Tuesday, May 31, 2005


 

TabletPCBuzz.com update

TabletPCBuzz.com could be down for at least a day or two while Spencer recovers from a harddrive failure.

 

Rumor - Averatec C3600?

TabletPCReviewSpot.com is reporting that an Averatec C3600 Tablet PC is in the works....check it out.

 

TabletPCBuzz.com is currently down

TabletPCBuzz.com is currently experiencing some hardware difficulties and is down. Spencer does not have an ETA on when it will be back up.

As soon as I hear something, I'll post an entry on my blog.

Rob Bushway

 

Duo Touch Tablet PC announced

Itronix Corp., a world-class
developer of wireless, rugged mobile computing solutions, today introduced the
Duo-Touch Tablet PC, a next-generation, portable, wireless, rugged slate
tablet PC for mobile professionals in industries such as telecommunications,
utilities, government, and insurance. The Duo-Touch feature updates include
the Intel(R) Pentium(R) M processor 733 from Intel Corporation, integrated
GPS, more memory, a brighter display, and a more rugged case. The name
"Duo-Touch" refers to the new dual-mode touch panel, which provides both a
passive touch screen and standard digitizer, or "active," touch screen. The
Duo-Touch Tablet PC will be available for delivery in June 2005.
The Duo-Touch Tablet PC is based on the Intel(R) Pentium(R) M processor
733 and the Mobile Intel(R) 915GM Express Chipset, making it faster than the
original GoBook Tablet PC. As a result, the system also delivers better
performance without compromising battery life, as well as superior thermal
management. The Duo-Touch utilizes the Microsoft Windows XP(R) Tablet PC
Edition(R) operating system, making the Duo-Touch extremely user-friendly to
field workers already familiar with the XP operating system.


 

Tablet PCs and DVDs

Anybody have experience watching DVDs on their Tablet PC? Read the following blog and leave a comment for this guy:

Tablet PCs and DVDs: "

My dream purchase at the moment is a Tablet PC. It's out of my price league at the moment but I was wondering how these perform with DVD movies. The slate shape makes it perfect for sitting up in bed watching a DVD on it but I guess these kind of computers would die faster than my laptop does under such conditions. Has anyone had any experience with Tablet PCs and DVDs and especially in more cosy situations such as the one above?


From Why the hell aren't you interested in God, TS2, Paul Auster, VB.net and DVD commentaries?? (feed)
See also links to this feed and more from this feed

"


Monday, May 30, 2005


 

Drawing like Roman 101

its' great what you pickup through a Feedster search on Tablet PC. This guy creates his drawings using a Wacom tablet and Mac. Hilarious illustrations and quite beneficial to the Tablet PC artists as well.

Drawing like Roman 101
Since so many people ask the process I go through to create these works, I thought I'd whip up a quicky guide to help budding artists follow the process it took to create this piece of art. Please forgive the crudeness of the drawings. I spent like 20 minutes.
It is really simple.

(Via Feedster Search: tablet pc.)



 

Designing apps for the Tablet PC

The Lost Brooklyn Guy has been getting trained to design apps for the Tablet PC. Wonder if he's looked in to Agilix's InfiNotes? Wonder what kind of apps he's going to be working on. Whatever they are, he's excited about the possibility of trying something new and interesting. Good luck and let us know what happens.

Back At Last: " Okay, okay … it has been way over a month since last I have posted. I have been really busy. Work has me getting ready to be trained in designing programs for the Tablet PC platform. Does this mean I will get more money? That is doubtful ...

From The Lost Brooklynguy (feed)
See also links to this feed and more from this feed

"



(Via Feedster Search: tablet pc.)



 

School about to take a serious look at Tablet PCs.

This from TU Tablet - apparently he thinks that his school / faculty is finally ready to begin taking the Tablet PC seriously. Wonder what school?

Startup: " The Tablet PC was introduced on my birthday in 2002. My first Fujitsu Tablet PC arrived around the first of December that year. Two and a half years later, four other faculty members (of sixty) have adopted Tablets and I am on my second Fujitsu. It's been a long, slow process, but the school seems ready to take the Tablet seriously.

From TU Tablet (feed)
See also links to this feed and more from this feed

"



(Via Feedster Search: tablet pc.)



 

Productivity increase with a Tablet PC docking station

Loved this post from J. Matthew Buchanan because of its' practical look at the productive benefits from his M205 Tablet PC and recently purchased docking station.

