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The eTray FAQ
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The FAQ list below contains answers to some basic questions you might want to ask, and you might find that it is faster to look here first: About eTrayQ. Can't I just use my notebook on my lap - why do I need an eTray?. A. There are two basic problems with using a notebook computer on your lap and these become very obvious when you first try it. The first is that the computer gets uncomfortably hot after a very short period of time, and you may eventually have to put it down. The second is that you will have to use the touch pad to operate the machine. An eTray will overcome both of these problems and makes it possible to use your notebook with a mouse for extended periods of time in comfort. Q. You mentioned that there may be health effects associated with notebook use? A. Some research (Reported in New Scientist - December 09 2004) has indicated that using a portable computer on the knees could have an effect on reducing male fertility. This is because of the heat build up both from the machine, but also a result of sitting with the knees close together for long periods of time. Q. So does eTray provide an answer? A. Using an eTray will allow men to adopt a more natural posture while using the notebook and sit with their legs apart. And, of course, the tray and lap pad provide additional insulation that keeps the heat of the machine away from sensitive areas. Q. What is the "screen layer" for? A. When we thought about this we realized that this research focused only on the effect of heat and did not consider any potential effect from the electromagnetic radiation emitted from the computer. Modern computers operate at microwave frequencies, and almost all of the latest laptops have built in radio transmitters for their Wi-fi and Bluetooth connections. This means that they are continuously emitting radio waves when they operate and with a laptop these pass through our bodies. Nobody seems too sure about whether this is a problem, but a leading UK Government adviser has expressed concern about potential health risks to children using wi-fi enabled computers.The screen layer is a layer of aluminium foil that should help to reflect some of these rays away from the lower part of the body. Q. What do you have against touch pads? A. Both the Windows and Mac user interface have been designed for use with a mouse. A mouse has been part of the design since the very early development of the WIMP interface in the '70s. Touch pads and wobble sticks are poor substitutes that are really only suited for use in an emergency. Yes, you can get used to them, but in my opinion they will never be as quick, fluid or intuitive as a mouse. Q. Does that matter? A. It does if you use your notebook creatively for extended periods of time. Struggling without the benefit of a mouse can have a severe effect on your productivity and be very tiring. A lot of people simply resort to using a table for their notebook. But this is not the most comfortable option, particularly if you are sitting on a couch and using it on a coffee table. That particular combination is a recipe for a lower back injury that could plague you for the rest of your life. Q. Can you fit a mouse to any notebook? A. All of the notebooks I have seen have either a standard mouse port fitted to them or you can use a USB mouse. or, if you have a newer machine, perhaps a Bluetooth wire free mouse. Q. What does the beanbag part of the eTray do? A. It does two things. The first is to insulate you from the heat generated by the notebook. The second is that it is soft and conforms to the shape of your lap. There is nothing hard and nothing to dig in, and that make it extraordinarily comfortable for extended computing sessions. Q. Does using an eTray make a difference to the way that you use your notebook? A. Yes. It's something that you need to try to truly appreciate, but the combination of an eTray and a wire free Internet connection turns your notebook into much more of a home appliance. You tend to keep it switched on and available and use it much more casually on an as needed basis. About the Deck DesignsQ. What can you tell me about the deck designs? A. Immediately after first thinking about producing eTrays, it occurred to us that the decks could represent the biggest opportunity to display interesting artwork since the demise of the Long Playing record. They are a nice big blank area with a format similar to a cinema screen - plenty of opportunity for interesting designs, and it seemed like an opportunity too good to miss. Q. Apart from the visual appeal, are there any other benefits? A. They are all going to be limited edition designs, and we think that will make them collectable and this should help preserve the owner's initial investment. This comes out of the fact that this is a product designed very much with eBay in mind, and of course there are a lot of collectors on eBay. Q. So how many different designs are there? A. We have launched eTrays with eight basic designs, but we are hoping to add to them soon. Initially this will be with our own work, but we are also thinking of inviting other artists and photographers to contribute their work. Q. Have you produced any in plain colours yet? A. Come back here soon. Q. I have special requirement for an oversized - can you produce custom designs? A. Get in contact - we may be able to help. About the ScreensaversQ. What are the screensavers about? A. The main problem with selling anything on the Internet is to find a way to demonstrate the quality of the product you have. We have to keep the size of the images we use small to respect people's bandwidth, but at the same time we know that they don't do justice to the product. The idea of the screensavers was to provide a direct demonstration of the quality of the deck patterns. Then we noticed that it looks really cool when the eTray and screen images match. Q. And they are free for anybody to download? A. Yes - completely free. We only ask that people respect our copyright on the images and don't try to use them for commercial purposes - other than that they are free to use them, and pass them on to their friends. Q. Aren’t screensavers supposed to move around? A. The screen saving aspect of screensavers simply
isn't relevant with a notebook screen (and ceased to be with a
CRT monitor many years ago), so we are free to have them do whatever
we like. With some of them it is probably not possible to have
a moving image, but we are working on the idea with some of the
others. Watch this space! |
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