We need a real handheld computer, who will build one? Apple of course

It's a great time to be a handheld PC enthusiast, not because there are so many good devices to choose from, because I don't think there are, but because public awareness of handheld PCs are at an all-time high. Consumers have to be aware of the genre, understand the utility of it, and actually want one before the handheld will ever take off like I think it could.  Just yesterday I was using the HTC Advantage in a coffee shop and the waitress came over to the table and asked me if it was one of those "OQO computers".  The fact that it wasn't doesn't matter, it's that a "regular" person knew what an OQO was and felt that it would be useful for her.  What would be really cool is if there was a handheld computer that really worked the way it should.

What's a handheld computer need to do?

I should clarify my earlier statement that I don't think there are a lot of good handheld PC devices to choose from.  There are in fact quite a few devices with more being released all the time. It's just that I don't think they are as good as they need to be to do their intended job.  Most all of them being sold today are based on Windows, and that's a dead-end road.  Not just Vista, which is the pits for mobile devices, but XP too.  Why?  A number of reasons.  Windows is too big and too resource-intensive.  Mobile computers will never do well with a bunch of things running in the background.  It hits performance and battery life too much and handheld devices need all day batteries, or at least most of the day.  They will never take off en masse until consumers feel comfortable that they can use them all day without charging.  Let's face it, devices used in the hands are not very usable if they have to be plugged in a lot.  Another reason why Windows is not a good platform for handheld devices is that security concerns means Windows needs to be updated regularly.  That just doesn't work with handhelds that need to come out of the box ready to go and keep working that way indefinitely.  Wouldn't you be so much happier if your device never needed updating?  OK, not never but seldom.  You bet you would and you'd get your work done without unnecessary delays like system updates, especially those updates that break something.

Performance needs to be adequate too, no matter what the user is doing.  The core usage scenario for handheld mobile PCs is pretty simple.  Users want to check email, surf the web, and work with documents.  This isn't all that comprehensive a scenario but it is essential that handheld computers do this and do it flawlessly.  That means without errors, without system slow-downs (or stoppages), and without killing the battery too fast.  These particular uses are what people are doing maybe 90% of the time they are mobile.  Sure they do other things too and these devices need to do those things too but if you don't get the core usage down properly then you are just spinning your wheels.  One thing is certain- you have to do these core things without compromise or you fail to meet customer expectations.

How can handhelds meet customer needs?

So we've looked at the core usage requirements, what's the best way to do them with a handheld device?  This may raise a few eyebrows but the best way to do the core functions is with an embedded operating system.  Yep, you heard me.  Windows isn't working well on mobile PCs so that's out.  We have Linux gaining ground, especially with Intel pushing their Mobile Internet Device (MID) based on Linux. There's a false sense of accomplishment when people discuss Linux-based devices because we invariably think that open source= good.  It does but it's not much different than Windows in this scenario.  While variants of Linux can be created to run "softer" than Windows, a version of Linux for mainstream handheld PC usage must be airtight simple for the end-user.  I haven't seen a version of Linux yet that didn't require a good amount of tweaking to get simple things done, and that will not work on these types of devices.  If you don't believe me then you haven't been watching the handheld space like I have.  We've had Linux-based PDAs and Internet appliances for years but they don't catch on because most users can't figure out how to make them do what they want.  For Linux to be a good handheld PC platform like the Intel MID, they must be airtight out of the box.

So maybe Intel will do this, right?  They can't because they do not make the hardware.  This has been Microsoft's problem forever with both Windows and Windows Mobile and it will be Intel's problem too.  They can build the OS kernel as good as they can but since most of the hardware will be built, installed and sold by someone else we'll have the same mish-mash of hardware support and driver instability and all of the other bad things we've become all too familiar with.  Handheld computers must be rock-solid stable through the work day and the only way for a company to produce such a device is to control all parts of the design, including hardware, operating system, applications and specifications.  That's a pretty big limiting factor.

