| July 21, 2008 at 7:52 PM PDT
Continue comments here. The discussion has been very interesting, thank you to everybody. We are taking it all in and organizing the new dev site which will be up in the next few hours.
Forking comment thread here. Thanks!
I’m interested in interface design if you need it, though interest seems to be abundant, if not overly so, and I’m sure others are much more qualified. Shoot me an email though…
This is a product I want, would like to help as much as possible
I’m in college for computer science and have job experience with Javascript, vb.NET, c#.net, sql
other languages: java, python, c
I would be more than happy to beta test =] I’m not into coding anymore, but I sure can debug like none other!
I’d love to help in whatever way possible. Also, I’m really sure I can get my super-brilliant friend to do some work too. :P
I have redone (and help design) several intranets, applications, and tools with User Interactivity in mind. I can work with every step of the process to be sure that this project is just as intuitive (if not more) than the iPhone.
Actually, it sounds like so many people are wanting to work on UI design, why not ask for people to design a usable UI and have the community choose which one is the best. It sounds somewhat like a textbook answer, but it will get the best UI out there.
I just whipped up a little advertising thing for the $200 web tablet; it features a lot of adjectives on what you guys could do with the thing, and also asks for everyone to contribute to the project: http://ionizedmedia.com/webtablet.png
I’m all for beta testing as well. Also, is there a way we could include more languages, such as Hebrew, Arabic, Japanese, etc.?
I would hate for this to be just an American thing.
I’m a freelance web developer these days but dabbled back in the day with more “standard” app development. I’m an open source freak from my gentoo desktop to my linuxmce HTPC. Cool thing about your request is X11 doesnt NEED a desktop manager to function…you can start it right into pure x with the firefox as main app. One real major software need would be the “lcd/touch screen keyboard” would require knowing more about the exact hardware to be used before a driver could be pulled off..but yeah sweeeeeet deal guys keep us in the loop and hit me up for anything I could do.
I can build anything with these languages - PHP, C, C++, Java, Perl, C#
wow, i brought a eeepc, but all i want actually is this TC netbook, pls count me in, i am in China, i think i can do some help, thank you!
something like fast dial (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5721) may work well for the “home page” basically it’s a rip off of opera’s speed dial, but it works pretty well and is very customizable.
Let’s crowdsource several UI’s then. I run my own consulting company (UsableXperience) doing interaction design and I would be happy to input if you’re interested.
Am I the only one who’s a bit skeptical about your chances of actually pulling this off?
Some issues come to mind…
- No open source hardware project has really taken off
- Crowdsourcing doesn’t work that well
- Major companies have no doubt considered making such a product and haven’t for some probably good reason
- There’s a lot more to delivering a product to market than just getting it spec’d out and manufactured
- Once Mike has one, what reason do you have to continue with the project?
- You’re effectively taking on the iPhone, the EeePC, Nokia tablets, OLPC, and the UMPCs for hardware and OpenMoko, Android, Palm OS and others on software
- You’re a blog
I certainly wish you luck, but I’m not going to be holding my breath.
Its an ideal concept… and to put it into relative terms… its a macbook air tablet.
Who could want more.
Im in.
I’ve got python & java experience & my background is in mobile computing devices.
It’s great idea.
Need pdf & flash data support.
Bluetooth headset support (for Skype Conversation, Flash ** Video ** contents)
If Mini-DVI is there, we can use it for presentation.
support double byte language (CJK: China — Japanese –Korean) support.
Can we discuss about this in TechCrunch50?
I can’t see it proposed anywhere, but there should be a way to change screen orientation. Either through a sensor like in the iPhone or via a button (maybe in the tray).
I’m In!!! Ya’ll have got the ultimate road warrior tool brewing here. Light enough to go anywhere and still net ready to access critical content. Who needs a laptop? I’ve got a wireless security background for what it’s worth…
Also, I live in China now and I realise how many device and services designed in the US are not at all ready for this market. There should be Input Methods adapted to countries with non-alphabetical writing. (via keyboard or handwriting).
The organization where I used to work did a device like this. However, since we did this in India in early 2002, funding and other things were hard to come by and ultimately, we were forced to abandon this project. I wrote the device drivers on Linux for wlan, touchscreen and a for a few keys that we had soldered on to the main board. I volunteer to pitch in whatever way I can.
Shyam
Interesting, Please send email
I think it would be really cool to have an option of linking this to a laptop/desktop acting as a server. Basically it would be a VPN into a personal box, with the VPN being the only thing running on the tablet. I’m not sure you could get enough performance out of this setup (maybe a lot of buffering/prefetching to the ssd) but it would definitely expand flexibility.
Interested in the financial backing of such product. What sort of initial investing are we talking… let’s discuss.
Would like to help with marketing etc also think it need flash and pdf support + google gears
I’m a college student, with knowledge of embedded design and hardware design. I’ll be glad to participate with the development of this project.
please include me in the loop.
Would love to be part of this exciting initiative. And I like the fact that It is Open Source based and Crowd Sourced. Lets make it happen. I will be able to help any thing related to Software.
I can think of a huge number of applications of such a device. I don’t know what I can contribute but please shoot me a email too; it’s something I would like to be a part of.
