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Tablet PC News Archive

December 2006

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2006 List for Santa

Check out all the items you want Santa to leave under your tree

Offering an exceptional selection of holiday gifts for computer enthusiasts, music lovers and technology buffs alike, The TabletPc2.com 2006 List for Santa has something for everyone.

TabletPc2.com's Fourth Annual List for Santa

December 1, 2006

HP Crossfire PC

Looks like AMD has a sweet new rig they're readying for January launch, and word on the street is Bill Gates wants to launch it personally. It's the IQ770 "Crossfire," the first mass market touchscreen desktop PC we've seen, surely good for taking advantage of Vista's integrated tablet functionality. The Vista Premium system, set to launch alongside Windows on January

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TabletPCReview.com Holiday Mobile Giveaway Contest
tabletpcreview.com

'Tis the season for giving and this year we have a lot to give and a contest that should be fun for all. With over $2,000 in prizes and two ways to win, four lucky people will start the New Year off with a smile. So avoid the hustle and bustle this year, enter to win one of four great prizes in the Holiday Mobile Giveaway and have a great 2007 on PROPortable and TabletPCReview.com!

Asus UMPC

Grand Prize: The grand prize is an Asus R2H UMPC customized with a Cinnamon Anodized Brushed Aluminum face and also a custom dark charcoal painted chassis. The winner of this Asus R2h will be selected randomly from all entrants names (from both the pool of photo entry submissions and those that purchased PROPortable systems). Click here for an overview of the Asus R2H at PROPortable.com.

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Tablet PC & UMPC Gathering at CES
whatisnew.com

Are you going to attend CES? Tablet PC & UMPC users should plan to come to the annual Tablet PC -- and now UMPC -- community gathering.

Event planning is underway. It will probably be much like last year, where OEMs, ISVs, and users gathered at a casual eating place in the late afternoon or evening to talk tech. We do need to keep track of who wants to attend. Please post and then email either Rob, Loren, or me and we'll keep track and then email those who confirm the final location and time.

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TabletKiosk eo v7110 UMPC Review
Tablet PC Reviews

EO UMPC

TabletKiosk's eo v7110 UMPC carries a mixed bag of features and capabilities to satisfy the needs of certain mobile professionals. The eo is a hip looking device that can make a great alternative to carrying a larger Tablet PC or notebook computer. TabletKiosk offers custom configuration options such as a whopping 160GB hard drive and various add-ons such as the extended battery and dock. With that kind of flexibility coupled with the relatively low $899 base price, the eo can easily fit the needs to get you or your business functionally mobile.

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The New York Times Announces Times Reader in Free Beta Available on NYTimes.com
Business Wire

The New York Times announced today the release of Times Reader, available in a free beta on NYTimes.com. Times Reader is a downloadable application that enhances the onscreen reading experience of The New York Times for Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista users. It offers consumers access to The Times electronically, online or offline from a desktop, laptop, tablet PC or ultra-mobile computing device. Times Reader lets users retrieve the latest news and photos, through a synching process that lasts approximately one minute.

Times Reader combines the interactivity and immediacy of the Web with the portability of a newspaper through Windows Presentation Foundation, Microsoft's advanced display technology in Windows Vista. The text in Times Reader is displayed in a format to fit the size and layout of any computer screen and enables readers to customize the display according to personal preferences, such as font size and content relevance.

The New York Times is the only newspaper to offer advertisers and readers this capability, said Vivian Schiller, senior vice president and general manager, NYTimes.com. Times Reader is an opportunity for our readers to experience the paper in a new way and provides advertisers greater visibility for their ads through this unique platform.

While providing the look and feel of the newspaper, Times Reader allows mobile users, such as business travelers or commuters, to synchronize their laptops, tablet PCs or ultra-mobile computing devices before getting on an airplane or a train and have available the latest New York Times content to read when it is most convenient.

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December 3 , 2006

The Second Annual Life On The Wicked Stage Ink Blot Awards
wickedstageact2.typepad.com

TabletPc2.com is the Proud Recipient
of an Inkblot Award for our 2006 List for Santa!

