Tablet PC News Archive

June 2007

June 1 , 2007

LG's C1 Tablet PC: Small And Fast, But Doesn't Last Long Enough
digitalmediathoughts

The LG C1 is an intriguing laptop with a surprising amount of power crammed into an extremely small and lightweight frame. On paper it looks unbeatable, but in real day to day use, lacklustre battery life and quirky software issues take some of the shine off what would otherwise be a stellar laptop. For some people, this may be the ultimate ultra-portable laptop – it certainly breaks new ground in some areas. For others, the limitations (including the high price) may outweigh the wow factor.

June 4 , 2007

Lenovo Thinkpad X61 Tablet PC First Impressions
Gotta Be Mobile

First impressions time. I received an evaluation model of the Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet PC on Friday and have spent time this past weekend checking it out and comparing it to the X60 that I’ve been using for awhile.

This X61 is a Core 2 Duo running the L7500 chip at 1.60GHz. By way of comparison the X60 is a Core Duo machine running the L2500 chip at 1.83GHz.  Both units have 2GB of memory and both units have a SXGA+ screen. The X61 has SuperView technology. This X61 also is running Intel Turbo Memory.

TabletPc2.coms First Look : Lenovo Thinkpad X61 Tablet PC

How to buy a UMPC or Tablet PC
ubertablet

At present I am in between Tablets (in between 17 of them to be exact) so I thought I would take this opportunity to express, or put done on blog at least, some of my thoughts regarding the buying process. I know some of you own Tablets already and perhaps are looking for a second one; while I know many of you are still contemplating your first. So for all of you reading this post…the following is a definitive account of how to buy a Tablet PC.

Samsung Almost Rights the Wrongs with the New Q1 Ultra Series
Blogcritics.org

First, let’s start with the newly added split (half the keys on the right of the screen, the other on the left) thumboard. Even though the keys are small and uncomfortable to use (at first), the thumboard comes in very  handy when writing an email, entering an email address, or writing a very short document. Thumboards were never intended to substitute for a keyboard in the first place.

Looking at the screen will make previous Q1 buyers jealous for not waiting for the Q1 Ultra. The 1024 x 600 pixel resolution, combined with the ultra-bright screen, make this the most gorgeous screen I have seen on a UMPC. Watching a movie on this thing is pure heaven, with the video colors crisp and well saturated. The screen looks well even when turning the unit to the left or right. When facing the unit down, the picture quality disappears a little, but that is common with this type of device. At least this isn’t one of those units, like the HP TX1000 “Entertainment” PC, where you have to look at a completely straight angle in order to enjoy the contents.

The Samsung Q1 Ultra is also a lot easier to hold than the Samsung Q1. While the Q1 felt uncomfortable holding in one hand after a while, The Q1 Ultra feels very sturdy. Part of this is due to the unit being slightly smaller, but Samsung has improved the ergonomics of the unit as well. Because the Samsung Q1 Ultra is lighter, it is much easier to Velcro on your dashboard. If you have an audio input on your stereo, or Bluetooth car speakers, you can connect your Q1 Ultra to your speakers. Notice, in the pictures below, how many different uses the Q1 Ultra has in your car: a music player; a portable video player (just be careful when you’re driving), a GPS system (it even comes with the software), or just an Internet browser when connected with a phone or wireless modem.

Fujitsu Updates Tablet PC Range with Santa Rosa
Laptop Logic

Intel's Santa Rosa mobile technology makes its way to the Tablet PC line-up of Fujitsu Lifebooks. The new and updated LifeBook T4220 features the latest mobile processors from Intel - T7100, T7300, T7500 and T7700; each featuring an 800MHz FSB speed. Graphics on the 965GM chipset are powered by the DirectX 10 capable GMA X3100 which powers the 12.1-inch XGA TFT display with 1024x768 resolution. The tablet features takes digital pen input.

Mindjet MindManager 7 is out: mindmaps made easy
Geekzone

The guys at Mindjet have just released Mindjet MindManager 7. I was previously involved in the beta testing for Mindjet MindManager 5 and 6, mainly because I was using a tablet PC, and this is one of the first tools you want to install on a laptop or tablet PC (the other one is Microsoft OneNote).

June 5 , 2007

Oakley Thump Pro

Some things are just hard to beat and the Oakley's line of electronic eye ware is one of them.  As the Thumps continue to evolve they remain my favorite Tablet PC and now Ultra Mobile PC - UMPC accessory.    On the slopes, at the beach, wondering down Fifth Avenue in NYC or up Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills the Oakley Thump Pros take me anywhere I want to go in style.  From the first pair of Oakley Thumps, the Thump 2 and now the Thump Pro they are hands down and without question my favorite Tablet PC and now UMPC accessory.

