PORT

PORT is a project that was developed during the Commercial Practices class at SCAD for Freescale and Surface Inc.

Project featured in articles on: Engadget, Gizmodo, Slashgear, Freescale, Presstext Austria


The brief was to design a tablet that would be targeted to a specific demographic (17-22 years) and and meet a price range under $249.

Inspiration was taken from the status of current objects many of us own already. It can easily be assumed that those looking into buying a tablet are already surrounded by technology and a multitude of different devices and objects. Due to the hybrid nature of a tablet in terms of usability and function, a strong emphasis was placed on creating a system that would be adaptable and compatible with other devices, making existing experiences and relationships with products even richer.

Concept video:

Research

Some of the data gathered is represented in the visualizations below:

Developing a strategy

This project was designed to work in conjunction with Freescale's Alliance program. Just as Freescale gives 3rd party companies the technology they need to bring their ideas from concept to product, this project focuses on marketing towards Microsoft’s direction for Windows Mobile.

The community can be broadened, while making it more accessible and friendly to consumers and developers. With Freescale’s ARM technology, developers will now know what type of architecture to develop their applications for. This will push Microsoft’s marketplace forward, and outward to their ever expanding community, and bring Microsoft’s platform into the personal tablet market.

Creating a versatile platform

The main screen is very similar to the one on mobile 7series.
The tabs on the right can be assigned by the user to reflect their activities and lifestyle.

Providing users with a customizable media experience

By creating a versatile platform with a customizable interface and expandable hardware, this system will enable Microsoft to be closer in achieving its goal to unify their offerings. Whether for audio (additional equipment), home (entertainment), gaming (Xbox), professional (creative), and office applications, this system is adaptable.