I'm a little exasperated with laptops and netbooks. However much progress has been made, there are some discomforts that are still there and it seems that technology moves toward resolving them. Maybe I'm out of tune with the spirit of the times (as usual) and do not quite understand what consumers generally expect of computers, but I would describe a laptop that I wish there, and done a lot.
I think that especially in the field of mobile computing is particularly important that interface poorly deprecated: The command line. The current laptops have pointing devices such as touchpads and touchscreens. The former are inconvenient for many reasons: We have little room to maneuver, are vague, can be activated by mistake. It's what we have to settle for not having a mouse.
The touchscreens are the latest fashions by Apple Inc. products, but have serious drawbacks: Once again inaccurate, we cover the screen when used with our hands, so that sometimes can not read the buttons you are pressing, and on the other hand, controls the display space remaining information more important.
Some others charge with a mouse constantly, but connect any USB device to a laptop uses more energy and reduces the life of the battery.
The graphical interfaces have their advantages and disadvantages. The main pro to use them is undoubtedly that are intuitive and easy to learn. There is nothing easier than finding a picture of a leaf and a pen to know that we can write to him here, or logo of a trash can to know that there are in our files deleted. These interfaces are largely responsible for the popularization of personal computers.
The problem is that they are too slow. When Windows want to enter a program in the Start menu, we do three or four clicks to get there. We can put a shortcut on the start bar or desktop, but if we keep doing the same with the other programs the situation quickly becomes counterproductive to meet a sea of \u200b\u200bicons in which they lost a huge amount of time searching what you want.
The graphical interfaces have limits. After we learn to use them, we can not accelerate their use, since we have to do the same number of clicks and mouse movements every time they perform the same task. But there is a way to speed up the process: By keyboard shortcuts. Almost all functions of Windows software, Mac and Linux have a shortcut key. The software does not severely limit its functionality.
Moreover, to use the mouse when you're writing, we must remove hands from the keyboard to use it, which takes time, especially on a laptop. When using combinations of keys never leave our hands so the process is much faster.
Microsoft, in its eternal wisdom, has never appreciated the command line. Always thought it was just an intermediate step between a primitive stage of modern computing and graphics systems (see now comantos line that incorporates Windows 7: is useless, a mere accessory nostalgic). Like other operating systems have shown, this is not true. The command line can be as powerful (and in many situations) a graphical environment. The biggest drawback, of course, is that we must learn to use and it is not easy or quick. But once it has overcome this difficulty, the use is growing faster for the user.
Another advantage is that once you've learned to use a command, it does not change. With the graphics settings, options, menus and icons change when you update frequently software and often without notice.
limits are obvious: We can not see pictures or videos. But for many tasks in which several people are interested, this may be an acceptable compromise. You can check email, write text documents, chat, surf the web, download files, scheduling and other advanced applications.
Then, for everything I just explained, I would very much like there was a laptop that was text only, with a free operating system that is competent for this task (Linux, wink, wink).
Now, LCD monitors, laptops include brightness, many colors and high resolutions. For this laptop would only need a screen similar to that of a calculator, with enough resolution to show a certain amount of rows and columns. The backlight is one of the reasons why it takes more battery, so it could be optional, in the manner of a wristwatch.
Similarly, to conserve battery power could replace the hard drive for an SSD memory to save power (although there are arguments that this is not the case.) And of course would have an ethernet interface, Wi-Fi and USB ports. As the processor power is not needed so much, and perhaps you could modify the operating system to begin almost immediately.
This may solve what bothers me most laptops, and particularly the netbooks. When this type of computers were still a wet dream, I imagined that are switched on immediately enter a menu where I could get to work quickly as a calculator or a stereo. However, you have to tolerate ridiculous boot times that could disable any application brief and practical as taking a quick note or check an electronic calendar. It is absurd that netbooks are charged with the same operating systems for desktops, which were designed to function incredibly different.
The battery life is also a spit in the face. Last long when new and only gets worse over time. The price of replacement is stratospheric. What if you have a laptop if we are depending on electrical outlets?
I'm a bit idealistic in my prayers, I know that most people do not even consider having a computer that can not play video or see pictures, but maybe there's a market for this new "netbook retro "may have specific applications (network monitoring, copywriting, managing remote servers and routers, check e-mail, download files, scheduling of robotic devices, etc.). Another thing: I know this idea is not new at all. And there was the Atari Portfolio that's basically what I am describing, and appeared in the movie Terminator 2 when John Connor hack an ATM. But that machine had MS-DOS and 128 kb of RAM.
For a time in fashion were also called "Palmtops" who had a modified operating system called Windows CE (Compact Edition), but I never had one in my hands. Seemed the way to go, but unfortunately we failed.
I searched the archives of Hack-a-day and found no anything. My search for "text-only netbook" were unsuccessful. Some of my acquaintances tell me that both should make me want to, but do not deceive anybody: I'm a failure in electronics.
Now I have an Acer Aspire One and I am longing for this laptop that I will, now, learning to use Emacs to play Nethack, to navigate with Lynx, a chat with BitchX and explore my computer with BASH. I guess it's the hacker that I have locked closet inside.
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