The upcoming Viliv S7 [Portal page] is currently at the #6 spot on ultra mobile PC Portal’s top 10 chart and is still on its way out the door to a consumer release. If the recently released and oft-glorified Viliv S5 [Portal page] and Viliv X70 [Portal page] are any indicator, the Viliv S7 is going to be a solid ultra mobile PC with good build quality. Setting it apart from the S5 or X70 is the fact that the S7 has a hardware keyboard while the aforementioned Viliv devices use an on screen keyboard with vibrating feedback for their default text entry method. While many claim to be waiting for their dream device which would be “an S5 with a hardware keyboard, inch the S7’s keyboard is actually going to be the device’s biggest challenge.
What do I mean when I say challenge? Well for one, it is going to need to impress its users if the Viliv S7 is going to build a reputation as being a great device as the S5 and X70 seem to have done.
If you’ll come back with me to a time that seems not so distant, most of the original netbooks were released with 7 inch screens, and keyboards with diagonals not much larger or smaller than that size. Shortly after the first round of netbook contenders, screens increased in size from 7 inch to 8.9 inch almost unanimously across companies and eventually up to 10 inch which is around the area where the average user doesn’t feel they are compromising too much on screen size. Screen size is only one part of the story, however, along with the increase in screen size, keyboards were able to grow as well; up to a point where consumers felt that they could type nearly as well as on a full sized laptop.
Now here comes Viliv with the S7 which has a 7 inch screen during a time when netbooks are nearly always released as 8.9 inch or 10 inch devices. Now I know many of you realize that the S7 is definitely not a netbook, it is a UMPC, however, if there is a keyboard on the device, people are going to be dissatisfied based on how similar the typing experience on the S7 is compared to a full sized keyboard. This is a potential issue for the popularity of the device and especially for its word-of-mouth based marketing which is very important for a niche product such as a UMPC. If people come away dissatisfied with the keyboard, the likely result will be that this is the largest complaint about the S7 and instead of hearing people say (as they do now about the S5) “The Viliv S5 is great, it would be even better with a keyboard! inch, you’ll hear “The S7 could have been a good device if only it had a good keyboard. inch But unfortunately size isn’t the only potential challenge for the S7’s keyboard.
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Nice article, Ben.
Silly season FTW !!!
Well, it is true that other devices with such a screen size haven’t been exactly the ones with better physical keyboard, but in this case, I think it all depends on what can a design team do with the available space, and it is true that we are used to a certain degree of excellency from Villiv, so the impact on the brand could be big if this doesn’t work.
BTW: mobile theme for iPhone rocks! The things you can do with WP.
Actually, I think part of the biggest gripe with the original 7″ screens was the huge bezel around the screen – wasted space.
It seems the S7 hasn’t learnt that lesson. Either make the keyboard smaller to a commensurate size with the screen, or make the screen bigger.
There are optical illusions you can do by making the screen seem flush with the device thus making the screen seem bigger. Hence less criticism.
The S5 and X70 also dealt with the problem by having useful buttons besides the screen and therefore it is no longer wasted space.
I am using an SX3 with 8.9″ screen. The decvice could easily have a 10″ screen without changing the external dimensions.
The S7 could have an 8″ screen like the Vaio P, and probably even 9″ screen.
Of course this would reduce battery life a bit. But the S7 is no longer my dream device. An S5 with Keyboard or an S9 in the same size shell as the S7 would be better.
Heh. I wonder if that idiot primass still thinks everyone wants pocket sized screens/keyboards
He probably does. I personally would like one like the UMID, shame there are a few issues with it. If it had a full size USB, a mini USB link (like the S5 has) and for me LAN then I could put up with its other failings.
Anyone who has owned a Psion 5, still waits for a proper replacement – the keyboard was that good!
Agree with Vakeros – a UMID or Psion 5 type device would be a dream, especially if it ran Mac OS and was touch enabled. Too much to ask?
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