GottaBeMobile Hardware InkShow: Head to Head with the Samsung Q1P and the Asus R2H

In this GBM Hardware InkShow I take a comparison look at the two UMPCs primarily from a usability factor. I’m not comparing the processors or speeds, etc… simply because on that level you are dealing with two different beasts that share some similarities. The Asus R2H has a Celeron Processor, while the Q1P is running a Pentium-M. The R2H has 1.25Gigs of memory and the Q1P has 1Gig.  Both units are equally slow on boot up and returning from sleep. (The Asus performs better here after getting rid of ReadyBoost.) Both units are running extended batteries and are giving me about the same amount of battery life-just under 4 hours. What I’m looking at here is how I interface with the device from Inking (one of my primary needs) to operating the various buttons and controls.

Watch or download the High Res version 

Azentek's new UMPC!
gottabemobile

We first got news of this company when at CES this year where I did a quick standup interview with Derek Prentice of Azentek. Since then, we have stayed in touch with Azentek.  Well I recently got an email from Derek, outlining they're new UMCP being released sometime in July.  This will be called the AxSS (pronounced "Access").  Here is some text from Derek's email:

Hi Dennis,
I thought you might enjoy seeing a sneak peak at our latest UMPC that will be released in mid-July. It is called the AxSS (Pronounced “Access”) .

Make your UMPC readable on direct sunlight
damienstolarz.com

One of the biggest challenges to “mobile computing” (besides battery life) is outdoor readability. (If you’ve ever squinted through your sunglasses trying to dial on your windows mobile phone, you know what I’m talking about).
Recently I had an old EO 72xx UMPC upgraded to a transflective screen by Advanced Link Photonics. It cost a few hundred dollars for them to treat the LCD with some sort of new surface and then replace the touch panel with another type with some sort of glare reduction. I then brought up google maps on both units and took them outside to get a comparative.

In the picture you can see the top, washed out picture is the normal LCD, and the bottom picture is the transflectivized unit.

June 6 , 2007

VIA to Define Mobility 2.0 with Revolutionary New VIA NanoBook UMD Reference Design

Provides rich computing, Internet, and multimedia experience in a light, ultra portable notebook delivering up to five hours of battery life

The revolutionary VIA NanoBook Ultra Mobile Device Reference Design ushers in the Mobility 2.0 lifestyle. Based on the VIA Ultra Mobility Platform, the NanoBook lets you bring the full Internet experience with you wherever you go. The NanoBook's bright 7" touchscreen provides an optimal mobile web-browsing experience, while the full-size keyboard means you don't have sacrifice comfort for mobility. Weighing in at 850 grams, the NanoBook is less than 30mm thick making it a snap to pull out and grab that crucial bit of information you have stashed away. Best of all the VIA Ultra Mobility Platform, based on the the incredibly power efficient VIA C7-M processor, allows your Mobility 2.0 Internet experience to extend beyond the 4 hour mark.

GBM Podcast #21: A Flight Through Coolness

I’m not sure when Dennis Rice coined the phrase, Flight Through Coolness, if he was thinking about all the cool stuff we talked about in this week’s GBM Podcast, or if he was just talking about his very cool reaction to some of the news and gadgets we talked about. Maybe he was just entranced with his new Samsung Q1 Ultra. No matter. The show is a flight through coolness with lots of talk (and arguments) about new devices and announcements, including which GBM Team member is trying out which new device.

Download or listen to this GBM Podcast here

June 8 , 2007

Optimize Your Workday with the Power of Tablet PCs from Motion Computing®.

What Do Users Really Want From Their Tablet PCs?
Tablet PC Reviews

Many users are wondering what the differences are between these Tablets and if they should wait to buy the newest model. If you are one of these users looking for answers then check out the What Tablet PC Should I Buy Forum. Answers to every question imaginable are here. Your decision should really depend on what you will be using your Tablet PC for. Don't get me wrong, these new Tablets are great and probably the way to go for many users, I just recommend you do a little research first.

 TabletKiosk Updates, Sahara i400 Series User Manual Available
Gotta Be Mobile

Dennis and I just had a good conversation with Gaily Levy of Tablet Kiosk on their products, shipping status, etc, and wanted to pass along some information on the status of their Tablet PCs and UMPCs.

• The i412T and i440T are both in stock and shipping
• The i440D with XP Pro / Tablet are shipping in limited quantities, and they hope to be caught up on back orders in about 3 weeks.
• The i440D with Vista should be ready to start shipping around June 15th. Look for more information as that date approaches. BTW: Look for an InkShow from Hugo on the i440D next week.
• The user manual for the entire i400 series is available for downloading and viewing here from the Support / Downloads area. Good reading for those interested in this new slate Tablet PC.
• The i7210 has been discontinued due to Intel discontinuing the Intel Pentium processor. The i7209 ( Celeron ) is currently avaiable. Vista drivers are available on the TabletKiosk Support / Downloads page
• The eo TuffTab is currently shipping in both the black and white models. Vista should be available on the eo TuffTab within the next several weeks, too.
• For those attending the WIPTE conference, TabletKiosk will be in attendance, so it will be a good time to see some of their products up close and personal.

