The Sum of Its Parts

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://www.brighthand.com/newsite/features/stateofindustry_tuesday.html">http://www.brighthand.com/newsite/features/stateofindustry_tuesday.html</a><br /><br />Brighthand had a series of articles that didn't quite get finished, but this second installment is a good read. It covers the guts of the PDA, and Steve's thoughts on those various elements. There's a certain sweet spot for CPU power that I think we're close to reaching, but only if the software and hardware are both optimized to work together. For me at least, I'd love to fill my Pocket PC screen with video at 320 x 240, 30 frames per second, and high-quality audio. Anything more than that exceeds the physical limitations of the device. I'd also like to see better graphics processors on the devices - it undermines my confidence in the device when I see the screen redrawing itself very slowly, sluggish multi-tasking, etc.<br /><br />I don't think the answer is more Mhz - I'm waiting for an OEM to get under the hood and say "Ok, forget what we've been doing so far - what components do we need to change in order to make this thing snappy as hell?" What do you think are the most-needed improvements to the Pocket PC hardware within the realm of current technology? (ie: no fuel cells yet guys!)

[dwprice]

Big wide data buses.

[ricksfiona]

Implement that waaay cool algorithm that alows full-blown movies compressed down to 10MB.

[Falinn]

Jason you're absolutly right, what we as comsumers need is a little 'thinking outside the box' form the manufacturers for a change. So many PPC's are coming out at the moment, and I really cant say any of them look that interesting.
I was really excited about the e740 when i heard about it's mpeg decoder chip, who knows-maybe it'll work some day! :D Thats the sort of thing we need, offload the tasks to dedicated subsystems- hardware mpeg4 decoding would be near the top of my list, that way you could have high quality, full screen movie playback.
Another thing i'd like to see would be higher resolution screens, about the biggest useable is 4" diagonal I think, and I really want a screen that has at least 480x320, the clie's proved it's possible and it's so much more useable that 320x240, and great for movies!

Matt

[heov]

I think the RAM on our pocket pc's should be used only as program memory; and then have options for our storage memory. If we have dedicated RAM, I think it will run smoother.

Personally, I'm waiting for Pocket PC's with built in Hard Drives. It seems battery life is growing strong, and if we have 64 megs of RAM, with a built in, user upgradable, 5GB mini hard drive, we're set.

I'm not worried about the processor because I think within a couple of years; speed will not be a concern for pocket PC's; unless Microsoft turn's pocket pc OS into bloat ware...

I'm waiting for internal hard drives, and still have the option for CF/SD too, plus dedicated RAM.

[Steven Cedrone]

Thats the sort of thing we need, offload the tasks to dedicated subsystems- hardware mpeg4 decoding would be near the top of my list, that way you could have high quality, full screen movie playback.
Another thing i'd like to see would be higher resolution screens, about the biggest useable is 4" diagonal I think, and I really want a screen that has at least 480x320, the clie's proved it's possible and it's so much more useable that 320x240, and great for movies!Matt

I second this, although movies would not be the top priority for this for me (but it would be for my kids)

Personally, I'm waiting for Pocket PC's with built in Hard Drives. It seems battery life is growing strong, and if we have 64 megs of RAM, with a built in, user upgradable, 5GB mini hard drive, we're set.

The way I use my Pocket PC, I would be woried about a conventional dedicated hard drive for all of my data/programs. I would like to see how much flash type memory they could jam into the PCMCIA form factor though. I wouldn't have a problem with using a built in PC Card type slot for memory upgrades.

Steve

[mookie123]

My idea of perfect PDA is still a modified Libretto. (shrink it down, longer battery, but keep all the functionalities. It's some where between a tablet PC and a PPC)

1. VGA screen. (Sharp has it, 3.7inch I think)
2. bigger internal memory at least 128, .5-1gig is ideal. (libretto only have 32mb/800mbHD)
3. buit in Wi-Fi,
4. dual CF/SD at least.
5. some sort of universal plug, maybe mini USB 2.0? I can even live with CF USB2.0 adapter.
6. full windows compatibility. (A lot of desktop software are ideal ofr PDA but I doubt that they will be ported to CE soon. mathematica for eg.)
7. 10 hrs battery continuous.

[Kre]

How about the Xbox nVidia processor?

...And multiple .0001 micron or DNA based CPUs?

:lol: :lol: :lol: :wink:

[kurzon]

It seems battery life is growing strong,

I don't think that current battery life is very useful for that kind of usage (hard drives). I would like to see a device that runs for 24 hours while keeping the slender size, especially when we're talking about adding more hardware to our PDAs. From what I hear, battery technology has been crawling like a snail in the hightech industry.[/quote]

[PJE]

I'd like the option that when I switched off my PocketPC it would transfer the current state of the device into a Flash chip and then remove power to everything other than the clock (with wake up capability!) etc...

The use of SDRAM to store applications is stupid... I'd much prefer a large (128MB) Flash store for applications - with XIP - and a smaller (32MB) amount of SDRAM.

It should be possible to write a small CE program to do the backup... but hardware/OS mods would be needed to remove power and to recover from the resulting power down.

This would also remove the backup battery issue once and for all!

My 2c,

PJE

PS. I'd also like a VGA resolution screen... :wink:

[Dr. Smooth]

- persistent memory (storage and runtime); I never want to lose anything again
- standby battery life of 10-14 days MINIMUM
- runtime of 8-24 hours
- integrated 802.11b _and_ Bluetooth; stop making these mutually exclusive, as they are intended for two completely different things
- 100%, rock-solid, reliable synchronization; no more duplicated contacts, missing reminders, and dropped tasks -- I want to be able to count on synchronization to be accurate and complete
- better bandwidth to SD cards; seems as if many implementations are crippled by low bandwidth -- there won't be much incentive to move to smaller storage options if performance sucks
- high bandwidth buses and graphics processors to take full advantage of faster processors
- lightweight PIM software (or at least don't bloat what's already in PocketPC in future versions); in the Palm world, you don't even think about applications "launching" -- when you hit the calendar button, you see the calendar. Instantly. Period. You can't say the same about PocketPC. With that much horsepower, you should be able to.