Best Annual Wish List For Santa That Makes All Geeks Think About Committing Crimes To Purchase All The Cool Gadgets: Linda Epstein of TabletPC2.com 

I created The Life On The Wicked Stage Ink Blot Awards as a celebration. Yes, it's a celebration of the 1 year anniversary of this blog. But it is more than that. It is a celebration of a community that I have come to know and admire. The Tableteers ink blot awardthat make up the Tablet PC Community are an amazing collection of individuals who know and work with the Tablet PC platform. They are fiercely protective of it, insatiably curious about advancing it, very intelligent, often wickedly funny, at one time very forgiving and patient, and in the same breath, scathingly critical when the need arises. They are also exceedingly willing to evangelize the platform to anyone who will listen, and in my humble opinion, have helped keep the spotlight on The Tablet PC in ways that may, in the long run, prove to be responsible for keeping the platform thriving. 

That all remains true, certainly, but the Tabletscape, like everything else, has evolved in a year. It actually has a name, The Tabletscape coined by James Kendrick. It now includes not only Ultra-Mobile PCs, but more things mobile. Ink is now side by side with touch. Those changes will continue and I hope we will continue to see growth

See all of the Ink Blot Awards Here

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December 4 , 2006

EverNote Software Featured on All New Fujitsu Notebooks and Tablet PCs
Business Wire

EverNote® Corporation today announced a new partnership to distribute EverNote software on the Fujitsu Computer Systems Corporation line of high-performance and reliable LifeBook® notebooks and Stylistic® Tablet PCs shipping in North America.

In addition, the LifeBook P1610 pen-enabled convertible notebook will include both EverNote Plus and EverNote ritePen®, an advanced handwriting recognition software.

EverNote Corp. is a leader in information capturing technologies. From best-of-breed digital ink and handwriting recognition technologies, to its popular personal content management application, EverNote provides a single place for capturing, categorizing and instantly locating any kind of notes, including text, web and document clips, handwritten notes and images, and accessing them on multiple platforms and devices.

People appreciate software that works with them to make their job easier, said Paul Moore, senior director of mobile product marketing, Fujitsu Computer Systems. EverNote, whether it is used with a pen or keyboard, delivers on this with a clear, easy-to-use, searchable notepad.

A leader in mobile computing, Fujitsu offers a complete line of LifeBook® high-performance notebook PCs, ranging from powerful desktop replacements to ultra-portable and convertible notebooks, to fit the needs of every mobile user. Fujitsu Stylistic® Tablet PCs offer unsurpassed levels of flexibility, productivity and performance with both pen and keyboard inputs.

The popularity of Fujitsu notebooks and Tablet PCs gives EverNote more exposure to a growing base of mobile users, said Leonid Kitainik, executive vice president of EverNote. We are excited about the partnership with Fujitsu that helps business users and consumers manage the myriad of content that they interact with every day. Additionally, we are positive that LifeBook and Stylistic users will enjoy the forthcoming version 2.0 of EverNote, which includes our new Search in Images (AIR-Search) technology.

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Vista Sidebar Tablet PC coolness
ZDNet

Take a look at the latest idea from Loren Heiny - an ink-enabled Ink Pad for the Sidebar in Vista. I love reading his blog when he explains his design and coding processes - it provides great insight into how he tackles an opportunity to extend the utility of digital ink on the Tablet PC.

InkPad Sidebar

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Vista InkPad Sidebar Gadget download
journals.tuxreports.com

Before I go off to do some Christmas shopping I thought I'd post at least the executable for the InkPad Sidebar Gadget I mentioned yesterday.

Here's a zipped copy of the gadget (inkPad.gadget.zip).

* To install the gadget you'll need Windows Vista RTM, which is available online for MSDN subscribers. I'm not sure the gadget will work with any of the beta versions. Let me know if it does.
* Unzip the file to the folder: \Program Files\Windows Sidebar\SharedGadgets

Wait about 30 seconds or so (to give Vista a chance to detect the added gadget) and then tap on the "+" icon (Add Gadgets button) in the toolbar at the top of Vista's Sidebar. This will display the Gadget Gallery shown below. You should see an icon for the InkPad Gadget.

