News Week of March 30, 2008

Gates sees next Windows "sometime" in next year

"That'll be sometime in the next year or so that we'll have a new version," Gates said in response to a question from the audience.

TabletKiosk TM Ships the GETAC 840XT Full Mil-Spec Tablet PC

TabletKiosk™, a leader in Tablet PC based mobile computing solutions, today announced that it is shipping the GETAC 840XT (g840XT), the company's first full mil-spec rugged Tablet PC, created in partnership with rugged mobile computing pioneer, GETAC.

The g840XT is an 8.4" Tablet PC designed for people who require mobility, durability and advanced wireless functionality and that complies with the rigorous environmental requirements of the MIL-STD-810F standard. By incorporating a shock mounted HDD, GPS module, sunlight readable display and fan-less design, the g840XT offers the convenience of a touch screen Tablet PC encased in a durable, magnesium alloy exterior.

"We are excited to work with TabletKiosk on this joint project," said Jim Rimay, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Getac US. "Because TabletKiosk focuses its sales efforts on industries which do not compete with our core markets, the partnership will expand the exposure of the Getac brand."

g840XT Fast Facts:

Processor:        Intel® Stealey™ A110 ULV processor (800 MHz, 512KB
                  L2 ATCA cache)
Memory            1.0 GB DDR2 533/400MHz SDRAM
Hard Drive:       80 GB, 1.8" PATA, 4,200 rpm, shock mounted
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
Display:          8.4" TFT SVGA sunlight readable display with integrated
                  touchscreen (800 x 600)
Wireless:         802.11 b/g networking and Bluetooth® 2.0
Security:         Password Security: Supervisor, User, Hard-Disk Lock,
                  Smart Card Reader
                  Kensington Locking Port (Lock mechanism sold
                  separately)
                  Infineon Trusted Platform Module (TPM v1.2)
I/O:              2 x USB 2.0
                  1 x PC Card Type II x1
                  1 x Headphone Jack, Built-in Stereo Microphone
                  1 x 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet (RJ45)
                  1 x Docking Station Connector

"The smart design and rugged exterior of the g840XT complements our existing product line," said Martin Smekal, president of TabletKiosk. "Now we can offer our customers the most comprehensive selection of slate style Tablet PCs available anywhere and built for either standard or rugged handling."

Pricing and Availability

The g840XT is sold through the TabletKiosk website at www.tabletkiosk.com, as well as a vertically integrated reseller network.

About TabletKiosk™

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

Fujitsu Lifebook T2010 Tablet PC

Some things don't change and many months later I can tell you that I am just as enamored and impressed with the Fujitsu T2010 Tablet PC as the day I got it.    Giving up my favorite go anywhere machine isn't an easy thing to do.

With so may Tablet PCs available today what makes the T2010 such a standout? Because living in sunny Southern California and having friends and clients living beach side with homes dominated by plate glass windows, the Fujitsu T2010 with its amazing outdoor viewable screen is a life saver.   

If a meeting suddenly gets moved poolside, slope side or in a room with solid walls of glass I can still see what I'm doing.  I can still do a demo and I don't risk being embarrassed when I try to demo a machine that can not be seen in bright light.    (Source: Linda A. Epstein, TabletPC2.com)

HTC Shift First Look Review

We finally got our hands on the HTC Shift. This tiny tablet is quite the power house. I had no problems surfing the Internet with it or navigating through applications. It sports a Intel A110 800MHz processor and has a 40GB hard drive. The touchscreen was practically flawless and I enjoyed using my finger more then the pen. Although, the pen was helpful for more intricate navigating.

HTC Shift specifications: (price: $1,499)

• Intel Processor A110, 800MHz
• Windows Vista Business OS
• 1GB DDR2 microDIMM RAM
• 1.8" 40GB or 60GB hard drive
• 7-inch (800 x 400) TFT-LCD display with adjustable touch-sensitive screen
• Network: HSDPA/UMTS, HSDPA, GSM/GPRS/EDGE available
• Slide out QWERTY keyboard
• Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi, IEEE 802.11b/g
• 1x USB
• 1x VGA out
• 1x 3.5mm stereo out with microphone
• Card slots: 1.8/3V USIM/SIM card slot, SDIO slot with hotswap functionality
• Fingerprint sensor and Webcam
• Battery: 2700 mAh rechargeable Lithium-ion polymer battery, up to 2 hours
• Dimensions: 207 mm (L) X 129 mm (W) X 25 mm (D)
• Weight: 2.4 lbs.