Why am I so sure that the OS needs to be embedded?  That's because a real handheld PC needs to be instant-on in the field.  Standby and resume schemes that are used currently are just not good enough to provide the usage experience that is needed in a handheld PC. It is imperative that there be no waiting for the device to wake up and get started and an embedded OS is the best way to do so.  Put the OS kernel in ROM so that the working system is always there when needed and using ROM has security benefits as malware cannot change it with bad intent.  Operating systems in ROM run faster on lower capable hardware and this is exactly what is needed for a good handheld PC. Having the OS in ROM would also allow the handheld to start reaching the critical all-day battery life.

The solid state disk (SSD) can play a role here too for data storage but not for the OS itself.  We need the OS to be a part of the device as it would be embedded, and not installed on what appears to be a hard drive.  Sure SSDs are memory and not hard drives but systems today see them as drives and they can be erased or compromised by mal intent.  No, I am convinced that embedded is the way to go. 

So who will make the first "real" handheld computer?

Apple.  There are very few companies who can design and produce the handheld PC like I've indicated in this article, in fact there are only two.  Microsoft is one and I believe that if the Redmond giant ever took on this task they would produce a killer handheld PC.  Let's face it, they are operating system experts and they control the office document space with Office so they could integrate this into a handheld in a dynamite way.  I'm talking embedded Office to go with the embedded OS on our super handheld.  That opens so many exciting possibilities that it makes my pulse race when I think of all of that potential. Unfortunately Microsoft doesn't make hardware more complicated than a mouse or keyboard and they're not going to make any type of "WinHand" device.  They have too many anti-trust worries whenever they take on something like this and I don't think they'd do it.

That's why it has to be Apple.  Cupertino now has the hardware design, communications experience, OS kernel expertise to produce an awesome handheld computer.  I am talking about a current-day Newton handheld, but one that is a full computer.  The form is not that important as long as it's small enough to be used in the hands.  Apple can leverage its technologies from the MacBook, iPod, iPhone and iTunes to build a fantastic handheld PC.  It would work out of the box like Apple's other products because they control every aspect of the device from design to production.  Apple could also bring virtualization to the table, so even if they developed an embedded OS that is based on Mac OS X they could leverage the ability to run other OSes if the consumer wished.  No other company can produce a product like this and that's why Apple gets my vote for the producer of the first "real" handheld computer.  Let's hope Steve Jobs reads jkOnTheRun because I challenge him and Apple to do one.

Comments

[Mr]

You have a point here
You just described the device I'm waiting for.
Currently using HTC Advantage, it's good but not good enough
Thinking of getting either an OQO 02 or the HTC Shift (whenever it will be released) to replace it, but then again....they run Vista. And the battery isn't good enough so not sure it will be an upgrade from the Advantage

So why don't you just give Mr Jobs a call and tell him what we want for christmas

[Hamish MacDonald]

Well, yeah, except that Jobs is the one who killed the (brilliant, exemplary) Newton, and explicitly said that no one would be interested in a "scribble pad". That was his position years ago, and it seems he's sticking to it. The iPhone is not a computer, it's a locked-down browsing, messaging, music device; the focus is not on input.

So the "of course" here is wishful thinking, not likelihood.

[Demetri]

Good article James. I also think Jeff Hawkins and crew over at Palm have a chance at creating a hanheld like you described. I know the Foleo never made it to market, but they are getting there. As a old Handspring Visor user/fan, I think Mr. Hawkins does think about the user experience and the fact that Palm stopped the Foleo for now shows us they are listening to the users. I think the major players in the next great handheld computer are Apple and Palm.

[Steve Paine]

Some good things said there.

What does 'work with documents' mean? Read? WRite? Office? PDF's? E-books? Google Docs? Maps?

What do you mean by 'surf the web' FIE? Plugins? Inline media? 5 seconds to open gmail or 10 seconds (which kind of negates instant-on.)
Consumers need myspace compatibility? YouTube (Needs plugins) etc etc.
These are the sort of things that no embedded software/RISC based device has been able to do yet. Do you think effort needs to go into RISC or X86? Would Moorestown be good enough. That will give you your battery life.

