KillyMel on 18/11/2009 at 12:43
Guys, a little odd question here
what would you think if someone releases a Datacube-like device IRL?
Meaning a kind of a simple PDA to record small amounts of info (like notes or small pdfs) then display it.
And make it cheap so it would be no big deal to leave one somewhere for someone else.
inb4: not an e-book reader, not a phone, not a full scale PDA like palm.
Im doing a college study market research project and decided to take on a Datacube.
(DX ate my mind lol)
DDL on 18/11/2009 at 13:47
Problem being: 'paper with a bit of glue on the back' is a hell of a lot cheaper.
KillyMel on 18/11/2009 at 14:03
Surely, but paper has its minuses
- you run out of it
- separate sticky notes get lost
- alot of notes all around the place is a mess
forgot to mention regarding the Cube:
- approx price is 60-70 USD. (a price of a good Casio on-desc calc is 20-30 USD. My device is supposed to feature a good calculator)
- Bluetooth included for info exchange between similar devices (to partially compensate the inability stick a note to another place)
DDL on 18/11/2009 at 14:13
Datacubes as used in the DX world were pretty much employed for the sort of "hey todd, here are the codes for X and Y" type messages, and just...left on someone's desk. You wouldn't do that with a $60 piece of kit, coz..hell, some ass would steal it. A post-it note would be a far better idea.
And for digital data and/or other stuff that doesn't fit the 'paper-based' method, you'd probably just email it or send it via phone.
The datacube system works very well for a game, but is a tad impractical in the real world.
KillyMel on 18/11/2009 at 14:17
OK noted, thanks
(some ass would steal it - maybe right since even PENS are being stolen)
will be thinking/rethinking
also, would be glad if other ppl here post their opinions/ideas
(its a college project so no big deal anyway)
DDL on 18/11/2009 at 16:28
I could see it working as some kinda company-wide coms device: like everyone has a roving profile they can boot up on any convenient datacube, use it to store, manipulate or send data to others in the company via bluetooth or whatever, while also being a nice handy portable device you can lug around and enter notes on while working, and also (since company-specific) more secure than using email. Or something.
That might possibly work, anyway.
ZylonBane on 18/11/2009 at 17:55
One of the most expensive components in this type of device is the screen. Once you've committed to that, you may as well spend the few extra bucks to make it a full-fledged PDA.
So yeah, datacubes would be about as workable in real life as battlemechs-- a neat idea, but outclassed by more practical solutions.
KillyMel on 18/11/2009 at 18:06
Yea I think so - the screen is most expensive.
I am thinking of a monochrome tft screen in this case (high-resolution though) - those are like 10 bucks so manufacturing cost of 20-30 bucks in total
and not digital inc cause they are most expensive (e-book readers are all like 350 bucks)
yea it looks like corporate or b2b option is most viable. I am thinking of various application in those fields
///
as for battlemechs - I think Japan will build some one day or another - just for the lolz
Kerrle on 24/11/2009 at 00:08
Printable displays like e-ink may make this sort of thing quite feasible with very long battery life and very low price points. And I mean within the next 10 years feasible, so certainly by Deus Ex's time period.
Benefits over paper would include the possibility of encryption and security built in, possibly a networked device that could receive updates on the fly over whispernet, and a variety of other things. At a certain pricepoint they start making sense, and potentially start making newspaper and magazine subscriptions viable business models again.
