On 12/03/2017 07:35 AM, Tom Furie wrote:
On Sun, Dec 03, 2017 at 06:57:30AM -0600, Richard Owlett wrote:On 12/02/2017 01:52 PM, John Hasler wrote:David Wright writes:what would be the principal use of this device, who would it be aimed at, and what would be the size of its market?I'd buy one were it cheap enough (it wouldn't be).I don't see why its price structure be more than a laptop or "smartphone". It should be less than a "smartphone" offering similar compute capability. The per unit manufacturing costs should be lower - fewer parts, fewer assembly steps. There would be less ongoing engineering costs - e.g. when 3G/4G becomes obsolete. Product lifetime should be longer.It seems to me that you're looking for a tablet with optional keyboard attachment.
Yes. I would probably not purchase a keyboard and instead would use one of my multiple USB connected keyboards.
If you want "off the shelf", the closest that immediately comes to mind is something like a Microsoft Surface or similar.
Quick web search doesn't indicate if any meet my requirements as ahandheld. Linux is reported to be installable - "secure boot" problems need further research.
2. have a physical form factor similar to a "smartphone".
[Latest releases tend to be uncomfortably large.
Maximum viable size 8" x 5".]
Thickness requirement is still vague.
For the amount of "DIY" involved, a Raspberry Pi - the Model 3B comes with built in wifi - with touchscreen (available in several sizes) and wireless keyboard and mouse would seem to fit the bill. It will of course be bulkier, but I can't think of anything else appropriate.
It seems power hungry. I suspect a Pi Zero has required compute power.I've not yet found a matrix of what Pi components can work together nor what Pi cases are available from a U.S. source.
Cheers, Tom