I pre-registered for OP and waited my 18 months for it.
And then it was fairly cool, but not quite there. I was after a computer I could carry everywhere, in a jacket pocket, waist pack or cargo pants. OP is just a bit too thick to do that comfortably, I'm afraid.
And there are build quality issues. The case is, to be fair, absolutely terrible. The plastic around several of the screws has broken off. The power connector is loose so it only charges if I press the power connector upward. And I've hardly used the thing! (did I mention that it's just a bit too big?)
I would pay $500 for an OP that was 2/3 as thick with a decent case (metal would be heaven).
I understand that what I'm asking for isn't really what it was designed for -- its creators and much of its community are after a portable game machine. And that's fine. As such it works fine (the build quality issues notwithstanding).
But there are *no* pocket computers on the market. The closest you can come is the Vaio P (which has anemic performance and battery life and will run you $1500 for a decent one) and the N900 (which thinks it's a phone not a computer and also has anemic battery life).
So I'm saying there's an opportunity there. I think it's a pretty big one -- there are a lot of Linux geeks who might like a decent pocket computer. There are plenty of Apple haters. There are a *lot* of people building embedded systems of one kind or another who would love to have a complete, robust Linux device for $500.
For a v1 device from a bunch of blokes in a shed who have never done anything remotely like this before, I say Bravo. Amazing achievement.
But if you're not designing a v2 (or at least a v1.5) already, in 18 months you'll be selling these things remaindered through op shops and wondering what happened to your glory days. But do a new case that isn't rubbish and looks decent with a new, thinner battery (I'll settle for 5 hours), or maybe a battery that straps to the bottom so you can vary the size-battery life tradeoff.
That there would be amazing. There are at least two other things you could consider that would be even more amazing: charge an extra $50 per unit for a screen that can rotate to a tablet mode. Put a bigger, higher-resolution display in it.
But I'd settle, basically, for a form factor that doesn't suck. Keyboard is doable, basic features are great, nubs are amazing. But the shape, durability and look of the thing are just not going to do it.
*Please* tell me you're working on this.
And then it was fairly cool, but not quite there. I was after a computer I could carry everywhere, in a jacket pocket, waist pack or cargo pants. OP is just a bit too thick to do that comfortably, I'm afraid.
And there are build quality issues. The case is, to be fair, absolutely terrible. The plastic around several of the screws has broken off. The power connector is loose so it only charges if I press the power connector upward. And I've hardly used the thing! (did I mention that it's just a bit too big?)
I would pay $500 for an OP that was 2/3 as thick with a decent case (metal would be heaven).
I understand that what I'm asking for isn't really what it was designed for -- its creators and much of its community are after a portable game machine. And that's fine. As such it works fine (the build quality issues notwithstanding).
But there are *no* pocket computers on the market. The closest you can come is the Vaio P (which has anemic performance and battery life and will run you $1500 for a decent one) and the N900 (which thinks it's a phone not a computer and also has anemic battery life).
So I'm saying there's an opportunity there. I think it's a pretty big one -- there are a lot of Linux geeks who might like a decent pocket computer. There are plenty of Apple haters. There are a *lot* of people building embedded systems of one kind or another who would love to have a complete, robust Linux device for $500.
For a v1 device from a bunch of blokes in a shed who have never done anything remotely like this before, I say Bravo. Amazing achievement.
But if you're not designing a v2 (or at least a v1.5) already, in 18 months you'll be selling these things remaindered through op shops and wondering what happened to your glory days. But do a new case that isn't rubbish and looks decent with a new, thinner battery (I'll settle for 5 hours), or maybe a battery that straps to the bottom so you can vary the size-battery life tradeoff.
That there would be amazing. There are at least two other things you could consider that would be even more amazing: charge an extra $50 per unit for a screen that can rotate to a tablet mode. Put a bigger, higher-resolution display in it.
But I'd settle, basically, for a form factor that doesn't suck. Keyboard is doable, basic features are great, nubs are amazing. But the shape, durability and look of the thing are just not going to do it.
*Please* tell me you're working on this.