To address one of Chris Sears’s points: it’s true that there was and is a reason other companies have not launched a similar product at a similar price point; but at this time I think a $200 web only tablet is feasible.
http://www.slashgear.com/gigabyte-m912-touchscreen-ultraportable-priced-from-556-2112762.php
If people can build a fully functional computer with touch screen and a 1.6ghz cpu for $556, a web only tablet should be possible for near $200.
An exciting idea - but could be improved with some form of “natural input” apart from a virtual keyboard. Pen, voice gestures - there’s lots of creative talent in the posts above. There needs to be something other than the geeks favourite for those whose hands and fingers no longer work properly (or maybe are missing).
This is very cool cool idea i would be the first one to buy it. Though i may not be able to give you programing codes or anything i can do research and give ideas so yes this is truly going to be something truly great though there may need to be some modifications(minor i hope). Thank you.
I’d be interested in this as well. I can provide support from a coding perspective. Shoot me an email.
I’d love to be a beta tester and put me down for two of the final product.
I think this a very cool Idea, I would love to help in any way that I am more of a business guy though. I think bluetooth would make a nice feature to communicate with other devices.
I think this is a fantastic idea. If this device had some way to simultaneously use an actual keyboard for document editing, and an external hard drive (my ipod would be perfect), I could see my desktop going cold for days at a time. I’d only need the desktop for my big graphics programs, and that’s really only an occasional thing. A device like this might actually demonstrate to most of us how little we really need the endless bells and whistles on a three-thousand dollar laptop or a big power-hungry desktop. I see plenty of reasons why the big boys don’t like this idea. Think how much cooler my office will be without that 450-watt power supply on all the time. Count me in.
Personally, I think that pdf reader must be embedded in this machine so that it can be one of the competitor to kindle.
This sounds like a great project.
I would love to be involved at a
designer
developer
or even just end user testing role.
Matt.
i would love to help you guys promote it i am and expert on facebook group and free advertising on there.
I’d take a little thickness over a large bezel. The mock up is nice and sleek, but maybe a little too bezel-happy. I think it would also be cool if the device has the capability of accepting a sim card with a 3G/EDGE radio, but that’s likely to push the cost up a bit. Maybe different versions?
As for project offerings, I currently operate a website that is a customized homepage service with feed reading, etc. I’d be more than happy to modify the front-end code to make a tablet-friendly, streamlined start page that utilizes the powerful back-end we already have in place. Our widget support would also make for a desktop-like experience without harming the goal of this being an internet device.
It certainly looks like there are no shortage of volunteers; however, I am more than willing to help out in any way I can, just shoot me an email. I’m not sure how helpful I will be at writing code, but I’m always willing to learn, and I’ve been interested in linux kernel programming.
Just a question, what’s the plan for the linux distro on here? Planning to make your own distro for this project, or just planning on running a stripped down linux distro in a kiosk mode? As a linux user, I would like to have the ability to spawn a shell on one of these, and that wouldn’t require any additional resources.
I’ve done quite a lot of work in the area of minimal linux installs and deployment on enterprise level servers. I’m a linux engineer working out of San Antonio currently, and would love to get in on the development side of the project.
Came to give some input in what I would like to see in one of these.
Definitely an SD card slot. DUAL SDHC slots would be quite nice. I could see putting a 32gb card into one slot and my “camera” card in the other slot and dump my camera to the 32gb card. Its too expensive to buy 32gb cards for everything (and some are not SDHC compatible) a 32gb card has enough space to let me download a 4gig card 8 times. This would also make it a FANTASTIC picture viewer.
Bluetooth so I can also use the data connection on my cellphone. a LARGE screen Internet Tablet is something that would do a lot more than just browse the web in my home I want to browse the web anywhere On a nice readable screen!!
First the SCREEN. NO FRAKING wide screen. It might be great for movies (debatable) but it SUCKS for internet browsing.
Ideally I would like a 1600×1200 display resolution. I can turn that vertical and have an amazing Internet Experience. LOTS of vertical pixels. But I do not think thats possible for a sub $200 device.
1024×768 is the minimum for me. Anything less that that and my N800 works just fine.
Also built in speakers (loud ones)
Make the “hardware” open source as well. IE ZERO proprietary connections. Use a standard barrel jack charger (say the defacto standard plug like on creative hardware PSP hardware and Sony Readers etc..)
Standard Mini A USB port that ALSO charges the device. Standard Mass storage. One of the primary modes of failures in devices like this is the charging jack. It might even be interesting to make the charging jack a “module” so I can say unscrew the back cover and “replace” the charging jack module.
“dock” connectors would be nice so people can build hard mounts for this device and “integrate” it into other functions and usages.
The ability to expand the battery capacity.
The minimum power needed for web browsing is also enough power to do many other things. It seems silly not to at least “permit” the device to be capable of doing these things.
Also minimum power is not all that great for web browsing unless the browser is HIGHLY optimized. My N800 is pretty powerful and it can be damned slow sometimes on some sites :-)
Done right (think dual mode screen like the XO PC ??) it could be low power enough to make a FANTASTIC Ebook reader. ESPECIALLY with a 1024×768 screen. it could make ANYTHING readable.
I figure 10″ is an idea size. large enough to make that resolution usable but small enough to be extremely portable.
If it can be done cheaply USB HOST would be nice.
