TABLET DESIGN
This piece can be divided into two parts: a part 1 about form, overall (exterior) design and operation, and closely fitting, inter-piercing, mingling part 2 of software, usage patterns and function.
Reference platform of choice is
Tegra 2 (250) and better (later developments of A9 ARM devices), with a screen sizes of 9"....11", Android 2.2+, (Canonical,
Ubuntu) Linux, Chrome OS.
Part 1
For the task of designing the "next" tablet, it's actually good that
iPad, the tablet for dumb and dumber populace ("Americans don't read") is out. It simplifies many design solutions here, simply showing how not to design.
Screen aspect must be 16:9 or better (like 16:8). 16:10 is just not good enough when scarce screen real estate is in question. Control buttons/icons can be made as
popups from side/top/bottom margins and/or
overscans on black fields accommodating a particular content's aspect.
The material, texture, form and width of the bezel are very important for a successful, usable tablet. At sides, the width more than a thumb's width, or, say, 2 cm can't be justified. Screen surface should be recessed, touch/track point and rocker, buttons (if any) should be recessed. No slippery plastic as a material for bezel (and elsewhere). Ideal would be pressed bamboo, but for mass production, plus for staying on a realistic ground, it's rubberized magnesium-aluminum alloy (think
ThinkPad).
Back cover is flat, period. Then it won't be rocking, sliding from touches, typing, any manipulations with tablet lying on a slippery surface. Again, the rubberized magnesium-aluminum alloy should be used, with inner (diagonal) reinforcement ribs. It can be tapered to the edges, but the tapering depth should never reach bezel width, plus any edge must contain full thickness areas for interfaces and hinges.
