OLO makes iPhone netbook play

Jonny Evans
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October 13, 2008
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Well, here's a thing - one day before Apple primes its spotlight on the laptop, upstart firm OLO has introduced its very own netbook concept that uses your iPhone as the CPU..

That's right, this firm wants to build a netbook around your iPhone - you actually insert the iPhone into the notebook and use the iPhone’s touchscreen as a trackpad for the computer!!

There's no shipping product, no spec sheet, no other information, and it is possible this gadget just lets you operate your iPhone in a normal way with the advantage of a keyboard and a bigger screen...

Still, in a sense this underlines what could be so phenomenally important about Apple's glass trackpad, conceivably.

We don't really think this product will see the light of day, BTW, but as an iPhone accessory to offer features described above Apple may let this product through...who knows.

(Unless they launch their own netbook tomorrow...)

Comments (10)

techfreak85 (not verified) | October 13, 2008 - 9:47am

that would be coo. i thought of this a while ago too.

stradijeri1 (not verified) | October 13, 2008 - 9:56am

That might mean that in order to use your laptop you would also have to buy an iPhone. It would be cool if it came with it tho. :/

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 13, 2008 - 10:10am

thats a cool approach :) wondering how nerds come to such ideas

Robert Brodrecht (not verified) | October 13, 2008 - 10:14am

Palm more or less tried this with the Foleo, which met horrible reviews and was subsequently canceled. At the time NetBooks weren't on the radar (at least my radar). If this has a chance, it's because of ground broken by the NetBook camp. I'm not sure how viable it'd be though unless it had a full OS X GUI and could run apps other than those installed on the iPhone. Beyond Apple's core apps (iTunes, Safari, and Mail), there haven't been enough compelling apps that would benefit from a larger screen.

terry (not verified) | October 13, 2008 - 10:54am

i think it's an intriguing idea. Certainly if apple brought out such a product it could goose the OS to provide much greater functionality than is already on the iPhone. OR they could bring out a bigger, tablet/netbook sized "iPhone" that would achieve the same functionality.

I just took a 16 day trip overseas and left my macbook behind for the first time. I did just fine with the iPhone browsing, handling email and text messages, etc. What i lacked, what i'd like to have, is a tactile keyboard to replace the virtual one which, especially in its non-landscape mode for some operations, is inadequate.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 13, 2008 - 11:07am

Wait til you get your phone bill.

mxtime (not verified) | October 13, 2008 - 11:38am

This too...
http://flickr.com/photos/chop/2427278220/in/photostream/

Ben (not verified) | October 13, 2008 - 12:21pm

Great! This I want! Would be 110% perfect for my ultraportable needs! (110% as in 10% more than perfect)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 13, 2008 - 6:48pm

it'd be perfect if it coold have normal macbook functions and have extra storage

KenC (not verified) | October 17, 2008 - 6:08pm

...but I didn't think of using the iPhone as the CPU. I thought of using it only as the multi-touch trackpad. I dismissed the idea, when I realized that removing the iPhone would give you a laptop with a hole in it. What if you lose your phone or forget to bring it? You have MBP with a hole.

Seemed like a cool idea, but lame after I gave it some more thought.