phoenix_chipset
Regular
4K with no AF, can't wait
Considering how well 1080p scales to 4k they should focus on that, 4k would be a waste so soon. Unless of course they went for the bleeding edge, which we know they won't.
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4K with no AF, can't wait
Considering how well 1080p scales to 4k they should focus on that, 4k would be a waste so soon. Unless of course they went for the bleeding edge, which we know they won't.
Silent_Buddha
Legend
My bad. The $90 lump of plastic with a power port also features a $10 USB hub.
I agree, when bought separately, it's far to expensive to justify the price. 90 USD is way too much.
It does have a pull out kickstand, unfortunately the charging port is located at the bottom of the device. So you can't charge it and use it that way, like say on an airplane. I think that was a bad design choice. I'm guessing they decided that it was more visually pleasing to see a cable coming out of the bottom of the device versus the top of the device when charging. Unfortunately this means you need to buy a portable dock to use it in this manner. Thankfully there's plenty of 3rd party portable docks that range in price from 9.99-34.99 USD on Amazon.
On to your questions.
- Having TV out on the device itself would be preferable. It's hard to think of a situation where it wouldn't be.
- Had they designed the dock well, it would have served a dual purpose of serving as a dock as well as serving as a protective carrying case. Unfortunately I'm seeing reports from some people that if you aren't careful when inserting the Switch into the dock you can scratch the screen of the device. It doesn't use something so expensive or relatively heavy as gorilla glass. Just a lightweight plastic.
The fact that it can, if you aren't careful, scratch the screen is just mind boggling. How hard would it have been for them to have the area directly overlapping the screen be recessing a couple millimeters from the edges which don't overlap the screen?
It's obvious that they were only thinking about the aesthetics of the dock in making it look like a home console when docked and apparently didn't put much thought into the dock itself. It does look good in that respect.
But with just a little more thought, it could have still looked good. It could have protected the screen instead of potentially damaging the screen. And it could have doubled as a protective carrying case. With just a little more effort, much of the empty space in the bulky back of the unit could have been used as storage for game carts or microSD cards, in that hypothetical situation where it doubled as a carrying case.
There's just so much the dock could have been. Perhaps, if we're lucky, Nintendo will allow 3rd parties to license the ability to produce and sell docks that include TV out.
Regards,
SB
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Right. So from an engineering POV, was the dock necessary or just a poor design? Before we knew what was what, we thought the dock had some merit to the Switch in terms of facilitating console play. Now it seems not too. There's no airflow thing going on, which is all the plastic housing could provide in the provided thing. Does the thing need to be vertical? I think that's highly unlikely. No other fan-enabled device I know of (console, Surface Pro, PC) cares which way it's oriented. And as I say, that's facilitated with a simple pop-out stand in the casing. I'm not even sure what the value is in the envelope-style casing. By account the only thing it really brings is the chance to scratch the screen as you take the Switch in and out. An open-front dock would be less risky and smaller.
I think there are plenty of alternative design options here that I'd like to see factored into any other handhelds from anywhere. An AMD Raven Ridge APU Vita 2, perhaps, with HDMI out (or some display port and cable/dongle) and kick stand and support for PS4 controllers. Detachable controllers like Switch would be the icing on the cake as you wouldn't need to take a separate controller, but I imagine Nintendo patents have that covered? Or wireless HDMI of some form. The dongle would have to dock with the handheld to not get lost IMO.
Honestly, I think they went with form over functionality with the dock. Remember that this thing is being marketed as a console, so when docked they probably at least wanted it to have a bit of size, as well as look blocky like a typical video game system these days. If they had wanted to they probably could have made it a lot smaller, but again, they wanted it to look like a console.
From an engineering standpoint, im not certain that it was necessary, but from a marketing standpoint I feel it is crucial in delivering the image of a console. We also have 3 USB connections that wouldn't likely fit to well into the Switch unit itself, and this is what gives me a wired internet connection when docked.
On a different topic, not sure if this has been brought up, but I am not to sure that the cooling fan doesn't run during portable mode. It definitely feels like the warm air is being forced out ever so slightly, but I haven't seen this confirmed anywhere.
Rikimaru
Veteran
You can hear fan running in portable mode.