Bottom line is that I spend too much time with PocketPC thinking about the integrity of my data, wondering whether anything's been lost, backing up to CompactFlash, or backing up to the PC (a PAINFULLY SLOW process). I shouldn't even have to give that a moment's thought.

[Sslixtis]

I want a Global like they have in Earth: the Final Conflict!! Phillips has those screens already, ok so I would have to sell my soul and a couple of other peoples as well to afford one, but I think that rollable screen is the sweetest thing I have ever seen. You can have size, resolution and portability with your handy dandy Global! :lol:

[JMountford]

I honest to God swear that the best way to get an awesome Pocket PC that does more with a similiar size to current Pocket PCs is for some one to get me about 200 - 500 thousand Dollars in funding so that I can work with an Engineer to put my design together. I have broken out of the current standards and embraced future thinking in my designs.

PPCs need to be more easily upgradable (so that the things last longer)
PPCs need to be more compatible with Desktop Technology.
PPCs need to stay small but add more features.
PPCs need to be able to use more common peripherals.
PPCs need to hold more data.
PPCs need to have longer more stable battery life.

My design addresses all of these issues in innovative and forward thinking ways.

[Jonathon Watkins]

Personally I want a 4 inch backlit trasflective 640x480 screen, USB ported device.

Does anyone have any specs on the next generation of PPC’s? It seems like we know all of the current generation of X-scale devices. Maybe the next generation will be able to squeeze the extra performance out of them. When are we due a new release of PPC anyway? Late 2003 wasn’t it? Will the current 32Mb of FlashROM be sufficient (to allow current generation devices to run it) or will we need larger capacities (like the IPAQs 48 Mb of ROM)?

[Will T Smith]

Use Firewire instead.

Firewire operates on a peer to peer model. You could plug any firewire device in and utilize it's capability. For example a portable firewire drive.

You would also be able to sync at speeds that would send your head flying as well charging by default for any capacity device.

[JMountford]

Firewire is a very good idea Mr. Smith. Unfortunately then the problem of drivers becomes an issue. From what I am told drivers are one of the more annoying things to code. As there are absolutely NO forwore drivers for the Pocket PC it would require a full time staff of Programmers exsperienced in Machiine Code (I think it is) just to make enough different device drivers to make Firewire Useful.

[farnold]

If only one of the manufacturers had the guts to ignore the stupid benchmark discussions. Hey, I want to use a PocketPC for serios stuff - and I don't give a damn if the processor has 100.000 or 1.000.000 waiting loops before I enter the next information. Games performance and video - if you want that, get a game boy and don't pretend to need a PocketPC.

Starting with this we would come to way better solutions in other areas as well:

Battery life - We discuss operating time in minutes and if one is 10 or 20 minutes better we celebrate it. We accespt stand-by times around a small number of days. Isn't what we really want days or operating time and weeks of stand-by?

Design, part 1 - Does anyone like that screens are significant smaller than the case itself? Every modern notebook uses the full size for screen. PocketPCs don't - except for the Japanese e550g. So, get it right. If you like a 3,5 inch screen the case should be smaller. If the case should be the size we see these days, the screen should be bigger. And reflective, transflective or hyper-active - make it bright, crisp and clear and call it whatever you want.

Design, part 2 - Make it all-in-one. Who invented the stupid ideas of cards - and even worse: sleeves - that provide a part of functionality that is supposed to be built-in and leaves us with a device as bulky and 'pretty' as a cobble stone. To me that's a bit like European cars in the 80s. Everything that's not essential is extra work, costs extra and so forth. Thank god the Japanese came with their everything-is-standard concept. OK, I have a hundrest things in my car I might never use - but they aren't disturbing either. And surprisingly enough - they could offer it at an even better price as well. Don't PocketPC manufacturers learn from the past?

Memory - How silly is it to discuss if we have 32 or 48 MB of ROM and a little bit more of RAM when we see tiny little CF or SD cards offering up to 1 GB? Technically it's not such a big deal to have much more, is it?

Operating system and software - Why do I heave to learn again, what I already know from my desktop PC? Can't you make it the same? And why do you think I have to do without essential parts or buy additional software for it?

So, WHY is it not like it's supposed to be? Two reasons.

ONE: Nothing of this is technically impossible, but the development would cost quite some money for one organisation, while others would enjoy copying the idea the next day. And as long as we willingly buy the low-cost and incomplete devices at such a high price, why should any one organisation take the risk?

TWO: The unholy alliance of greediness and arrogance represented by INTEL and MS prevents real revolutionary new ideas and concepts. They want one thing - our bucks and the most they can get of it. So they make tiny little steps and make us believe we would need their next new, non-exististing, would-be feature. XScale is a processor that consumes half the energy at twice the speed. Yeah, right. Too bad that the real energy consuming parts of a PocketPC are others and they continue to be. And how bad that this wonderful speed is good for nothing else than even more waiting loops and those few programs that would take advantage of this increase are not optimised for it. INTEL - you ********ed us! And MS? They tie so tight ropes around manufacturers that even if they like to produce better machines, they can't - or they lose your logo. They make sure that no manufacturer gets a real advantage and that they can control the game. MS, you're very much like the United Kingdom one hundret years ago. They ruled a quarter of the world back then. And as the UK in the 20th century, you are going to lose almost everything in the next years if you continue to suppress development.