InkPad Sidebar

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The World Economic Forum Announces Technology Pioneers 2007: Sling Media, Inc. Selected
Business Wire

The World Economic Forum today announced 47 Technology Pioneers for 2007. Sling Media, Inc. has been selected as one of these Technology Pioneers. The Technology Pioneers were nominated by the world’s leading venture capital and technology SlingBoxcompanies. The final selection from 225 nominees was made by a panel of leading technology experts appointed by the World Economic Forum. Technology Pioneers 2007 are invited to attend the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum to be held in Davos, Switzerland from 24-28 January 2007.

 

Sling Media is a digital lifestyle products company whose award-winning product, the Slingbox™ allows consumers to access their familiar living room television experience at any time, from any location, using a variety of different displays including laptops and desktop PCs and Macs, PDAs, and smartphones. The Slingbox redirects, or “placeshifts,” a single live TV stream from a standard cable connection, cable box, satellite receiver, or DVR to the viewer’s PC—located anywhere in the home or anywhere in the world, via the Internet.

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December 5 , 2006

Top 10 Tablet PCs of November
Tablet PC Reviews,

Welcome to the monthly listing of the Top 10 Tablet PCs. This report is compiled based on the number of views each product page receives, so every time someone clicks on a product they're giving it a vote in that months rankings.

These ranking don't necessarily indicate which models are the best selling, just which ones TabletPCReview readers are most interested in learning about.

This time of year many new tablets are hitting the market and that's why we have a couple of new tablets making their way on our Top 10 list. Moving up from the bottom of the list to number one is the Lenovo ThinkPad X60. And based on the excitement over that model so far, we expect it to hold a top spot for a long time.

1. Lenovo (IBM) ThinkPad X60 Tablet PC (Previously #10) - The ThinkPad X60 Tablet PC convertible notebook is a convertible Tablet PC/notebook that uses an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. The X60 uses Wacom pen technology and a unique press to screen eraser that feels like a real pen. The X60 has a 2.5" hard drive allowing for upgrades and high-speed drives. The X60's 12.1" screen isavailable with a touch screen and outdoor viewing option.

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LG readies mobile WiMax devices
InfoWorld

South Korea's LG Electronics plans to next year introduce a range of products that support mobile WiMax technology, a company executive said at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2006 conference and exhibition in Hong Kong.

The first products from LG to support mobile WiMax will be a version of the company's XNote C1 Tablet PC and a PDA (personal digital assistant) based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5.0 software, said Nam Keehyun, manager at LG Electronics' Digital Media Strategic Planning Department.

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NEC's ShieldPRO Tablet PC: as tough as it is ugly, almost
engadget, CA

nec tablet pc

Look, it's fine to claim your wares can handle drops, spills, pressure and dust. Who doesn't aspire to a sense of unkempt ruggedness now and then? But if you've got the 'nads to drop it or bath it in a tub of sparkling water for press shots, well, our mustachioed public servants should probably take notice. Sure, NEC's new ShieldPRO Tablet PC isn't the prettiest girl on the block, but she'll do ya right when the going gets tough: 90-cm (nearly 3-foot) drops to concrete, -20°C to 50°C (-4°F to 122°F) temps, dust, sand, water... no problem, this pup brings a 54 Ingress Protection rating. The Magnesium Alloy chassis measures in at 48-mm (1.89-inch) thick and up to 3.5-kg (7.7-pounds) to protect a 1.2GHz Core Solo U1400, up to 2GB of memory and 60GB of disk, a 1024x768 12.1-inch display, 8-hour battery, and a variety of in and outs. You can even opt for a Linux pre-load and Solid State Disk for added robustness. This slab is yours nicely spec'd for about ¥300,000 or $2,600 starting January in Japan.

