CutMeLoose.com

Shawn Van Ness offers some helpful hints for Snipping Tool 2.0. Prior to arriving at Microsoft as a full-employee, Shawn had a lot to do with the development of Snipping Tool 2.0

Windojitsu.com -- Snipping Tool Hints

For the past two years, our family has been on a trek that has been defined by pain, joy, anger, and despair. Watching your daughter suffer through two brain surgeries, 6 months of chemo, various therapies, and hope only being answered by disappointment will shake a parent to the core of their soul.

As I write this, I'm watching Maggie lay through the after-effects of another seizure. They wipe her out. Within the next two - three weeks, she'll be scheduled for a highly advanced MRI that should isolate the hot spot of her seizures. Having that information will likely lead to the removal of the right temporal lobe of her brain.

Many people have asked me how all of this has effected me. I've grown closer to my wife than I ever thought possible. I've sat in my office for days and just cried, not getting any work done. I've noticed the tone in my voice become very tense when I talk with my kids. We've made it through financial hardships due to the wonderful kindness of others. Praying to God, I've lashed out in anger and been thankful that we are exactly where He wants us to be, all in the same prayer. I've longed for our family to return to a normal way of life, struggling to come to terms with this new normal. I've come to realize that this new life that God has for us is so much richer than what we ever had before. There is no safer place than we are right now - exactly where He wants us.

Meanwhile, my daughter has layed in bed praying that she won't have another seizure as she goes to sleep. She's cried herself to sleep countless nights that her hair would grow back and that people wouldn't call her a boy. Its' been a long haul for her and its' not over yet, even with finally being declared cancer free.

So, why pain? I'm convinced that God begins to show us His true heart through suffering. He longs for us to communicate with Him on a real, personable level. Lash out at Him with anger and frustration and in another minute, you'll be crying to Him for help. That's prayer. Its' real communication. Its' transparent communication. We do that when we are suffering. Our guards are down and we are reliant on Him and His body for help - we can't do it all ourselves any longer. That's where He wants us so we can be molded. If we are transparent with others at the same time, we show others that the Christian walk is never an easy one. God never promised us a life of ease. He did promise to comfort us.

So, relish where God has you and be thankful that He loves you enough to bring you through such a journey and show you a glimpse of Himself that very few others will ever get to see. No matter what happens, hold on to the fact that God is good.

MIKE WENDLAND: Gates' sights set on automobiles with his gizmos: "But before that, Gates sat down with the Free Press to talk tech and show off a new device Microsoft will offer to dealership service garages.

The device, which can be built into a baseball cap or worn as a visor, contains a tiny piece of translucent plastic that projects the equivalent of a 17-inch computer screen before the wearer's eyes.

Microsoft says mechanics can use the $3,995 device to look simultaneously -- and hands-free -- at, say, a car engine and the computerized image of a wiring diagram.

'This is a very cool thing,' said Gates, who, despite a conservative dark-blue business suit and tie worn to fit in with the auto execs, seemed every bit the geek at heart as we talked about gizmos and gadgets."

Dean Wright, the Editor in Chief of MSNBC noted that many of their readers complained of the flyout menus. So they took them down.

I personally loved them - it made navigating the site much easier and I could easily scan new items as they appeared on the menus.

That said, they "listened" to their customers and implemented what they wanted. That's responding to the needs of their customers.

Editor's note: Turning off the 'flyout' - News - MSNBC.com

What does it take to be a good technologist?

Sure it takes a knack for technology, a desire to learn more. But what seperates those that like technology from those that can successfully apply it for their customers? Listening.

When you can step back and listen to what your customer is saying and remove your preconceived solutions, you set yourself apart from most of the other so-called technology professionals out there; and you will have a customer for life.

Listening. Give it a try.

(Via Engadget.)

Fascinating article. I didn't realize how the blogosphere was so dominated by teens.

Parents, we have got to be engaging and interacting with our kids. Know them, talk to them, hike with them, check up on them.

Kids, blogs and too much information - Consumer Security - MSNBC.com

I thought I'd post my response to this thread and article here:

Convertible Tablet PCs are what will make the Tablet PC concept successful. Not the other way around. If the only tablet PCs were slates, it would have died a long time ago.

After using a convertible, people will say "hey, you know what I don't really need a keyboard. Those slates look great." Or they may say "I love this convertible."

