On 16.12.14 13:20, Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton wrote:
On 12/13/16, dumblob <dumb...@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Luke,
In case you're planning to have the keyboard detachable (even worse if this
detachable piece should have some connectors like USB), think of it twice
as per experience of many users of different such tablets/netbooks (youtube
is full of such reviews), the detachable connection is very fragile
(because the detachable design requires a shallow or rather just "touching"
connection in contrast to "sliding" deeper connectors like USB).
ok. first thing: have you heard of the alwaysinnovating touchbook?
it was the world's very first hybrid netbook / tablet. most people
don't even know it exists, sadly. as a monolithic design it would
ordinarily have a lifespan of about... six to eight months, but
because it was targetted at linux users that was actually
about...eighteen months / two years. what killed it was the use of a
720mhz ARM Cortex A8, RAM limited to 512mb... no means of upgrading
except a whopping $50k for replacing the entire main PCB.
anyway: the casework was extremely robust, with the
keyboard+extra-battery portion having inch-long "arms" at the sides to
securely and firmly hold the main tablet part in place... in a
standard USB socket.
The "ThinkPad"-series had (or has) convertibles ("X41 Tablet", "X60 Tablet,
Helix) [1].
(By the way, the X60-convertible is listed as supported by "libreboot" [2].)
This line of computers seems to have been distinctively-sturdy. And the
X60-convertible was said to have "signature ~ bulletproof build quality" and be
"more ~ sturdy than any ultralight convertible we have used." [3].
So maybe how they JOINed the key-board to the screen, was more sturdy than
other often-problematic "implementations". (But I have neither seen nor read HOW
Lenovo connected the two parts.)
As far as I see, there are two separate concerns- (1) the data-connection (USB
here, I guess Luke wrote) (the concern of the original post), and (2) how the
screen and the key-board are held (joined) together (a 2nd thing discussed in this
context, like the arms mentioned above).
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThinkPad_X_Series
if you press ctrl f and look for "conver"
[2] https://libreboot.org/docs/hcl/index.html#supported_laptops_x86intel
[3] http://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/lenovo-thinkpad-x60-tablet
you have to bear in mind that i'm being quite realistic about this
whole exercise: if i can't design it to be robust in PLA with a
standard mendel 3D printer, and i can't get off-the-shelf generic
parts that are commonly available from multiple suppliers in huaqiang
rd, futian district, shenzhen, china, it ain't going in.
so whilst what you're seeing is complaints based on a
fight-to-the-minimum (in terms of both thickness and price), i will be
designing stuff that's "chunky", realistically maintainable by a
lego-mindsetted individual, and built to last.
therefore, i will *NOT* be attempting to replicate the existing slew
of magnetic catches and so on, apart from anything i won't be able to
get hold of them as they will have been custom-designed for specific
OEMs.
i _do_ have a background in physics and mathematics which gives me
some mechanical design aptitude :)
_______________________________________________
arm-netbook mailing list arm-netbook@lists.phcomp.co.uk
http://lists.phcomp.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/arm-netbook
Send large attachments to arm-netb...@files.phcomp.co.uk