Computer Engineer here, helped a hardware startup build a tablet prototype last year. My specialty is low-level dev work close to the processor. Sounds like a great project and a great way to build community! Please add me to the list. Thanks!
I’m in high school, but I would like to help anyway I can.
I’m an Industrial Design student at Auburn University. My goal in my career is to work on computers, both in hardware design and interface design. I’ve done a few projects already focusing on the external enclosure of small palm-top web and communications devices, and recently finished a project in which I mocked up a new type of easy-to-use touch interface (think multi-touch, but even simpler than that) that I think would be very useful and fit perfectly in this device. If you think it would fit you can have it and run wild with it. I would be VERY interested in helping here, feel free to email me.
I can help code and would love to help. I also agree with a number of others that it really needs a pdf reader.
i do a lot of design stuff ie photoshop/flash/web design…i also know people who would love to be involved on the same front
let me know if i seen to fit the bill
i dont really expect an answer though with the 400+ posts
I’m in. tabula rasa +1.
I’m interested in leading the design and feel of the UI.
Let me know if you’re interested.
Boom chi poo chi poo chi triple boom hoom gloom!
Oh no!
Boom hoom zoom!
Oh no!
Boom hoom gloom!
Oh no!
Yes, boom chi poo chi triple boom hoom gloom Oh No-no!
(repeat chorus)
Listen up kids, this is the gospel.
I’ve been using Linux for a while now, 2+ years… I just started building my own systems, and would love to work on this, in fact i already have the basic specs in my head… I’m a high school student, so I’ve got nothing but time!
I actually work at my school as an open source software advocate, implementing OSS where its useful.
I just graduated with a Comp. Sci. degree, and would love to help out anyway possible. Shoot me a note!
Hi guys! First off I have to say that this is a great idea (and I’d love to be a part of it)! I have extensive experience in tablets after spending quite a bit of time with a tablet manufacturer in Austin, TX. Design, QA, and software/driver design and I’m writing this on a tablet of my own customization. In addition, I’m an avid proponent of Mozilla/Firefox, Linux, and Open Source in general not to mention one helluva coder if I may say so! I think that’s it — shoot me an email sometime. Thanks!
I am the biggest geek among my friends and i would love to help beta test a great hardware startup like this it would be a great expirence for me and i could test it out in places like schools for reports and presentations and things please send me an email with the details also cali lewis of geekbrief.tv has made a brief about it http://www.geekbrief.tv
I would love to be a part of this project. I have a pretty solid knowledge of doing some programming, I could set up a project portal or a wiki type setup for group coordination, I also have CAD experience.
I can help in any way you see fit, and would love to see this thing take off and get off the ground.
I’m a coder happy to help if you need it. Please keep me in the loop . .
[...] I’m on board in support of the mission. This is actually my dream for Geek Brief … the democratization of product development. I want the tech community to work together to create a piece of kit that we want to own. If you want to jump on board, Mike is arranging the details at, Mr. Cynical’s post here. [...]
I’m a finance and accounting guy, but, if I can help at all I would love to. Add me to the email list if you could. I would at least like to keep updated with it.
I agree with others here — if it doesn’t have at least 1024×768 resolution, I may as well buy a shipping Nokia N810 that has a keyboard.
However, if you can hit that resolution, then I’m sold, because it’d be way better than the closed-source, closed-platform book readers like Kindle and the Sony Reader.
Good luck!
Hey Folks–
I really love this idea, and I think that if you can get a project like this organized and moving towards a production based design, the implications for the future of gadget evolution are pretty bright.
I’d love to help beta-test. I live in Australia and I’ve got lots of friends studying IT, so I think I’d be able to get Aussies interested.
I’d love to help anyway possible.
I am interested Comp Sci Student at BC and looking to help in any way I can.
I’m an investment banker, and I could arrange meetings with several very optimistic clients. Not sure if that would be necessary before a prototype is established, but you never know.
I have a computer engineering degree from Portland State University, and currently am working in hardware validation, but have a strong software background as well. I’ve been waiting patiently for this product to come out at a reasonable price. Let me know how I can help :)
I’m a Business Analyst with experience in Scrum/Agile-based development projects. I could help with the requirements/suggestion management process, as I’m sure you’ll be getting thousands of comments, questions, suggestions, etc. from everyone even remotely interested in this project and will probably want some way to sort through the chaos. I’ve been stuck in a Visual Studio world for awhile now, but used to be in Linux projects 3 years ago.
i’m a VP of Mktg with strong product mgmt experience and would be happy to help out.
I see the immense amount of response to the project here, and I would love to be a part of it, but I understand if the bag is already full, so to speak. I am an industrial/3d as well as graphic design for interface/UI and packaging. Again, I would love to be a part of this, but I understand if it is all filled up.
Have you seen this: http://www.ubuntu.com/products/mobile
Ubuntu is working on a version made pretty mucho for something like this.
count me in.
Virtual Keyboard Firefox Addon! YEY!
Who is the first to write it? :)
miniUSB WTF!
I’m in. The software development I can do.
Sounds like an interesting concept, but I wonder if it should be more than a web tablet. Instead, it could be a way to replace paper notepads and combine the easy entry and storage of ideas with the medium to share them (the web).