Ambulance software to be rolled out in three regions
E-Health Insider

Ambulances are fitted out with docking stations and ruggedised tablet PCs. Data is entered by tapping the screen, no digital pen is needed and the system even works with gloved fingers.

The paramedic takes the tablet PC into the hospital, completes the tablet record and uploads it to CSC’s data centre. A verbal handover and sign off is completed with the A&E nurse who can also access the record via a web browser the department.

June 11 , 2007

TabletKiosk Booth at the WIPTE
Gotta Be Mobile

TabletKiosk is here at WIPTE.   They have the i440D Tablet PC running XP on display and they also have the eoTuffTab UMPC sitting on the table as well.  I have some video of the 2 devices later on, but thought I would put up a picture here so you can see they are supporting Tablet PC's in education.

OnTheRun with Tablet PCs podcast #38- all about the Lenovo x61 Tablet
ZDNet.com blogs 

James Kendrick and I have both recently picked up Lenovo ThinkPad x61 Tablet PCs and in show #38 we discuss the x61 from stem to stern. James has the SXGA+ (1440×1040) screen while I’m using the MultiTouch XGA screen and we compare the virtues of each.

James’ x61 has the Intel Turbo Memory option, which is a flash memory cache designed to speed up disk access and program loading. My unit the integrated WWAN option instead. Join us for a roundabout conversation that covers all aspects of the first ThinkPad Tablet PC with the Santa Rosa Core 2 Duo processor.

We discuss how we each used different methods to get the information and settings from their old Tablet PC over to the ThinkPad. James used the Belkin Easy Transfer cable and Marc used the included Lenovo System Migration Assistant to accomplish the same thing. The Belkin soltuion is available for use on non-ThinkPad PCs.

One of the most useful utilities you will find for any PC is Anagram and we discuss the latest version which is now Vista and Outlook 2007 compatible and has been optimized for the Tablet PC.
Enjoy the show!

Listen here

June 12 , 2007

Week 1 With The Thinkpad X61 Tablet PC
Warner Crocker

Overall I am really enjoying the speed and performance of the X61. Even when I’ve scaled performance back a bit to maximize battery life this Tablet PC is snappier than any other I have used. Hands down. I am also enjoying the brighter screen quite a bit. Lenovo makes a great Tablet PC.

Battery Life

I’ve been able to squeeze almost 6 hours of battery life between work in rehearsals and time before and after. Note that this doesn’t mean the Tablet PC is on straight through a 6 hour period.

Motion Computing adds HSDPA capability LE1700 tablet PCs
TG Daily

Motion Computing today received approval from the FCC to integrate HSDPA-based wireless broadband capability in its latest tablet PC models.

The HSDPA feature is expected to be announced by the company soon and to be offered side-by-side to the existing EV-DO option.

The documents filed with the FCC also reveal that the company has replaced the existing Atheros Wi-Fi chipset with Intel’s 3945 ABG (802.11 a/b/g) version, while the notebooks apparently continue to use the first-generation Core 2 Duo L7400 (1.5 GHz, 4 MB L2 cache) processor.

Samsung Q1 Ultra UMPC InkShow
Gotta Be Mobile

I spent a LOT of time on this machine, and attempted to answer as many of the questions I could folks posed on it, but there were so many I am sure I missed a few.  I would like to have more time, but alas all the other GBM team members are wanting their time with this eval unit as well!

Watch or download the High Res version

June 13 , 2007

DISKEEPER SELLS 25 MILLION LICENSES:
PERFORMANCE ADD-ON MORE POPULAR THAN EVER

Burbank, CA, June 11th, 2007—Diskeeper Corporation announced that its flagship Diskeeper® performance enhancement software surpassed 25 million licenses sold—making it the best-selling automatic defragmenter of all time.

Diskeeper is a TabletPC2.com Favorite and is on "The List"

Fujitsu Lifebook T4220 Tablet PC on sale now!

The comfort and ease of a traditional notebook combined with the versatility of a tablet best describes the eye-catching LifeBook T4220 Tablet PC. Starting at 4.3 lbs with built-in modular bay, integrated wireless access, and the latest Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology or optional Wi-Fi® certified Atheros® Super AG® means you can instantly input and access information whenever, wherever, and however needed.

Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet PC Review
Tablet PC ReviewsLenovo's ThinkPad X61 has been the talk of the Tablet community since its release and after spending a few days with it, I can see why. The matte black finish and rugged feel of the X61 is right away appealing. The overall design is solid and its based on the new Intel Santa Rosa platform. It seems that the X61 has taken care of all the flaws its predecessor, the X60, had. Meaning it has better performance, benchmark results and battery life.The X61 has great battery life. When I compared it to my Asus R1, I was in love. The X61 lasted about an hour and a half longer than the Asus R1 just on the standard default settings. I was getting about 5 hours on the standard default setting, which has no power saving adjustments. When I went into the Power Manager settings where I could change the battery settings like performance, battery life and screen brightness, I was getting up to 7 hours. Now that is what I call mobile computing. Do keep in mind the X61 Tablet as tested came with the larger 8-cell battery

June 14 , 2007

Tablet PCs and Roger Waters - Back at the Hollywood Bowl

The summer concert season in Los Angeles opens with Roger Waters return to the the the Hollywood Bowl

Roger Waters summer tour includes a large caravan of shiny red trucks, the biggest crane I've even seen, a flying pink pig, the giant Pink Floyd Prism, state of the art special effects and Tablet PCs to control the Dolby® Lake® Processors that bring the sound in the Bowl to life.   

GBM How-To Series #15 : Creating a Mobile WLAN with EVDO
gottabemobileI just love my Verizon EVDO card. I borrowed Dennis's card so much be made me go and get my own. The problem is that as I get to test and own (new OQO-Model 02 in da house!- Yeah!) more Tablet pc and UMPC systems, I cannot afford to activate the WWAN on each. To compound my misery, I find that for testing units and working mobile, I cannot be without it. I believe I have found a solution. Create a mobile, wireless access point. It's really a lot easier than you might think, works really well, and is affordable. Check this out...

Education of a Tablet PC Programmer: Figuring Things Out
Tablet PC QuestionsLoren describes on June 12 why he's still programming, including for Tablet PCs, Ultra-Mobile PCs and other mobiles, after 30 years.

What strikes me as I sit here and reflect on my years of programming, is that what interests me today is very much the same things that have excited me all along--the things I do not know... I had a great teacher and a couple of friends that were as enthusiastic about learning ... that we just figured things out as we went along.

... there are so many things that would be interesting to work on. All of which I don't know how to do. That's the best part. That's what keeps me going. There are so many things to learn and discover. It's why I keep programming.

June 15 , 2007

Getting My Tablet PC Evangelism Mojo Back?
Gotta Be MobileI did a series of interviews after taking each member of the media on a tour of the facility and had the Lenovo ThinkPad X61 in hand the entire day to keep track of a number of tasks and appointments. With no real intention of showing it off as I went through the day, a portion of each of the interviews focused on the Tablet PC because the interviewers had never seen one before. As I watched them pull out their small notebooks and take notes, and the one reporter who used a small tape recorder, I mentioned that they could use a Tablet PC to do the same work. Light bulbs went off like flash bulbs. And at least two of the reporters I talked to said they were going to look into purchasing a Tablet PC. (Lenovo’s Father’s Day Sale certainly didn’t hurt either.)

June 18 , 2007

Swish! Lenovo PCs Earn MVP For NBA Courtside Performance
Business Wire “The global Lenovo team has achieved a winning season through its commitment to teamwork, excellence and service,” said Michael Gliedman, senior vice president and chief information officer of the NBA. “From collecting data in real time during more than 1,400 games to the creation of the Lenovo Stat, Lenovo PCs have provided a platform for a more technologically advanced game for generations to come.”As the Official PC Partner of the NBA, Lenovo computers recorded more than 275,000 points, 140,000 rebounds, 59,000 assists and 70,000 foul calls this season. For the fans watching at home, Lenovo ThinkPad touch-screen tablet PCs recorded more than 675,000 statistical events this season in real time, supporting the NBA as it relayed them to NBA.com, the league’s 30 team Web sites, NBA TV and thousands of media around the world. In addition, the Lenovo PCs deployed have supported:

• Courtside operations including a Start/Time Clock that is connected to the referees’ whistles, a ThinkPad notebook and the NBA’s Precision Time System.
  Behind-the-scenes activities including instant replays via ThinkCentre desktops where video is recorded and reviewed in the Officials’ locker room during NBA games.
  Children in underserved communities to provide them access to Lenovo personal computers as part of NBA Cares’ Reading and Learning Centers, the organization’s global community initiative. Lenovo helped open the latest center during All-Stars in Las Vegas with a donation of 20 Lenovo 3000 notebook PCs for the new facility, which will be used to empower students to emerge as problem solvers, innovators and entrepreneurs.
• In addition, during The Finals Lenovo supported the unveiling of Reading and Learning Centers in both Cleveland and San Antonio by donating 30 Lenovo 3000 PC notebooks.
   

