Padfone

Epic Asus CEO Johnny Shih (previously) introduces its latest product, the Padfone. [Network World via Daring Fireball]

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rks1157

Wonder if he copped his moves from the chairman on the Iron Chef?
Capissen

This guy. I love this guy.
james

Amazing comments on here. Did you guys know that Apple is a conservative firm that doesn’t go for longshots? Monople does! I guess totally revolutionising the PC and the mobile phone don’t really count as longshots. If you aren’t just throwing new designs at the wall without really thinking about any of them, then you just aren’t in the game I suppose. Also, news flash everybody: it is literally impossible to arrange a single, basic data plan for an iPad and iPhone. Except of course for all those situations where it isn’t. My iPhone works great as a hotspot, even with the basic data plan, and my iPad WiFi has no issues with it whatsoever. Your carrier sucks, but hey, feel free to blame Apple for that. As you were, then.
james

That said – this guy is great, and I still want to call this a big elaborate joke. That’s one hell of a presentation technique. Porn music? Check. Magician/circus clown gesticulation? Check. Piss yourself with laughter when you unveil the product’s name? Check!
unmoris

Reminds me of a Flight of the Conchords Camera Phone

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y245/zeefunk/11_flightoftheconchords_lg.jpg
selfish3

I think Steve should take lessons for the 6th, and I expect more Final Countdown next time.

But really, isn’t the point of MobileMe/iCloud that your many devices work as one?
monopole

I love it. He’s having fun, making fun of himself, and not expecting a packed stadium of fanbois to cheer glorious leader.

That’s the way ASUS rolls, throw out dozens of different designs, and if one catches fire they’ll follow it up with a progressive refinements. It’s the bazzar incarnate, as opposed to the perfectly scripted presentation of a “perfect” product.

The problem with “perfection” is that it promotes a ridiculous degree of caution. Apple can’t push longshots, everything is incremental refinement and integration.

What isn’t immediately apparent is that both this design and the related ASUS Transformer have is that the add-on components has batteries and ports. The bulk of present day tablets and phones are batteries. Even if a tablet never leaves a coffee table it has to have a battery capable of handling a transatlantic flight.

The Transformer and (I assume the Padfone) adds additional battery space in the add on module as well as a breakout of additional ports. Thus you get a light primary component with middling battery life coupled with an additional battery and port breakout on the secondary component. This is particularly handy in that the power guzzling apps tend to work better with the secondary component.

Actually, I’d love to see a Padfone/Transformer combo, allowing me to transition from phone to tablet to laptop as needed.
simonbarsinister

We need lightning strikes at the end after his evil laughter.

“Yes! This is a combination of the pad and phone!

PADPHONE!

Heh Heh Heh Heh Mwuaaahhhahaa!”
bcsizemo

Couldn’t come up with a better name than that?…

So I’m guessing this is like the Atrix, except with Pad not netbook?…
Anonymous

I wish my iPad had a iPhone in it. That would be pretty sweet.
Anonymous

I think this has already been done. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkzNOEiW4M8
Anonymous

I love his David Copperfield moves.
arikol

I don’t understand exactly why I would need that. Maybe ASUS understand exactly what to do with the device, and maybe it will be an awesome success.

But I’m missing the point. Is the big device just a cradle and a screen that will be run by the phone? Or is it a tablet, which syncs with the phone (and gives up its screen for the phone)?

I don’t geddit… (the usefulness)
xneo

Awesome! It’s the best idea of 2009.. Wait… What year is it again now???
Anonymous

one word: chingdogu
caipirina

First I was laughing at the presentation … but after reading some more about the product, it is somewhat intriguing.

There is no way I have an ipHone and an iPad both with 3G and 2 separate contracts to run them. My phone provider already wants to charge me an arm and a leg if I try to extend the wifi from my phone to another computer … so .. as an all in one solution .. not bad .. (also it eliminates the mental image of someone holding an ipad to their ears to make a phone call)

But this guy is just too funny

same video from a better angle http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sqjoRMHyYQc#at=55
rockpiler

Ah, yes, because a full-sized smartphone piggybacked onto a tablet is SO much more useful than, say, a tiny detachable headset used for making calls… on one’s tablet. Yeeeah.
jmzero

Guy is clearly awesome. He should kick it up like .5 more notches though – just blind the audience with charmisma.
- rks1157
  
  I have an iPad (wifi only) and an android phone which acts as a hotspot. So, two devices; one plan.
  
  The lightning/lighting effect is a default feature when you use them together but I can turn it off in the device settings.
salsaman

The should go “full turducken” and have it slot into a laptop.
- tim
  
  Only if the laptop gets to slot into a desktop box (why do we still call the desktop machines? The damn things usually sit on the floor!) and that in turn can be slid into a rack of machines.
  
  What would actually be useful would be the *virtual* equivalent of docking; any of the sizes of machine (phone/pad/laptop/desktop/server rack/entire net) could immediately and seamlessly co-ordinate so that you can carry on browsing the page you had open in iPhone Safari when you sit down at your desk, or keep playing Angry Submarine Farmer on your phone as you walk out of the office and away from the workgroup Cray 17.
kmoser

“Steve [Jobs?] has to wait!” Priceless.
chaopoiesis

HATRABBIT!
arikol

Yeah, he is brilliant. I totally agree that he should get to play around more and be awesome. (Steve has to wait…)

@Caipirina #5
Yes.
Now if the “other” tablet + phone maker would just allow them to work perfectly together… (you listening Steve. We know you’re not on the phone to Guy, so maybe you’re reading boingboing instead…)
Anonymous

He should have hired a better presenter for this product debut. Thank you(SARCASM) for rolling back years of progress by the Asian males.
PeaceNerd

where’d you get that preposterous hypothesis?
did steve tell you that?
- Martin _22
  
  What’s Steve got to do with it?!
  What sort of rapping name is steve?
- simonbarsinister
  
  PeaceNerd, I gather you aren’t a large water-dwelling mammal?
- pencilbox
  
  What kind of a [developer] name is Steve?
autark

Not satisfied until this is in my bag: http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/05/06/bento-box-kinda-like-voltron/
- caipirina
  
  Thanks for pointing that out autark, truly a brilliant concept!
  
  as it is now, i bet a lot of space is wasted on making it look pretty … but just the idea is awesome … the bento book
optuser

Coulda/shoulda had a smoke blast and confetti cannon shoot out of the stand as he pulled it out.