From: John Hay (OceanCity_at_mac.com)
Date: Mon Oct 03 2005 - 03:33:42 PDT
I LIKE IT!
I wonder where I'd be able to obtain, say some black anodized like 1/8"
aluminum or titanium metal sheets of metal=3F I will Google. You have
inspired me! I have not done much work in metal, to be honest, as it
requires special tools which I will have to acquire ;-)
As for design, I agree, it should be smaller widthwise, just wide enough
to equal the width of the keyboard, such as in the case of Adriano's
ClearDock <http://tinyurl.com/ag2wz> which originally started me on my
LapStand offshoot design <http://tinyurl.com/ccpm7>.
=46rom the picture of Adrian's stand, the ClearDock, what he did was pure
genius by removing the Apple Newton Keyboard's base and top bevels to
streamline it down to the minimum width and sleek appearance. My design,
for the LapStand was actually out of shear desperation time-wise to
simply knock out anything I could that would be functional so I could
use it right away, hence the less-than-ideal materials and dimensions.
However it has given me a good prototype "feel" for the next generation
LapStand ;-)
I agree that black would definitely be "the" color to go with and what I
may end up doing is to use black 1/4" Plexiglas as the material simply
because it will be easier and faster for me to deal with [vs. metal] at
the moment. I'll reduce the width down to equal the Stowaway full size
keyboard [I prefer a full size vs. the Newton Keyboard, although have to
admit the Newton keyboard is the best feel I've ever seen for a small
scale keyboard] and I'll make the front platform a little shorter as it
only needs to be just enough to rest my palms [no pun intended, or used]
on for typing, probably about 3" or so.
Also, the impromptu stylus holder thing I glued on is not fast enough to
use so I end up not using it other than to store a full sized stylus pen
when I'm through using the Newton. Something more on the lines of what
WACOM uses for their pen would be ideal. Their stylus holder is the
quintessential design for fast fast secure holding of their pens, you
have to use it to see what I really mean, but if you have one you know.
=46inally, the backrest could easily be hinged to fold down flat for
storage and mobility, and could even be adjustable for the angle to
compensate for glare, etc. depending on your location in Starbucks ;-)
As for the "stylizing" I would need some help here because I'm a "right-
brain" person, or which ever side it is that make you design everything
square instead of round and want to put everything on a square grid. But
come to think of it, I could learn from how Starbucks has stylized their
cafes using shape and color to set the stage.
PLEASE keep the ideas coming, I'm open to any suggestions.
Any designers out there who want to send me a sketch for a radical
"stylized" design I'd really love to see. Maybe I can put your vision
into a tangible reality. Feel free to include any kind of a claim you
wish to protect your designs as I'll never be doing and production runs
of any consequence by you might want to, or whatever, etc.
John
10/3/05 RAParker issued the following and I have taken literary license
to pass it along on a "Need to Know Basis" . . . =3F
>What would Ive do=3F
>
>Minimize...
>Anodize...
>Stylize...
>
>Eliminate everything plastic and reduce its size. Make it out of some
>sort of sexy black metal.
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