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A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

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http://www.internettablettalk.com/wp...-users-500.jpg

Why web pads, internet tablets and ultra-mobiles aren't the same thing

Ari Jaaksi famously announced the walkaround web in November 2005 when he pointed out that surfing wasn't stationary any more than phone calls were. Cellphones had untethered calling, and a device like the first Nokia Internet Tablet meant the internet was available anywhere we were. We didn't need to go to a computer in a specific location to get to the web any more than we needed to find a payphone to make a phone call.

Henceforth, we could carry our web-access with us, the same way we carry our phones. Ari said it all when he wrote: "I surf in trains, in cafeterias, at airports, even while driving. I can go online anytime and anywhere I want." He called his observations "bold" but they were in fact revolutionary in understanding how this changes not computing, not using the web, but how we organize our lives.

Long before I heard of the Nokia 770, I used a small, keyboardless WiFi-enabled tablet to access the internet from Bryant Park in New York City. The notion of the web away from the desk antedated Nokia's efforts by many years. By my count, it produced at least eight web pads (the contemporary term) prior to the 770, all of which failed to establish themselves.

My most complete experience was with the Screen Media FreePad, from a Norwegian outfit. The FreePad had a 10.4-inch screen, 800 x 600 resolution, built-in WiFi and "cordless telephone services"; and it ran an embedded Linux. No disk drive; if you wanted, you could attach a USB keyboard.

The rest of FreePad's hardware was feeble by today's standards but practical for 2000. Even back then the group I was working with expected to buy the FreePad for just $800 (in quantity).

Eight years ago, and only $800. WiFi was in its nascent stages then, but if you were describing an organization-wide device (as we were) and not a personal weblet, that probably wasn't what kept the FreePad from succeeding.

What did?

Or maybe easier to answer now, from the perspective of time: What is a walkaround-web tablet? What does it look like, what can it do, what is required of it?

I've tried to identify the critical aspects that explain why a FreePad with its prescient feature set failed to spark a revolution but the Nokia Internet Tablet hasn't faltered. And sure, the Internet Tablets provide the basic blueprint for my description. But that's because their development provides the best clues to deciphering this slippery market, the one for ultra-mobiles that Bill Gates expected would have sales of 100 million by 2008.

I think what makes a true walkaround weblet can be reduced to these essentials:

- Shows the full width of a web page without scrolling sideways. Regular cellphone screens will never make it.

- Handles Flash and video. No YouTube, no qualify.

- Always on. The 770's cover not only turned off the display and protected the screen, it also broke the WiFi connection. "Instant on" seemed good enough at the time, but today we realize the net needs to be able to reach out and signal us.

- Pocket size. The original 3-pound, book-size UMPC is like business-gear — it fits in a briefcase but that doesn't mean it's right at hand when you need it. I say: if you can't carry the weblet on your person, it's just a lighter-weight laptop.

I like to read (and surf) in bed. I've found that even the 6-ounce 770 (without cover) is enough to tire my arm if I read or browse too long. Someone else will have to graph iPod and mp3-player and cellphone sizes/weights to identify how little and how lightweight a device needs to be for people to carry it around.

- Can be used standing up. Or when walking around. Almost a life-changing experience the first time you cross the street and follow a link to a new webpage at the same time.

- Affordable enough to be considered personal electronic devices. Me, I want to pay about $75. We'll be there soon enough, I expect (actually, the price on eBay for a used 770 is already there). I think the $200 price point is significant for a lot of people, which may be one reason the N800 didn't dip moderately, to $299 or $249, but instead dropped all the way down to the $200-$229 range when the N810 appeared.

Is the N810 too expensive to be a true walkaround-web device? Not compared to what else is out there. But I don't think you're going to see weblet sales in the hundreds of millions (where they belong) at the N810's current price.

- Thinks like the web. Maybe that means open not proprietary. Maybe it means hackable, or even encouraged by the maker to be hacked, a la Google Maps. Maybe it means thinks like Google. By that, I mean all of the above and more. The guiding principle is more along the lines of "the more usable the weblet is, the more money we make" instead of "the more we can get you to use our version of things, the easier it is to make money off you."

Looking back at the Internet Tablet predecessors and would-be competitors, this requirement forces embedded-Linux devices off the table. Ditto devices with Windows CE/PocketPC as an OS. Maybe even big Windows if the price stays way up there. Really, the lesson of the internet that applies to the walkaround web is that the flow of software and uses has to be unimpeded.

Even more than that, a Flickr or Facebook or other instant-social-phenomenom has to work on the weblet even easier than anywhere else. That ain't so easy — works great with what hasn't been invented yet is a pretty steep order. It means devices have to be flexibly designed and quickly incorporate new features (see webcam, GPS). And the new features ought to be stimulating the creation of those suddenly-huge phenomena: Things like voip cam calls or location-based to-do lists, what we used to think of as "killer apps."

It isn't the hardware

A UMPC like the Sharp Willcom D4 or an OQO obviously come close to meeting these criteria. They will give their users the experience of the walkaround web, but they're not going to bring it about.[3] These and a couple generations of UMPC's and ultra-small laptops seem predicated on the belief that desktop users want desktop power in their carry-everywhere tablet.

Yes, of course, "faster, smaller, cheaper, more powerful" has driven computing progress since the days of Apple II computers. It's logical to extend that thinking to web tablets. But I think the walkaround web probably requires two more developments before it is the web we will think of first when we hear the word "internet."

The first is connection-ubiquity. Always on really means always on the net. Ari's story about not realizing his daughter was doing the internet thing as they drove on the highway — because her NIT paired silently with the cellphone in his pocket and put her online — meant the walkaround web was real. At least if you worked for a telecom who provided unlimited data calling.

And WiMAX will bring connection-ubiquity — the drivearound web — to many others. Well at least those living in Baltimore, Washington and Chicago.

For visual-IMing to shake the ground, you'll have to be able to reach your friends at any time, wherever they are. If their weblet doesn't answer ... well, you get the picture. Just as email didn't transform our lives until everyone had email, the walkaround web won't fully emerge till we all have it.

The other development I think must occur is something along the lines of "divergent convergence." Not the fixed convergence we've seen with every cellphone has a camera, but not unlike what we've seen with the variety of uses on the Internet Tablet. I suspect that the essential precondition for purchasing a weblet is not "just as powerful as your other computer" but instead "fills one of your needs, plus the walkaround web."

The "other" need the weblet meets is going to be different for different folks. The Nokia Internet Tablet screen is big and displays maps better than all the original small-screened GPS devices, so I want to use my NIT for GPS too. Or: I like to read e-books, so I want to use my NIT for e-reading and the web. Or: I like to watch movies. Or: I like to play chess (or: other games). Or: I need to be able to read that update in Word/in PDF/in Excel when we go away this weekend. Or: I want to stream music from my PC. Or: I want to draw on a touch-sensitive tablet. Or: I want to program. And so on.

I'm just naming things we already have, of course. Each of you reading this (and me too) have one or another of these other needs already, and so we have already bought our Nokia walkaround weblet.

Every time I get excited in this blog (such as here and here), it's because I see another convergence for yet another group of people.

And so the walkaround web spreads a little wider.

Read the full article (with links).

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

im not sure i agree with the flash requirement. i think the w3c dropped the ball when they removed ogg from the html5 text. yes, streaming media is part of the web but it needs a codec that can be implemented anywhere, any time.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

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Originally Posted by tso (Post 175333)

im not sure i agree with the flash requirement.

Flash is ubiquitous. Ari Jaaksi said once that the experience of surfing the web on the Internet Tablet had to be the equal of surfing on a full-size computer.

Without Flash, you don't have it.

Note that I haven't brought Java into this. That's a significant hole in the NIT's capabilities, with web-surfing effects. But I don't think Java rises to the level of walkaround-web necessity.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

Java applets can bring even a desktop computer to its knees. I don't expect them on a NIT soon with a decent performance.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

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Originally Posted by RogerS (Post 175347)

Well, everyone's opinion is different, particularly when it comes to heavyweight client runtimes like Flash or Java. I personally don't think Flash is a web-surfing requirement. In fact, I install FlashBlock for the complete opposite requirement - a Flash-free web!

