,000mAh the lesser CPU's are more appropriate.

Re: Meego Tablet Pre-Alpha Preview - now we're talking
 

Honestly it doesn't take much as you've pointed out to find an ideal comfortable size. Even companies don't need "alot of research" to figure out what would be ideal.

But the number one rule to keep in mind is constraints. And a company is constrained by the cost of the equipment to fit that one inch thickness (if it even exists). Size of equipment, battery, etc.. and how affordable it is for the company to build it.

Unless you can guarantee them you'll pay whatever it costs them to buy the parts (if it's even possible yet). + R&D costs + a little extra to make a profit.

Re: Meego Tablet Pre-Alpha Preview - now we're talking
 

Ditto. I hope the screens work well in outdoor settings too.

Re: Meego Tablet Pre-Alpha Preview - now we're talking
 

so for the n900 and the resistive multitouch is it a hardware thing or can some sort of drivers be installed to get it working? (total noob on this)
im liking the resistive multitouch and i do think thats the way to go in terms of screens.....

Re: Meego Tablet Pre-Alpha Preview - now we're talking
 

As far as size goes, I think all one has to do is find out what people tend to prefer in general. If you look at schools for the last what, 40 years, you will find (I think) that students mostly preferred spiral notebooks of a certain size. It looks like that size was 9.5 by 6 inches. One wouldn't have to stick strictly to those dimensions, but I would say that BETWEEN 9.5 and 6 inches is the size that was picked by students for decades.