I did some of the brainstorming for this type of device a while back, here:
http://mobilecommunitydesign.com/2007/07/re-thinking-notepad.html
Also, Apple is up to something. Given the large amount of multi-touch screens they’ve been playing with, it could be that (finally) they will be offering something in the tablet space.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/an-itease-something-cool-and-cheap-from-apple/
I am potentially able to offer some UX advice on this project, depending on what the actual design is.
Firefox embedded Skype Sidebar! YEY!, also a pidgin sidebar, and some more sidebars.
Skype, you listening?
Pidgin? You here?
This is a kick ass project guys. Just ignore the naysayers and go for it. I think using the techcrunch community as essentially a big test-marketing pool for new devices and software of any kind is a brilliant idea. I would definitely buy one of these instead of a Kindle!
When you get the website launched, include forums!
Love the idea. I’m a marketing manager who can help w/ vendor relationships, customer service, and project management.
It is probably too late for this, but did you consider evaluating the NVIDIA Tegra platform ? The power efficiency of even the first-generation products looks like it will be unbeatable — and very well suited to your goals.
This sounds really great. I’d love to support this.
I’d lend a hand with product management if that would be useful.
Love it. Love the way this media empire expands through collaboration, information and skills. Keep making it simple. Stay clean and keep it real.
pico itx board, pretty small less hardware devolpment low power consumption.
however pretty expensive….
A time whose project has come. Please include a slot for an SD chip like the One-Laptop (which I already have).
Maybe Android (the mobile OS from Google) can be used for this? It has a darn good browser (though not Firefox based), supports touch screen and even runs well on low-end hardware. Its Java-based programming API is pretty good too (I wrote some app with it), and the new tablet can piggy-back on the success of Android (many cool applications from Android challenge).
On the hardware front, the new Tegra processor from Nvidia sounds great: low power, hardware 3D and media (MP4 etc.) processing in one chip — thus will make the tablet a very appealing media player too. But no idea how much it costs and if any dev board available now.
I am interested in this idea — have been waiting for something like this like forever (Nokia table is close, if only has bigger screen). I will be happy to participate in this — I’m a CS PhD and a very good software engineer.
Disclaimer (PS to my last comments): I am affiliated with Google or Nvidia.
I would very much like to participate in this, no clue how, maybe a beta tester for the linux/firefox?
Count me in, please. I am software developer and can help with coding.
I’d like to offer my experience as a PHP developer - if you guys launch an independent site for this awesome innovation.
Hi,
A good idea, though pricing will be tough.
I am an advisor/board member to several (hardware) companies, one of them (based in Korea) is currently producing(development/manufacturing) a linux tablet being sold in the US. This company is also in development with Intel on the next gen tablet chipset that shall consume significant less battery.
This company could relatively quickly come up with a proto and even further. Let me know if you are interested.
Nik, You will need a simple sleeve and if you want advice on this from us let me know. To keep the price as low as possible, I would advise making this an add on as Apple does for its devices. Just a thought. Fred
Other than the fact that Arrington knows jack shit about building technology, what could go wrong.
Great- would love to see how far this goes, I am abit worried about developing this to be tough and spil/dirt resistant. Price could be a worrypoint aswel- e-ink out of the question? Sign me on for product development and/or community management.
I am founder of Incredicorp which fosters semantic startups- and a company that helps smaller companies in their development outsourcing tasks…
Marco Kotrotsos
Incredicorp.
I can do electronics hardware design. I have a lot of embedded design experience and I work for an embedded consumer electronics company designing these types of things. I also know quite a bit about wireless design as well. I think the hardware concept is do able for the $200 mark. Let me know if you want my help.
something like this is going to need a package/box eh? contact me and i could help kick around ideas in that realm.
For software base I would take Poky (http://www.pokylinux.org/) since it has some pieces you would need and it is more focused in embedded devices. I am not sure how much power would need Gnome OnScreen Keyboard compared with matchbox-keyboard i.e.
I would like as much as possible, so please keep me in contact for any help I could provide.
I work as project manager focused in mobile technologies, so I would pleased to be in contact with this project.
i’d love to hear more about this. i even have a few dollars i could invest, if this looks like something that can be gotten off of the ground. this is exactly the sort of product i would love to have, versus the alternatives i currently have available.
I see a host of potential missteps in UI and design that would potentially rule out swo of the most useful applications - writing and an all-in-one tool for filmmakers. View video playback on the screen, make script notes, store data externally and give it to an editor. Write a scrip in your lap. Build in screenwriter or Final Draft, and it becomes a writes portfolio. make the back smooth and somehow cooler than it might be, so comfort is a factor. I’ve been dreaming of this for may years, would love to add my unqualified two cents if anyone’s interested. Its a kindle on crack. Or maybe, more appropriately, on ecstasy. But the good kind. I’m in.
Definitely interested. Count me in. Let me know how I can help.
This looks brilliant. I’ve been looking to get into an open hardware project for a while. I’m a junior year electrical engineer, so I’m new to hardware design tools (verilog, for instance) but I’m willing to do what I can.
If it is possible, make the hardware design as open and transparent as possible, and I’ll do what I can. I’m not against spending large amounts of time researching things either, and the more I learn the better - this would be fun, and who say you can have too much fun?!
I can’t wait to see the hardware come together! Please get this up and running so we can start pitching in!