Samsung Q1 Ultra MP3 Player
PC Magazine

The evolution of the UMPC (ultra-mobile PC) platform has been challenging, to say the least. Categorically speaking, what is it? It's a cross between a laptop, a tablet, and a handheld PC. The Samsung Q1 was one of the first UMPCs to hit the market, and has since struggled to find an identity in the mobile space. It lacked things like a physical keyboard and sufficient processing power, and the design and performance could not justify the price. A refresh, obviously, was long overdue. The Samsung Q1 Ultra is a little different this time around, making data input a priority. It adds an integrated keyboard and a much-needed pointing stick and mouse buttons.The Q1 Ultra still measures 8.8 inches long and roughly an inch thick. The difference is its width. It's slimmed down to 4.7 inches (from 5 inches). To call this device a handheld PC would do the OQO model 02 a serious injustice. The Q1 Ultra is not something you can pocket. Since the screen is exposed, it's more along the lines of a slate tablet, similar to the Motion Computing LS800. Don't get me wrong—the Q1 Ultra's 1.5-pound frame is a delight to carry, although I wish it came with a better sleeve to protect the intensely bright, 7-inch screen. The screen itself is a mixed blessing—almost blinding when you crank it up to full brightness. It's superb for watching downloaded video or navigating through a photo site such as Flickr. The 1,024-by-600 resolution is the same as the earlier Q1'sBy adding an integrated keyboard and pointing devices, the Samsung Q1 Ultra addresses some of the issues plaguing its predecessor. The Q1 is a decent Web-surfing and video-watching machine, but you'll have a better overall experience

Wireless City Project Strikes Gold
University of Ulster Online

“The Tablet PC Mandate initiative was designed to take full advantage of the SMART classroom resources and the accompanying wireless infrastructure. The Tablet PC is the next generation of laptop computers which are lightweight and portable, offering wireless connectivity and including advanced features such as pen-based computing, digital ink and advanced collaboration facilities.

HP PAVILION TX1138EA Tablet PC
Pocket-lint.co.uk

HP is the biggest seller of Tablet PCs in the corporate space. To be fair, there aren’t too many players in that space but HP made headway first with a funky space-age design and latterly with something a little more corporate.

The HP Pavilion tx1138ea hasn’t so much dusted down the older consumer look, more re-designed it to fit in with their new notebook ID but it still looks funky and unlike any other tablet out there. It’s worth pointing out that HP has played on the side of caution, as this isn’t a slate design, rather a notebook with a touchscreen, so can be used in a variety of ways. The build quality is stunning, as the sturdiness of the case, with extra protection behind the screen, will certainly take being carried around for large portions of the day

Tablet PC Functionality as a Standard Feature in Vista is a Good Thing
Gotta Be Mobile

There was a lot of negative talk last year about Tablet PC features being morphed into Vista. A lot of folks worried that Tablet PC marketing and features would get pushed under the rug as a result, and we would never hear about tablet again. I've always been of the opinion that Tablet PC being a standard feature of Vista is a huge plus for the platform. There is tremendous value in having the tablet bits as a standard feature in Vista, especially as it relates to sharing documents created in ink with other non-Tablet PC users. This is a very important thing for businesses to keep in mind.As an example, I'm in the beginning stages of prepping for an InkShow on Active Ink, a forms design tool for creating ink-enabled forms. I wanted to see if a non-Tablet PC could recognize the ink on a form that was created on a Tablet PC. So, I copied an ink form created on a Tablet PC over to the Vista based non-Tablet PC. I opened up the Active Ink software, and pressed Convert Ink to Text. It handled the conversion perfectly. It might be worth noting that the form was created by Active Ink's Steve Hoffman on a Tablet PC running XP Tablet Edition.

June 19 , 2007

Panasonic and Verizon Wireless Announce Embedded EV-DO Revision
Business Wire

Panasonic products now certified on the Verizon Wireless Revision A network include the rugged Toughbook 30 notebook and Toughbook 19 convertible tablet PC designed and tested for military, public sector and industrial users in more extreme environments and the semi-rugged Toughbook 74 notebook and business-rugged ultra-portable and thin-and-light notebooks — the T, W and Y series — designed for business travelers and mobile professionals in government, commercial and healthcare industries.

GBM Podcast #22
Gotta Be Mobile

News Items:

• HP's 2710p Tablet PC is Replacing the TC4400 Tablet PC
  Chad Essley - the Tablet PC Cartoonist
• Handwriting Demo on a Flybook V5i Tablet PC

What You Need to be a Road Warrior
VoIP News

Wired and Wireless in Room Access- The ability to plug my travel router in so I can use multiple devices over the Internet connection such as a WiFi phone, dual mode phone, Nokia N800 Internet Tablet or a second PC when traveling with my wife to be. 