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Physicians’ Alliance to Offer iMedica Patient Relationship Manager
Business Wire

iMedica PRM helps practices manage the entire patient relationship in one system and one database. Uniting clinical and practice management data lets iMedica PRM do things that other systems cant, such as showing health maintenance reminders in the schedule and avoiding interface issues between disparate systems just a few of the many ways iMedica PRM helps physicians streamline their practice workflow and achieve a fast ROI. Optimized for a Tablet PC, the iMedica PRM allows doctors to hold the computer like a clipboard, maintaining eye contact with the patient throughout a visit. Physicians have the flexibility to work in whatever way suits them best: type, click, talk, or even hand-write and draw.

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December 6 , 2006

MobileTechRoundup show #80
blogs.zdnet.com

Listen here (MP3, 32MB, 35 minutes)motr_cover.jpg

The gang starts off MobileTechRoundup show #80 on a football tangent, but then gets back on track by discussing two freeware of the show titles you may want to try. We talk a bit about Windows Mobile Crossbow and then how a Dell Axim with Crossbow is still a possibility in 2007. James received a very nice case to review and Kevin has a new slate Tablet PC from Fujitsu in his hands.

If you enjoy listening to the MobileTechRoundup podcast, please vote for us at Podcast Alley. Also, please let me know if you have anything you would like us to cover and discuss on the show and I'll try to work it into a future podcast.

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Microsoft's ICampus Project Complete
WebProNews

According to a Microsoft press release, iCampus programs include "classroom exercises powered by Tablet PCs, to remotely accessible laboratories that give students access 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to archived classroom materials, soccer-playing robots, annotated multimedia Shakespeare courses, GPS-tracked shuttle systems and a host of other applications that have enhanced the academic lives of students and teachers alike."

One particularly innovative breakthrough is the Classroom Learning Project, which enables instructors in large classrooms to annotate their Power Point presentations simultaneously on both the screen, well as tablet PC's distributed to students prior to the lesson.

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UMPC: better, but the jury's still out
ZDNet UK

We've just reviewed our second Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC), the R2H from ASUS. In case you'd forgotten, the UMPC caused something of a stir back in February/March when Microsoft ran a teaser campaign for Origami (Redmond's codename for what turned out to be the UMPC) — a small slate-style Tablet PC running Windows XP.

Optimists hoped that Origami/UMPC systems would be go-anywhere, do-anything wonder-gadgets, but the bubble of anticipation soon burst when Samsung unveiled the Q1 at CeBIT in Hannover. The Q1, although a neat enough piece of kit, was short on features, processing power and battery life, and long on price (£799 inc. VAT).

It's taken until now to get our hands on a second UMPC, and the ASUS R2H is a big improvement. It still costs £799 (inc. VAT), which will get you a very decent traditional notebook, but (in the UK at least) you get a great set of extras and add-ons, including a digital TV tuner, folding keyboard, external DVD rewriter and a mouse. That's on top of built-in features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and a 1.3-megapixel digital camera. We certainly enjoyed setting up this little critter on the desk and keeping an eye on the TV news.

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Next-gen OQO ultra-portable computer coming
TG Daily

OQO has been selling its portable "model 01" computer more about 26 months without significant changes. The once much anticipated design has settled in a market niche that is now being populated by ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs). Rumors about a potential successor have flying around for some time, but a FCC filing now confirms that the device will be announced soon.

OQO2

Today, the OQO model 01+ sells from $1200 and will be replaced by a completely new design soon. According to a filing published on the FCC website today, the new ultra-portable computer has been approved by the organization and could be ready for introduction in the near future. Expect the model 02 to make its debut during CES 2007 (January 8-11) or earlier.

Images and technical specifications of the device have not been published due to a confidentiality request by OQO.

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December 7 , 2006

Innovative Office Products Displays EVO™ Tablet Arm at 2007 International CES
eCoustics.com

Innovative Office Products, Inc. (www.lcdarms.com), a designer and manufacturer of ergonomic EVO Tablet Armmounting solutions for LCD monitors and keyboards, will introduce the EVO™ Tablet Arm to the 2007 International CES, January 8-11, 2007, in Las Vegas, Booth 70950 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.

The EVO™ Tablet Arm is a product line extension of the award-winning EVO™ LCD mounting arm that was first introduced at CES 2006. Winner of the prestigious 2006 red dot design award, EVO™ levitates flat panel monitors above the work surface, enabling intuitive fingertip adjustment of monitor height and position.