I have alot of expertise in building software keyboards for touchscreen devices. I would be interested in potentially building this aspect of the system for you.
Interested as well… can’t wait to do some work… hook me up with the site so I can start dumping some ideas.
This is an amazing idea. From the responses I see here, I think there is enough expertise to not only design and build the tablet but also put it on Mars. So what about funding? I think it would be great to incorporate the project and sell shares, with a twist. Only allow each person to buy a single share. That single share gets them one tablet when the project is completed. Any addition profit is given to charity. Thoughts?
I’d love to be included in this project, studying various compatible topics at the minute and it would be great to help and learn at the same time.
Also thinking the instant on, splashtop - (Linuxbios / coreboot) would be the way to go for some speed on the low end gear, this is area that interests me the most (well, one of them).
I have a name for it: Call it the “Wildfire Tablet.” It satisfies the reference to firefox, and I’m sure once it’s built, use of said tablet will catch on — like wildfire!
I can donate to beta test the tablet, I assure you I am a very dedicated beta tester.
Uhm… I read the whole stuff and the only think I didn’t get is: why skype? I mean: it’s a great software but it’s absolutely ar from any open-source or free-software philosphy. I would strongly prefer an open protocol for IM and even for VoIP. So why don’t use Pidgin for IM (in order to have IRC, Jabber/GTalk, even the skype IM interfacing is in progress AFAIK) and an open-source (maybe ad hoc) tool for VoIP?
I’m in for beta testing, and happy to donate (extra!) for a beta machine. I have an XO, which I adore, but it has its limitations.
Would kill for:
- clean, high res, fast browsing experience (which must mean enough RAM to have seamless flash
- good quality pdf reader (something the XO nails)
- swappable batteries. i know we’ll all get power jacks in our airplane seats one day, but until they appear in every bus, airport lounge, waiting room, etcetc
Apple’s coming out with something similar later this year
Some have mentioned the use of such a device in the educational world. The small laptops are selling well to schools and colleges in the uk with some local authorities buying thousands of devices. The proposed tablet, with a decent PDF reader, might well prove popular at the proposed price point as there is less to break!
Good luck with it all.
I’ll be happy to help, (with any software code required, OOP). I think the 200$ price tag is abit too cheap, with a good design and simplicity at it’s core (perhaps with optional upgrades) it’s market value can be around the 350$ + (amazon’s kindle is selling at 350$). Great Concept guys, keep up the good work.
Please keep me updated, I have experience developing embedded linux/busybox for networking devices and would love to help wiith testing/debugging.
Tim
I am happy to help on this from linux kernel point of view. I want to work on open source project which makes difference in other ppl life.
Hey, I’m a sophomore in electrical and computer engineering and I’d be interested in contributing.
I think that with this many people it would be a good idea at this point to simply compile the ideas into different design options, instead of trying to nail it down to one right away. Maybe make a shopping style list of features you want, estimated cost, and see which configurations could be created for the price point you want to achieve.
-Sean
If you need any web design or development, i’m definately in! Could set up a community drupal site for all the contributers.
would love to help out however I can, even if a small dev or testing role … I have a primarily digital hardware background.
Jose
This idea is incredible, if/when it comes out I would love to get one.
these comments have made me appreciate the internet more than I ever have before… can you Imagine how long it would take to get the same amount of volunteers/input if the internet didn’t exist?
yay
Sounds good. I would buy one! Here’s some of my ideas..
HW:
- Screen shall be aprox in Letter size or A4.
- Memorycard reader
- Highres touch option with small pen.
- Wall mountable loader.
- “Old school” volume control, not in SW.
- Mini USB, for chargning and external accessories
- Bluetooth
SW:
- Screen shall be “turnable”, so in reading mode it’s going to be “tall screen” and widescreen in “youtube” mode.
- Screen res should be high, 1280*800++
- Full Ebook support, naturally.
- Picture and Movie viewer, it can be hung on the wall while loading and then be a pictureframe or Movieplayer.
As I’m an Electric engineer, Sr Systems engineer and IT-consultant, I’m happy to help with architecture issues and Beta testing, willing to donate to Beta test equipment.
I’d like to help. I’m almost done with my Master in mechanical engeneering, and I’ve got a lot of experience in Corel Draw, Photoshop, etc. feel free to contact me.
I’m in for hardware specification/design. This is certainly going to be challenging for a $200 price tag but thats what makes it fun. As an added bonus I have manufacturing and component supply contacts if needed.
would love to contribute to the UI - design or testing. my background is in web, usability and interface design.
The project sounds beautiful and is just what people need. I am definitely interested in helping. I can work on the hardware design if any help there is needed and also more than happy to work on the development. I am more than happy to work on the system (kernel, integration,…). Do let me know.
I am absolutely in - anything that needs to be done to make this a reality…
XBMC would work well for this http://xbmc.org/media/ It runs well on low end hardware (the xbox has a 733mhz celeron and 64mb ram).
It already has a built in keyboard and a powerful skinning engine… it might be possible to adapt one of the existing skins for this project… perhaps firefox could be embedded into XBMC?