The thing is, choice (and better marketing) is what will make tablets successful, not a lack of choice.

Tablet PC Buzz.com - Forum

Great article by Mary Jo Foley on Longhorn readiness:

Will Your PC Be Ready for Longhorn?: "Microsoft isn't offering up many concrete specs for Longhorn PCs. But company officials are making some strong 'suggestions' as to what PC makers should be providing."

(Via Microsoft Watch from Mary Jo Foley.)

Good question, Loren. Where are the Tablets in this deployment?

Intel plans large deployments of Centrino systems in education: "

Intel posts its plans for a notebook platform tailored For Chinese university students. Hmmm. Where are the Tablets?

"

(Via Incremental Blogger.)

Great article by James Kendrick comparing the Ultra Mobile PC to the Sony U750

Comparing Gates' UM PC with the Sony U750: "

TabletPCBuzz.com is upgrading its' hardware tonight by moving to a new server. Until the dns settings make its' way around, you can get to the site through the temporary address:

http://dev.handecomputing.com/forum/

Some very interesting thoughts from Paul on his initial impressions of Longhorn, build 5048:

"I'm reflecting a bit on Longhorn 5048. My thoughts are not positive, not positive at all. This is a painful build to have to deal with after a year of waiting, a step back in some ways. I hope Microsoft has surprises up their sleeves. This has the makings of a train wreck. I'll have more on that later."

Tablet PC Buzz member DMDSoftware found some pics of the Thinkpad Tablet PC yesterday. Check them out

Are you looking to developer some heavy duty note taking applications for the Tablet PC? Well, this might be the opportunity you've been waiting for. Agilix has announced some very deep discounts for its Infinotes Professional version. It is being discounted 70% from $995 to $295 for a 1 seat license. This limited pricing is valid through April 30.

Agilix InfiNotes is a collection of .NET controls that add rich ink note-taking functionality to new and existing applications. InfiNotes is available in two versions--Standard and Professional Edition.

Thanks to TechSage for the link to the Windows Gallery. Check out these high res shots:

I've been reading several articles regarding Longhorn, its' features, and readiness - all talked about at WinHEC today. I can't wait to install the beta come summertime. I'm looking forward to trying out the new Tablet features.

Here is a choice quote from ZDNet:

Microsoft wouldn't say when that beta version will arrive, but Gates said the company is still focused on trying to release the final version of Longhorn in time to make it on PCs sold for the final couple of months of 2006.

"When I see those demos, I think, 'Gosh, let's get Longhorn done,'" Gates said. But he added that quality remains the top priority and warned that Microsoft could further change the timetable for the operating system if problems arise during testing.

Here is what I think will happen: the final couple of months of 2006 will turn into the 1st or 2nd quarter of 2007 for a release date. That means we are a good 2 years away from seeing Longhorn officially released. I bet we see a Service Pack 3 released for Windows XP before Longhorn hits that should take us to the release for Longhorn. Nothing wrong with that. However, I hope we see some good Tablet OS improvements before Longhorn hits, though, like trainable recognition.

Here is a picture courtesy of MSNBC of the Ultra Mobile PC 2007

Checkout Warner Crocker's new blog at
http://wickedstageact2.typepad.com/

Via TabletPCTalk.com:

INTRODUCING THE SCRIBBLER® SC 2200 WXA 1.1 TABLET PC: "Experience the versatility and mobility of a Scribbler® Tablet PC pre-installed with Microsoft® Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition. Electrovaya is pleased to announce the newest Scribbler® SC 2200 1.1 WXA using 1.1Ghz Intel® processor and powered by 75 Wh of Electrovaya's patented Lithium Ion SuperPolymer® battery technology. This extended battery allows the Scribbler® SC 2200 to run up to 9 hours on a single charge! Imagine the mobility! No other Tablet..."

(Via Tablet PC Talk News.)

Picked this up from Andre

Great post by Jerome pointing that Windows XP users already have their Tiger. In addition, it hasn't cost Windows XP users, while Apple users have had to shell out $516 for periodic updates in its' OS.

I posted a couple of days ago about the launch of StudentTabletPC.com forums. They've had a blog for a while, but the conversations and topics were generally one-way.

