N3:Misc Thoughts
From The Neuros Technology Wiki
Since there's such interest in the community about the N3, I thought I would post some thoughts from our internal discussions to help you understand our thinking and priorities:
Follows in reverse Chronological Order:
Contents |
[edit] Design - Daurnimator Updated: 6/10/06
The N3 needs to go over and above all other devices - be the top of the class.
The target audiences seems to be many DIFFERENT niches - Audio Professionals (requires high quality audio input); Audiophiles (need high quality IN & OUT - including line out [with little/nothing between the output & the dsp], also high capacities); Collectors (requries the ABILITY to store large amounts, good, largish screened interface); Open source geeks (requires few closed source modules, no proprietry stuff (hardware included)); Power Users/Rich kids (something expandable, many cool features). I'm sure that while creating the N3. we'll find & even create many more. Then, theres the "regular" people: they want something that isn't a brick, looks cool, and does everything they want...
To achive all this in a small package is no small feat (.... theres a pun here somewhere), but i believe neuros can achive it. I believe the market is ready for a new wave of daps, and neuros needs to ride the wave. I think we should get planning ASAP (while not diverting TOO much away from the OSD programming).
[edit] Concepts - Daurnimator Updated: 6/10/06
Modular Storage:
A totally modular concept for storage, the N3 itself has no storage (besides an SD slot), just a dock connector on the back, onto which clips/slides a storage enclosure - choices would be 2 CF slots, 1.8" hdd and 2.5" hdd. I believe This is required because of the various target audiences.
eg:
- Many want something with no moving parts (eg, for activity, on the road (motorcycles kill hdds!), totally silent operation (yes, some people are THAT picky) - these people would get a CF enclosure, or use the onboard SD slot.)
- People want something ipod sized - they would get a 1.8" hdd - but capacity stops at 80gb - not enough for many (especially those recording)
- People want something with lots of capacity (100gb+) - they would buy a 2.5" hdd enclosure (or multiple).
The CF & 1.8" enclosures would fit seemlessly onto the device, the 2.5" would need to have a border or such around the N3 (bumpers containing extra AAA batterys? ;) ).
CF storage
The price of CF storage is coming down more and more as time goes by - it would be possible to just give the N3 2 CF slots, into which users could put the largest capacity CF cards they can find (microdrives are currently up to 12gb, CF cards upto 32gb [EXPENSIVE!!!] and 64gb ones annouced)
This is only put aside because of cost concerns.
[edit] Required/Requested Features - Daurnimator Updated: 6/10/06
A list of features needed/requested/thought about:
- 3.5mm Audio output jack - Primary audio output
- Composite Video output - most likely to be mixed with audio jack (4 conductor)
- 3.5mm Line in
- USB Slave - main method to transfer music - usb mini plug (same as cameras, psp, other players etc)
- Bluetooth connectivity - Used for wireless headphones, voice calls/mobile phone?
- Wifi connection - Used for transfering files (between PC AND other N3s [maybe zunes or something as well???]), Browsing web (if screen is large enough), Streaming Music!
- IrDA - controlling other devices (its a simple feature - just direct interface to serial port on DM320)
- Serial - for debugging, we ARE for the dev community!
- FM Reciver - Listen to the radio (no corny, proprietry remotes required)
- FM Transmitter - Broadcast FM to car etc
- USB Host - full port (would be very nice, but some have complained about it being to big, i personally think its fine) or usb mini A(B)
- Composite Video Input - Record from tv, consoles, etc. (mix with Line In?? too much interference?)
- Inbuilt microphone - for dicaphone type stuff.
- SD card slot IN device
[edit] Mechanical Design - Joe Born 30/12/05
I do believe that the N3 has to be a masterpiece. We are at least 3 generations behind Apple with the iPod (generously considering us to have 2 generations of Neuros) and we started behind them from a design perspective. The iPod started a masterpiece and has improved steadily since then. In large part, it's a masterpiece of design execution more innovation, and over five generations, that execution has gotten better. For the N3 to make sense for us, we realistically have to be at a 10-15% price premium over the iPod. Features, sound quality and open source will certainly get us a lot of the way, but without a fantastic design and fantastic design execution, we'll definitely be relegated to a small niche, and frankly, our model of leveraging China is a real challenge without decent volumes.
I think that like the iPod, the N3 designwise will win by being more a masterpiece of design execution than of innovation, per se. Think of the Moto RAZR: same clamshell design they've had for years, but it's the hottest selling phone because of the details. Not only did they get it half the thickness of the previous model, but the whole execution of the design was beautiful. N3 will win the same way, and that means correct choice of components and materials, and manufacturers etc. Some of that you are already starting to see unfold:
- my original concept of the cylindrical batteries was wisely shot down in favor of a slimmer (though less standard) battery
- the number of ports are already being trimmed down to save space.
Going forward, we'll be making decisions about button placement and types, and again, I'll be favoring trading off tactile feel to trim down the device (again think RAZR and iPod). Then there will be decisions about manufacturing methods and the tradeoffs there, metal stampings, molded parts, extrusions, etc. Plenty of work to be done there, that’s for sure. I'm imagining lots of samples being sent back and forth, plenty of products being reviewed and plenty of manufacturers being chased down for quotes and terms and such.
Joe 12/30/05