There are Linux and Windows ports available at http://xbmc.org/download/
The latest XBMC skins are here: http://xbmc.org/wiki/?title=Skin_Compatibility_List
CenterStage is a fork of XBMC with a sexy skin that hasn’t been released yet: http://centerstageproject.com/the-future.php
I would love to help in any possible way. I know Python and have done testing in the past if that helps. Also I am very active in the open source community and have participated in several open source projects organizing actual events. I am passing the word “free PR”.
If the price is kept at 200 for a tablet then consider me a client.
Another crucial aspect is marketing. Obviously TC has a great fanclub already, but my mum has never heard of you, and I would include her in your target audience. I can help with video / motion graphics and other marketing material.
Awesome open (source) project and concept. Especially like the way the people from around the globe have shown their interest.
If its successfully executed, it will be one of the most disruptive conceptualization to production scheme. Kudos for taking the leap.
Interesting ideea :) First of all firefoxtablet.com registered on 21 july 2008 :) so no chance to make an solid community for this project on that name.
I’m in. I’m not in dev, but i’m working as a game tester so you can count on me for testing, design, ideas, promoting.
I’m from Romania and i think it will have a big success here so you can count on me for this.
Also i’ll make a fresh standalone website community for this to faster the things.
Also i can help with host, domains everything with the internet site for this project.
So take me in :) cya.
Hi,
I can help for the marketing/evangelize in Europe on it and for translation.
Best,
Anne
Very interested in helping - marketing, testing and opportunities for selling on. Run a consultancy for comms and PR work.
Nik,
I’m a VP of Technology and CTO for a firm here in Beijing China.
I have been on the ground for 2 years and have resources and an interest to assist with this project both from a Hardware standpoint and perhaps software as well.
You can see a bit of my experience at my LinkedIn page:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/WillStevenson
What you won’t see there is that I have been a Unix/Windows hack since the late 80’s on BSD386/NT3.1/OS2,etc and have an innate interest in ‘appliancizing’ technology platforms and have a few patents filed related to that.
Hope to hear from you,
-Will Stevenson
I think this is a great idea. I am on with whatever help I can provide. I think addiing bluetooth support would be nice in making this extremely portable. It could easily be designed as part of the hardware interface. What kind of a screen size are we looking at. I think 8-10″ should be good enough.
Great concept and thank you for informing. I have word in several open source projects in the past and have also helped in the organization of events/meetings. Also I work with Python and have previous testing experience. I am active in the os community passing the word around as we speak (free PR).
If there is anything I can help with I am available. Keep the price at 200 and you have a client.
Count me in.
I hope I can help, maybe with concepts & ideas or marketing… or programming web-processes…
Wow nearly 500 comments, Power to the people!
The Techcrunch Team must be absolutely stunned at the response, I bet they’re not getting any sleep tonight!!;-D
Loved the idea of a cheap, light and easy use tablet computer since the 1991 when I saw Go Corp’s Penpoint vision, Kaplan was just out by a couple of decades.
My A4 tablet was to be called a Dataslate with a great ergonomic hardware and UI.
I have always have/would still love to make it, and it looks like it could happen judging the possible collaboration from all these comments, and once Techcrunch sit down and see what they have here and who will join the production, this could be something which goes down in the history books of the first online blog inspired project to become reality and of potential use to the masses who have been deprived of great user friendly gear in the shape of a device which we all comfortably familiar with; and I’m sure and have felt for all these years that could change the world.
This device will have a camera etc the works, mind blowing possibilities of new circumstances of data sharing and network usage taken out of the internet to become the OUTTHERENET.
I for one would love to be involved in this project, and like the hundreds of passionate and sometimes heated internet community who make up the readership of Techcrunch and other great blogs who love and always felt that we as human beings are now in control of our future and the tools of technology aided by open devices such as this could be the next leap of human awareness; thus enabling our world to get back to a place where the natural order brings a new equilibrium for assisting the knowledge of those have denied for various reason access to these social and knowledge facilitators
I for one have emailed Roger Fidler the visionary at Knight Ridders info design lab in the 1990s . I’m sure he will be over the moon (just as I) when he sees all of these if he hasn’t seen it already, .
Mike and TC team my best wishes to you; and if there is anything I can do. Like many others who a enthusiastically said before. I’m in.
This Web device is exactly what Webconverger software was designed to do.
I’d like to participate in software development
:O ……… :D…amazed,There is an OS already, DSL its 50mb can run on a PI very well,Combine that with an strongarm or similar platform, cool gadget built by its would be users…radical ..rip something off ipaq,
Great Idea.
We can contribute in Design and Specifications, even low cost manufacturing as well.
We can help market & sell, evangelize this product in India - we have educational focus and think that this has a lot of potential - 1 Billion People with 100 Million capable of reading/writing/browsing electronic content.
Include us in your team.
Count me in…..
I think this would be perfect in and around the house.
Similar idea, just not a tablet PC
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/cherrypal_launches_cherrypal_with_cherrypalcloud_and_cherrypal_etc/
Why don’t you raise the cash required from TC users? E.g. 10,000 “stocks” available at $100 each. The more you buy, the more voting rights you get on the project’s direction.
This is a great idea!
I would love to participate in any way that I can. I can contribute with some serious coding skills or marketing/translation in India.
Or anything else that is required.
Keenly following this project from here on…
This is exactly what i need. I would be pleased to help. Can help with translation of userinterface, helpfiles and documentation in to german.