The EVO™ Tablet Arm is a floating docking station for tablet PCs and notebooks, allowing the user to create an ergonomic computing station at his or her primary desk, without having to sacrifice the mobility of the computer. A gas spring arm "floats" the computer above the desk for comfortable viewing, with quick attach and release for work on the go. A full-size keyboard and mouse can be used to recapture the comfort of a desktop PC.


The EVO™ Tablet Arm is of particular value for tablet PCs, which can be awkward to use, particularly from a seated position—the user must either lay the screen flat on the desk, or cradle it in one arm while writing with the other. The EVO™ Tablet Arm solves this problem by allowing the user to suspend the screen in a comfortable viewing and writing position. Or, if used with a separate keyboard and mouse, the tablet can simply be used as a monitor.

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Fujitsu shows off its concept PCs
Cnet Asia

Fujitsu's chief designer and design consultant for the Personal Solution Design Department at Fujistu COncept PCthe Design Center, Kenichi Kimura, was in Singapore recently and brought with him two of the company's concept PC designs. The Turn Table PC, which features a DJ equipment-like design on the front cover, virtual 5.1-channel surround speakers and a LED touch-sensor keyboard, is targeted for personal entertainment.

The Japanese computer maker also unveiled the Ultra Mobile device, an ultra-portable tablet PC which sports the same compact dimensions as a CD jacket for entertainment on-the-go. It is designed for operation via the touchscreen display and buttons on the sides.

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Gateway Makes the Grade With a $2.2 Million Contract From the Illinois State Board of Education
PR Newswire

The Gateway(R) M285 Convertible Notebook PCs will be given to teachers and Gateway M285 Tablet PCsixth graders for use as a teaching tool to support day-to-day instruction and student testing. The convertible notebook's unique design allows it to be easily "converted" from notebook into tablet-mode by simply swiveling and folding down the display. The tablet enables students to use the PC with the digital pen for numerous activities including, solving mathematical equations, drawing diagrams, editing documents and taking notes directly on the widescreen display. Teachers are able to enhance the curriculum and classroom collaboration by taking advantage of the functionality of the convertible notebooks.

Gateway, Inc., the nation's third-largest PC company, is earning high marks with the announcement of a $2.2 million agreement with the Illinois State Board of Education. As part of the contract, Gateway will provide convertible notebook PCs and support services to five Illinois school districts for the state's Technology Immersion Pilot Project.

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December 8 , 2006

Mobile PCs Walk the Line Between Stay at Homes and Road Warriors
Business Wire


Most mobile PCs, although portable, are used in only two locations, and are used very differently than desktop PCs, according to the 2006 Mobile PC Profile Report from MetaFacts, Inc. Most employer-owned mobile PCs stay in the workplace, although when mobilized, are often used in hotels, home offices and client locations. Home-owned mobile PCs spend more time outside the home than work mobile PCs do outside the workplace. Besides various rooms of the home, such as adult bedrooms, living rooms and home offices, home-owned mobile PCs are used twice as often as work mobile PCs in a school, at the library, in a cybercafé, or at a restaurant.

Notebook and tablet PCs are bought for the promise of portability and freedom,yet only get used in a couple types of locations, said Dan Ness, Principal Analyst at MetaFacts. Even though Mobile PCs are more powerful and lighter than ever, Americans seek the convenience of always on and always connected. Also, someone you see using a notebook in public is probably using their home, not work, PC.

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December 11 , 2006

Tablet PC Hardware Dictionary
ultranauts.com

In case you're new to the Tabletscape, I've put together a little Tablet PC Hardware Dictionary to help you find your way. This isn't meant to incorporate every detailed spec but to give you a lighthearted overview of Tablet Hardware. Enjoy. Feel free to add to the dictionary with comments to this post.

Tabletscape - A parallel universe where ink is King, OneNote is Queen and guys like Kevin Tofel can be rock stars.