Its' very refreshing to see a Student Tablet PC focused place of discussion. Its' a site I will frequent on a daily basis, mainly just to listen and observe. I like to keep a finger on what the college / student crowd is up to. Their needs drive a lot of the innovation we see in the marketplace. If you are a devleoper looking for a product idea, it should be a place that you frequent on a regular basis.

Given the niche focus of StudentTablePC.com and the obvious demand, is there a market for other niche forums? I'm not real sure. Going beyond the college market, the needs and discussions are pretty much the same. Lawyers have specialized software needs, but they take notes just like the rest of us, they have hardware issues just like the rest of us.

College kids are social animals and love to talk just about everything during all times of the day and night. That kind of dialogue and participation will be a good thing for Tablet PCs as it will raise the "chatter" level a lot in this space. It will also bring to light some specialized needs of students. I don't know if they will be doing any advertising banners, but if you are looking for a great location to advertise, I'd suggest you contact Tracy or Trevor at StudentTabletPC.com

Great to see companies offering a real alternative to cheerleading camps that focus on modesty.

FOXNews.com - Foxlife - Interview - Christian Schools Clean Up Cheerleading

Great article by WNewquay on breaking down the size and resolution of the news Tecra M4 Tablet PC and how it compares to the M200 and TC1100. As to be expected from WNewquay, he goes beyond the call in his analysis.

Size Matters - Artist

I picked this up from Scoble. Worth a read if you want to see a few of the details that they are working on for IE 7.

IEBlog : IE7 beta 1 – A few details…

I don't think Chris was paying attention to my blog about wishing he would post more often, but just about a day after I posted about his blog, there he goes again posting a great entry about OneNote and how to use flags. Great read!

Check out the new StudentTabletPC.com forum

Subscribe to Paul Thurrots blog:

RSS Feed: http://www.windowsitpro.com/common/rss/Windows.xml
Website: http://www.windowsitpro.com/windowspaulthurrott/

Whenever Chris Pratley posts a new entry in his OneNote blog, I always head over to read it. He writes with a lot of thought and always provides plenty of meat to chew on. His posts are very thoughtful and they also provide a lot of insight into the products he manages and the reasons why they turned out the way they did.

I recently have gone back and reviewed many of his posts and they are quite refreshing and insightful. I just wish he would post more often.

First was the news on a "possible" upcoming Thinkpad Tablet PC, then a little bit of news on a new Motion Tablet PC and accessories, then Toshiba hits us with the new Tecra M4 Tablet PC - a powerhouse of a Tablet. A Table PC enthusiast couldn't ask for much more than that.

Overall, its' been a good quarter for Tablet PC announcements: Toshiba now has an R10 / R15, and the Tecra M4. No news on the future of the M200, though. HP released the TC4200 to compliment their TC1100. And now the IBM Thinkpad. Its' just going to get better.

What does all of this mean? The OEM's are gearing up for the back to school market. That's good news because they recognize this critical time frame for tablet sales and they appear to be rolling out units to appeal to broad interests and uses. Now comes the important part - get them into peoples hands, get them in to stores. Market the heck out of them. When I walk into Best Buy or Circuit City, I should expect to see the M4, the R15, the TC4200, the TC1100, the T4000, the ST5010, all alongside the other laptop offerings.

Here is a bit of speculation on my part: if the back to school response flops this year, then the OEMs are going to look back and question the viability of putting more money into this space. The software developers are going to question if the tablet market has peaked.

From a hardware perspective, there is no reason for it to flop. From a software perspective, there is enough there to make anyone see some of the benefits and fun from owning a Tablet PC.

Now - go market this thing and lets' really sell some Tablet PCs!

Great follow-up by WNewquay.

If I Knew Then What I Know Now - Part II - Investments: "

Continuing those notes to self, if I could post a letter back in time, this time I'm trying to prepare myself for some of the harder-to- quantify aspects of Tablet PC ownership. Let's talk about investments.

Link: If I knew then, what I know now... Part II - Investments

"

(Via Tablet PC - Thoughts and Ideas.)

Looks like a very nice ultra-portable. The weight is perfect at 2.16 pounds. But where's the inking support?



The libretto U100, Toshiba’s new ultralight laptop - Engadget - www.engadget.com /

Thanks to Warner Crocker for the info.