June 20 , 2007

New Gateway 14" Tablet PC Spied
Tablet PC Reviews

Our forum friend explains that the information came from the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), a school they will be attending that requires students to own a Tablet PC. The school even sent along a Tablet PC comparison chart, so students could decide which Tablet would work best for them and the 14" 295 Series is listed.The University of South Dakota is also using this Gateway Tablet for their nursing program. Under their spec sheet the Tablet is being called the E-295M. Overall it sounds like it will be a nice Tablet, especially if you are looking for a 14" screen.Some specs of the 295 Series:

Note Taking Goes to the Next Level
PC Magazine

Until Office 2007, Microsoft's OneNote application was mostly a curiosity for anyone except Tablet PC users. But with the most recent release, OneNote has really come into its own as a note-taking and research tool. Faster and more effective than Microsoft Word, OneNote combines the flexibility of a three-ring binder with the productivity of being able to throw together all types of electronic information—including handwriting, typed words, and Web page snippets. OneNote is filled with other clever solutions for collecting, organizing, and sharing different types of digital information. For example, it has screen-capture capability, screen sharing (electronic whiteboard), and blog-posting support.Chicken Scratch Deciphered
Prior to this version, OneNote's handwriting recognition was mediocre. As you can see here , though, when combined with Vista's handwriting-recognition capability, OneNote actually does an excellent job of converting even fairly sloppy printing.

Video Walkthrough: $600 NanoBook UMPC
Mobile Magazine

Just because you want the latest technological goodness doesn't mean you need to break the bank doing it. The Via NanoBook is one of the most affordable UMPCs out there, but that also doesn't mean that it's a slouch by any means. Quite the contrary, because the $600 handheld is equipped with a sizable yet compact 7-inch display with 840x480 resolution.

Unlike other UMPCs, it's not designed to be a mini Tablet PC. Instead, the Via NanoBook, as its name implies, is meant to be a small version of a full-sized laptop.

June 21 , 2007

GBM How-To Series #16 : Imaging your Tablet PC/UMPC Hard Drive

So just what is an hard drive image anyway? Well "imaging" is the process of making an EXACT copy of a specified hard drive. Every little bit (no puns intended) is copied to a single file or multiple files if specified. When you elect to restore from an image, you are able to return the drive to the exact state in which you backed it up. Partitions, OS, programs, data, the whole works. Remember that there is a difference between "imaging" and "cloning" a drive. Cloning a drive involves copying the low level information from the source drive to another drive during an upgrade to a larger drive, etc. This is a very useful tool, but one that you don't use often. So before your drive goes down in flames, be sure to back it up.Tips and Notes:

Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet PC is Hot Topic of Discussion
Tablet PC Reviews

Thanks to all the new Tablet PC releases, the Tablet community has had little sleep. In fact since Lenovo released the X61 Tablet PC, our Lenovo forum has been active 24-7. Users are so anxious to get their hands on this beloved machine that they are checking their estimated ship dates two and three times a day. I can't blame them either because I was quite impressed with the X61 when I got a chance to do a hands-on review.The X61 fills the shoes of its predecessor, the X60, very well. That is probably why it is battling HP's tx1000 for first place on our "Most Popular Tablet PC" list. It has a Core 2 Duo L7500 1.6GHz processor, 2GB DDR2, 100GB hard drive (which can be changed), Intel GMA X3100 graphics, a 12.1" MultiView/MultiTouch XGA display, excellent battery life and much more.

Fujitsu-Siemens Lifebook P1610 Ultra-Portable Tablet PC
TrustedReviews

Overall, the Lifebook P1610 is an interesting machine. As tablets go it's one of the smallest around, providing a level of portability not often found. For what it is it will perform adequately, while the general design is solid and inspires confidence. A great keyboard is a significant bonus, but it’s the distinctly average screen that lets it down. Clearly this is where Fujitsu-Siemens has economised, and in this case a little too much.Despite the disappointing screen and conservative memory specification, the Lifebook P1610 offers a desirable feature set, excellent built quality and flexibility. There are better specified Tablet PCs but none are as portable as this, and that alone is compelling reason to consider it if portability is high on your list of requirements.

June 22 , 2007

Coming Monday....

TabletPc2.com Review -The Toshiba R400 TabletPC

At the Geneva Motor Show beginning of this year, Parrot and Intel announced a joint launch to offer drivers the latest, most secure and most advanced wireless UMPC connection for any vehicle. Using the Bluetooth Gateway hidden behind the dashboard of the vehicle, the UMPC automatically connects to the existing car audio system.Leveraging the latest generation of DSP (Digital Signal Processing) technologies, this solution provides voice recognition and text-to-speech (vocal synthesis) feature. It also enables
navigation when used together with a UMPC, and other functions such as e-mail, address
books, and calendar.

Additionally, with its audio streaming capacities, passengers can play the music stored in the
UMPC (or any other Bluetooth stereo device) wirelessly in Hi-Fi quality directly on the car
speakers. Passengers traveling in the backseat of the car can also watch videos, surf the
Internet, send instant messages or play computer games.

