On Nov 3, 2010, at 12:56 PM, Ian wrote: > On Wed, 2010-11-03 at 11:34 -0500, T. J. Brumfield wrote: > >> The cheapest iPad is $500, and comparable tablets are priced along the same >> lines. There are "cheap" tablets more in the $99-$150 range, but they are >> underpowered compared to the iPad and Galaxy Tab. >> >> The iPad only has 512 MB of RAM, and we're talking about lesser hardware >> than that. Hardware gets better and prices drop as we move forward into the >> future, but if you want to be able to reach developing countries with a >> tablet version within the next year, then you need a slim build. > > I was looking more 3-5 years on. Android tablets will stimulate fierce > competition including "phone" tablets free on contracts - that is how I > have my Galaxy S and G1 before it. Its just free with my contract. Apple > is making 50% margins on i-phones and probably at least that on i-pads. > Ok while Apple enthusiasts pay premiums for new gadgets but that will > wear off. I would be surprised if in 5 years, $99 tablets, netbooks and > similar devices based on Android and possibly a Nokia free software > based platform are not common place. Say 4 gig of RAM and quad core ARM > 2 GHZ processors. OOo could easily run in that now and as new devices > come on line the older ones get resold into Africa. I have a G1 here > that is virtually worthless but was state of the art less than 2 years > ago. So reduce LO to something that will run in close to to-days state > of the art phone technologies and the developing world will have devices > next to free that will run it in 3-5 years.
Yes, agreed. As tablets become standardized, more of their components will be produced in system-on-a-chip configurations. Prices will drop steeply and access will explode. OLPC is planning on a tablet for its next major system, and India's government has been talking about building a $35 tablet. >>>> From a broad view of future success, tablets merit a great deal of >>> attention on our part. As I mentioned elsewhere, a "LibreOffice Touch" for >>> tablets would be huge. We'd "outflank" our main opponent, capture vast new >>> markets and develop great momentum, and then with that increased strength, >>> address the initial marketplace (of PC desktops and laptops) with a much >>> larger arsenal at our disposal. >>> >> That sounds great. I think it could be a strong growth market, and help push >> not only OSS, LibreOffice, etc. but also the ODF format. However I think the >> key to that strategy is jumping out in front quickly. GoogleDocs can already >> by accessed via the web on tablets, and Microsoft has their online office >> offerings. > > Quite so and K-office is being adopted by Nokia. If LO was the choice > for Android, odf becomes the de facto standard on mobile devices. Google > would then almost certainly beef up the odf fidelity of Docs. > >> LibreOffice would need a slim build with a tablet UI, and it would need one >> quickly. Is there developer bandwidth for such a project? I think this would >> be a good Google Summer of Code project that could get some funding and a >> new developer that way, but I'm not sure the work could be handled by a >> single developer over a summer. > > It's why we desperately need an alternative source of income to fund > these type of developments. It doesn't even need to be built on the existing LibO code--it could be built using LibO's ODF libraries, though, for perfect file compatibility. Users won't care what the underlying code is; as long as the interface and branding match LibO, and documents can be seamlessly shared, then "LibreOffice Touch" will be the younger sibling of LibreOffice in their eyes. It feels like a plan for a smart new startup, perhaps even backed with VC money from Apple or Android's development funds for their platforms. -Ben Benjamin Horst bho...@mac.com 646-464-2314 (Eastern) www.solidoffice.com -- Unsubscribe instructions: Email to discuss+h...@documentfoundation.org Posting guidelines: http://netmeister.org/news/learn2quote.html Archive: http://www.documentfoundation.org/lists/discuss/ *** All posts to this list are publicly archived ***