Check it out at TabletPCBuzz.com

Michelle Lee fell in love with the HP TC1100 and sees the benefits offered for notetaking. But she's crossing her fingers for an iTablet by Apple.

The Mosh Pit: iTablet?

Lora talks about some updates to the Channel9 Tablet PC Wiki. Tablet PC Developers should check it out.

What Is New in Tablet PCs? - Channel9 Wikis

If you havn't checked out these commercials and outtakes from CNN, you gotta head over there. They are fantastic. Some of them require that you register with CNN - worth it though.

The Wolfe Blitzer one with a sandwich, and Christiane Amanpour on "Eraq" are just great!

I've always struggled in the past with how best to deal with email. Lots of folks use David Allen's Getting Things Done method, but I have not been able to wrap my arms around it yet. So here is what I do:

1) I setup a rule for my regular recipients and topics that automatically moves them to their respective inbox folders upon receipt
2) I primarily work in the Unread mail search folder or mail view, so I'm only dealing with the email that is fresh. This view brings in all the email from my different folders.
3) When I'm finished reading it, I don't need to move it to its' proper folder because its' already there.
4) If its' something I need to work on later, I flag it. If I need to create a task or an appt from it, I'll drag it to the Task / Event icon.
5) Once or twice during the day, I'll move over to my High Priority or Flagged views and work on those. Again, they are still in their respective folders, just all grouped together.
6) Once a day, I'll scan my Junk Email folder for misflagged spam.
7) I generally keep all emails except for Junk and those I deem not important.

It works for me.

Lora posted about this site we might want to watch on April 25 . Say, isn't that the day Bill Gates gives his keynote at WinHEC?

They have a cool video and an RSS feed.

Saw this on Eric Mack's blog post - great stuff. You gotta read his blog to see the real story.



Eric Mack On-Line - www.EricMackOnline.com

From Loren Heiny:

TabletPCPost gets PC Mag mention: "

TabletPCPost gets a nice mention on PC Magazine's site:

'Tablet PCs are gaining popularity among mobile professionals and students. This site has a great collection of free and free-to-try software and utilities to enhance the tablet experience....'

"

(Via Incremental Blogger.)

Delivery date expected in July for the new Motion Tablet PC, along with a new revised keyboard attachment system.

Check it out on TabletPCBuzz.com

I got some more details on the IBM Thinkpad Tablet PC. Check them out at TabletPCBuzz.com

Monday Night Football is moving to ESPN (cable) in 2006. That really stinks. I don't have cable (too much trash and costs too much money) and I get all my news on the internet. So, to watch MNF, I'll have to pay $40 per month.

Whats' a guy to do.

Yahoo! News - 'Monday Night Football' Moving to ESPN

What I love about Michael's blog is the applicability of his posts. They are some of the most valuable "working smarter" tips I've read and I've really come to appreciate them.

Recovering the Lost Art of Note-Taking

I spend most of my work life in meetings. Note-taking is a survival skill. Yet, I am surprised at how few people bother to take notes in meetings. Those who do sometimes express frustration at how ineffective the exercise seems to be. In this post, I’d like to expound on why I think you should take notes in meetings and then offer a few suggestions on how to do it better.

Now this looks like a scanner I could really use with my Tablet PC!



Tiny scanner can handle big tasks - Tech News & Reviews - MSNBC.com

Adobe to buy Macromedia for $3.4 billion - U.S. Business News - MSNBC.com

When your wife approaches you with a color swatch from Sherwin Williams - run. Run like a mad man.

I'm really proud of my son, Dax. He crossed over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts last month after earning his Arrow of Light. He's going on his first official Boy Scout campout this weekend. We spent yesterday getting his gear ready. Its' exciting to see him grow up.

He's already becoming a God-centered young man. It will be exciting to see how He uses him to impact this world.

In response to a blog post by , Warner has carried on the conversation at TabletPCBuzz.com.

I don't buy the laptop "barrier" issue that many people bring up - I think its' a marketing created issue that many people have bought into. However, I enjoy meetings more with my tablet than with laptop. I can sit in a chair across from the other participant and work on my tablet, take notes. You can't do that with a laptop - too many balancing issues. With that, I don't find the Tablet PC to be disrupting at all - its' just as natural as a notepad (once the initial "what is that" is over).

