Litl
The litl webbook is a webbook developed, marketed, and sold by litl LLC. It features the ability to stand upright in an inverted-V position and a cloud-based operating system called litl OS. It has been described as the "world's first" true cloud-based netbook.
Origins
Litl's CEO John Chuang, also co-founder of Aquent, has said that the origins of the litl webbook lay in his observation that while his family was increasingly using web applications, their home computer was based on pre-web thinking: “I have kids from 5 to 13 years old. My 13-year-old has never installed software in her life. Everything she uses is a Web app. Yet she’s using a technology that was completely not designed for that. I thought that was a mismatch.”“We knew that to really meet the needs of home users – from kids to parents and grandparents – we needed to design an entirely new system that would make the web engaging, entertaining and fun."
Engineering partners
The industrial design of the litl webbook was by Fuseproject with engineering design by . The device is manufactured by FIC.Operating system
Litl OS is the cloud-oriented operating environment of the litl webbook.User interface philosophy
The litl OS interface removes a number of conventional elements of general purpose desktop environments. "Litl eliminates menus, icons, and folders. In fact, we've removed all computer administrative debris between you and the web".Litl state that a set of principles were developed to guide the design of the interface, including: "We used a simple rule: Any computer task that had the word "management" next to it had to be eliminated. File management. Gone. Windows management. Gone.".
User interface structure
Litl OS's user interface utilizes graphic elements called "cards" to organize browsing sessions and content instead of the tabs and menus found on conventional desktops:Flicking through cards in Easel mode is done using a blue-colored click-wheel on the litl webbook or remote control.
The card concept, easel mode and general usage of the interface are demonstrated in litl's videos.
The interfaces to some web content are also customized by litl or third parties to integrate with Litl OS and are referred to as . . Customizations and settings are minimal in keeping with the design goals of simplicity and ease of use.
Designers
User interface concepts were first mapped out by Pentagram working closely with litl. Personas and detailed interaction design were by in consultation with litl's internal design team. also contributed to some design elements.Software details
The underlying operating system is a mobile/embedded distribution of Ubuntu provided by Canonical. The user interface is written largely in Mozilla's dialect of Javascript using the binding to access GNOME and Clutter UI elements. Litl automatically performs nightly software updates, and the OS stores browser cards, web channels, settings, and contacts online at Amazon S3 using a web service running on Google's App Engine and the Django framework. Litl OS can synchronize information from the Internet to the webbook and between webbooks. Free and Open source components of the operating system's source code can be obtained on DVD from Litl.Specifications
| Model | Nov 2009 |
| Release date | November 4, 2009 |
| Model name | litl webbook |
| OS | litl OS |
| Display | Matte 12.1 inch AFFS LCD WXGA display with LED backlighting and a 178° field of view |
| Front side bus | 533 MHz |
| Processor | 1.86 GHz Intel AtomTM Z540 Processor |
| Memory | 1GB 533 MHz DDR2 SDRAM |
| Graphics | Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 500 |
| Chipset | Intel US15W |
| Storage | Local: Compact Flash 2 GB SLC local cache Internet: main storage is provided on the web by Amazon S3 accessed via a custom web service running on Google's App Engine with the Django framework. |
| Ports | HDMI USB 2.0 Audio jack AC adapter connector |
| Battery | 3 cell 28WHr Lithium Ion Battery |
| Camera | Built in 300kP, 640x480 VGA webcam |
| Microphone | Built in |
| Wireless | 802.11 b/g PIFA/Gain: 0.67 dBi 2 Internal IR receivers compatible with litl remote |
| AC | 120-240 V AC; DC 20 V @ 2 A |
| Weight | |
| Dimensions |