Seeing blog posts and stories about the upcoming 7" HP TouchPad have reminded of how, compared to working on a large laptop or working on a computer with an external monitor, using small screen devices is akin to "peekin' through the keyhole".
Just to be clear, the sentence above was written by a 40+ year veteran of shelling out the bucks for electronic devices of all types. For smartphones, I have been the owner -- in succession -- of a Treo 700w, Pre+ and now a Pre2. I also have an Android-based tablet and a TouchPad.
For my money, no matter how you choose to spin it, we fib to ourselves when using small screen devices ranging from the size of the HP Veer and up to the a device like the TouchPad (or a netbook) and rave about the experience.
Scrolling and zooming, to some degree, is a reality on any device, regardless of size. Where the fib comes into play is when the extra work involved in peeking through progressively smaller keyholes on smaller devices goes largely unmentioned in the hype, hoopla and novelty surrounding these devices. A dirty little secret, if you will.
For me, the HP Veer is probably Exhibit A of the fib at work.
My wife has had a small, candy bar format phone for a number of years. On a regular basis I've facetiously said to her, "I wish they would make a smartphone the size of your phone, with a realistic way to use the web and really do work. I'd buy it in a heartbeat."
The HP Veer came along this year and I'm still yearning for the viable, small format smartphone. Strip away the cuteness and novelty from the Veer and you have the ultimate keyhole... Feel free to peek!
Getting back to the upcoming 7" TouchPad... I won't be purchasing one (lack of $$$), but it will clearly be in the "keyhole" zone. The TouchPad, at almost 10" still makes the user do the peekin' routine.
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