Computer in a pocket

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Raspberry Pi (UK) have announced that they are building a computer for school children to learn more about programming for a price of around $40 NZ. The computer is shown on the right hand picture, and uses a 700 MHz ARM Processor with 256 Mb RAM. A SD Memory Card slides in from the bottom to hold the Operating system and Data. The Screen is a HDMI Television set and the single USB port goes to a HUB to provide Mouse and Keyboard Input. The provided Operating System is a stripped down Ubuntu, but other Operating Systems that use the Phone type ARM chip could be used. Maybe Windows 8 which is being developed for ARM chips could also be a possibility. The Specifications look minimal, but the first iPads ran on something similar.

Easy to use Computers

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Ubuntu has just released their 11.04 operating system. The desktop has been designed with the user in mind. There is no Control Panel, Menu or Start Buttons. Everything is started using the Quick Launch (left of the screen) or the Dashboard (centre of the screen). The Dashboard comprises of three sections (most used, installed and can be installed). There are a number of dashboards that are split into various sections (Internet, Multimedia, office, etc). If the programs name is known, typing into the search box will find it. When an application is running the Quick launch slides away out of sight but can be brought back at any time by pushing the mouse to the left of the screen. There are four desktops that can be run simultaneously with an easy desktop switcher application that determines which is the current screen in use. The complete system resembles a cross between a phone or tablet, and has touch screen functionality built in as well as normal keyboard and mouse use.  I am running this system happily on an eight year old computer with 1 Gb of slow RAM. Like the iPhone, Android, and modern tablets, the traditional computer manufactures may be too slow to see these new devices coming. System 76, ZaReason, Kogan and Jolibook computers are already just starting to appear on the market.

TV's as home computers

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With the next generation of TV's being internet capable the home
computer is slowly becoming redundant. The latest TV's can
browse the web, check e-mail, view photos, stream movies and
play music. Documents can be created by online office programs.
The remote can be used in the same way as texting on a phone to
place words on the screen. Alternatively a wireless keyboard
can be used. Printing is attained by using a network or e-printer.
Files can be saved to a SD card or thumb drive. This is all achieved
by adding less than $100 to the price of the tv. Android is the most
popular operating system that allows this to happen, as it is small,
secure and requires no maintainance.

Open Office Draw

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Click to Enlarge

Open Office suite has a particularly powerful and easy to use drawing component built in. Once the drawing is complete it can be integrated into the word processing or presentation section of the suite. Open Office is free so does not have to change formats and layouts to sell the next version, but keeps on improving on the last update. As it's free and backward compatible there is no reason not to use the latest version 3.3.
As the suite has a common base and all the other sections are added on, it means it will run quite happily on a pentium 3 with 256mB RAM.
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Process Controller for home use

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Further to Clive's discussion on Process control there is a small $40 device that is an educational tool but is quite capable of serious work, on the market. It is the "Arduino Diecimila' and is shown in the picture. A USB port on the left is connected to a computer for programming. By the thumb is a terminal strip that is used for the inputs (switches, sensors etc) outputs (leds, relays, actuators etc) communication (RS232, PWM etc). Once the device has been programmed using a simple instruction set it can then be put in 'Run Mode' and  disconnected from the computer.  The program should keep running for  up to 40 years. As the output signals are tiny a simple amplifier circuit may be required for useful applications. If all inputs and outputs are rated at less than 48 volts there are no safety issues.
More information at Arduino Homepage

Sales of Tablets are gaining on PC's

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iPad-2

As Apple's iPad-2 has just gone onto the market they are clearly trying to stay ahead of the competition. It is faster, lighter and has camera's, which is partly to hold off the Android invasion. Apple's iPhone held the lead for two years but Google's Android has recently overtaken it. Apple are trying to keep ahead of the game with their Tablets.

The competition includes Google's Android, HP's WebOs, RIM's Playbook and Fujitsu's Meego. Microsoft has Tablets based on Win 7 but heavy hardware requirements and prone to viruses put it out of the race. Maybe Win 8 which will run on different hardware will help but could be too late. Competition has meant technological  advances are swift and large pondering companies can fall quickly, like Nokia.

As newer Tablets can use external monitors (TV's) and wireless keyboards (remotes) the PC's future for households is looking bleak. Games are played on Game Consoles. Office suites and Picture Editors are run from the 'Cloud'. Files can be saved on Flash drives or External USB drives. There is no need for a large unreliable desktop computer anymore.

Nokia and Windows Phone 7

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Windows Phone 7

Android Phone

Nokia announced that Windows Phone 7 will be their main product. This is a last ditch effort to stop Android and iPhones from being the only relevant platforms. This announcement stripped Nokia's value by 18% in two days. How this is going to work with Nokia's Engineers that no nothing about Windows phone's software trying to fit it on a device that was  designed for the Symbian Operating System, is anybody's guess. After the Symbian System has been declared obsolete and development is to be stopped most buyers will look at the two main alternatives as Windows phone 7 will be at least a year away. By then iPhone and Android will be fourth generation devices. HP's WebOs will be a better contender for third place as it is ready now for production as a Phone, Tablet and Consumer PC.