 
(Source: Tiffany Boggs, TabletPCReview.com)

Intel UMPC & MID Roadmap Unveiled

Intel has emphasized on Menlow 2008 platform during IDF and unveiled 5 Atom "Silverthorne" processors along with Poulsbo chipset. Silverthorne is 45nm based and has 512KB of L2 cache. The 533MHz FSB models (Z520, Z530, Z540) supports Hyper-Threading and the 400MHz models (Z500, Z510) do not. The TDP ranges from 0.65W for the Z500 to 2.4W for the Z540./

Intel called Poulsbo chipset as a System Controller Hub (SCH) that basically combines the MCH and ICH into a single chip. VR-Zone learned that there will be 3 SKUs; US11L supporting 400FSB Silverthorne, 512MB DDR2, 100MHz graphics core clock, SD Video only and up to 800x480 resolution, US15L supporting 400FSB Silverthorne, 1GB DDR2, 200MHz graphics core clock HD Video Decode and up to 1366x768 resolution and US15W that has similar features set as US15L but supporting 533FSB Silverthorne. The 3D graphics core is powered by PowerVR SGX Series5 instead of Intel integrated graphics cores like GMA 3000, X3100 etc. (Source: VR-Zone)
Posted Thursday, April 3, 2008 by ChrisD
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Dell Latitude XT Tablet PC First Impressions

The Dell Latitude XT Tablet arrived just a few hours ago. I've already recorded the unboxing and will be posting that up later tonight / tomorrow. Here are some fresh first impressions after just opening the box a few hours ago.

• I love the crisp look of the tablet: black, silver, and a nice charcoal finish. It is very professional looking and well designed.
• It is thicker and heavier than I imagined. The screen feels thicker than the Lenovo X61, but I put the screens side by side and they are exactly the same thickness. Go figure. 

(Source: Rob Bushway, GottaBeMobile)

Axiotron Modbook: The next best thing to a canvas

The Modbook is more like a drawing board for designers. It is a slate tablet PC which enables the illustrators to work with a pen rather than the keyboard, promoting flexibility to their designs’ digital incarnation. The Modbook drastically alters the design of over beloved Apple MacBook by fusing a Wacom digitizer screen and getting rid of the traditional convertible tablet to incorporate its stylus technology. It is a modified version of the Apple MacBook in a whole new avatar.

The Modbook screen is surrounded by three layers of metal namely, nickel, copper, and magnesium alloy. This layered encapsulation forms a chrome-like trim, which is fused to the MacBook’s polycarbonate plastic base. To give the screen longevity and protection, it is covered with a scratch-resistant glass.    (Source: Kamakshi Palakodety , TechNews)

MIDs will run Windows XP and Vista, Intel says

Intel showed off four prototype MIDs at a news conference in Tokyo Wednesday although precise details about the computers were lacking.

The machines included a Centrino Atom version of Fujitsu's previously launched Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) and an Atom-based Panasonic Toughbook tablet PC. Also on show were two MIDs that were first unveiled at CES in Las Vegas in January: a mobile navigation device from Clarion and a keyless device from Toshiba.   (Source: Sumner Lemon & Martyn Williams, IDG News Service, InfoWorld)

The Five Biggest Mistakes of EHR Implementation

In December 2004, Siouxland Women's Health Care, PC, Sioux City, Iowa, decided on an electronic medical record (EMR) to put its five physicians and one nurse practitioner on pen-based tablets.

As the go-live date approached, Julie Barto, BS, MS, administrator, started getting nervous. Absolutely nothing had been scanned in. They hadn't made a single template, and no one had any idea what their EMR tablets even looked like.

Barto called the value-added reseller (VAR) responsible for the EMR's sale and implementation, who assured her that he'd train everyone on site two days before go-live.