June 25 , 2007

Review:  Toshiba Portégé® R400 Tablet PC

Toshiba's Signature Tablet PC for the successful professional

SoftBrands Partners With TabletKiosk to Provide Mobile Software toto Provide Mobile Software to Hoteliers
DMN Newswire

SoftBrands, Inc. (Amex: SBN), a global supplier of enterprise application software, announced today that it has signed a distribution agreement with TabletKiosk for their portable workstation solution. SoftBrands has selected TabletKiosk's Sahara Slate PC line to launch this initiative. The units are blue-tooth/wireless Tablet PCs and run on the Microsoft Windows operating system, including Windows Vista, Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.

About TabletKiosk(TM)

TabletKiosk(TM) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sand Dune Ventures Inc. a privately held technology incubator. The company produces slate style tablet PCs and UMPCs marketed through an authorized reseller channel and directly through the company website. For more information, visit http://www.TabletKiosk.com

Fujitsu Unveils 12.1" Tablet PC With SSD Option
DailyTech

Fujitsu's FMV-T8140 Tablet PC can be selected with Windows XP or Windows Vista

Fujitsu today announced a new 12.1" Tablet PC for the Japanese market. The Santa Rosa-based FMV-T8140 gives users the choice of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 or Windows Vista Business.

The FMV-T8140 is powered by a 1.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U7500 processor and comes standard with 1GB of DDR2 memory (512MB on the Windows XP model). The 12.1" screen features a screen resolution of 1200x800 and is powered by Intel's GMA X3100 integrated GPU.

June 26 , 2007

Three Fujitsu Customers Awarded Computerworld Honors Program
Marketwire

The College of Engineering at Virginia Tech was honored in the education and academia category for its Tablet PC-based learning environment. To facilitate an active and creative learning environment, in 2006 the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech became the first and largest public college of engineering to require all 1,400 incoming freshmen to purchase Tablet PCs. While there are a number of Tablet PC solutions on the market, based on a partnership with Microsoft and Fujitsu, called the Premier Alliance, Virginia Tech recommended students purchase the Fujitsu LifeBook® T4000 Series convertible Tablet PC, which combines the familiarity of a notebook with the versatile functionality of a slate Tablet PC. Today, both faculty and students use Tablet PCs inside and outside the classroom.

Provena Home Care was honored in the health care category for its mobile patient information system. At Provena, the ability to accurately track patient information is vital to meeting patient care and business goals. To improve efficiency, accuracy of patient and billing information, and quality of patient care, the IT team implemented a mobile, touch-screen-enabled, digital patient information system and equipped clinicians with Fujitsu LifeBook P1500 Series convertible notebooks to enable them to record symptoms, care provided, and general observations at the point of care.

Saint Clare's Hospital, a state-of-the-art facility, was honored in the health care category for its chartless hospital environment. To create an all-digital environment, the hospital equipped caregivers with Fujitsu LifeBook T4000 Series Tablet PCs to read and record patient data by typing, writing or dictating information into the patient information system. By digitizing patient information, the hospital has improved the patient experience and reduced the cost of care.

Review: Samsung's Q1 Ultra -- Mobile, Yes, But Is It Fully Functional?
informationweek

Ultramobile PCs are hot right now, but can a device with a small screen, a split keyboard, and performance in the PDA class convince you it's a fully functional PC?

The design of any portable PC is a set of compromises, and the smaller the device gets, the greater the number of compromises. Therefore, it's no surprise that a device as small as the 1.5-pound Samsung ultramobile PC, the Q1 Ultra, involves quite a few compromises. What's surprising is how useable it is in spite of them.

The Q1 Ultra is the third generation of Samsung's UMPC devices -- it follows on last year's Q1 and Q1b, which were among the first handheld devices based on the Origami specification jointly developed by Microsoft, Intel, Samsung, and other companies.

The Q1 Ultra is a lot more than just an overgrown PDA. In fact, the Q1 Ultra is packed so full of features that just listing them could fill this review. And when you look at any particular feature, the Q1 Ultra is close to a textbook study in overcompensation.

Hardware InkShow: TabletKiosk Sahara i440D Tablet PC
By Hugo Ortega

The i440D captured lots of attention back at CES Las Vegas earlier this year and has even be en reviewed by one of our GBM frequenters Steve S. It is a device promising lots via its Dual mode Active Digitizer Pen and 4-wire resistive Touchscreen combo; with its internal SATA and external SATA capabilities; with its ability to accept up to 3Gb of RAM, and more. In this video I cover off several features and address some of the questions folks have been asking regarding this device. So if you're in the mood for something other than UMPC different, watch this video as TabletKiosk might be the right company to put on your radar!

LIVESTRONG™ Special Edition Eyewear

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“For nearly 20 years, Oakley has been there for me on and off the bike. Now together with your support, we are making a difference for the millions of people who are living with cancer.”

June 27 , 2007

Fujitsu announces new Tablet PC with over 11 hours of battery life
SlashGear

Fujitsu announced today that they will be releasing a new 12.1-inch Santa Rosa Tablet PC later this year.