I am very interested in this project and, if the job is needed, would like to sign on as a graphics/layout designer. I believe that because this is a pure touch screen application the interface needs to be completely rethought and redesigned to be used productively as a touch screen. Current layouts in Firefox are designed for mouse and keyboard, that would not fly in the world of touch screen.
Please get in touch with me if you are interested and I will e-mail drafts/ideas I am working on.
Great idea. I’m a former Red Hat employee, now with FiveRuns, who had a love/hate relationship with my Fedora laptop for years. http://marketingfree.typepad.com/marketingfree/2008/02/losing-my-relig.html
I can help you get this thing to market.
count me in - i’d love to get involved with the web integration, or the software engineering side of things - i’m just going into final year, so time will be used sparingly.
shouldn’t a wiki be setup, and shouldn’t all these product designers start generating ideas on how the thing looks? i’d say make it flat as possible, with two “wings” that fold down to make a stand, also LED edging for that “wow” effect..!
Just my ideas about project:
1)CPU
It has to be cheap low-power CPU. To make it comfortable (development and peripherals, software compatibility) i think it has to be x86 architecture. Probably Intel Atom, Via, Geode. Nothing new there.
If we will use ARM/MIPS - task to port required software(including some drivers) will be MUCH harder and will take more time.
A)Geode LX looks promissing, 1.5W TDP, memory controller + display controller is onboard. There is thin clients with Geode LX, to evaluate performance.
B)Via Nano 25W TDP, nothing onboard. So need external memory controller and display controller. But much faster.
2)Custom PCB design, RAM and other parts have to be soldered, to make device thin . Probably it can be slightly modified existing SBC or some other embedded solution. Probably it is good idea to fit miniPCI slot(even two) there, so it can be partially modular. (WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth options).
3)IMHO if it is Linux, we can run instead of expensive SSD, just some Async and SPI flash, and use software-layer to manage wear level, filesystem and etc. Maybe in this case also we can use power of XIP (execute in place), and save some RAM / decrease boot time. For Windows we will leave USB slot, or USB based cardreader. For regular customer filesystem must(or can?) be transparent, and it is easy to do over UBI.
If need, i can think more about details…
Count Me In!
I am a software development engineer with good skills in C, Java and GNU/Linux and I want to participate. (I speak french too)
I’m certainly up for helping. I currently live in China and will move next month to Taipei, Taiwan - the microchip/component capital of the world.
I’m primarily a marketer/web designer (as well as a gadget freak - got an EeePC as some other commenters mentioned), but I’m also director of a company specialised in sourcing in Greater China (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan), so once the specs are sorted I can definitely get my staff on finding the best priced components for it, so hopefully we can get this as close to our target price point as possible.
Alex
i would be more than happy to lend a hand, I’m an ICT and Multimedia grad…
The idea sounds great. I could help in both development and user-point-of-view issues.
It’s potentially a great idea. Some thoughts:
- the execution is all important. Otherwise nothing will come of it. Better to freeze the features and design at some point and come out with a not-so-good first version (if it comes to that), which may not satisfy everyone (that won’t happen anyway:). Can make better/other versions later.
- considering that there are so many readers’ opinions on features for the tablet (both hardware and software), there should be a small but strong technical + project management team in place - whose word is final - to decide the features (after sufficient discussion) and do triage. Otherwise it could get stuck with creeping featuritis and/or end up becoming something like the Chandler project (see http://www.dreamingincode.com/ and the related book).
- might want to consider making the design modular / pluggable / hackable - the great success of the IBM PC (and compatibles) and of Visual Basic (in the first few years after it came out - the huge component marketplace it created), was largely due to open specs and modularity / hackability, which enabled the thriving and profitable ecosystems that were created around them.
- I agree with others about a PDF reader and option for a physical keyboard. Consider the option of providing for expansion of RAM and disk capacity too, at higher prices.
- something like Google Gears for online/offline syncing is a good idea (as you mention in the post)
- would make it even better (for hackers) if it had programming environment(s) - maybe light ones like Python and Ruby, with the ability to add others - but I realize that may take it too far away from your original intended vision for it (see what I mean about creeping featuritis ? :)
My 2c …
- Vasudev Ram
I’m a college student, with knowledge and experience in embedded hardware, software design. And I’m willing to donate me free time. We can use FPGA (small because of cost) that can help with CPU intensive tasks (we can reconfigure it in real time to suit current needs for example iDCT, FFT etc.)
As an artist I’d like pen tracking like the Wacom’s expensive Cintiq. I know it wouldn’t be powerfully enough itself but if it could go into a mode where its just acting as a display tablet for a more powerful laptop or desktop via vga/dvi/usb input that would be a must have product for us creative geeks!
I wont bore you , I want to help , there is a queue forming :)
I can help work on design, not just with the product itself, but also interface and packaging. Although I’m not really proficient in 3D rendering for the actual product, but that’s it. I have some suggestions on specs and look/feel.
I’m in!
OMG!
It could be used as a ebook, ecomic reader!
