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Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

wsj.com

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Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#21

Post by deadmutex »

sandworm101 wrote: post #17
hc-taway wrote: post #3

1) physical kill switch for camera (as in, it breaks the power or data connection to it, physically) or at least a physical cover. 2) physical kill switch for the microphone These are very much not "nerd" concerns, either. I see a lot of non-techies with stickers over their laptop cameras. [EDIT] teachers in particular spread the "put a sticker over the camera" practice, in my experience, both before and during the p…

>> or at least a physical cover. I want a mechanical microphone switch too. Being seen can be embarrassing but being caught saying something can end your career instantly. See that school board that all had to resign after they were caught badmouthing parents.

I don't know how a mechanical microphone switch would have helped in that case.

That seemed to be a UX issue. The board was on a call with other members, and didn't realize that there was another participant. Some news stories just called it a "hot mic" issue because it is easy to glance and get an idea of what the story is about, but that's not exactly what happened.

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#23

Post by unethical_ban »

akulbe wrote: post #14
podiki wrote: post #7

I don't really understand the point of this article as "redesigning the laptop." Nearly all of the things they mention is either software (e.g. better processing of mic input) or called a desktop (screens, noise, etc.). If people are working from home that negates a big reason for the laptop: portability. Sure it is nice to move to the couch or kitchen or whatever, but maybe that could be having a keyboard and using…

You beat me to it. I came here to say… this is a solved problem. It's called a "desktop machine". ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

What if, and hear me out on this, the person needs to take their workstation with them to multiple locations? Or, as can be the case with smaller quarters, simply wants to?

Yes, desktops have this featureset. Why don't laptops, is the point of the article. (Answer: either laziness, arrogant design aesthetic, or NSA conspiracy)

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#24

Post by drcode »

sandworm101 wrote: post #17
hc-taway wrote: post #3

1) physical kill switch for camera (as in, it breaks the power or data connection to it, physically) or at least a physical cover. 2) physical kill switch for the microphone These are very much not "nerd" concerns, either. I see a lot of non-techies with stickers over their laptop cameras. [EDIT] teachers in particular spread the "put a sticker over the camera" practice, in my experience, both before and during the p…

>> or at least a physical cover. I want a mechanical microphone switch too. Being seen can be embarrassing but being caught saying something can end your career instantly. See that school board that all had to resign after they were caught badmouthing parents.

Of course, let's not forget that the core problem here is the "end your career instantly" part, not the design of the microphone.

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#25

Post by deadmutex »

hadrien01 wrote: post #9
hc-taway wrote: post #3

1) physical kill switch for camera (as in, it breaks the power or data connection to it, physically) or at least a physical cover. 2) physical kill switch for the microphone These are very much not "nerd" concerns, either. I see a lot of non-techies with stickers over their laptop cameras. [EDIT] teachers in particular spread the "put a sticker over the camera" practice, in my experience, both before and during the p…

In addition to a kill switch, it would be great to have a switch that affects 1) the physical device 2) the OS switch and 3) the Teams/Zoom/Webex switch. Regularly we have people in meetings forgetting one of those switches (the physical switch being on the headphones) and trying to talk without being heard.

This is great -- most people skip over the last use case. But it seems like very useful to have.

It seems that option #1 is mainly used because it is easy, and we might not fully trust #2 and #3? (Not because of evil doing, but because of bugs, and unlikely case of hacks).

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#26

Post by brmgb »

viklove wrote: post #6

This article is hilarious because it shows how poorly the average tech consumer understands pricing and hardware. You want a better camera and a better mic? Buy them. They're not cheap. You can easily spend $3-400 on a teleconferencing setup (as I have for my desktop), and it pays off. But if you think my Blue Snowball mic and Logitech webcam will fit into your Macbook Air... On that note, all of these concerns could…

You are completely missing the point (it feels like I am now posting this everyday on HN).

No one is asking for a Blue Snowball mic and Logitech webcam in their laptop. People are rightfully wondering why in world a ubiquous small competent cameras (see every iPhone from the past decades) and mic, the ones laptops are using are so poor. The answer is most likely because no one cared so I fully expect that to change but it makes sense to list as a complain with laptops.

Talking about desktops is also entirely missing the point. People are issued work laptops. They don't choose their computers and most of them do want the portability anyway. It's extremely useful when you are doing a presentation of visiting customers.

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#27

Post by tpmx »

Jtsummers wrote: post #19
tpmx wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(Edited.) Perhaps mounting a polarizing filter in front of the laptop camera to kill most of the glare would make it work with glasses. Otherwise: For those who can make it work, contact lenses and lasik are nice options. Increased FOV.

Not everyone who wears glasses qualifies for lasik or can wear contact lenses. I’m lucky that I can wear contact lenses and get pretty good correction, but LASIK and PRK are off the table for me (I’d still need glasses all the time).

> I’d still need glasses all the time

So trying out a polarizing filter is perhaps worth looking into? I'm curious to how well it would work.

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#28

Post by Shivetya »

podiki wrote: post #7

I don't really understand the point of this article as "redesigning the laptop." Nearly all of the things they mention is either software (e.g. better processing of mic input) or called a desktop (screens, noise, etc.). If people are working from home that negates a big reason for the laptop: portability. Sure it is nice to move to the couch or kitchen or whatever, but maybe that could be having a keyboard and using…

I am going with, I use mine in a docking station at home or at work and honestly all it is to me a small little tablet that I never use the built in screen or keyboard.

Considering that use case I would love a system no larger than my phone with some apps to give me use of mail and such while not docked. Then while docked it is my Windows/OS X desktop

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#29

Post by [deleted] »

abduhl wrote: post #18
tpmx wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(Edited.) Perhaps mounting a polarizing filter in front of the laptop camera to kill most of the glare would make it work with glasses. Otherwise: For those who can make it work, contact lenses and lasik are nice options. Increased FOV.

This response sounds very much like “just stop holding the phone wrong” to me.

[deleted]

Re: Let’s redesign the laptop for a work-from-home era

#30

Post by specialist »

podiki wrote: post #7

I don't really understand the point of this article as "redesigning the laptop." Nearly all of the things they mention is either software (e.g. better processing of mic input) or called a desktop (screens, noise, etc.). If people are working from home that negates a big reason for the laptop: portability. Sure it is nice to move to the couch or kitchen or whatever, but maybe that could be having a keyboard and using…

For me, the macbook's keyboard & trackpad combo is the sweet spot. I also have magic mouse, for the occasional direct manipulation stuff (eg drag & drop).

Ages ago, with Teleport, I used by MBP to drive my iMac. If Apple sold just the lower half of a macbook, bring your own monitor, I'd be in heaven.

Just the keys and trackpad would be great too. I've held onto my dead 2015 MBP, with hopes of salvaging just the input devices.

Aha! Teleport has been resurrected, now works with Big Sur. https://github.com/johndbritton/teleport

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