What. Went. Wrong

...

>DATA BASE
I thought database was one word.

"data base" is an old alternative spelling that likely came from "data bank"

This POS from the 90's has a better keyboard layout than 90% of the current laptops.

What went wrong with tech?

Chiclet meme

Looks comfy

>microsoft
>"works"

I had a Psion back in the day

Far as I remember, what went wrong was that they tried to cram a slimmed down desktop OS onto these things. Ironically, a mistake they'd make in inverse a couple of decades later with Windows 8...

...

Why can't someone make an ARM netbook with keyboard like that and decent but not too demanding screen?

Because it cost money they're not going to get back.

That's a damn nice looking keyboard. Love those full sized arrow keys.

Remember when we used tablets but nobody cared?

Nice Vortex Core m8.

>now that we have the technology, we cant have computers in this form factor anymore

fuck normies

fuck smartphones

I wanted one of those so bad when I was a kid...

That's because they weren't "aesthetic".

Ever since Apple got successful with the ipod then iPhone they "revolutionised" the computing world in such a way that every product needs first to have an aesthetic design. If your gagdet is ugly, you're boring and you suck at life.

/current day mentality.

I used to love those palmtops including hp 200lx and 95lx

One my very first day in college (in 2003) I saw a kid open one of these up in class and begin typing on it. It seemed the height of pretentiousness to myself and the other geeks in the class.

Looking back, we were kind of dicks about that.

My God that thing is ugly, even by 80s/90s tech standards.

Because they were bloody awful all up until cherrytrail unless you got some 2 Inch thick piece of ass

Remember me?

If you actually did "live through" this time, you'd know how shit this was. Oh cool you used your palmtop to take notes in the meeting, good luck getting it on the PC. shitty proprietary software, proprietary and unique cables, IRQs, motherboard and bios settings, pin jumpers. Want to do it on a shared pc or another pc, you gotta do it all over again.

Data is worthless unless you can actually get at it. Modern replacement for this is cloud storage. "reeeee"

>tfw I unironically use a palmtop in classes sometimes
It's still too nice as a dedicated PIM device.
>what is laplink
Did you live through it either?

but it wasn't an aesthetics thing, it was more of a cost and usability thing
oldschool tablets targeted a totally different and more niche market, and ran fully-fledged desktop operating systems that even with tablet enhancement packages really weren't all that great for the form factor

and most importantly, they were unbelievably expensive and poorly targeted by software vendors; the iPad and the clones that followed may be gimped pieces of shit but you can't say that their software environment wasn't actually made for them and ran well on them, you couldn't do the same for tablet PCs

Why do old tablets look so good? Something about those physical controls and the thickness that lets you get a good grip on them. I'd love to have one even though I know it would be shit for actual usability and the same size as my old netbook.

I remember being able to transfer files with IrDA.

>IRQs, motherboard and bios settings, pin jumpers
I never really had any of these problems.

I was going to say, that keyboard isn't too bad looking. its just that insert key down on the bottom left that looks kinda weird.

Saying it's a meme doesn't make it a meme. Most people hate chicklet keyboards Chang.

>microsoft... works

AHAHAHAH good one man

>Windows CE
>desktop OS

Old and shitty UMPCs got replaced by the obviously superior smartphone

>smartphone
Nice normalfag magnet

tablets sold better on market
turns out, nobody actually needs a portable device to work, normies need it to play webgames and shitpost on memebook

I need a portable device to do work, and I have one. It's called a laptop. Not sure what reason the umpc ever had for existing.

When I said nobody, I actually meant 95% or most people or something like that, i.e. all those normies who bring more money than people who need a device to work, not a toy to play with while traveling to/from work.

Yeah I get you. I guess the point is: I need to do stuff, so I got a laptop. People who want to play games usually just get a smart phone because it fits in their pocket. What is the market for the umpc? It's just a shitty laptop.

A shame netbook market died, sometimes you need something only so small to get shit done.

Microsoft now has partnered with Qualcomm for x86 compatibility so it again opens doors to more UMPC-like devices.
The GPD Win is just the beginning, hopefully more chinese companies step up to the task now that Qualcomm is bringing out x86 compatibility to the Snapdragon 835.

Same problem, for me at least. I already have to carry something in a bag, why would I choose a laptop that's weaker with a tiny screen?