Ideas are Cheap: Touch screen device with a browser

Use case

Hypothesis

Upside

• Since we can do pretty much everything on the internet these days other than work with hardware, why not a device dedicated for that? Makes it extremely easy for people to use the internet and hence computers.
• Can use available WiFi or uses built-in GSM card for internet access
• For geeks, it is a quick way to use the internet, no need to boot up a full computer.
• What if you wanted to open a Word document? Well, that’s where things like the “Open IT Online” Firefox extension come into the picture.
• It’s different from a mobile phone because it has a much bigger screen. And it won’t cost an arm and a leg like the iPhone.
• The popularity of Amazon’s Kindle shows that a reading ebook reader device can become very popular. But why restrict to just books on Amazon? Why not the whole internet?
• I would love the ability to pace myself and read stuff such as the O’Reilly Safari instead of being forced to sit in one place.
• With the rising internet penetration in India and the expectation that it will increase much higher, people may not be always comfortable with the small screen of a mobile phone/UMPC nor want to buy a Rs.20K PC, what if there was a device that does the middle ground – a large screen, internet access and, say, <7-8K cost?
• The cost is not based on reality, just trying to find what would be the right price point.

Downside

• If the Simputer didn’t sell, why would this?
• Hopw is it different from the Chumby?

Bottom line