Tough call. On the one hand, if you're not using a dock it's more convenient to only have to plug in one thing, even if that thing is a more expensive break out box. On the other hand, it's very nice to be able to just use a standard HDMI cable to get video out.
Maybe it could have had the current USB C (power + USB 3 + DP) and an HDMI out port that provided the same video out, though that probably would have noticeably increased the manufacturing cost of the base unit.
BTW in case anyone was wondering, as far as I can find existing USB C media breakout boxes do NOT work with Switch. That includes the Apple AV Multiport, but also ones that have external power so that's not the issue. I don't know if it requires some kind of handshaking or what.
That was painful to watch! Have to say, I wish every plastic-screen device came with a tempered glass screen protector. They can even be sold by the original manufacturer at a suitable markup. If designed to support them, you could even have a way to attach them without needing them to stick. Leaving it to third parties is both a bit daft (if it needs them, why not provide them) and missing out on selling after-market extras.
Maybe psychologically it would imply that they have no confidence in their brave new design.
Could be. Phone manufacturers don't supply screen protectors either.
The video above demonstrates that the console is pretty damn sturdy and built to last. Nintendo made a choice to protect the screen from breaking, and have succeded well. But that material is inherently soft and relatively easy to scratch. I'm not sure that matters a lot for a device that will be used in the home or carried in a pouch.
Basically, I think they made the correct choice in materials. And if you worry about scratches, a screen protector takes care of that.
TheWretched
Regular
Actually, some do. My last 3 (?) phones all had one either applied, or delivered with the system. Sony Xperia Z, Xperia Z3 Compact and Samsung Galaxy S5 all had them. My work phone (iPhone 5S I think) didn't. Which I find a bit ridiculous, considering the price premium.
Delivered with or applied has NEVER been my experience unless supplied by the sales point (operator or whatever). Be that as it may, Nintendos choice still makes sense. The Switch is more likely to be dropped than put in a pocket full of keys. Ergo, having a screen material that doesn't break makes sense, even though that material is more scratch prone. (Similar trade-offs is made by Corning for their Gorilla Glass products.)
tongue_of_colicab
Veteran
Ask your wife or girlfriend.
Which boggles my mind on the devices that need them. As a consumer, you either end up buying a protector for a screen that doesn't need one (sapphire), or missing out on a protector that does need one (glass) - either way is sub-ideal. Far better for the manufacturers to man up to the limitations of their device (caused by the laws of physics and economics) and offer an actual solution rather than strut around in denial. As I say, accepting the value of a protector means it can be designed into the system. You could even have a cheaper screen and expensinve protector which can be replaced instead of the whole digitizer.
People should be. A touch screen will get scratches. Only needs a tiny bit of dirt between finger and screen to get micro-scratch. My worst experience was using the official plastic stylus on a plastic Note 10.1 screen and getting three significant scratches on my expensive new toy one week after buying. I still don't know how they got there. Since then I've put protectors on everything which is a real chore and results in bubbles. Also can be a waste. I bought a tempered glass protector for my Surface Pro 4 to fit brand new. This was a little of a chore and the results probably deadened the sensitivity. By accounts the SP4 doesn't need a protector. If devices that needed protectors came with them, they could be engineered into the product and work far better and not require bonkers after-market solutions of varying quality.
Having a plastic screen makes sense for that reason. But as such, provide an official protector! Nintendo can sell them at crazy mark-up too, and could even go about designing a system where the new protector can be applied without worrying about dust. I do the whole steamy bathroom brand-new-screen, fresh out of box, never removed, dressed in dust-free clothing operation to fit protectors and I still get some dust under the screen!
Muuusst Resiiisst Evil Response!
I'm a bit anal about these things. And I have daughters that break things. Of course a screen protector makes sense.
However, if it had been only me, using the device mostly around the house or on the go transported in a pouch, I don't know if I would have bothered.
Really looking forward to chipworks/Techinsights die shot. Even without surprises, it might allow us to put some questions to rest.
Rikimaru
Veteran
So why not supply one with the device?! Even factory fitted! Zero bubbles. These devices often come with a screen protector covered in pointless graphics and instructions. Just fit a functional high-quality protector and sell replacements.
What are cart load speeds like?
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