Incorporate an epaper device with the Livescribe HWR capture device found here:
http://www.gearlog.com/2008/05/hands...pulsethe_l.php
Add to that the still being developed direct video over wifi vs. over a network which Nokia announced/demo'd over a year back as I recall. All from a small hand held N8x0 device.
Combine those individual techs and you have a simple easy, fast ultra portable education oriented device that is lightweight, can easily run all day long and would be under $1k. No HDD needed, perhaps dual hot swappable batteries and either a CF or some type of SDHC card slots. Include a few GB of user memory and you have the sort of device I think a lot of students would love for class/lab notes, it can all be transfered to their main work computer where as a part of their study workflow the student can correct and elaborate on any notes or drawings. The epaper device need only do screen captures as back up for the pen device. Once notes have been downloaded, corrected and whatever, they can then be archived off or simply discarded.
Yeah, I am talking a laptop/desktop as well as the reader plus very cool pen vs. one do everything device. But perhaps it can be made to happen faster this way. And of course profs can always make the lecture materials available for download before the class until the video over wifi becomes a real thing. Seeing the Nokia N8x0 send video to a big screen LCD display was super cool. No reason the prof/lecturer could not do the opposite, send video to be captured as the lecture moves on...
Interesting thread...I just had been thinking of this very same topic but from a slightly different direction. Leveraging the low power display tech and the ability of the existing LiveScribe Pen to create a hybrid device which also, of course can double as an ereading device. Toss in a couple CF or SDHC (or whatever tech they decide) and for all a person needs in a lecture it is there in at well under 2lbs total. No laptop or tablet needed. It could likely be built tomorrow for under $2k and in a year for under $1k...remember no need for full on video nor high end CPU power and especially no point in a HDD (SSD or otherwise) at all, just a few GB of user memory and a few GB of system RAM built into the device. Storage can be internal as well as to the cards as needed. And of course the pen holds the actual text added to the images on the device. A touch screen is needed to record the keystrokes to save in the screen capture but that is easy and already there.
Is it a rough idea? you bet it is, LiveScribe Pen system problematic for some, absolutely...but you could pretty much make it all work with any tablet/slate PC tomorrow if you wanted. But toss it all in a blender with a large format epaper device, and I suspect it's a workable solution. And, yeah, I know it is basically replacing a yellow pad with a hardware device (ok a few) with many potential points of failure, but for some reason it seems like a winning idea.
Love this thread...and sorry is parts of the post are garbaled, I am poop'd and off to bed but this idea has been on my mind since I discovered the LiveScribe pen system. I just do not care for the whole special paper thing which should be easily duplicated on a epaper display. I just have the intuition it is less difficult that a Wacom tablet/slate.
So, if I left something obvious out, try and read beyond what I typed...it's in my head but these old bones nees some sleep...