I think we will get less of that as more people get Tablet PCs. Lora was telling me last night that all of the stores she went to in the Seattle area were sold out of Tablet PCs. The R15's are selling fast.

Tablet PC Buzz.com - Forum

I really like Eric's blog - good mix of technology and life. In my opinion, that's a good thing. WCrocker is pondering creating seperate blogs for technology, work, etc - keep it as is.

Eric Mack On-Line - www.EricMackOnline.com

Excellent post primarily using his Tablet PC. You get to follow his thought pattern in writing the article and get the personal touch. Gotta start doing this on my own blog. Its' alot of work right now, though: right the article, snip it, ftp it to my website, go to my blog and reference the image location. Gotta be a better way.

Neville's Financial Blog: Rising Trend: Tablet PC's

As a user of the Treo 650, I've been following Omar's blog about using the Treo 650. I, too, find it to be a wonderful combination of a phone and PDA. I've use 3 or 4 devices and have found the 650 to be the best.

He draws some good comparisons between it and a Windows Smart Phone.

Treo 650 Review Part 2

Why I Ditched My Tablet PC: "

Several people have posted comments, asking why I ditched my Tablet PC a couple of months ago. They were particularly interested since last June I purchased a tablet and enthusiastically endorsed it. In addition to the comments, several people emailed me about my experience. So, I have decided to address the issue publicly and put it to rest.

Read his blog for the full article. Some very insightful thoughts, especially about notetaking. Bottomline for Michael: He got tired of fighting with Windows.

Check it out on TabletPCBuzz.com

Nice work by James by figuring out the screen resolution on the Ruby prototype. Personally, I think I would enjoy a screen that size.

Ruby screen resolution speculation

Great job on the Googleized logo:

If this is a prototype portable Tablet PC, I'd love to have one!

http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news_9485.html

Just spent an hour with Steve Hoffman, ActiveInk Software, going over their forms software package. I was very impressed with what one could do with the form after it was saved: persist to xml, a database, etc. Very nice tool. Great tool for the sales guy, on-the-road computer tech, or offfice.

Check them out.

Since purchasing my Powerbook G4 last month, I'm really starting to enjoy it.

I still don't know how much I like Entourage, though. Somethings are just quicker to do in Outlook, like flagging emails, etc. What I do like about Entourage is that you can view newsgroups within it. I wish they would offer a threaded view of the newsgroups, though.

SpamSieve is doing a wonderful job at catching my spam. Much better than anything I've used for Outlook. Its' a bit of a pain to setup, but once its' done, it works.

Tiger is going to be very interesting.

I should note here that I'm posting these comments from a personal standpoint and not as a moderator on TabletPCBuzz.com.

If you are a faithful reader of my blog, you know my personal beliefs.

There was a post on TabletPCBuzz.com that really concerned me (note: link is to a picture that you might not want to view). A forum member drew a picture using his new tablet pc and titled the drawing "naughty schoolgirl". Now, people can draw whatever they want, but once they post it publicly, its' open to praise, scrutiny, etc. The artist is actually pretty good and has a wonderful talent. What concerned me about this picture was the following:

1) The artist was obviously drawing a teenage girl, busting out of her shirt, holding herself. The artist will later claim that she was 18, but its' pretty obvious otherwise (from the title, her clothing, etc). He tells us later that she's a catholic schoolgirl.
2) The fact that all of the other responders to the thread loved the picture and didn't see anything wrong with it.
3) I voiced my concerns about the appropriateness of such a picture ( and got hammered BTW), how I found it degrading and dishonoring to women, and what other women who happened upon the thread would feel.
4) The picture was laid out for everyone to see whether we wanted to view it or not.

The personal attacks didn't bother me. That just showed the immaturity of the posters. However, it saddened me a great deal that everyone who posted saw nothing wrong with the picture and in fact went nuts over it. Whats more, I was the only one who posted with a concern (except for Spencer when he locked the thread due to the personal attacks).

Is that what we, as men, have become? My goodness, she's a teenage girl and they are viewing her as a sex object and loving it! What's worse is how women have become degraded and nobody seems to care. Women are to be honored and lifted up, not beaten down. Teenage girls and their images are to be protected and not open to lustful fantasies. If we as men don't stand up to protect them, who will?

I will say that in my resonse to that thread I should have noted that I was posting from a personal standpoint and not speaking as a moderator. That's my fault for not making that clear.