This would be a boon for travelling photographers (and camera amateurs) but would need more solid state storage - which shouldn’t be a problem since by the time it’s built, storage will be cheaper yet. It’s a major pain in the butt lugging a laptop around when all one needs to do is quickly review photographs on location. You could feasibly bundle it with the mid-range and top-end DSLR cameras or get the big retailers to do it if the manufacturers wouldn’t play ball… All it would need is a thin client image viewer which would allow one to edit a day’s take - review / discard - on the plane trip back and have it ready for IPTC data input on a bigger machine back home.
37 signals users would love you, too - perfect portable tool and a logical sales channel / partner for the hardware.
Most of the weight I suspect would be in the battery which would need to be a Mother to make this thing truly useful - and battery management would be the prime concern.
Sealed unit so it can be used almost anywhere. The flap covering any ports would need to have a rubberised seal, a la top end digital cameras. Good advertising potential here - I can shoot a “singin’ in the rain” sort of ad once there is a prototype and send this thing down the viral path. (Just wrote a script for it too…)
Outstanding effort guys. Please keep me posted. Personally, I’m starting up in the mobile social networking space for travellers and suspect some of our members would find this very useful to back up and upload images and to location blog. My background is in photography / video / publishing / multimedia and consumer internet. Happy to contribute.
That tablet is what I want.
I’d like to help this project.
I’m PhD student in Japan, major in Electronics.
I can program C# C++ Java and so on, and also I can design electrical circuit.
Of course, I can translate English to Japanese.
Sorry, I missed the Email. This is correct one.
[...] Resonanz auf die Idee ist beeindruckend: Nur einen Tag später verzeichnet der Beitrag schon mehr als 500 [...]
This is what I’ve been looking for! I’d love to help, I do graphic and interactive design, and can do English-French translations. I have some experience in marketing too. If nothing more, please include me in the loop.
I’m really interested in developing and help you in it, software part…… I can program in java, c#, and other languages like javascript, php…Thanks…..
I like it, but how do I invest in it?
It’s very nice concept and I want to have several devices for me and my family. I’m working as a project manager in Japanese IT company. I’m not a developer but I can work on writing PRD, translating document, building web page for Japanese and also marketing activity for Japanese. Anyway, I want to join your project if my resource help you.
Specifications:
harddisk OCZ Rally2 8GB USB or A-Data 4GB Compact Flash
motherboard MX800LX2D
memory A-DATA 1GB 184-Pin
screen ?
Great Idea, would love to be involved. Hardware, Software, Product development, Cloud server app hosting.
The project sounds interesting. Drop me an email and I’ll join in with software engineering.
Not sure where my strategic marketing background could come in handy, but I’d definitely like to be kept in the loop and of course to see how it evolves over time.
Count me in! The key for me will be power source- an option to use a range of batteries/chargers through a standard input ?USB; mudularity: build up or down as you need, for all features. This is the way to go!
Very good idea!
I’m a usability expert - please contact me if you need any help with the interface design, user testing etc.!
Cheers from South Africa,
Nils
I’m a procurement specialist with over 20 years sourcing experience. I’d like to be involved from the supply side. My expertise is contract negotiations and cost reductions. Who do I contact to be involved?
I’m a .net/mono developer specialized in Linux embedded systems. With 10 years of Linux experience and built of custom Linux distributions I can help very much. Also I have a bit experience with graphic design and designing eye-candy GUIs
With a only firefox fullscreen interface, could be a great idea to implement a web control panel based in mono xsp webserver for local configuration.
Also this idea looks promising, I’m already developing an idea of 200$ Mini-PC without screen, so this will be fantastic.
I would be interested in such a project and help with development.
This is what I was looking for!
I’d love to contribute. For I have programming education, but little experience. I still am good with graphics. I could also do translation (english-german) and testing (debugging, beta-test, …), got experience on that ;)
Some interface and web design is also on the menue.
Are we talking about network connection only through Wifi here, or do you have Bluetooth on your plan? Anything to connect to mobile devices, such as cell phones, propably use UMTS?
Wherever this will lead, I’ll surely stay tuned. If theres nothing to contribute, well, count me as your first customer!
Hey guys! Awesome, awesome idea for a project!
Not sure how I can help other than offering some of my radical ideas.. (bare with me!)
I work for a online department store that deals with a lot of electronics sourced from China.
Some of the popular items are MP3 players. Many which are based off Apple’s range of MP3 players such as the Nano, Classic and iTouch.
Ethical/Copyright issues aside.
For about $150 you can get a touchscreen MP3/MP4 player that resembles the Apple iTouch.
Many online store that deal with electronics sourced from China usually have a version of the touchscreen MP3/MP4 player, mostly rebadged/spec’d for their needs.
How would this apply to this project? Well..
Come up with the specifications then approach a few electronics factories in China and find out how much it would cost to create a few prototypes.
To find some possible factory contacts in China. Use a source such as Alibaba.com .
Once you have the prototype. Take it to a few of the big Chinese trade shows, like the Canton fair(http://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en/index.asp) . Drum up some support and maybe a few buy orders.
..And there you go! WAM! The device spreads worldwide. Sure it might not be $200 because of the markup along the way and it might be missing a nut or two because it was built in China.. but if you get the following behind it and everyone will want one.
HELL!! I want one now!
Hope that gives you guys some ideas. If you need some more help. Send me an email! lol
Oh, did I say that I want one of these “Firefox Tablets” NOW!!?!
- Marcin