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogerS

- Always on. The 770's cover not only turned off the display and protected the screen, it also broke the WiFi connection. "Instant on" seemed good enough at the time, but today we realize the net needs to be able to reach out and signal us.

Didn't they fix that in a later version of the firmware? That is, I thought they added a configurable option that controls whether or not the 770 should kill the WiFi radio when the cover is placed. Granted, it's not the default behavior, even if it should be, but it seems the makers of the 770 were at least (eventually) on the same page as you when it comes to this point.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

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Originally Posted by gnuite (Post 175349)

They may have changed it and I didn't realize it.

Since the 770 isn't being sold anymore, I regard it as a minor point.

But in its heyday, I only ever trumpeted its "instant on" feature. It wasn't until the N800 arrived that I realized the significance of "always on." So in that regard, it's really a matter of my arriving on the same page as the Nokia group and not the other way round.

Roger

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

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Originally Posted by Bundyo (Post 175348)

I don't expect [Java applets] on a NIT soon with a decent performance.

Me either. If it were a necessary requirement for the walkaround web, I'd be super frustrated. But it's not and I'm not really.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

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Originally Posted by gnuite (Post 175349)

i just turn the flash plugin off fully. as long as the video is on youtube there is the mytube app. but i have yet to run into any kind of "must see it now" video.

thing is that i see the web getting where it is now but virtue of its basic building blocks being free to use in any way or form that someone can think of. flash, silverlight and similar breaks with that. java did to, but it seems sun is planing to go GPL on it fully. still, somehow i suspect thats more like a captain of a warship sinking it so that it do not fall into enemy hands...

basically i want to see any kind of media plugin banished to the fiery pits of hell.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogerS (Post 175354)

But in its heyday, I only ever trumpeted its "instant on" feature. It wasn't until the N800 arrived that I realized the significance of "always on." So in that regard, it's really a matter of my arriving on the same page as the Nokia group and not the other way round.

I think the instant on of the 770 is much better than what we have now.

Before, I would take the 770 out, take the cover off and it was instantly on and connected. Now I take the 810 out of the sleve and find it has instantly drained its battery and now unusable when I want it.

Now I am thinking what is the point taking it anywhere? the only way I can guarantee it that it is going to work is if I switch it off before, making it much less instantly on than the 770 was.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

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Originally Posted by tabletrat (Post 175377)

Before, I would take the 770 out, take the cover off and it was instantly on and connected. Now I take the 810 out of the sleve and find it has instantly drained its battery and now unusable when I want it.

Then something's wrong. You should be getting 2-4 days idle connected to wifi.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabletrat (Post 175377)

Now I am thinking what is the point taking it anywhere? the only way I can guarantee it that it is going to work is if I switch it off before, making it much less instantly on than the 770 was.

Ignoring the slight facetiousness, whatever's wrong likely has very little to do with wifi. Something is eating CPU and preventing the device from properly sleeping. Figure out what that is.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

I don't think the "full desktop experience web" as it is right now, that can be enjoyed on the ITs, is suitable for a 'walkaround experience'. Multiple columns format, especially those filled with advertising, navigation and pointers to a site's other content should be simplified for a 'walk around' experience so one does not need to hunt-and-peck too much and deal with unnecessary contents that reduces your desired content to just 1\3rd or 1\4th of the screen.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

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Originally Posted by GeneralAntilles (Post 175420)

Then something's wrong. You should be getting 2-4 days idle connected to wifi.

Nothing like that. If I leave wifi on the battery will be dead overnight.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeneralAntilles (Post 175420)

Ignoring the slight facetiousness, whatever's wrong likely has very little to do with wifi. Something is eating CPU and preventing the device from properly sleeping. Figure out what that is.