Since Motion Computing was mentioned as a possible participating OEM in Mary Jo Foley's e-book Tablet PC article, I queried Motion Computing's PR Manager. This is their response:

"Motion listens to customer feedback on its products, so we're always investigating new technologies. There's interest among our vertical market customers in both larger and smaller tablet PCs. We'll certainly be in touch when we have product news, but Motion does not comment on future product speculation."

After viewing the new inkable forums at Channel 9, Ross wants ink support on every PC. Now that's what I'm talking about!

Scoble spots ink: " Scoble:

'Channel 9 just added Tablet PC support to its forums'

At first glance, this got a cynical 'So what.' reaction from me. But for some reason, I clicked through to C9 to see what was up first hand.

My cynicism quickly yielded to a big smile. Technology is becoming more

useful, rich and...human, every day. Very cool stuff. Now we just need

ink support on every PC and every web site to support ink!

Ink on everything.

From Random Bytes...by Ross Rader (feed)
See also links to this feed and more from this feed

"

(Via Feedster Search: tablet pc.)

John Hill from Allegiance Technology Partners reported to me this morning that Acer has communicated to him that they have discontinued the C110 Tablet PC. I don't have a link to share yet, but here is the text that John received from Acer.

TravelMate C110 Tablets - Discontinued

All models in the TravelMate C110 Series of convertible tablets are now discontinued. They are available only while channel stock lasts.

Checkout the Channel 9 site - features ink support now! While you are there, be sure to checkout the cool videos as well.

Do you ever read something and say to yourself "I wish I would have wrote that". This piece by WNewquay is just that. Very well done!

If I Knew Then, What I Know Now: "

Here's a collection of thoughts I would put in a letter and send to myself in a time machine. The date: A couple of weeks before I purchased my first Tablet PC.

Link: If I Knew Then, What I Know Now

"

(Via Tablet PC - Thoughts and Ideas.)

Saw this on TabletPCBuzz.com last week. Might be something for Table PC Evangelists to check out.

Are you computer savvy? Do you love working with new products and introducing them to consumers? We may have the perfect job for you!

The Eleven Agency is currently seeking staff for our nationwide in-store Tablet PC demo program!

Program Goal:
Our team of friendly, knowledgeable sales representatives will work in retail stores to generate excitement and spread knowledge about the Tablet PC in Consumer Electronic stores nationwide, as well as educate and excite store associates about the product.

TabletPCBuzz.com

I saw this on the dashboard page of Blogger.com....something seems little wrong with this picture:

Two Things
A problem with the problem page is being fixed and the new recover post feature is offline for a bit while we make some adjustments.

If Blogger has a problem with their problem page, then they have a real problem. The problem is how do you notify folks that they no longer have a problem with their problem page? Do they say "The problem with the problem page is fixed."? That would mean that they no longer have a problem page, correct?

I picked up on Chad's Tabtip-Tamer via the Tablet PC Show Podcast. There is an updated version from Chad and an explanation on what it does. Kudos to Chad!

Looks like something Microsoft might want to investigate.

Great post by Lora on WhatIsNew - great job in calling out the inaccuracies and trying to correct people's understanding of Tablet PC technology. I had to do something similar with another blog post yesterday.



What Is New in Tablet PCs? - Well Meaning People Spreading Incorrect Information

Saw a link to this from TabletPCBuzz.com

The Toshiba M205 Tablet PC is selling for $1300 at compusa. I'd highly recommend you check this out if you are in the market for a Tablet PC. This is a steal.

Looks like they are readying for the yet announced Tecra M4 Tablet PC and stocking the R15.

Its' a great time to be wanting a Tablet PC!

They reference that Pew study which has been heavily slammed about lately.

'Podcasts' explore universe of topics: "Read full story for latest details."

(Via CNN.com - Technology.)

I love seeing entries like this, people excited about getting a Tablet PC. Jason Hamilton just got a new TC1100 and he's pumped!

Jason Hamilton's blog

Picked this up via Robert Scoble - a homemade commercial on Tiger Wood's Masterful golf shot on the 16th tee: Jaffe Juice: Tiger did it a.k.a. the next Nike Commercial

Saw this via Warner's blog, specs concerning a new Tecra M4 Tablet PC, as discussed by TechSage.