I Enjoyed the post. THanks
Steve.

[JKK]

yep, it would be very shiny and sleek..

.. and there wouldn't be any tweaking or hard to do settings.. as they would criple all hw and sw as "they know better what user needs"

no thanks,
I rather do it slower that not at all.

[GoodThings2Life]

JK,

I definitely agree with you on what a handheld needs to do and all that. I disagree on Apple's ability to produce that.

As one commenter above pointed out, Jobs has been consistent in not producing truly complete mobile devices. Both the iPod and iPhone are locked down to ONE interface, one experience. That's not saying Apple's experience is a bad one (arguably), but that limitation is precisely what has plagued Apple since the founding of the company. When it comes down to it, most people don't want to be locked into one company for one experience. (Why else do so many complain about Microsoft antitrust activities?)

The nice thing about Microsoft is that despite antitrust claims, there's a lot of flexibility and options on the platform. Even simple tasks within the OS offer multiple ways to get things done, but it goes beyond that to the compatibility with other products. With Apple it's their hardware, their OS, their interface, their software, and until they move beyond that mindset, I don't see their luck changing.

--Aaron

[James Kendrick]

Steve, I mean work with all the documents you mentioned and more if needed. The mobile worker needs to create, edit, and reference all typical documents received and used in a work setting. By web browsing I mean complete experience, Flash, YouTube, etc.

Apple has the pieces to do all of this already.

I should state that I think Microsoft could make a better handheld than Apple for many of the reasons people have stated here. I just believe that is not possible for them to do which is a shame.

[Julien Boyreau]

Hello everyone,

Very good article.

Three comments:

The "handheld" feature is just one part of the equation. You need to add "pocketable" as I think there is NO MARKET between the 4'' and less pocketable and the 10'' and more "baggable".

Nokia is a better candidate than Apple because it does not have a computer business to protect.

The very one feature lacking in Nokias is to be able to link wirelessly to better IO when available.

[spinedoc]

I would definitely consider an Apple handheld, but that is if it didnt have an Achilles heel.

Seems like most of Apple's latest products have been beautiful, but have Achilles heels. iphone with no 3g. Touch with no bluetooth. Just to name a very few, there are MANY more Achilles heels.

But if they could make something with the touchscreen of the iphone, with a OPEN OSx, long battery life, and an intuitive interface I would certainly pick it up. They are extremely late to come at least to the tablet party, so I have serious doubts if they will consider the UMPC party though.

[Benz145]

Very well said, I agree with almost every point here. I wish Microsoft would sit down and design a real touch OS. No I don't mean Tablet features taced onto their current OSs. I mean something designed for a computer that can be used 100% without a mouse if needed.

[gary]

Some good points made. However, the most common complaint about such handhelds is that they don't run stock standard software. You either get a cut down version or you have to fork out $$ for something 80% compatible. The benefit of a "real" computer is that it is the most open system - it can run all kinds of operating systems and software and there is a vast and growing library of software to choose from.

I have tried win ce and Zaurus and I could never get past this issue. I'm also convinced that Apple will create a closed system that only lets the user have the experience that they dictate. There is no choice for the user and there is no real compatibility.

I am waiting for battery technology to improve. In my view, that is the only real hope for the handheld.

[bill]

8.5 x 11" iphone slate just bigger;active digitizer; light version of Office plus journal. Said another way TC1100 but 1/4" or thinner instant on. Game over,world changes.

[Kevin Hughes]

A very good read, I tend to agree on all of your points, except I would be disappointed if it takes apple to build the perfect handheld, although if it takes them to finally rethink the wheel then hopefully they'll do it soon.

My hopes currently lie in an embedded os providing instant on email, calendar etc with performance tuned thin client access to a full OS, put in an HSPDA radio, a killer battery life and a keyboard and I'm there. The N800 was close for me, but not quite.

[Sumocat]

James, I could not agree more about Apple being the top contender in the field of handheld computing. As the only major computer makers that builds their own hardware and software, they have a huge advantage over all the other players as convergence continues to lead us to more complex and powerful handheld devices. If anyone can get a handheld computer into the mainstream consumer market, it is Apple.

