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An idea for HTC...

Draiko said:
Why worry about two devices and two sets of data when you could worry about just one?

If you lose your EVO, just remote-wipe, buy another, and bam... back in business.

If you lose the Tablet sleeve, you're only out $200 and your data is still safe on your phone. Buy another shell and you're all set. The sleeve would be ready to go the moment you'd slide in your EVO.

If you lose both, you only have to configure/restore ONE device and not two.

Users wouldn't have to fiddle around with data syncing over a slew of devices.

Businesses would only have to setup, maintain, support, and upgrade one device per user instead of two or three.

Software licensing and deployment would be far cheaper, faster, and easier.

It just makes more sense.
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I could argue each of these points, but you have your mind set. Have at it :) Innovation is great in any form.

In the mean time, could we get a picture of an evo coming out of an evo, coming out of an evo? :D
 
uniquenameEVO said:
I could argue each of these points, but you have your mind set. Have at it :) Innovation is great in any form.

In the mean time, could we get a picture of an evo coming out of an evo, coming out of an evo? :D
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No, please argue. My mind isn't set... that's why I'm here. I want to hear everyone's thoughts.
 
LS1 said:
There are no economies of scale to be had with a low-penetration device that would have even a lower rate of adoption. Prototype for $500? Have you ever even been involved in prototyping an electronic device, getting it certified, and then scaling it up?

This is comical.
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That's why I don't want to go it alone. That's why I've written into HTC.

The hardware for a prototype would cost $500-$700. I'm sorry, maybe I wasn't clear enough about that.

It wouldn't be super difficult either. It's just a screen, speakers, media dock, and some batteries packed into a plastic body. The individual hardware components and the phone are already cleared by the FCC (and other governing bodies).

The real issues are licensing the various component patents for use, marketing, and actual mass-production.

There's no way I could arrange that stuff on my own.
 
bvbull200 said:
To cover ALL of the costs involved, you would have to sell a LOT, and I mean a LOOOOTTTTTTTTT of these at $200 a piece to turn a profit. That would be hard to do with relatively few potential consumers. Remember, ANYONE can buy and use an iPad, only people with certain devices can use your theoretical device.



This.



Making it more modular would certainly help your cause, but it takes away from the streamlined look/feel. It is like the difference between a universal car mount that pinches the sides of your phone and a device specific one that your phone slips in to.

I'm not knocking your idea, I think there is some merit to it, I'm just playing devil's advocate. If someone doesn't challenge those thoughts, you end up with a heavy time and money investment before you realize some of the things you should have thought of.
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Exactly. Again, that's one of the reasons why I've posted it here. I want people to challenge the idea.

Tear it down. Make me fight for it. See if you could think of things that I haven't thought of.

We could grow the idea. There's no way I could put this into production on my own. Maybe HTC or another company will see this and build something. Maybe some mod blueprints could be cooked up so that people can build their own. Maybe it'll just be a cool discussion.

I'm doing this because I'm stuck in bed with a back problem for the next few days. I've had this idea bouncing around in my head for quite some time. The EVO is the first mass-production device that can actually make this happen without sacrificing major functionality and it has me bursting with ideas.

I have a few other projects I'm working on, but stuff like this keeps my imagination going. :)

The vision I've had for the modular portion of the dock goes like this...

The dock itself would be a rectangular hole with microHDMI and microUSB ports at the bottom, tracks on the inner sidewalls, and a small secure locking mechanism that would eliminate any "play" between the body and the inserts. I'd like to keep the design as seamless, slender, attractive, and durable as possible. Maybe changing the inserts would require the entire back of the "evo pad" to be removed. That part is still a work in progress. There would be different inserts that would fit each phone/device. The inserts could come included with the devices as an extra (and also a way to urge people to buy the "evo pad").

If a netbook/notebook body (like the Palm foleo) was produced, the same mechanism would be present. The insert/body method could also be used in the desktop docking station to give it a more uniform look and provide more value to the entire insert/dock system.
 
Draiko said:
Here is a copy of something I've written to HTC about. What do you guys think of it?



Dear HTC,


If you want to really change the face of computing forever, listen up...
Click to expand...

Great ideas, but I'm sure they stopped reading it after you asked them to "listen up..." I'm just saying.
 
Draiko said:
Why worry about two devices and two sets of data when you could worry about just one?

If you lose your EVO, just remote-wipe, buy another, and bam... back in business.