Kudos to HP on shipping the TC4200, but mainly for hitting a great price point on their new Tablet PC: $1599 for a 1.73 ghz, 512mb of RAM, and 40gb harddrive (smart buy model). Not mention 802.11 b/g wireless.

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=740963

I've heard of prices in the low $1500 range as well.

Along with moves by Toshiba with R10/R15, we are finally starting to see some aggressive pricing on the Tablet PC convertible front. I think its' time for Fujitsu to start getting price competitive.

Check her blog for the full article

Intro For New Tablet PC ISVs: "

Developers and software vendors are learning about Microsoft's Tablet PC Partner program. It's really been fun to watch the number of companies grow in the last several weeks. Now, we need to be able to keep all of these products straight So, if you're developing software that incorporates Tablet PC features, sign up to be a Partner.

(Via Lora.)

Visit his blog to read it all.

OneNote for Audio and Video Notes: "

I thought I would share with you some of the more interesting things people are doing with OneNote - especially with media. In the course of my job I get to interact with all sorts of OneNote users, and some of them do some pretty interesting things. People are using OneNote media recording for all sorts of things: interviews, focus groups, training, theatre rehearsal, conference calls, financial analyst briefings, meetings, brainstorming sessions, lectures, court proceedings, inspections, house-hunting, baby diaries, audio journals, you name it.

(Via Chris_Pratley's OneNote WebLog.)

Snipping Tool 1.0 has been accessible via TabletPCPost.com for the last couple of weeks since Microsoft removed it from the tablet pc power toy page. But today, the file started disappearing from the Microsoft servers, thus being no longer available for download.

Several of us are trying to get Microsoft to put the snipping tool 1.0 back on the powertoy page until they release Snipping Tool 2.0 for non-english users. No promises, but we're trying.

For those non-English Tablet PC users that need the Snipping Tool, but can't install via the Experience Pack, the 1.0 version is still available via TabletPCPost.com . The link has been removed from the Microsoft PowerToy page, but the download from TabletPCPost.com still works (for now)...Grab it while you can.

There has been a lot of buzz on the new Experience Pack, and rightly so. They are a collection of some much improved utlities, as well as some new utilities that let us show off some of what you can do with a Tablet PC.

That said, here are some things that need to be addressed rather quickly by Microsoft
1) Release non-English versions, or at least let the Experience Pack install utilities that are language independent like the Snipping Tool. Now users outside the English language can't even download the a Snipping Tool because the old one is no longer available on the power toy page. Overall, the lack of the non-English versions is generating the loudest noise.

2. Performance of the Ink Desktop . Lots of reports about performance issues, installing, startup and stability. BTW: inking on the desktop is great, but we really need a way to do something with the ink besides copying the entire screen, like a Lasso tool. My belief is that people who try inking on the desktop and really like it will want OrangeGuava. If they don't care for it, they won't use it and will stick with Journal or StickyNotes.

3. Stability of the Crossword Puzzle - Lots of reports about the Crossword puzzle crashing when about 80% complete.

So, when can we expect Service Pack 1 for the Experience Pack?

Here is a good thread to follow on TabletPCBuzz.com

OrangeGuava 1.2 preview is available. Email beta at orangeguava.com for the download link.

Tom Clarkson's Blog

How to Start a Blog: "

(Via Working Smart.)

hmm...wonder what Evan is up to ----- any guesses?

Calling all computer detectives....: "

Evan Feldman--the first employee of the Tablet group--is working on a secret project that was presented at the recent Executive Retreat. He doesn't say what it is. Only teases. Hmmm. Any guesses?

"

(Via Incremental Blogger.)

Some fabulous thoughts by Warner and WNewquay on what is a Tablet PC. I highly you to read them.

Life on the Wicked Stage: Wnewquay Ponders: What IS a Tablet PC?

Came across this while reading through Scoble. Darren's got some very interesting thoughts on podcasting.

I really appreciate what James Kendrick and Marc Orchant are doing on the Tablet PC Show podcast, and I've enjoyed the first set of shows. They are doing a great service to the Tablet PC Community.

