13/15" Dell Touch

140 points posted to Monitors and Displays, Sales Strategies, Laptops by pablohs May 9

I believe that one of the reasons Dell started Idea Storm is to get some feedback, and capture some ideas from us (customers and users) that will make Dell products better. These are usually call incremental improvements. I am also sure that they would like to get from us some quantum leap improvements. Ideas were not all details are worked out, but give them a glimpse of the next blockbuster product. This is what this idea is about.

The first time a heard about tablet PCs (10 years ago) I thought, “That’s the future of the laptop”. However time has proved me wrong; I have not find one that I really like, the available units are just laptops with sophisticated hinges to turn around the monitor, it seems that they have not catch the attention of serious users, they are under power, very few operative systems can handle this input mode, and almost no software is designed for tablets.

The problem is the proverbial chicken and the egg – hardware manufacturers don’t want to build it because there is no software, software companies do not want to spend too much time on this because it is a small niche market. I think Dell should invest sometime designing a serious tablet PC.

What I would like to see? Regardless of the price and market size (I let Dell decide that) I would like to see a thin & light, well design high resolutions LED screen, with no clamshell keyboard, just the LED screen with everything integrated within. I would like a 13-15” screen (size depends on the user so you can have all the way to 20”+). (Visualize a 15” “iPhone / iTouch”). With a good protective (scratch resistant) material in the screen, all connectors on the side. In the back a mini wireless keyboard can pop out or slide out and be used for large data entry when we absolutely need a keyboard.

I would like a new / fast processor options just like any other laptop (not an under power version). 64-bit operation – good ram size (not less than 4). Multi-touch screen (something like the perceptive pixel technology) that allows me to zoom, rotate, find (a la rolodex), etc. things in my computer, or interaction between multiple people (the board game of the future). The option of getting Blue Ray DVD, good video card, and high resolution (my personal HD TV). The option of getting Solid state HD. My option of Linux OS – Actually, I think Dell should support a Linux project and develop a really good tablet GUI to assure success of this project.

In addition it will be great to see; my choice of glossy / flat finish, multiple USB ports (at least one powered) and at least one fire-wire, wireless a/b/g/n/x, bluetooth, maybe wimax, multiple media readers (Reads CF, SD, miniSD, microSD, MMC and more), express card, power Switch, Wireless Switch, Driver Light, magsafe power connector, speakers, audio out, microphone in, network connection (Gigabit Ethernet).

I now this is a huge wish list, I also know that it will take several years and probably several tries to get a product like this right, but I think it is the future. Whoever, get it right first will get dominance in the market.