If you lose the Tablet sleeve, you're only out $200 and your data is still safe on your phone. Buy another shell and you're all set. The sleeve would be ready to go the moment you'd slide in your EVO.

If you lose both, you only have to configure/restore ONE device and not two.

Users wouldn't have to fiddle around with data syncing over a slew of devices.

Businesses would only have to setup, maintain, support, and upgrade one device per user instead of two or three.

Software licensing and deployment would be far cheaper, faster, and easier.

It just makes more sense.
Click to expand...

What is happening now is a nice example of brainstorming. One idea builds upon another. Thanks to the OP for this interesting concept and thread.
 
geaux4it said:
What is happening now is a nice example of brainstorming. One idea builds upon another. Thanks to the OP for this interesting concept and thread.
Click to expand...

You're very welcome! Thank you all for weighing in on this idea and helping out!

This forum rocks. You guys rock. I'm impressed and humbled. There's definitely some excellent gray matter in here.
 
Draiko said:
No, please argue. My mind isn't set... that's why I'm here. I want to hear everyone's thoughts.
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Tomorrow morning I will throw my honest ideas on why it isn't the right product. Seriously, no offense...it just isn't in my mind. Maybe something I say will trigger a change in plans for you that will make you rich.
 
uniquenameEVO said:
Tomorrow morning I will throw my honest ideas on why it isn't the right product. Seriously, no offense...it just isn't in my mind. Maybe something I say will trigger a change in plans for you that will make you rich.
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Please do! Hey, if those ideas are good and everything works out, I'll cut you in.
 
I see a few problems:

1) Battery Life. All the new equipment WILL draw juice; study the specs DEEPLY before you build unless you find that you need 4 or 5 Car batteries to run your 'portable' tablet. Or that your '2 or 3 Evo Batteries' give you a wopping 12 minutes of use.
2) Drivers. HTC is anal as is about releasing the source on any of their devices - even if they're required to BY LAW. So don't hold your breath that you'll be able to just get a perfect 'data-handshake' ever unless you work for HTC.
3) Fragility. This is going to be a SERIOUS problem! Apple uses Gorilla Glass for their devices - one of the sources of the high cost of their devices. Do you have a supply of that stuff handy? No? More cost... or a device that'll break if you sneeze wrong...

These are the problems I see in getting this to a workable concept device. The IDEA is sound, but these might be a real deal-breaker.
 
centauress said:
I see a few problems:

1) Battery Life. All the new equipment WILL draw juice; study the specs DEEPLY before you build unless you find that you need 4 or 5 Car batteries to run your 'portable' tablet. Or that your '2 or 3 Evo Batteries' give you a wopping 12 minutes of use.
2) Drivers. HTC is anal as is about releasing the source on any of their devices - even if they're required to BY LAW. So don't hold your breath that you'll be able to just get a perfect 'data-handshake' ever unless you work for HTC.
3) Fragility. This is going to be a SERIOUS problem! Apple uses Gorilla Glass for their devices - one of the sources of the high cost of their devices. Do you have a supply of that stuff handy? No? More cost... or a device that'll break if you sneeze wrong...

These are the problems I see in getting this to a workable concept device. The IDEA is sound, but these might be a real deal-breaker.
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Extra batteries will be housed in the tablet. They will charge the evo during docked operation.

Another reason why I wrote into HTC first instead of going it alone. No response from them yet.

I'd love to use gorilla glass.

Great thinking!
 
RiverOfIce said:
3.)Nexus one. Just like the iphone, the nexus one was a phone made to be 100% user friendly. But tmobile decided not to sell it in the store, but only allow google to sell it on the web. Verizon, sprint, and att in the end said no, because they could not cripple the phone. By allowing the phone to be only sold online, tmobile got out of the worst effects of having a 100% user based phone on their network. But this also led to the demise of nexus one. If google could have sold the phone in the store they would have, hell, if they could have made a phone for every telecom they would have, but the facts of it are they could not. If you make a phone 100% user friendly, with no chance of the phone being locked down, they telecoms will reject it. Just like the nexus one.
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This, AFAIK, was Google's decision, not T-Mobiles. T-Mobile could've made a ton of money had the Nexus One been available in their store.
 
quentin135 said:
lol, we heard you like the HTC EVO, so we put an HTC EVO into an HTC EVO, so you can use your phone while you use your phone!