The Tablet PC will be powered by a 1.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U7500, an Intel GMA X3100 GPU and feature 1GB of DDR2 memory. For storage it will have a standard 30GB HDD, with the option to upgrade to an 80GB HDD or have the choice between a 16GB or 32GB SSD.

The unit will weigh 3.28 pounds and has an average battery life of 6.8 hours on the standard battery, and 10.2 hours with the larger one. You will have the choice between Windows Vista Business or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005

The new FMV-T8140 will curently only be available in the Japanese market and fetch around $2138 for the Vista model and $1976 for the Windows XP verion.

You, too, can be a Mobile Syncer
Gotta Be Mobile

Having just moved back in to the multi-device world with an X61 Tablet PC and an OQO Model 02 Ultra-Mobilie PC, I've found it necessary to have my files available on both devices and for them to be kept in sync seamlessly.

There are a ton of applications available for syncing, one being the Sync Center within Vista. For me, though, I've found FolderShare to be the most seamless sync service available. FolderShare is a Windows Live web service that keeps multiple devices in sync across the Internet using a small satellite application installed on each device that stays in communication with the FolderShare web service. As files get modified on either device, FolderShare syncs them.

June 28 , 2007

Gateway Updates Its Convertible Notebook with Leading Graphics Technologies, Making it the Ideal Platform for Digital Artists
PR Newswire

Gateway today refreshed its award-winning convertible notebook with several new technologies, providing digital artists with a secure and powerful electronic palette ideally suited for creating a wide range of art forms. Featuring a pen and digitizer from the industry leader of digital pen technology, Wacom, the E-295C also includes an optional finger print reader, next generation graphics from ATI and a bright 14-inch widescreen display. Combined with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processor and chipset, the E-295C is a powerful tool sure to please the most discriminating Professional customer. Gateway will also offer a version of the product for home and home office customers, the Gateway(R) C-140.

The Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD) is a Gateway customer that has been using Gateway's tablet PCs for several years. This school is particularly excited about the E-295C and Wacom technology, due to the benefits previous Gateway tablet PCs have brought to the classroom. Faculty and students in the animation department are especially tech-savvy, and have found tablet computing to be tremendously useful in their discipline.

"Tablet computing brings remarkable benefits to student productivity and learning," said Dan Seely, Department Chair. "Traditional animation drawing with pencil and paper is a multifaceted and time consuming process. But with the use of animation software and electronic ink and paper, our students have quickly overcome the 'paper scan bottleneck,' which can make it difficult for them to get work done."

June 29 , 2007

The iPhone Circus: Will Touch Take The Center Ring?
Warner Crocker

No, we aren’t going to start covering the iPhone mania here at GottaBeMobile.com on a regular basis. But it should go without saying that the multi-touch interface is going to have an impact on how touch for data input is talked about in the future. I’ve been waiting (and mostly I still am) to see how all of those who derided UMPCs for not having a keyboard will respond to the iPhone’s touchscreen keyboard. We’re starting to see a couple of early reviews (notably Walt Mossberg’s and David Pogue’s) both of which say it takes a few days to get used to the on-screen keyboard. Imagine that. Mossberg goes so far as to say that after five days or so, data input without a keyboard on the iPhone is now a non-issue for him. Interesting.

On the one hand (or is that finger?) I wonder if they gave the UMPC touchscreen and Inking features the same amount of trial? On the other, it will be interesting to see more in-depth coverage of how Apple has integrated touch into the device and how real users take to it.

Available at Apple Retail Stores, AT&T stores, and the Apple Online Store.

Fujitsu Launches World's Smallest Tablet-convertible UMPC
Hardware Zone

Fujitsu PC Asia Pacific today proudly launches its first ever ultra mobile PC series, the futuristically-inspired LifeBook U1010. Created explicitly for the tech lover, mobile executives and field professionals, this small wonder ends your search for the ultimate mobile entertainment device. Bundled with optimum capabilities in its svelte frame, this compact gadget is set to impress!

Staying true to Fujitsu’s thin and lightweight motto, the LifeBook U1010 weighs just over half a kilogram, thanks to its high density mounting technology and lightweight, 0.3mm glass LCD screen. But don’t be fooled by its petite frame. This mini powerhouse can handle multiple operational possibilities like watching movies and listening to music, viewing and editing documents, video-conferencing as well as surfing the Internet – all that you can do on your hand-held, tablet and notebook PC! What’s more, it comes with a newly designed, ultra slim 0.2mm aluminum plated QWERTY keyboard, which does not add to the device’s weight or thickness. The U1010, world’s smallest in its class , is among the very few UMPCs which has such an astounding feature.

An even greater delight is the device’s convertible, swivel form factor – a first in the UMPC market – which gives you the flexibility of using the LifeBook U1010 like a hand-held, tablet or notebook PC. To top things off, it has a Palm Resistance touch screen that allows your fingers to do the walking, in the absence of a stylus. Just touch and go.

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