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OnTheRun with Tablet PCs #33
jkontherun.blogs.com

Otr_tpc_cover_art_10Listen here ( MP3, 17.2 MB, 50 minutes) or

Marc Orchant and James Kendrick sit down (finally) for show #33 and talk about the new Fujitsu P1610 mini-Tablet PC with the 8.9" touchscreen that incorporates near perfect palm rejection technology.  Marc is heading to Finland- will he use the Tablet PC backlight as a flashlight for his upcoming visit?  The discussion quickly switches over to all the Tablet PC owners who are trying to install Vista RTM on their precious, and the dynamic duo touches on whether they will be installing Vista on their production devices any time soon.  Office 2007 file compatibility issues are in the news and Chuck Frey has a new mind-mapping book that Marc likes plus there's an interview with Eric Mack discussing mind-mapping on a Tablet PC.  If you listen closely you'll get a tip for using MindManager on a touch-screen Tablet PCs that lets you ink away in that fine program.  It's a good show and Marc and James think you'll like it.

Enjoy the show!

Links of interest from the show:

Asus R2H Ultra Mobile PC GPS Overview InkShow
Gotta Be Mobile

This third installment of the Asus R2H Ultra Mobile PC InkShows is focused on the GPS functionality.  In this InkShow, I go out with the R2H in my car to see how the built in GPS unit keeps track of my position.  I give an overview while using Microsoft MapPoint 2006.  I take a quick drive to demonstrate the tracking with the device, then I use the routing feature to map out a quick route.  After that, I drive around the corner to show some automated driving commands and directions.

This little device has become a nice addition to my Tablet PC experience.  The GPS functionality has definitely added to the usability of the Asus R2H for me - I use it all the time while driving around.  Guess we'll have to see how well it gets all of us around Vegas while at CES!

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Fujitsu P1610 Review
ultramobilepc-tips

When I turned on the Fujitsu P1610 sent by Alltp.com the first thing I did was topc070036 open a new OneNote document in my Samsung Q1 and write down anything I though that could be of any interest for this review. Those were in fact my first impressions and this is what I wrote there:

  • You can write with your hand touching the screen (See Picture ). The P1610 screen is not too sensitive like Samsung Q1 screen. It reminds me the TabletKiosk eo v7110 screen. I also was surprised to see how bright this screen was. It's the best screen I have seen in a long time. Later I took the P1610 outside and turn it on close to my Samsung Q1 to establish a comparison. As you can see from the following picture the P1610 screen is a lot better than Q1 screen when they are outside.

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Fujitsu Stylistic ST5112 slate Tablet PC: first impressions
jkontherun

I've been slowly configuring the Fujitsu Stylistic ST5112 Tablet PC over the past week, and while we don't have a video review just yet, I'm now comfortable enough to share my first impressions. I always like to set up a review unit for the way I work before providing opinions and I realize that the way I work isn't the way everyone else works. Still, a consistent approach tends to be more effective.

So after using the Fujitsu for a few days in my daily grind, what can say? With the limited usage, the overall experience is very positive; there's not much to dislike here.

So after using the Fujitsu for a few days in my daily grind, what can say? With the limited usage, the overall experience is very positive; there's not much to dislike here.

Fujitsu_st5112_main_1 1. Size, weight and aesthetics . Simply put: this is a beautiful slate! I feel like I'm holding a 12.1-inch LCD display panel, not a computer. The ST5112 is under an inch thick and it's all screen. In fact, if it weren't for the battery, it really would be all screen: the two inches below the screen when held in portrait is where the battery hides...and it gives you place hold the tablet without smudging the screen.

With the battery, the unit weighs about 3.5 pounds, which is more than my Samsung Q1 of course, but less than a good portion of notebooks available today. As expected Fujitsu put a high level of thought into the design of this slate; most of the buttons are where you'd want them to be and there's no wasted space.

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December 12, 2006

GiveMePower Launches New Ultra Mobile Computing Solutions
ccnmatthews.com

GiveMePower Corporation (OTCBB:GMPW), today launched two new ultra-mobile computing solutions for building surveying and inspection, construction area estimating and reporting, and facilities asset and information management - featuring hardware from mobility market leaders Dell and Tablet Kiosk.

