Gateway Touch Pad Revisited
|
| The market for Internet Appliances was
expected to be one of the largest growth areas this year by many computer
manufacturers, design houses, and even chip maker, Transmeta. |
|
|
|
|
|
Gateway Touch Pad Revisited
The market for Internet Appliances was
expected to be one of the largest growth areas this year by many computer
manufacturers, design houses, and even chip maker, Transmeta. With the recent
downturn in the online economy, the abundance of dot.com's going bust, and a
general "been there done that" attitude developing, online presence is starting
to loose its' luster. The typical IA's (Internet Appliances) market share is
based on the presumption that people want internet access and just that.
Hence the product provides simplified services at less than the typical
price of a full computer system.
Gateway's Touch Pad is one of the most recognizable, and
commercially developed products developed to meet this demand. Launched in late
2000, the unit has an slim foot print, with just screen
and keyboard. Excellent design effort makes it also one of the most
visually stunning devices to compete for desktop space in recent time.
The sleek unit was designed to team up with giants,
AOL and BroadCOM - resulting in a portal to safe internet content, with
the ultimate in networking capabilities. Recent changes in demand may have accounted
for the Touch Pad dropping in price to about $500USD however.
With the changes in consumer interest, and regular desktop's dropping in
price almost daily it will be interesting to see how the IA market survives over
the next few months. If the market continues on its current trends it may just
be the burgeoning notebook market which makes not only the manufacturers,
but their suppliers as well.
 |
The unit is a well integrated portal
to AOL service. Familiar AOL icons are embedded directly on the keyboard,
and minimal mouse control is offered by some rather cool little
joysticks.
- The AOL service for home
networks has only just been readied, according to Gateway's
site.
|
|
|
The display is also the main input
device. While touch screen technology has advanced significantly in the
last few years, many people still find the interface counter-intuitive.
Trained for so many years on the typewriter or keyboard, touch displays
are still the stuff of Star Trek for many individuals.
That is not to say they don't have
their place, in fact touch sensitive displays work very well with
button-centric user interfaces. Email and text heavy tasks still work much
better when inputted via a keyboard.
|
|
|
The keyboard is a cross between a
laptop and a normal descktop's. AOL-specific buttons and short cuts have
been included to aide users who are undoubtedly new to the internet or
young.
|
|
|
Minimalist in its features, and
plush with design, the Touch Pad offers only four jacks on the back of the
10" flat screen display; 2 USB, and two phone. The devices enables
networking via a 10Mpbs (HPNA) home phone line connection and also comes
standard with a 56K modem according to
Gateway.
|
|
