03-31-2005, 09:00 AM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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Who Wants a Pepper Pad? Not Me.
"If you could design the perfect portable device to wirelessly access your favorite broadband Internet services and digital media, what would it look like? Portable and lightweight? Definitely. Able to instantly connect you to all your favorite activities-e-mailing, IM, Web browsing, listening to music, watching videos, sharing photos and more? Absolutely. How about easy to use, totally low maintenance and ready to travel with you-whether to the couch, the backyard or even the local coffee shop? Check. That device is here. The Pepper pad represents an entirely new category of wireless device-bigger and more powerful than a PDA or mobile phone, but smaller, lighter and far less complex (and a lot more fun) than a laptop."
Yes, the Pepper Pad has some nice specifications (8.4" touchscreen, Intel PXA270 (624MHz) processor, 20GB HDD, QWERTY keyboard, SD/MMC slot, 802.11b and Bluetooth), but I definitely wouldn't call it compact, nor would I be substituting my Pocket PC for this. If anything, I'd use it as a complement, but then that's what my laptop is for, right? Anyone liking this $949, all-in-one device?
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03-31-2005, 09:10 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,208
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very interesting device.
it would be super design if the sides would fould on the screen,
and it would be a killer device if it would run windows ce .net
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03-31-2005, 10:04 AM
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Thoughts Media Review Team
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 1,004
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Just too damn big for my taste - i would rather have a full on tablet PC if I was going for something that size.
It really seems to be a case of not one thi or another - neither the "pocketability" of a PPC or the power of a Tablet.
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03-31-2005, 10:18 AM
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Mystic
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,734
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I love this device! I could not justify paying $2000 for a tablet pc, and having paid that much, I would be extremely careful with it. This device is ideal for some-one who has a computer at home already, but don't want to find the space for another one, and don't want a laptop lying around. I can easily imagine giving this to my child to use without too much worries, or use myself while they use the main desktop. I could easily surf from the couch with it. I would not lug it around, but can easily see myself leaving it on a shelf or coffee table, like with a normal remote control.
Its a good concept at a reasonable price (for what you get). Pity the OS, but at least this means when this device is obsoleted (as they invariable become) you could look around in the open source community for further support.
If it makes it to the UK at a reasonable price (�450-500) I would certainly consider buying it.
Surur
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03-31-2005, 10:36 AM
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Thoughts Media Review Team
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 1,004
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Surur
I love this device!
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If it makes it to the UK at a reasonable price (�450-500) I would certainly consider buying it. Surur
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You make some very good points -particularly the idea of using it as a mobile web browser for around the house.
I guess if the price was right I could see myself finding this useful after all!
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03-31-2005, 11:21 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 14
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This is just the form factor I'm waiting for.
I use a laptop all day at work and take it home with me, but the thought of getting it out of its case, booting it up and balancing it on my knee is often a barrier to doing any wireless browsing at home.
A pocketPC is just too small to use in this scenario.
What I'm waiting for is basically a PocketPC with a 1024x768 screen - maybe stretching the pocket angle a bit...
This comes close.
Oh and the price has to be < �300
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03-31-2005, 11:39 AM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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I'm not sure if any of you have noticed, but if you head over to the specifications page, you'll see this at the bottom:
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Mozilla-based browser, making the Pepper pad both virus- and hacker-resistant.
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Mozilla is great but they're far from hole-proof. I can imagine some customers getting pretty angry at Pepper if something detrimental were to happen to their data while they were online.
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03-31-2005, 12:06 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,734
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Daniel Webb
Oh and the price has to be < �300
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Keep wishing  This has a bigger screen with a higher resolution than any pocketpc. It has a 20 gig hard drive. It has dual wireless and consumer infra-red. It even has a keyboard of sorts.
Unless there is some subsidized scheme this is going to cost more than any high end pocketpc. I would say more than a Loox 720, but cheaper than the cheapest laptop (which is being sold by pcworld for �450, isnt it?)
Surur
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03-31-2005, 01:32 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 734
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I was thinking about devices like this the other day. See, I have a home network with WiFi laptop, a pocket PC (rx3715) and a Clie TH55. Now, I like my PPC, but the screen is just too small and limited in terms of resolution to be of any real use. My Clie has a nicer screen, but it's limited in terms of flash and things like that.
What I really want is a big touchscreen, at least 800x600 resolution, a good webbrowser with Flash and things like that, and *that's it*. A dumb terminal, only capable of browsing the net through my home router, maybe play some media from my other computers.. nothing more. If they made something like that for around 500 euros, I'd buy two in a heartbeat.
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03-31-2005, 01:47 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 27
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Looks like a fun, killer device. SVGA, touch screen, Ruggerized, water resistant, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Linux based...
I only wonder why it has 802.11b and not 802.11g...
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