There was no 'slight facetiousness' anywhere. I cannot rely on it having any battery life if I don't leave it charging or switch it off and as a result I don't carry it around like I did with the 770. its also is somewhat more fragile without the lid.

As you said I guess I need to 'figure out what it is' that is wrong, somehow, however I can do that.

Although I don't see how having wifi on when I am not using it really helps me.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

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Originally Posted by tabletrat (Post 175464)

Nothing like that. If I leave wifi on the battery will be dead overnight.

There was no 'slight facetiousness' anywhere. I cannot rely on it having any battery life if I don't leave it charging or switch it off and as a result I don't carry it around like I did with the 770. its also is somewhat more fragile without the lid.

As you said I guess I need to 'figure out what it is' that is wrong, somehow, however I can do that.

Although I don't see how having wifi on when I am not using it really helps me.

Instead of switching it off to save battery, why not just place the NIT in off-line mode? That's what I do here.

I cannot remember if this feature is available by default or if one has to edit mce.ini to turn it on. If you short-press the power button to get the menu, is there an Offline mode (2nd option down here)? Turning off the radio goes a long way here in saving battery time, as does turning off AP scanning, and setting idle times down to like 5 minutes. It still only takes about 15-20 seconds to go back online. (Short press power, select Normal mode, attempting to surf or check email will cause the NIT to attempt to find an AP, or connect through my phone if none available.)

Just an idea. Now, if I could figure out why my battery meter goes from 2/3 to "Charge battery now" within seconds, sometimes.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

Quote:

Originally Posted by tso (Post 175361)

basically i want to see any kind of media plugin banished to the fiery pits of hell.

I would agree... except that in the case of Flash, it's usefulness has grown far beyond mere media plugin. There are many Flash apps out there that actually provide something practical without getting in your way, like the jaiku post applet.

But I definitely agree when it comes to in-your-face graphic advertising. I have truly had enough.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ysss (Post 175422)

That is entirely the fault of web designers. The wide, gaudy, content-overflowing sites (such as CNN, ebay and Amazon have become) are nuts. It would be nice if they could be refactored into something better for tablets...

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

tabletrat , have you tried disabling the metalayer-crawler?

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

Quote:

Originally Posted by munky261 (Post 175537)

tabletrat , have you tried disabling the metalayer-crawler?

err... what is that, why would it be running and how do you disable it? I remember someone saying something about that in some thead but didn't pay attention as i had a 770 at the time.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

Quote:

Originally Posted by deeteroderdas (Post 175511)

Instead of switching it off to save battery, why not just place the NIT in off-line mode? That's what I do here.
.

i do when i remember to, and that is better, although it defeats the 'always on' element and is a bit more of a faff than on the 770

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabletrat (Post 175568)

i do when i remember to, and that is better, although it defeats the 'always on' element and is a bit more of a faff than on the 770

True enough. Being able to set a timeout value to go to off-line would be nice.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

Quote:

Originally Posted by deeteroderdas (Post 175583)

True enough. Being able to set a timeout value to go to off-line would be nice.

You can, though you're limited to preset values. Control panel -> Connectivity -> Idle times tab.

But you need to set it (in the General tab) for a search interval of never, or it will try to reconnect (and often loop endlessly scanning), which is a big power drain.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

Quote:

Originally Posted by deeteroderdas (Post 175583)

True enough. Being able to set a timeout value to go to off-line would be nice.

That would be the ideal, or some other kind of power saving thing.
I have the thing where it locks the keyboard when it gets dark, which is mostly good (except it often locks when I hold it wrong). Some kind of timeout when the keys are locked would be good.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

it is (in my opinion a useless) process that scans your cards for media files. removing it has no advers affects what so ever. in addition to improved battery life , startup time is improved. to disable it , have becomeroot installed and in xterm type....

sudo gainroot

/etc/init.d/metalayer-crawler0 stop

cd /usr/sbin

mv /etc/rc2.d/S99metalayer-crawler0 /etc/rc2.d/K99metalayer-crawler0

exit

exit

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

OK, done that, thanks.
seems like maemo-launcher is taking 12% processor time doing nothing. Is it supposed to? -
1060 user 40548 SW< /usr/bin/hildon-desktop

