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Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED

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Re: Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED

#101

Post by eterps »

xSxY3fj5gVCmvWE wrote: post #70
eterps wrote: post #5

AFAIK there is absolutely no innovation with software defined keyboards, they statically mimic a physical keyboard. I would expect well defined open APIs so that applications tailor the keyboard for optimal contextualized use for that app. The only thing that came close is Apple's touchbar but even that one is quite static and not very liberating in practice. Of course the downside of adaptive software keyboards is t…

Touch keyboards don't sound very liberating. I think experienced/professional users will be an especially bad fit for this. Imagine having to constantly look down at the keyboard to see what contextual options are available. It's like getting a new keyboard and having to get used to a different layout, except it's forever . Say goodbye to your flow state, hope you haven't gotten used to it. That said, this laptop see…

> Say goodbye to your flow state

I see what you mean here, but am not so sure about that to be honest. We just haven't seen much innovation here IMO. It could specifically optimize for flow, somewhat reminiscent of Github Copilot and the suggestions in phone keyboards.

For example I am wondering how a keyboard could adapt in a spreadsheet application if you focus on a non-empty cell. Depending on what's already there, there might be a predictable set of options on what is likely to be done next. (without limiting free form either).

I don't have good examples, because I simply don't know what could be done. But I am convinced that something that statically mimics a physical keyboard can be improved upon.

Re: Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED

#102

Post by MontyCarloHall »

suction wrote: post #61
jfoster wrote: post #20

Looks fancy. Is this what the market wants? I don't particularly like Apple, but I use a Macbook Pro. I've been keeping an eye out for a non-Apple alternative to a Macbook, but nothing seems to come close in terms of hardware. I don't mean technical specs. I mean a beautiful screen, reasonable dimensions & weight, a really good touchpad, great battery life, etc. A big foldable screen looks cool, but doesn't feel at a…

In East Asia, novelty or "cuteness" of a product, i.e. the look of things, is mostly what counts. That's how East Asian makers try to stay ahead of the competition, because actual innovation that goes beyond the surface (no pun intended) is hard and not actually encouraged in societies with a confucian view of the workplace.

>actual innovation … is not actually encouraged in societies with a confucian view of the workplace.

How does this follow? If the implication is that collectivist societies frown upon excelling relative to one’s peers (which is not true, BTW), then wouldn’t the exact same logic apply to novelty or cuteness?

No, this is the result of corporate bean counters thinking they should maximize short term profit with a splashy product, rather than maximize long term profit with high quality and reliability, which take more time for the market to recognize.

Re: Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED

#103

Post by preisschild »

I'd just wish for an arm64 laptop that isn't made by Apple.

Software development is getting more and more relevant on arm, and using native tools is way better than cross-compiling.

OLED is pretty cool though.

Re: Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED

#104

Post by Ensorceled »

saiya-jin wrote: post #90
iasay wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The reason that there is no non-Apple alternatives to the MacBook Pro is because everyone is too focused on blue sky innovation rather than actually doing the best job of stuff that already exists. Quality is the feature that apple sell. I don't think anyone else gets near them.

Selective quality. There were most-expensive-on-the-market-yet-worst-quality fraying cables that my 1$ usb cables from aliexpress could run circles around long after those were discarded (or not, my mother-in-law still carries one around, I guess to remind everyone how crappy engineering looks like). Bending phones (was it 6?). Also some nefarious moves like slowing down older phones. Every manufacturer has these blo…

No post body was provided.

Re: Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED

#105

Post by darkteflon »

tokamak-teapot wrote: post #71
darkteflon wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Slightly incidental, but after years of working out of hotel rooms, I’ve found that a 15.6” 4K portable display placed on a small tripod (Arca-Swiss mount) sitting directly above the main display of my 14” Macbook has been the perfect travel setup. It’s a dual-display setup, portable (similar area to the computer itself), similar desktop area and font resolution to the native panel, and prevents you from craning your…

Mind sharing which one you have please? I’d like to drop one in my laptop bag sometimes.

Sure, I have an Innocn PU15-PRE. Just to reiterate that a 15.6” 4K is definitely the way to go. I also tried 14” 4K and 1440p panels but - on account of the way scaling and font rendering works in MacOS - they’re a big step down. Even moreso if you’re doing anything graphically intensive - you’ll want to use non-native scaling on a 14” 4K which is expensive for the GPU. The 15.6” panel doesn’t have this problem because the “effective 1080p resolution” divides cleanly into the native 4K panel resolution.

I spent ages working through this.

Re: Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED

#106

Post by flatiron »

user_named wrote: post #88
quickthrower2 wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How did that foldable phone craze a few years ago go? Are they still around?

It's still going. I remember I t ied one in person, felt like a layer of tape on top of two displays.

IIRC the first thing people did with those phones is rip the “tape” off just to realize their phone was now broken.

Re: Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED

#108

Post by joshspankit »

asdajksah2123 wrote: post #96
iasay wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The reason that there is no non-Apple alternatives to the MacBook Pro is because everyone is too focused on blue sky innovation rather than actually doing the best job of stuff that already exists. Quality is the feature that apple sell. I don't think anyone else gets near them.

Apple's built up an incredible lead right now (in quality and specs), but as the son of a of a macbook from a few years ago, the idea that Apple sells "quality" is mistaken, with the most obvious example being the butterfly keyboard, which would make your device unusable if you happened to say the wrong combination of words at the wrong time. But generally Apple has a history of laptops that have design defects, whic…

Actual defects aside, a lot of people buy Apple for the quality.

Whether those people are right or not, Apple is extremely good at positioning itself as the quality option.

Re: Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED

#109

Post by candiddevmike »

preisschild wrote: post #103

I'd just wish for an arm64 laptop that isn't made by Apple. Software development is getting more and more relevant on arm, and using native tools is way better than cross-compiling. OLED is pretty cool though.

Pinebook Pro meets your criteria but I think you'd find it too slow. So you want an arm64 laptop that's also fast and with a decent amount of memory.

I wonder if we're at the point yet where I can use my phone with a foldable screen and keyboard as a workstation.

Re: Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED

#110

Post by jacquesm »

The responses to this are more interesting than the device itself. It's innovative, it's done by a brand that has a reasonable reputation for reliability and for standing behind their products and it may well fit a niche.

Innovation is always going to be risky, and Asus stands to lose some of their credibility if the device does not hold up over time. So I'll be more than happy to let them do their thing.

As for sustainability: all electronics that contain rechargeable batteries are in principle not sustainable and we all have one or more of those devices. Let the person who has never used a portable battery powered device cast the phirst phone.

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