[Mike Cane]

I don't think Apple is the only company. We just had Palm and the Foleo. What you described --

>>>The core usage scenario for handheld mobile PCs is pretty simple. Users want to check email, surf the web, and work with documents. This isn't all that comprehensive a scenario but it is essential that handheld computers do this and do it flawlessly.

-- is what the Foleo offered (although in Comments you broaden that to include YouTube and what Steve/Chippy calls FIE -- Full Internet Experience).

As for Linux not being up to it, we'll see. Os X is based on a *nix OS.

I think Apple will do an Asus Eee-like device before they ever do a Tablet.

http://tinyurl.com/36r6lv

And it remains to be seen how good/bad the Eee experience will be.

If Microsoft got off the stick and trimmed down XP as Apple has done to OS X, I have the perfect name for the new OS:

Windows Express

[James Kendrick]

I have not totally discounted Linux in this scenario, as you state OS X is based on it. But it needs to be an airtight implementation that can be embedded to work out of the box.

[Tate J.]

Didn't Motion Computing come close to this "perfect handheld" when they sold the M1400TC. If I recall correctly, it had windows xp embedded running on a flashdrive. It was big, but it seemed to be headed in the right direction.

Personally, I can live with the problems associated windows xp/vista on mobile devices. I have to do a bit more "thinking about the tools" than I would like, but I can get done what I need to get done. The only issue I have with the current mobile devices is battery life. If they can fix that, I can live with everything else.

Then again, I like the tweaking and working on computers. I sure wouldn't recommend a non techie person buy any of the current crop of umpcs.

[Tax Man]

I'd love for Apple to make a handheld or small tablet computer. Even bringing back the 12" form factor would be welcomed. I think there are devices that come really close to fulfilling the basic functionality that you describe as being the typical user experience. I think the HTC Advantage is one such device. Maybe the Nokia N800 is another -- not sure. Reviews focus on checklists of features. One of the things I like about JKOTR is that you guys consider and give lots of "ink" to usage scenarios and workflows. While you appear to be switching devices all the time, behind the scenes JK is still using the Fuji every day and Kevin seems to continue to enjoy his Samsung Q1. What is it that keeps these items in your gear bag, how is it that you continue to eak out usefulness from these devices one, two, three years later. We are in a world with a lot of extremely capable devices, isn't it time we stopped asking for more and started figuring out how to configure what we have to get the optimal user experience? My two cents. Thanks for thought-provoking post!

[Clayton]

Hello All,

Very nice article! I had a good experience with Samsung Q1, but not good enough to keep it with me (too big, too short battery life, too slow, too expensive). Now, I'm thinking about a replacement. Might be a HTC Advantage, or a N800, depending on the level of discount that my local operator decides to offer me to a new phone. I was thinking seriously about the Fuji U810... But, the MID's are coming and I'm afraid U810 will be just a "keyboard-enabled-Q1", I mean, same problems, different brand. N800 might be the best way to go, and a relatively inexpensive way to wait for MID's - or for an Apple product :)

Very best regards! Clayton

[daniel cohen]

Great article James.

I think Bill hit it on the head... iphone but bigger, more memory and power... think the love-child of the iphone and the htc advantage...

and I suspect that is where Apple is headed. Rumors are that the next gen. macbook will be smaller and lighter than the current one-- bringing the gap between the macbook and the iphone a bit closer. It is not a huge leap from there.

[Nikooo]

Interesting article...

Among the things that, to me, are also important when going mobile is the ability to take notes. So far only Windows does it nicely. OSX Ink is not that great and would need a lot of work. Palm grafiti sucks. Linux grafiti like sucks even more...

I know some say all you need is a keyboard, but "thumboarding" an email or a powerpoint presentation is not so friendly. Take notes during a presentation with a miniature keyboard is hell.

So not only the future-super-handlet company should put something in the ROM for instant on and airtight, but they should also put a significant amount of thinking in how to efficiently input data!