Centered around GiveMePower's critically-acclaimed PowerCAD ® SiteMaster TM as-built floor planning, design and facilities information management software, two different Turn-On-and-Go solutions are now available for purchase, featuring either Dell's Axim TM X51v handheld PC or Tablet Kiosk's eo TM Ultra Mobile PC as the mobile / handheld computing device, and Leica Geosystem's DISTO TM A6 Bluetooth ® wireless laser to measure and instantly create AutoCAD ® -compatible drawings with "point, shoot, done" simplicity and speed.

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GBMInkshow: Taking The Vista Flip
Gotta Be Mobile

Well there has been lots of speculation on what systems this feature will run on or not and if computers with integrated graphics will be able to handle this and some other media features. I thought I’d give it a try with the Lenovo Thinkpad X60 Tablet PC that I’m trying out. The Lenovo contains an integrated graphics solution and sure enough the Vista Flip works as advertised as you can see in this short Inkshow. Also note, I was able to produce a copy of this Inkshow in Windows Movie Maker. So, at least on this integrated graphics platform it can work.

Watch the video

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Tablet PC Holiday Gift Guide: This season find the perfect gifts
Tablet PC Reviews

We have searched high and low to find some useful gift ideas that will satisfy any Tablet enthusiast. To make shopping easy for your loved ones send them a link to our gift guide. If you are feeling even more selfish, use our gift picks to burn that extra holiday cash on yourself!

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Fujitsu ST5112 Tablet PC Hardware InkShow
Gotta Be Mobile

I have had the pleasure of working with the Fujitsu ST5112 for the past few days courtesy of Allegiance Technology Partners .  This has been my first crack at really using a slate for more than just a few minuets (well, besides the Asus).  I have to say that the experience was definitely a treat.  The performance was better than expected with the Core Duo 1.2 processor, better than the 2.13 PM in my Toshiba Tecra M4 Tablet PC .  I will say, that I have been used to a Tablet PC with a keyboard, and the time I had with the unit, I was still missing the keyboard - but I can see getting used to it.

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December 13, 2006

Villanova Heads Most-Wired College List
The Age

Villanova University is higher education's high-tech hotspot, claiming the No. 1 ranking in a new list of "Top 20 Wired Colleges."

The school, in suburban Philadelphia, tops the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Indiana University in the rankings, a joint project of PC Magazine and The Princeton Review, a college advising and test-prep company.

At Villanova, first-year students are given laptops _ and replacements after their sophomore year. Nursing students get personal digital assistants, and engineers get tablet PCs. Over the Internet, students can register for classes, download lectures, take exams and get grades. Tech-support calls are guaranteed a response within 24 hours.

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UMPC News: Black Diamond Advanced Technology Announces Rugged UMPC
MobileTechReview.com

Black Diamond Advanced Technology (Black Diamond), a technology development firm specializing in the design and implementation of rugged electronic systems, today announced the launch of its flagship product the SwitchBack PC (www.switchbackpc.com), the world's first rugged UMPC (Ultra Mobile Personal Computer). Switchback UMPC


Extendable Modules - Black Diamond's Patent-Pending Technology
The SwitchBack has all the features of today's rugged handheld tablet PCs, but it's smaller, more powerful and it has another significant differentiator... a detachable/attachable Module on the back which can be used to extend functionality by adding additional hardware, devices or connector interfaces. Examples of Modules that can be easily added to the SwitchBack are, but are not limited to:

Additional processor, hard drive or battery
Custom I/O Options (data transfer, interface extensions)
Fingerprint reader
RFID, Barcode Scanner or Mag Stripe Reader
Radio(s), terrestrial
Digital camera
GPS receiver
Breathalyzer, Laser Range Finder

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Fujitsu Lifebook T4215
CNET Reviews 

Early convertible tablets often were saddled with out-of-date components. But Fujitsu 4215 Tablet PCnewer models--such as the $2,429 Fujitsu LifeBook T4215--don't require you to sacrifice power for functionality, because they offer the latest technology, including Intel Core 2 Duo processors. While not as elegant as either the Lenovo ThinkPad X60 or the Gateway M285-E, the LifeBook T4215 is highly configurable and features a specially coated screen for outdoor use, making it a good fit for a range of uses and budgets. It also boasts a useful feature not found on other tablets: The rotating screen swivels both ways. With a middling keyboard but useful tablet features, the Fujitsu LifeBook T4215 is well worth a look if you plan on keeping the system in tablet mode a good deal of the time.

