HTC Netbook on the Way?
HTC is the phone maker these days, from the HTC Hero to the HD2. They have both Windows Mobile and Android covered in style with the Sense interface. I’ve used a bunch of phones on both platforms, and including the Motorola Droid I’m currently evaluating, after using an HTC phone with Sense, they all are just flat boring.
At the HD2 launch this week, CEO Peter Chou let slip that the company is “carefully looking into [the netbook] category and how it can be part of that.” He went on to state that HTC would not be happy making a “me too” netbook, instead they would be looking to add extra value to such a product.
HTC is no stranger to the special, small notebook market. Their HTC Shift was one of the most innovative such notebooks, and it was released almost two years ago. The inability of low-performance components to run Windows Vista adequately, coupled with a high price tag, doomed the Shift to market failure. If you recall it had a dual processor setup that ran Windows Mobile alongside Vista. Could we see a HTC netbook running both Windows 7 and Android in the cards?
I think I smell a HTC smartbook.
if they put out an htc shift 2 with an atom processor on the win 7 side and a snapdragon running full winmo 6.5 with a capactive multitouch screen along with 3g and voice then count me in.
or hell i think i would take a htc shift device with just the snapdragon and full win mo as long as it has the capactive multitouch. basically an htc hd2 with keyboard and 7″. i guess that would be a windows mobile smartbook right?
I’d like to see them make something more pocketable version. Something that fits jacket pocket. With atom and snapdragon. I think it should be mainly phone but in case you need that x86 support atom is there for you.
An HTC Shift, scaled up to 8″-10″ screen, with Android, might be quite nice. Though, honestly, I might prefer it without the keyboard. Put the 1GHz TI OMAP3 processor in it, and it could have screaming battery life, too.
Just give it a Pixel Qi screen! ALL geeks are not negative-phototropic, living their entire lives indoors anymore…
I’d like to see and feel the sun again while enjoying my “mobile” technology… Point is, that being “mobile” INCLUDES being outdoors, and boosting the nits like most devices do in an attempt to fight the sun is counterproductive to extending or preserving battery life. Last time I checked, battery life was a big thing to mobilites. I’d rather have reduced color content in direct sun than not be able to see anything at all like most devices… To those who spend an appreciable time outdoors, it won’t matter what OS, what CPU or whatEVER else it has if you can’t SEE the interface well enough to USE it for a purpose – business, entertainment or “social”…
My wishes:
A HTC shift, maximum screensize of 5 inch, with high resolution, better & fast processor, more harddisk space, external data storage support.
Further if possible: with a full working windows mobile combined with more storage, wifi and HSDPA.
In case no win mobile: a full OS with instant on and a fast interface
And ABOVE all: better standard battery with MORE juice … sigh. It must be a lightweight device for every day quick use.
The failure of the shift was the heavy OS, limited usage time and the handicapped windows mobile.
Besides that, I’m still a happy Shift user, now with Win7. But make me more happier HTC and I shall be a loyal customer! Or can I say ‘we’…
ok, HTC, make a dream come true!
size: 9″ – 10″ (non glare)
OS: winmobile 6.5
battery: 3days stand-by // 12-18hrs normal work uptime
this would be AWESOME!!!
u would kill all the netbook crap – at least b2b…