[Don]

I like your article and your conclusion that although Apple could do it, Jobs currently doesn't want to. Amazing that one person could stop a great idea, but to make it work Jobs would have to believe that it would make money. Most of what Jobs oversees turns to iGold.

On the other hand, I respectfully disagree with your comment and conclusion that "Microsoft doesn't make hardware more complicated than a mouse or keyboard and they're not going to make any type of "WinHand" device. They have too many anti-trust worries whenever they take on something like this and I don't think they'd do it."

If MS thought they could do it and thought they could make money off of it, they would do. The problem is, contrary to your claim, MS does make complex, computer devices, not just mice and keyboards. Examples include WebTV, Ultimate TV, MSN TV, Zune, and the XBox and XBox 360. All of them have one thing in common: they have resulted in billions of dollars of losses for Microsoft. In a few days, Halo will result in incredible profits for Microsoft, but that will be offset by the billion dollars they're putting up for XBox 360 repairs.

Microsoft makes the vast majority of it's money from three software products: server software, the Office suite, and the Windows OS. And the truth is, most of the money from Widows comes from Microsoft's leveraging their monopoly to force PC manufacturers to include and pay for Windows, a type of "tax" placed on computer manufacturers. About 80% of their Microsoft's Windows sales comes through this tax, not through sales to individuals.

So Microsoft could do it--if they wanted another multi-billion dollar loser. I think they're learning their lesson and don't want another money drain. Considering the feckless US attempt to combat their monopoly, and the "massive" fines from the EU (that MS could take from their petty cash drawer), I don't think Microsoft has any "anti-trust worries."

[Chad]

I think we need a new 3rd party to make something entirely new, or new shift in direction. I think nokia made a real attempt with the nokia 770, it was almost everything I needed. if they had gone with something more with a Mozilla based pocket browser and make it easier to pair blue tooth keyboards it would be perfect. the Mozilla route would enable updates to the browser and mobile plug ins that opera lacks.

[gork]

I think there IS a need for a devices that can multi task and small devices CAN multi task well if the background task doesn't take up alot of screen real estate and that's the kicker.....do away with the Window mentality weather using Windows OR Linux. They tried that to a degree with Pocket PC, but they still had the bloody X in there. There SHOULD be a way to close the app and have it remained closed as well as a way to put the app in the background. I think what's needed is a tabbed interface. Put tabs with application on each tab. If you want to close and app, just tap and hold the tab and pop up the context menu OR provide a hardware button to press and hold.

I also think the core of the OS should reside on flash, but I think you need either a SSD or a hard disk for data storage. Also, make it easy to mount the disk as USB storage so you can copy stuff from the desktop. Also, store the calendar data in the Flash and make it easy to unmount the internal disk(if not SSD) so it stops spinning preserving the battery.

[Patrick]

Great post James, really gave me a lot to think about.

I think I have to agree with Julien that the device you've described will come from a manufacturer that doesn't have desktop computer sales to protect. Apple, as good as they are in integrating hardware with software, will not produce a handheld product that will cannibalise their laptop sales. Even looking at the iPhone and iPod touch, we can see that as powerful as they are, they're ultimately still tethered to a desktop and to a specific app (iTunes), to add photos, podcasts, videos. Inferring from their current MO, I wouldn't hold my breath.

In contrast, Nokia, Palm, HTC and (to a lesser extent) Pepperpad are really making a go of creating a portable computer that can fulfil some or all of the requirements of our 'perfect' mobile device - its just that there is currently no device on the market that can tick all the boxes, and do them all well. Through 3rd party apps (Quickoffice, Dataviz's office to go), we have close to full office document creation and editing for the three mobile OS's; all we need now is to improve on the web browsing experience. In contrast, the Pepperpad and the Nokia N800 have close to full desktop grade ability - they just need to integrate a solution for office documents (if they don't have one already).

Basically, I think we have all the necessary ingredients to create the perfect mobile device as described by James right now: we just need someone to integrate everything into a nice clean package. Maybe someone with the design savvy of Apple, but without their annoying habit of crippling their products.