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December 14, 2006

jkOnTheRun Third Annual Geek Holiday Gift GuideT-Equalizer
jkontherun

Wow!  You know your blog has been around for a long time if you have a third annual anything and since it’s the holiday season once again we proudly present our jkOnTheRun Third Annual Geek Holiday Gift Guide.  You’re always struggling with what to get for that special geek in your life and here on jkOnTheRun we make that easier for you with our top 10 geek gift suggestions once again.

5.  T-Qualizer Shirt.  A T-shirt that has a working graphic equalizer on the front that reacts to noise and music.  What more can you say?  ThinkGeek.

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eWallet 5.0 Upgrade
iliumsoft.com

We've just released eWallet 5.0, for Pocket PCs, Palm OS Handhelds, Smartphones, Windows PCs and UMPCs. With eWallet 5.0 you can:

  • Sync your wallets more easily with our improved Sync Setup
  • Access your data wherever you go with more synchronization options:
    • Synchronize with multiple PCs, PDAs, or computers on a network
    • Synchronize to remote locations on the web
  • View your wallets remotely with FilesAnywhere Remote Storage built right in
  • Get complete support from the Windows Vista Mobile Device Center
  • Know your data is secure with "Always On" password protection
  • Enjoy the great new look with new icons from IconIdea
  • Customize your cards even more with four free self-installing icon packs

Free Upgrades

If you bought eWallet 4.1 from us within the last 90 days, the upgrade to version 5.0 is free, on the same platform(s)

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GottaBeMobile Inkshow Interview With Developer Ed Holloway
Gotta Be Mobile

Dennis Rice and I had the great pleasure to sit down recently and talk to Tablet PC developer Ed Holloway for an interview. In case you haven’t been paying attention, Ed Holloway is quite active on a number of fronts when it comes to developing ink applications. As the co-founder and CTO for Field2Base he is instrumental in the development of that forms application as well as the new Forms2Base application that was recently released.

Ed is also the man behind the Ink Blog Plug-in for Windows Live Writer and the new Ink Search Tool (which just went into Beta 2.) Take a few minutes and check out our interview with Ed about Field2Base and his other inking exploits.

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December 15, 2006

Announcing SnagIt 8.2

SnagIt 8.2 now has the features that users - like you - have asked us to add.

Send Captures Directly to Your Favorite Applications
With SnagIt's new output accessories you can send your captures directly to SnagIt 8.2Word, PowerPoint, Excel, MindManager, or Flickr, with a single click.

Print Exactly What You Want
Tired of your screen captures printing the size of a postage stamp? SnagIt 8.2 prints captures exactly the way you see them onscreen - the right size, every time. And, SnagIt remembers your last-used custom print settings.

Compatible with Vista and Office 2007
Whenever you're ready to try new technologies like Vista or upgrade to Office 2007, you can rely on SnagIt to continue to capture anything on your screen.

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A Christmas Wish List For Tablet PC and Mobile Users
Gotta Be Mobile

So, here’s a Christmas Wish List for Tablet PC, UMPC, and mobile enthusiasts. No,Santa Tablet PC Wish List it isn’t about what gadgets I’d like under the tree. It is more about things I’d like to see occur. Many of which are already on the way. Call me an impatient old elf.

I’d like to see manufacturers of small mobile devices all adopt mini-usb plugs for chargers. Enough of different tips and plugs for different devices.

I’d love to see better battery life for mobile devices sooner rather than later, and not just with the use of extended batteries. Electrovaya and Fujitsu seem to have made some headway, how about the rest of the gang joining up? Gotta be cheaper to develop that than dealing with recalls for using exploding Sony Batteries.