yep. "How close to an Apple keyboard can you really get" seems to be one of the questions they have asked themselves.
About the idea - it's kinda neat but I think it's 2-3 years too early. Graphics, ram and networking are ok in today's smartphones and may be able to power a netbook - the CPU however isn't. As an example, HD flash videos is something today's users expect in an ultrabook sized device and this will disappoint them. And if this is thought to be an additional device to your notebook then I have to ask - why? You're still much better off with an ARM tablet and a keyboard dock.
> As an example, HD flash videos is something today's users expect in an ultrabook sized device and this will disappoint them.
There are Android phones out there that can display video at 2160p to an external display, so I'm not sure why this should be a problem.
But I really don't think people who want to play flash videos are the target market for this device today.
Rather people like me for whom having a netbook for very basic stuff is very useful, but who really have no need for it to be an extra computer.
I have everything I need in order to manage the servers I'm responsible for on my phone, for example, but I'm hampered by a small screen, no keyboard (ssh via on screen keyboard on my 4.3" phone is somewhat painful) and short battery life, so today I already carry around spare batteries and a large battery pack in my back, and really should have a keyboard with me too. That still leaves the screen. And cables. Getting it all in one sleek case would be great.
> And if this is thought to be an additional device to your notebook then I have to ask - why? You're still much better off with an ARM tablet and a keyboard dock.
My laptop is a 17.3" "desktop replacement" that never leaves the house. I don't usually need a laptop when I'm out and about, but as mentioned above there are cases where some limited capabilities beyond what my phone offers would be great.
You're right that a tablet + keyboard could meet it, but I'd prefer a 7" tablet I can easily hold in one hand during commuting, while I'd prefer a larger screen if I need to have extra stuff to be able to do work anyway.
There's room for a lot of different form factors and types of devices - people have different usage patterns.
How is HD resolution on an external display the same thing as DECODING IN SOFTWARE a HD flash video? Please keep in mind that Flash decoding is still not GPU supported on ARM devices (at least as far as I know).
And concerning a target market: Yes it might be useful for some audiences like sysadmins or people who don't really want to consume media on their computers. I still think that most people who want to use devices like these want to be able to watch videos. Even on iPads the lack of flash is what has been most limiting to many people - luckily the situation gets increasingly better with the adoption of iOS native formats. I guess we have to see.
> How is HD resolution on an external display the same thing as DECODING IN SOFTWARE a HD flash video?
How is software decoding remotely relevant? Doing that when almost all modern phones and tablets have GPU's that supports accelerated decoding of the formats that actually get used on the web would be entirely pointless.
> I still think that most people who want to use devices like these want to be able to watch videos.
And they will be, given that pretty much even the cheapest Chinese Android devices around have hardware accelerated video decoding for the common formats. In fact, the most common chipset in the cheapest of the cheap Android devices these days tend to have the ARM Mali GPU architecture largely for this purpose.
But an iPad is too big to be attractive for me to use during my commute, which is the time it'd be most useful for me as a tablet, and too expensive to be competitive with a netbook for the type of occasional emergency usage I was talking to.
If I wanted a large tablet, then yes, I agree with you, just adding a keyboard to that would be just as good a solution.
I concur, also I wonder what the battery life would be. The clambook looks too thin to be holding a battery, does that mean it will rely on the smartphone's own power supply? A smart phone might last longer than a laptop but that's only because it doesn't have a big 13" screen... until now.
"With MHL® technology, your smartphone charges while it’s connected to ClamBook. Enjoy full length movies, edit documents, and browse the web without worrying about draining your battery."