Really though, this idea is cute in theory but it's silly in reality. Among the myriad of issues already raised by some of the responses, by the time any prototype is made a totally different, and probably better, 4g/EVO-esque phone will be out.
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YO DAWG!!! i'm laughing my freakin ass off
 
Why this idea isn't "right" to me.

My plan is to get an android tablet. Data sync isn't an issue when the things I want are in the cloud. My same google account gets me my things on multiple devices already. All that would be needed to make it more seamless would be application/settings sync. I have no doubt with the dev community out there that this will be a reality once viable tablets are around.

There are a bunch of companies working right now on android tablets. Unless something has changed, even Cisco has hopped on. There are already generic 7 inch 1.6 tablets floating around $100. You would have to compete against this and the idea of phone compatibility. Even if you cover the flagship model from each carrier, you have a small intended audience.

The iIssue:
Apple has a cult following, we all know this. Not only will they pay a premium for products, many even pay $100/year for mobileme to get them what google sync does. I'm not familiar with the latest offerings so much...but I did use an ipad. It was quite smooth, and very polished. To the average user, it would be plenty. Argue it's downfalls all you want, the market for that device is there. I don't think you'd even get a second look from Apple users unless you had a name behind you.

Viable products in my mind:
-Android tablet
-HDMI/USB docks with inserts for different phones (yes...copying ipod)
-The docks above could be for alarm clocks, KVM setups, etc.
-Sync software so your account reconfigured the android device you are logged into for your settings. Think roaming profile in windows, but less data to transfer considering the cloud.
 
uniquenameEVO said:
Why this idea isn't "right" to me.

My plan is to get an android tablet. Data sync isn't an issue when the things I want are in the cloud. My same google account gets me my things on multiple devices already. All that would be needed to make it more seamless would be application/settings sync. I have no doubt with the dev community out there that this will be a reality once viable tablets are around.

There are a bunch of companies working right now on android tablets. Unless something has changed, even Cisco has hopped on. There are already generic 7 inch 1.6 tablets floating around $100. You would have to compete against this and the idea of phone compatibility. Even if you cover the flagship model from each carrier, you have a small intended audience.

The iIssue:
Apple has a cult following, we all know this. Not only will they pay a premium for products, many even pay $100/year for mobileme to get them what google sync does. I'm not familiar with the latest offerings so much...but I did use an ipad. It was quite smooth, and very polished. To the average user, it would be plenty. Argue it's downfalls all you want, the market for that device is there. I don't think you'd even get a second look from Apple users unless you had a name behind you.

Viable products in my mind:
-Android tablet
-HDMI/USB docks with inserts for different phones (yes...copying ipod)
-The docks above could be for alarm clocks, KVM setups, etc.
-Sync software so your account reconfigured the android device you are logged into for your settings. Think roaming profile in windows, but less data to transfer considering the cloud.
Click to expand...

Valid points. I don't know if I'm the only one that wants only one device to "rule them all", but that's my vision.

Getting the EVO to interact with an external touchscreen/inputs could be the most influential advance anyone could make.

The "evo pad" idea could just be the beginning. There could be many applications for this kind of augmented docking system beyond replacing netbooks, MIDs, tablets, nettops, low-end notebooks, and low-end desktops. Another example would be car computer systems (carputers). They could become device-centric. Just a simple setup consisting of a touchscreen and an elegant media dock built in to a car's center console. The hardware would look no different than a current-day built-in car sat-nav system. A simple inexpensive phone upgrade would also upgrade most of your tech ecosystem. Everything from your "evo pad" to your car's media and nav systems could get a complete overhaul just by purchasing a new phone. In car wifi could be had just by triggering the EVO's hotspot feature when docked to your car. The need for the cloud could be leveraged or decreased by the simple fact that you carry around all of your data all the time on one core device. The cloud would just serve to deliver services, updates, and back up data on that one device.

The fear and negative impact of data capped plans could be reduced and the convenience of a phone's features could be amplified. Cost savings and feature benefits for consumers and businesses would be multiplied by just having one device for everything.

Maybe I should try pitching this idea as more of a "versa-dock" system instead of limiting it to just the "evo pad" instance.

I want smartphones to function as more of a digital "master key" for entire personal tech eco-systems. The "evo-pad" is just my first example.

There's no need for complex cloud-based syncing systems. Just have one device and make the experience dynamically scale to fit different environments (much like the car dock mode that exists on many present-day android devices).

