On Monday 07 May 2012 15:44:00 Matthias Apitz wrote: > El día Monday, May 07, 2012 a las 03:31:11PM +0200, Dr. H. Nikolaus Schaller escribió: > > The idea is that the keyboard is integrated in the back battery cover. > > And if you remove it, both parts (main body and battery cover/keyboard) > > are connected through a small ribbon cable. > > > > I.e. you remove the keyboard, fold it by 180 degrees so that the keys > > show in the same direction as the display and you can us the display in > > landscape format. > > > > If that works out with the snap mechanism of the battery cover and/or if > > it needs some physical connection between both parts has to be worked > > out. > > I don't want to be negative (just reaistic), the list of disadvantages > of such a solution (keyboard in battery cover, or with hinge) is: (..non-exhaustive...) ;-)
> 1) works only on desktop or table surface, i.e. not while walking or > standing; I think we would (indeed) snap it to the body, and not fold it by 180 degrees, but more 250-ish. It would actually exclude usage on a surface, because the keyboard (+battery?) is too light to balance the phone without pressing it to that surface. > 2) open the battery cover many more times (as for hard reset with battery > lift) will break the case soon; While we're at it, we have to do some redesign at the case anyway, there might be place for a switch between the battery and the contact points. > 3) you are forced to use landscape applications, while most of the apps > today are in portait; That is, in many cases, for lacking a hardware keyboard. A browser window of 480x480 + 160x480 for the keyboard is often more handy than a larger keyboard of 160x640 and 320x640 left over for the application. (I'm not counting top bars and maybe a status bar, which indeed take more space in landscape than in portrait). Lacking reliable rotation on Freerunner, I must admit I have not often used applications in landscape; I remember some coping well, others not adjusting to the wider screen. > 4) perhaps your battery will fall out (if not secured with something) in > a lot of cases, esp. if it is the most important situation :-) ..cases, no pun intended? ;-) I guess we can come up with this securing something for the battery as well. Some cavity the battery slides into, or integration into the key module. > to be continued... Yeah! Indeed ;-) With some luck, I'll have access (in a couple of months) to a 3d printer and can experiment with cases. To be continued... Boudewijn
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