[Gta04-owner] Status GTA04 GroupTour

[xdrudis]

On Fri, Dec 30, 2011 at 11:34:38PM +0100, Martin Jansa wrote:
> 
> I hope I will, but old GTA02 board still has some value, similar 
> my old Sharp Spitz which is still running and used from time to time.
>

For me the main value of GTA02 would be (if I had one) the possibility
to include it in some other device to add phone functionality (maybe 
an ebook or something, so I don't have to carry both). I don't know
if it would be feasible batterywise. Alternatively it could be used
as wifi/buetooth gateway, or some domotic application, I guess.
But all that requires some form of cases or adaptors for existing
hardware, and possibly some circuitry also, so it's difficult because
they are niche uses.
 

> Yes I have one of these, but try to use it in a train for longer
> time, usually you have to hold keyboard with both hands to type with
> thumbs and then phone screen is too far in your lap or you try to hold
> phone closer to eyes while typing one hand with keyboard balancing in
> your lap - not so good for longer texts with lots of special characters
> :).
>

Mmmm... I'm not sure the only right approach to that is a phone with
integrated keyboard (which looks hard to design). Have you tried something 
to stick them two together :? 

- a couple of 3d printed grips that fit to both your keyboard and gta02
and are not bulky to carry unmounted.
If you can manage to fit straps to it so you can hang the whole from 
your neck you get to use your hands for something else without droping 
the hadware.

- some sort of jewel case which your keyboard fits in one half and the
phone (landscape) in the other but you can close to carry.

- a plastic folder like used for carrying or archiving paper documents
(those that are only open at the top), just wide enough for your
keyboard to fit in the bottom and the phone above it, with a hole
cutted in for accessing the keys, and another for touching the screen,
which you can fold the upper half closed behind them (or in front of
them for carrying protecting the screen if you carry them
together). May need some stuffing to keep parts in place.

- just two sticks and elastic bands
 
- a knitted wooden bag, not to different from the plastic folder.

- combinations of these 

Hard to tell what can work without trying, but I'd certainly appreciate
a solution based on parts I can separate and use with other hardware 
more than an integrated keyboard. Am I spoiled by unix traditions?

(I would prefer a usb keyboard if possible, so that I don't have 
to worry charging two devices, but routing the cable might add 
complexity)

> > 
> > That is not the idea behind the GTA04. It is designed as a motherboard
> > upgrade and if we want to completely design a new phone it would be
> > quite different. We simply have quite complex technical limitations.
> 
> Being able to reuse as much components from GTA02 is definitely big plus
> and works great for people who like GTA02 case. I'm just saying that
> maybe there is a lot of potentional customers which would be even more
> interested in GTA04 if they can expect to use it in different case later 
> (even if the case is then for another 250e).
>

Nobody stops anyone from designing new cases or finding adaptations
to existing hardware. If cases/adaptors can be 3D printed they can 
evolve much easier. But I think asking too much from a single source
will just distract. I'd love a case with solar cells in the back, a
7" e-ink or pixel qi or similar screen, tripod mounting screw, 
standand reflex camera lenses holder and flash, with micro and headphone
anatomically well placed, abatible legs to hold it upright in a table,
and a spring loaded hole for easily changing the SD card. But I 
don't expect many others to share these requirements or anyone
to come and design it for me and offer it at a cheap price. 

The reuse aspect of the GTA04 is just right, and I just hope someone
comes up with an easy, cheap case, even if for a desktop use, so that
both GTA04 and GTA02 boards can be used (and GTA05, GTA06, etc in the future).
  
Btw, if the hipothetical case included a keyboard then we would have
the problem of the keyboard layout which people prefer diffrent in 
each country... I don't use my lemote more because I haven't get
used to the (almost?) US keyboard (among other things).

> > > I know you can use GTA04 without LCD and case already, but for people
> > > who don't have GTA02 or don't want to sacrifice it yet, it's not an
> > > option to keep it that way forever, they want some vision of new phone.
> > 
> > Currently we can't give that because we don't see how we can make
> > a completely new device cheaper than one that reuses some parts.
> >

And at the same time nothing of what is done prevents this new vision.
It just doesn't have to come from the same project at the same time. 
Don't you see it ? If we had such a cool case we would sell too many ;o)
we're just aiming at 350 for now...