Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!uunet!mcsun!ukc!cam-eng!dscy From: dscy@eng.cam.ac.uk (D.S.C. Yap) Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops Subject: Notebook Manufacturers Listen Up! Message-ID: <1991May04.204037.21028@eng.cam.ac.uk> Date: 4 May 91 20:40:37 GMT Sender: @eng.cam.ac.uk Organization: cam.eng Lines: 116 Nntp-Posting-Host: tw000.eng.cam.ac.uk The following are the specifications for a notebook computer that will appeal immeasurably to the tens of thousands of technical professionals out there who use computers as an integral part of their work. It likely isn't what you'd expect we'd want, and, in fact, many of the people to whom it would be irresistable, probably don't know it yet; they've given up on notebook/laptop computers for the time being - "cute, but you can't do any real work on them." This is precisely the point, don't try! Instead, give us a true notebook, in the most banal use of the word. Most laptop/notebooks are targeted at people who have limited access to computers (in one way or another) and they try to cram as many 'big' computer features into the little boxes as possible, "thereby, appealing to the largest market, while wowing the masses with the amount of power they've stuffed into it." Stop it. Sure we're impressed, but we can't afford to buy your boxes for the amount of _utility_ that we'd get out of it. Something with a ten inch diagonal screen is NEVER going to be my primary computer even if it runs unix. All I want is a notebook, but current machines that might fulfil that role don't quite cut-it. If you build something with the following specifications and price it as I suggest, you will sell millions of these boxes, not just to technical professionals but to many others, especially students, who could fully _utilize_ a _true_ notebook. ____Specifications_for_a_True_Notebook_Computer: o dimensions, 8.5" x 11" x 1" o 8 or 10 MHz 80C88, 80C86 or V20 o MS-DOS compatible o 1.44 MB disk drive, try to make this as fast as possible, the floppy drives I've used in laptops have been notoriously slow. o 1 MB ram expandable to 2MB, must be LIM/EMS 4.0 compatible o 4+ hr battery life, _must_have_sleep/resume_key o 1 serial port o The display requires a bit of discussion. 640 x 400 resolution is more than adequate but make sure that the aspect ratio isn't ridiculous and that there is adequate spacing between the lines of text. Backlighting is not necessary, but a good reflective back is (if it's too dark to see the screen, you shouldn't be working by that light anyway). Legibility is very important, may I suggest a sans serif font. Also big is better, lot's better. o Total weight: 3 to 3.5 lbs, I'm adamant on this, it will be the thing that'll make the whole thing work; people will buy it based on this alone. Trust me on this, I'm very smart. ;-) Now for the things that it will NOT have, mostly to save money: o There is no reason to have a parallel port, all the printers that I have access to are already connected to computers! When I had my NEC 286 Prospeed, I never once used the parallel port. It was much easier to print something to disk then take the disk a put it in an IBM or a Mac (with superdrive) or a SUN (with mtools) or a NEXT etc. and print out the file from these machines - they invariably have nicer printers attached to them than I could ever afford, and this is generally true of all students. If I'm not going to use something I don't want to carry it around or pay for it. o Even EGA graphics capability is not important though CGA might be nice (to preview graphs). Let's face it, the screen will be unimpressive and too slow to run drawing programs on - let's not try. o Don't bother putting MS-DOS or DR-DOS in ROM, it may save memory but is an unnecessary expense, people who buy this computer shouldn't be planning on running large applications on it, making this a non-issue. 1 or 2 meg of ram is nice because you can use it as a ram disk or as a disk cache not because this enables you to run windows 3. For this machine you are allowed to charge a retail price of not more (preferably less) than $500 US. Considering the level of technology that will go into it and the cost of the components this will still leave you with a considerable margin. Any more, and you'd be gouging. At that price, I'd be upset if I sat on it, dropped it, lost it or had it stolen but I wouldn't cry, I'd just go and buy another one. I would feel very uneasy carrying around a $2000 notebook (at least with the Prospeed, it was so heavy, I was sure no one wanted it - I didn't) and would not utilize it as much as a $500 notebook. You have to realize that with notebooks, people don't consider just how much money they can afford, they have to think about how much they can afford to lose/drop/have stolen; it is _not_ like buying a computer in a tower case. One last thing, I realize that with fluctuating currencies that you have to protect your margin, but you are not allowed to charge more than 350 pounds sterling (before VAT) for the machine in the UK. This is a concession I insist that you make for my benefit, seeing as I've just gone to all the trouble of spec'ing the beast for you. Thus, showing you the road to fortune. :-) This stipulation is removed if you choose to give me one of these machines gratis :-) :-). Seriously, if there is a company out there making a machine to these specs please tell me about it. Readers of this newsgroup, if you support my argument and would like to see such a machine, post, post en masse. People who work for companies that manufacture laptops/notebooks do read this newsgroup, something might get done. Before I get lot's of mail suggesting this computer or that computer let me assure you that I've been looking for over a year and nothing that I've seen has quite fit the bill. "Why is it so hard to get something so simple?" Cheers, Davin -- .oO tuohtiw esoht fo noitanigami eht ot gnihton evael Oo. Davin Yap, University Engineering Department, Cambridge, England --> dscy@eng.cam.ac.uk <--