I charged my nokia at work, so it was full at 17:15. I then put it in my bag locked. I got home, had dinner, chatted on the net on the powerbook. It is now 19:35, so 2:20 later got the nokia out and the batery meter is on half and says idle 3 days, in use less than an hour. Brightness is half (although it was off in my bag), wireless is on.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

on my n810 , i always have it set on max brightness , though i do have the light sensor disabled as well so that helps reclaim a bit of cpu. in general , id say on mine , i could surf the web for at least 5-6 hours straigh with screen on max brightness before i need to recharge. what types of apps do you have installed that may be running in the background?

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

Virtually nothing yet, I have only had it a week or so.
I have installed a couple of text editors, maemo mapper, the C++ build tools, ssh, numpty physics.
Apart from ssh, I would have thought that the other stuff wouldn't be doing much unless I ran it.
It was second hand, although the previous user was far from technical (I suspect they sold it as it wasn't windows, as there were a few .exe files in download), so I doubt they put anything on it.

The battery life on the 770 was good, so I was suprised at how bad the 810 is.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabletrat (Post 175649)

Was it charging at the time? Then the 12% usage was the battery applet redrawing the screen ( yeah, really ).

I would also remove unnecessary WiFi networks from the device and try to test battery drain at different WiFi points. The reason I say this is my 810 will last at least 2 days of medium usage at my home, work, walking around.... but if I go down to my in-laws the battery will drain in a few hours because of the crappy crappy DSL/WiFi combo that Verizon hands out. I can reproduce the effect every time I go down there, I have to go offline or switch off the device or it will be dead before I leave.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

It wasn't charging at the time, no.
There is only one wifi connection on the list, which is my current home wifi connection. It is a belkin N1, running in G mode.

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

seem like your battery might be fubar.... as i said , my 810 has great battery life. as im always using it.... my girlfriend says im addicted to it LOL

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

Beware of measuring percentage of CPU use; 12% at 166 MHz is about 5% of total capacity. (And I'm assuming it was at 166 MHz, but if it's idle, it probably was.)

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

Well, it wasn't idle, it was running top! But yes, I see your point.

Maybe my battery is duff, but the machine is pretty new, it would be suprising if the battery was that bad that quickly

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabletrat (Post 175737)

Well, it wasn't idle, it was running top! But yes, I see your point.

Maybe my battery is duff, but the machine is pretty new, it would be suprising if the battery was that bad that quickly

Ive been using the n800 since a long while... and by now the battery is
really bad. As u said i cannot go 2 hours without a battery change. Did you buy yours second hand? or brand new??

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

It is second hand, but the unit itself is only a couple of months old so surely the battery can't be that bad already?

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabletrat (Post 175764)

It is second hand, but the unit itself is only a couple of months old so surely the battery can't be that bad already?

Depends on how the previous owner treated it. One 4 to 8-hour excursion in a hot car (120°F+) can leave you with a practically useless battery, and enough deep discharges can, too.

Honestly, though, it sounds more like an issue of the device not hitting idle due to something sucking up cycles (one of the pitfalls of a demand-based power management system).

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

My *personal* opinion about this manifesto. Cool and seems like you have a plan. :)

However, maybe it's the politized European in me that would expect a manifesto difficult to achieve, even with some element of utopia. This one looks like an interesting approach, but still not The Manifesto that would stand, say, during the XXIst century.

If I can continue with the *personal* opinion, the comments from the ITT old guard are not helping much Reggie's efforts at dreaming a bright future. ;) Guys, forget for a moment the transient issues (codecs & formats, system performance, hardware polishment) and dream about what really doesn't exist and will change our lives once we have it.

This is the least I would expect from a trascendent manifesto. Another question is if a piece of technology alone can bring that, but that's another story. :)

Re: A manifesto for the walkaround-web tablet

ok, forgetting all issues with what doesn't exist.

A 64GB colour newton with built in wireless/3G/GPS and we are there!