This is the question that I’ve been battling with over the weekend after someone asked ‘Is the Kindle a mobile Internet device?’ Six months ago I probably would have said ‘no’ and stuck to my belief that a MID should be a pocketable device but since then I’ve changed my opinion slightly. I now believe that the non-pocketable ‘handheld’ aspect is also an important category of MIDs, just as, say, the chunky Dash form-factor is.
Consider these Kindle features for a moment.
- Built-in browser
- Daylight-readable screen
- Full keyboard
- 24hr battery life…always on and connected
- Instant-on
- Under 300gms (10.3 ounces)
- One of the most aggressive pricing structures for mobile Internet access yet. Free! All data costs are rolled up into the cost of the device.
Of course, there’s a lot of issues with the current Kindle. The browser is basic, the speed of the device is a major issue and the lack of backlight a serious shortfall but if you think about it, you can easily envision variations of the Kindle that focus on other forms of consumption. Web, Video and Navigation being just three. The current Kindle may not satisfy those seeking a full browsing experience but the core concept of a book-sized, connected reader is undeniably good.
For me, the definition of a mobile Internet device has to include ‘hand-holdable.’ The volume of the device is important so a 300gm, super-thin reader would qualify in my, updated, book. Netbooks don’t cut it for mobility as 2lb is still too heavy and the volume of these devices is huge compared to others. You can fit 25 iPod touches inside the volume of the MSI Wind! Fancy carrying 25 iPod touches in your backpack?
Maybe Intel should loosen-up on their definition of a MID because while pocketable is good, there are other mobile Internet customers out there that can be served by the same technology.
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:58 pm
There’s one now …it’s called the Sony Ericsson Xperia.
Fulfills most of the requirements — 800×480 resolution, qwerty keypad (not full though), 150gm.
Simply VNC/Remote desktop to your home PC and you have a mobile workstation of sort.
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Nonsense. X1 is great and everything but when it comes to RDP/VPN etc it’s not much more useful than my TyTn – it’s the same “15-20 minutes internet” experience, as I call it.
To tell you the truth I was thinking about Kindle for very long time – exactly because of its portability and its built-in, prepaid, unlimited 3G internet… then I realized that only +$200 can give me a full machine and I bought a Gigabyte M912M and I’m pretty happy with it.
) and you can do a lot more than on a Shift or an Xperia.
Yes, it’s heavier than Kindle but it’s a lot more as well and still can be held in your hand (you can fix it on your belly
November 23rd, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I think you are going to find that standard labeling isn’t going to be sufficient in the coming years . It seams like every day some new and spectacular device or technology is introduced.
For instance, where does The Plastic Logic fit today
http://www.plasticlogic.com/
More importantly, where will it fit once people get their hands on the device, then find even more and creative things to do with the technology.
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Just in my opinion I say anything from a 4″ – 7″ screen should be consider a MID. I have the SC3 and the M912 and also the Aigo. I use them depending what I will be doing and if I’m just going to be using Web browsing or going to the stores, then I take the Aigo or the SC3 if I plan to do some work while going shopping. I use the M912 everyday during the week for work because its still very small and is very quick for what I need it. I also sometimes take the SC3 to use at work but wish it had better battery life.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:33 am
For me, MIDs have to be semi-pocketable. This means I can carry them from A to B in my standard(!) pockets but maybe I cannot even sit down before I take the device out. For instance, WiBrain is semi-pocketable while Everun Note is not (unfortunately; I wish it had 4cm less depth). Therefore I guess a 7″ display is currently the maximum for MIDs.
November 24th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
For my money, the Nokia tablets are just about perfect.
I really miss mine.
November 27th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
the wireless connection of the kindle is only there to download books from amazon.com,and to view wikipedia I heard a while ago.
fact is,you can’t even share files with the kindle.
It has like Sony, an extreme slow processor,and leave wifi on constant browsing,and the battery drops to a couple of hours!
It’s slow,and their screen is made purely for reading,no animation/movies/flash sites.
The good thing about e-ink is that it uses 100 to 1000 times less power than OLED,which uses plenty less than standard TFT/LED screens.
the bad is that the refresh rate is about 1fps,and since it’s not a graphical device, but a battery lasting one, the rest of the device isn’t really to be called speedy.
It runs Linux, has between 4 to 8 grey tints, 8MB RAM,and between 64 and 512MB MLC Flash memory.
The OS takes about 16MB in size.
Currently there are few e-ink devices,like:
Jinke Hanlin or BeBook, Cybook, Sony reader,Kindle,and Iliad reader.
Also new in the row is for musicians (no e-ink),is the Music pad Pro Plus from freehand systems.
On this site we seem to hear so little about the palmtop anymore!
November 28th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
To my mind, there are three categories of small, light weight devices.
The smallest is “pocketable”. This would include many, if not most, of what are now called MIDs and a few of the smaller devices that used to be called UMPCs (e.g. the OQO). These devices are small and light enough to fit in a normal pocket or be carried on a belt.
The category I would see the Kindle fitting into is “hand held”. These are small and light enough to be used while standing but too big to pocket. They require a bag of some sort to carry them around. Some MIDs (e.g. the Kindle) and most UMPCs fit into this category as would small touch screen laptops.
Lastly you get to “mini laptops”. These may be no bigger than a hand held but they are designed for use with a keyboard so they require a surface to set them on. Most netbooks would fit in this category. I would place an upper limit of about 1 kg on weight so laptops like the MacBook Air would not qualify.
February 14th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Just came across your blog on Google. Interesting post, you bring up a few good things to think about. Good luck with the blog.