Barto didn't like that idea. "When we're talking 'live,' we're talking no paper," Barto said. "We told him 'No. We have to have things scanned; we can't have any downtime, we're an OB/GYN!'"  (Source: Ainsley Maloney , Advance for Health Information Executives)

HP goes all out with Blu-ray-packin' Pavilion laptops for Europe

HP's also busted out an update to its monster HDX-9000 desktop replacement series in the form of the HDX-9300, and a new Pavilion tx2300 tablet PC (only the former boasts a Blu-ray drive). Otherwise, you can expect the HDX-9300 to pack Penryn T8100 or T9300 processors, 3GB of RAM standard, and a beefy NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS graphics card, while the tx2300 rolls in with a Turion 64 X2 TL-60 processor, 2GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 graphics, and a DVD burner standard. No word on pricing or availability for any of 'em just yet, unfortunately, nor is there any word of a release 'round these parts.  (Source: Donald Melanson, Engadget, Notebook Italia)
Posted Tuesday, April 1, 2008 by ChrisD
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Microsoft Tablet PC With LucidTouch technology

Microsoft is hard at work developing something that they call LucidTouch technology and what it does is take the touchscreen concept and wraps it around the back.

The display itself becomes semi-transparent, meaning that you can still see all the regular Windows stuff on the screen while being able to manipulate it through multi-touch around the back. You can actually see a silhouette of your hand, but this does not obscure the display the way it would if you were tapping on the front (which also works).

As far as we can tell, the prototype still has "a long way to go", but Microsoft is trudging ahead with this endeavor and we hope that they'll have something usable soon.  (Source: Dan Browning, HTLounge.net)

HP Pavilion tx2000 tablet PC (AMD Turion 64 X2 processor 2.0GHz ...

The good: Unique design; integrated optical drive; one of the few entertainment-focused tablet PCs; mini remote control included; hybrid digitizer screen.

The bad: No HDMI; heavy and thick; lackluster battery life.

The bottom line: An entertainment tablet PC with a hip design, the HP Pavilion tx2000 is now equipped with a hybrid digitizer screen and low-light VGA Webcam--among other improvements. A pity the battery life is still rather inadequate and there is yet no HDMI port in sight.   (Source: Darius Chang, Cnet Asia)
Posted Monday, March 31, 2008 by ChrisD
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HTC Shift CDMA EV-DO UMPC review

HTC have made a name for themselves with capable, business-friendly smartphones, and when back in March 2007 they first suggested they were turning their hand to the UMPC market there was no shortage of interest. Boasting full Windows Vista support, as well as a cut-down quick-start SnapVue interface for basic tasks, QWERTY keyboard, touchscreen and multiple wireless options, the HTC Shift was hailed by some as likely to be the first decent UMPC. The subsequent journey from announcement to actual launch - a point first estimated for Q3 2007 - has been punctuated by delays, wavering interest and more than a little criticism of how competitive its specs are in light of the latest competition; HTC sent over the new CDMA version of the Shift, complete with Sprint EV-DO support, for SlashGear to see whether time has been kind to the UMPC.  (Source: Chris Davies and Ewdison Then, SlashGear)
Posted Sunday, March 30, 2008 by ChrisD
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Dell Latitude XT Tablet PC User Review

Steve Seto, a Microsoft Tablet PC MVP and frequent GottaBeMobile.com contributor, has written up a fantastic review of Dell's Latitude XT Tablet PC. There have been several reviews published in the last couple of months, but none with this depth and analysis.

- Steve Seto

Bottom line first: The Latitude XT is a pretty good convertible tablet, with a good blend of features and a couple of outstanding options. It’s also expensive, but some of that expense can be justified by the build quality, which is sturdy, and by those options, namely the DLV screen and the 64 GB SSD (solid state disk). In addition, the N-trig DuoSense pen and touch digitizer works exactly as advertised and with a very pleasant, light touch. Is the XT right for you? Read on and make your own decision…  (Source: Steve Seto, Rob Bushway, GottaBeMobile)

The UMPC Evolution: Samsung’s Q1 Ultra

Two years ago a cover story in Smartphone and Pocket PC magazine introduced the UMPC, and Samsung’s Q1 was the first to make it to market. At the end of the article, I asked if the new UMPC would replace the Pocket PC, or whether it would even survive as a platform. Samsung’s second generation device shows that the developers have been paying attention to user feedback. The new Q1 has impressive improvements that make it an attractive computing choice. Recently, at the Consumer Electronics Show, I observed several second generation entries and that more manufacturers were coming out with new models. Apparently the UMPC is gaining a significant foothold as a viable platform and computing alternative.

First impressions and appearances reveal significant differences in the new Q1 compared to the original version. Perhaps most noticeable immediately is the QWERTY keyboard split on either side of the screen near the top. On the left is a joystick with mouse and Internet control buttons. On the right, is the navigation panel with an enter button, and below that are left and right mouse button keys.   (Source: Tim Hillebrand, Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine)