Web Tablet: Toward Less Complexity

TechCrunch is usually a deplorable timesink but I'm quite intrigued with their recent post about 'A Dead Simple Web Tablet'

The idea is instantly exciting -- but the funny thing is how readily those who love the idea are willing to see it destroyed.

The crux of this product is that it's dead simple. It has to be thin, light, cheap, low power, browser-only, always connected, with no OS, and no tweakability. All of these goals work together toward one goal: simplicity.

Yet, people who claim to love the idea are also clamoring for its destruction: they're asking for more and more features. They just don't get it.

The acclaimed masters at simplicity would haveto be 37signals who've written countless salvo's on the less is more principle.

The general template for the 2000 or so comments on the web tablet seem to follow this insane template:

simplicity isn't just a bullet point in a list

WOW AMAZINGS!
i am 8 yr old dreamy eyeed blogger who will help make this awesome by giving ideas.
you MUST attach a microwave dish and a muffler.
Also, make it cheaper. Then i will buy two.

Here's a tiny portion of the 'extra features' that commenters have asked for:

Need the ability to add software
have a dedicated right-click button for extra functionality
where is the button to bring up a touch screen keyboard?
Make 3 different tablets at different prices with increaseing features.
Bond everything with screws... for tinkerers...
You don’t need a power port - you can use wireless power transmition, simply charge it by putting it on a powered matt
add home automation\
Put in a standard ethernet port, not everyone will have wifi
folding in half would be a killer feature. Aren’t LCD screens flexible enough?
GPS
a one-touch "button" area in a corner to pop up a FAST, dialog... for setting up a complete personal shorthand
rubberise the edges and part of the back of the device
Sugar XO for the gui
Car charger
Boot from SD
What about Verizion/Cingular WiFi
docking station for the Apple iPhone 3G
have a setup in the beginning when you turn on the tablet, then allow them to choose what browser
You’d better have Gimp/Inkscape on there too
make it so we can mod it
Add a button on the right and left for moving the browser backwards and forwards so that it is more of a two-handed hand-held device
screen resolution is at least 800×600
one of those little plastic things on the bottom of a keyboard, so it can stand up on a flat surface
Sliding onboard keyboard
A keyboard button is a good idea
a clamshell with dual screens
ability to run the Firefox addon’s
an adsense supported version for free.
Sound Jack
Bluetooth
Wifi
A few SD slots (must be more than one).
A modest Flash drive (1 gig)
A USB port on the side (attach a keyboard/mouse).
An accessory, cover, perhaps a fold back that acts as a stand.
A4 size.
local media storage is a must -- SD cards would be the best way to go
Ability to play rudimentary games and emulators as well as use some of the more esoteric graphic designs of compiz, like drawing fire and watching it rain on my lap
Multitouch would be a gigantic boon to the design and the function
VPN would be very interesting
try to include paint.net, the GIMP, or photoshop
I’m all for having different configurations and the consumer deciding
We really need a good eBook reader
Something sleek and black would be really nice with an OLED screen
hot-swappable batteries,
similar software to the really rather good MS OneNote, and a decent OCR engine
have a small covered USB port so you can plug in a typical USB Drive
a waterproof version to check the news in the morning while having a shower.
a bluetooth module... allow you to connect multiple devices wirelessly.
Instead of a slide out keyboard, how bout an optional folding bluetooth keyboard.
would have to have a comic book reader application like Comix, as well as the web browser for Marvel Digital comics
Given the prominence of videomessaging it needs to have a video camera and decent microphone and speaker
have a brick that is a battery that plugs into the device.

>browser-only, always connected, with no OS

it would have to have an Operating System, just a very cut down one.

@jenner -- yes, but crucially i think there would be absolutely no user access to the operating system. not just cut down access to it. so from a user's point of view, there's no visible operating system.

I think Des Traynor's hilarious article "Ship or Shut up" shows exactly how this kind of project can go wrong.

http://www.destraynor.com/serendipity/index.php?/archives/122-Ship-or-Shut-Up.html

I wonder if that will happen in this case?

Make it round - you know, for the kids...

This just proves why people are still suckers for feature matrix comparison charts and why managers love features. At my company our search page has so many options that the search results are shown below the fold :)

Surely, the correct response to most of these feature-requests is, "If a laptop's what you want, you know where you can buy one."

In fairness, there is no single features vs. ease-of-use sweetspot. It's a matter of taste. What a shame that most people have such lousy taste.

I guess that's why we still need Steve Jobs.

Most of the suggestions go towards making it do more stuff, some of the suggestions work on improving how it is able to do the stuff it already does.

The suggestion "rubberise the edges" stood out to me as a good one for this type of product. It doesn't really do anything extra other than improve the probability that it will continue being able to do stuff after your drop it, and let's face it, you are going to drop it.

Fantastic example of scope creep though. Although it's probably more of a scope explosion.

I'm down for simple. Think I'll make an ultra-extra-mega-mininal-super-spartan tablet called 'The Absence'. It will *not* have keyboard, sound, wifi, memory, OS, USB, batteries, bluetooth, buttons or a screen. Oh wait, that's exactly the same as a plastic chopping board. Go-Go gadget marketing team!

@David H: i like the idea of "the Absence", but think we should add some speed fins. For faster chopping.

It's also reminiscent of 'the internet fridge' which is one of the silliest marketing fails i've ever seen. Wonder how that went?

Well, I dunno. I think the original idea's overspecified in the first place.

Let's lose the camera and the USB port, which should save about $10 (less, probably) and an ounce or two. Then we're really talking.

I'd buy one each for the family.

Hmm. Given my less than ecstatic WiFi experiences on Linux, take that $10 and spend it on making the WiFi driver really really really good.

The internet fridge was an outstanding success. The point wasn't to sell them, but the point was to allow customers to associate the brand (LG) with hi-tech products. To that end it worked, here we are talking about it now.

Web Tablet: Toward Less Complexity

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