All of this could be enjoyed with one simple phone/data plan. That means one reasonable bill for everything instead of buying a data plan for each and every device you own.

Example: A Sprint unlimited everything with premium data and hotspot plan ($140 per month) would give each and every person one connection to suit every single digital need and desire for all form factors anywhere they'd go 24/7 and only would require one $200 hardware upgrade every year or two and support up to 8 other devices to boot.

A "versa-dock" system that charges the core device would also greatly reduce battery life problems. Pull your EVO from the desktop dock on your desk at home in the morning with 100% charge. Plug it into your car dock as you drive to work, 100% charge again. Plug it into your "evo pad" while working, still 100%. Plug it into your car when driving back home, still 100%. You'll have a full battery when you pocket it right before you go out to have fun for the night.

Also, the more people that jump onto a single-device dynamic tech ecosystem, the less important tethering becomes. The monthly bill gets reduced and/or tethering becomes a no-cost added feature.

The only limiting factor would be a device's storage space. Right now, phones are limited to 32GB + internal storage space. This will increase over time and be augmented by external and/or cloud-based storage solutions.

Also, I know that I wouldn't get a second look from most people (not just Apple users) without a big name behind me, that's why I wrote in to HTC before "going public". I'm hoping that this idea gets some wings so that HTC (or some other large-name company) picks it up and makes it happen. The "evo pad" would be a rather inexpensive experiment for a large company and could open up the possibilities I've covered above... maybe even more.

Just some more food for thought.
 
Draiko said:
just having one device for everything.
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"Oh no. I lost my phone and I have been moving little Billy's pictures from every important event in his ten year life from phone to phone. Damn you Mr. Inventor of the single place to store everything that happens to be mobile and easy to lose of break!"

Too bad that poor lady didn't have a desktop at home. Now she just has a couple empty docks. :D
 
uniquenameEVO said:
"Oh no. I lost my phone and I have been moving little Billy's pictures from every important event in his ten year life from phone to phone. Damn you Mr. Inventor of the single place to store everything that happens to be mobile and easy to lose of break!"

Too bad that poor lady didn't have a desktop at home. Now she just has a couple empty docks. :D
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I guess you missed the part about cloud-based backup and external storage.
 
Draiko said:
Extra batteries will be housed in the tablet. They will charge the evo during docked operation.
Click to expand...
I was pointing out that rather than 'charging' the EVO, the energy cost of the 'dock-pad' may just end up being too high to use lightweight 'phone' level batteries and give anything like a decent life.

Draiko said:
Another reason why I wrote into HTC first instead of going it alone. No response from them yet.
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Or, most likely, ever. HTC is a Tiawaanese company; telling the US public about squat just ain't happening. Remember the Hero and 2.1? And that's something they WERE supposed to tell us!

Draiko said:
I'd love to use gorilla glass.

Great thinking!
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Prepare for a jack-load of cost for it. Special-tempered glass is pricey. GG is a coated, special-tempered glass. It's supposed to be able to take a ball-point pen being jabbed into it, so for it's size and thickness, it's gonna really cost.
 
centauress said:
I was pointing out that rather than 'charging' the EVO, the energy cost of the 'dock-pad' may just end up being too high to use lightweight 'phone' level batteries and give anything like a decent life.


Or, most likely, ever. HTC is a Tiawaanese company; telling the US public about squat just ain't happening. Remember the Hero and 2.1? And that's something they WERE supposed to tell us!


Prepare for a jack-load of cost for it. Special-tempered glass is pricey. GG is a coated, special-tempered glass. It's supposed to be able to take a ball-point pen being jabbed into it, so for it's size and thickness, it's gonna really cost.
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Throw in 2 or 3 batteries and that should cover 12 to 24 hour energy costs for the device without weighing it down too much.

HTC was exploring the tablet market and this would give them a way to compete with many products such as the iPad AND netbooks without a tremendous financial risk.

Again, you're basically making a gutted iPad. Just replacing the motherboard (SOC, RAM, radios, and Storage) with the hardware found in a media dock. The supposed cost to manufacture an iPad is ~$260. The iPad's touchscreen supposedly costs $95 (glass included) and the aluminum body supposedly costs $10.50. Add the costs of media dock hardware and 2 battery compartments. I'm fairly sure the cost to mass-produce this would be under $200. A $200-$250 retail price target wouldn't be unreasonable.
 
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