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Today's mobile professional relies on a variety of devices to work, communicate and enjoy entertainment while on the go. Although laptops, cell phones and PDAs have improved mobile productivity, research indicates that a gap still exists — there is a need for a powerful, practical PC that offers the functionality of a home or office workstation, but which is small enough to tuck into a familiar bag. Research also suggests that small PCs must have certain features for them to be truly practical and easy to use.
Research conducted in 2006 by FlipStart Labs reveals that the usefulness of a mobile device depends on three interdependent factors: activity, environment and time available. How well a product fulfills these interrelated needs results in its "situational relevance." While other small devices meet some of these factors, none has the overall situational relevance of FlipStart. When it comes to encompassing the variety of needs that surround activity, time availability and environment, FlipStart offers the most complete solution: It works both in the field and at the primary workspace; it's fully functional at a glance and in full production mode; it performs whether you need it for a moment or for several hours.
Extensive usability studies conducted for FlipStart Labs demonstrate that small-format PCs have unique requirements when it comes to their display, keyboard, accessibility and mobility features. For example, optimized navigation and screen quality are critical because of the small display size, and navigation and keyboard extensions are necessary to reduce fatigue and errors. In addition, research indicates that the environments in which small PCs are used further dictate design requirements; mobile users must be able to confidently use small, thumb-based machines while they stand, sit, walk and ride.
Many of FlipStart's unique features are a direct result of this research, including FlipStart Navigator™, our dedicated key approach and the comfortable keypad design. Factors such as force/resistance, key spacing and placement, contrast ratios, colors and fonts, keyboard ergonomics, hardware protection and much more were tested extensively and influenced FlipStart's ultimate design. The clamshell format was created specifically to enable screen angle adjustments, providing mobile users with the flexibility they need while offering protection for the keyboard and screen.
More and more individuals are combining personal and professional activities on their personal computers. This trend was a primary influence on the FlipStart design. For the mobile professional, watching movies, playing games and listening to music have become activities as important as running Windows® applications. As a result, FlipStart was uniquely designed to integrate entertainment features, such as external audio controls, an internal camera, advanced screen and graphics capabilities, and a custom external USB connector for snap-on accessories.