That said, except for the Tablet PC Show, I have yet to listen to another podcast. Why? Hitting upon what Darren brought up, I can skim lots of blog entries from lots' of people and news sources rather quickly. However, I can't do the same thing with a podcats. In addition, by the time topics get podcasted, people who would tend to listen to a podcast have already written or read about the topic, so a news show a week later summarizing that news becomes irrelevant and a waste of time. In addition, if transcripts to a podcast get published, what's the point of the podcast? I can search and read the pertient info from the podcast without actually listening to it, and move on.

What do I like about the possibility of podcasts? Interviews. I love interviews with people who I only read about. I want to hear their voices. If all The Tablet PC Show did was produce quality interviews with OEM's, movers and shakers in the industry, I'd be thrilled. There is no venue to physically hear from these people other than at a conference. Most of those folks don't participate in forums or newsgroups. I want to connect with them and catch their vision. Podcasting interviews can do some of that. Getting them to blog can reallllly do that.

Anyway, that's my two cents worth. Read through Darren's thoughts and post your comments.

Why I'm Not Smoking the Podcasting Dope | Darren Barefoot

Checkout http://www.whitsend.org/somethingbig/secretsout.htm and listen at http://www.whitsend.org/kidsradio

Congratulations to James Kendrick on his Tablet PC MVP award - well deserved.

Microsoft MVP award: "

I am thrilled to inform you readers that I have received a Microsoft MVP award. The Microsoft Most Valued Professional (MVP) program is best summed up on the MVP website:

The Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Program recognizes and thanks outstanding members of technical communities for their community participation and willingness to help others. The program celebrates the most active community members from around the world who provide invaluable online and offline expertise that enriches the community experience and makes a difference in technical communities featuring Microsoft products.

My MVP award is in the Tablet PC category and I am honored to have been considered for the award and very glad to receive this recognition from Microsoft. Don't worry, I will still call them to the carpet if they need it. :)

"

(Via jkOnTheRun.)

New Copernic version fixes problem on the Tablet: "

Copernic has moved quickly to fix the problem with the Desktop Search application that was having problems on Tablet PCs. They have given me permission to post the download link to a new program build which fixes the problem with the flickering desktop bar. It is only necessary for users with Tablet PCs who wish to use the program. I have been using it for a day and it works perfectly. Kudos to Copernic for making this interim version available.

Copernic Desktop Search 1.5 build for Tablet PC owners

"

(Via jkOnTheRun.)

Well, we have some fantastic news to report: According to the scan she had yesterday, the neuroradiologist, and the oncologist, Maggie’s tumor is now completely gone. There is no further trace of her tumor.

In meeting with the oncologist today, he said that if they don’t see any recurrence by the end of this year, then the chances of it recurring again are very slim. We talked about following the radiation up with chemo just to be sure; but he felt like the negatives far outweighed the benefits in this case, especially considering the amount of radiation she received and how poorly she handled chemo.

When I gave Maggie the news yesterday, she gave me the biggest and tightest hug. Her face was radiant and just full of joy.

So, where does Maggie go from here? She’s still having seizures and those have to be addressed. We meet with the brain surgeon on Monday to address her scan and the seizure issue. The next step will probably be a more extensive MRI that will isolate the exact area of the seizures. This type of MRI is brand new technology, it wasn’t available to us last year. After isolating the seizures, we’ll then talk about options: additional medicine and / or additional surgery. Its’ likely that if surgery happens, it would involve either removing some damaged brain tissue or removing the entire right temporal lobe of her brain. However, it probably won’t happen until sometime next year.

I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that we are taking this wonderful news lightly. Its’ the best news that Maggie has received in close to two years. But Maggie’s case has been complicated from the beginning, and there have been many misdiagnoses. That said, we have no choice but to live as though she is now cancer free and we have to continue to do so until proven otherwise. To not do that is to live in fear, and our Father has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

Maggie has a long road of recovery ahead of her. She’s regressed to about a 1st grade level intellectually. She knows it and it really hurts her. She meets with therapists almost every day of the week.

Please pray that our entire family will live in joy and not fear, and that God would grant our hearts and lives peace.

Rob Bushway
www.zoeinc.com/forums

You have got to read Warner Crocker's script.. it is fantastic.


Tablet PC Buzz.com - Forum

The first publicly available pictures and specs of the new transparent TC1100-T Tablet PC.

http://www.tabletpcbuzz.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=23601

Check out TabletPCBuzz.com for the official announcement.