Tablet PC Update: I'm loving it, but here's an extra $300 I wish I had spent when I bought the thing

 

Acer C310 Tablet PC launched

Acer has launched their newest C300 series, the C310:

*Intel® Centrino™ mobile technologies
* Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730/740/750/760/770
* Intel® 915GM Express chipset (UMA graphics)
* Intel® 915PM Express chipset (discrete graphics)
* NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 6200 graphics with TurboCache
* Integrated Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200BG network connection (dual-band 802.11b/g) Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ solution, supporting Acer SignalUp wireless technology
* Microsoft® Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition preloaded
* 14.1" TFT LCD supporting EMR pen-based input
* 256/512 MB DDR SDRAM, upgradable to 2GB
* 40/60 /80/100 GB or higher
* Built in DVD/CD-RW combo and DVD -super Multi double layer
* 326 × 272 × 3 6.5 /39 mm
* 2. 89 kg with DVD/CD-RW combo drive


Thanks for the tip, Brandon.

 

Tablet PC Show #10 is live

Fantastic show guys. I think you are hitting your stride. its' becoming one of those "must visit" resources.

The Tablet PC Show #10

 

Organizing with GoBinder

Great post by Tracy Hooten at www.StudentTabletPC.com on how she uses GoBinder, one of my favorite note taking applications for the Tablet PC. She shares some great tips that she has learned over the past several years.

Organizing with GoBinder


 

TabletPCBlogs.com has launched

Layne Heiny has just launched www.TabletPCBlogs.com, a place where any Tablet PC fan can create their own blog. Great job, Layne!

Thanks for letting us know, Scoble.

Sunday, May 29, 2005


 

Mobile PC Sales To Drive Global Market

This from a recent Gartner survey, courtesty of MediaCenterPCWorld.com:

Worldwide PC sales will grow by 10% in the next year say analysts Gartner, but for a change the driving force appears to be mobile devices such as notebooks and tablet PCs. Desktop sales only will rise by just over 4%, but portable PCs will see a massive increase in shipments of 26.5%.

"Mobile PCs are continuing to attract more new users as mobile prices fall and wireless becomes more pervasive," said George Shiffler, principal analyst for Gartner's Client Platforms research. "Growing numbers of users are replacing their old desktops with more portable mobiles, and this is one of several factors helping to boost mobile PC growth."


If you are a developer, you might want to be concentrating on the mobile market, in particular the Tablet PC market.

 

Google News and RSS

Why isn't the Google News page RSS enabled?

Saturday, May 28, 2005


 

barely browsing

Since I began using an RSS aggregator about 9 months ago, my web browsing has whittled down a great deal. The only time I browse the web is when I want to post a comment on a blog, buy something, read TabletPCBuzz.com or read a full text entry from the news. Everything else comes through my news aggregator and I just scan for headlines that interest me.

That's a major productivity boost. As RSS moves past the geek stage and into more mainstream use, I wonder what this will mean for websites? It means they better get with the RSS game and look at integrating ad streams in their feeds.

Take a look at Focus on the Family, for example. They are the largest Christian ministry, and most well known. They have a daily radio show, several news programs, tons of magazine sites, and feature breaking news on u.s. and world events. Now that is a site begging for RSS implementation.

 

XML and Netscape 8 issues

From the IEBlog:

Netscape 8 and Internet Explorer's XML Rendering: "

We’ve just confirmed an issue that has started to be reported on newsgroups and forums that after installing Netscape 8 the XML rendering capabilities of Internet Explorer no longer work. That means that if you navigate in IE to an XML file such as an RSS feed http://msdn.microsoft.com/xml/rss.xml or an XML file with an XSLT transformation applied then rather than seeing the data you are presented with a blank page.

We currently have the following work around for people that are hitting this issue:

  1. Uninstall Netscape 8
  2. START->RUN
    1. Type: regedit
    2. Hit ENTER
    3. Navigate to the following:
    4. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Plugins\Extension
    5. Highlight and right-click the node titled 'xml' and select delete.
    6. Restart Internet Explorer

Unfortunately if Netscape 8 remains installed then the registry key is continually rewritten so this is an essential step if you are to be able to view XML content in IE.

We are currently continuing our investigation and are looking forward to working with Netscape to resolve this issue.
Thanks
-Dave

"



(Via IEBlog.)



 

Joseph at GeekyInfo considered a Tablet PC - too expensive

Joseph was replacing his Sony Vaio and seriously considered a Tecra M4 Tablet PC. In the end, though, it was too much money. Take a read:

As readers of this blog would know, I am quite keen on the tablet pc platform. After seeing Cameron Reilly’s tablet I was keen to investigate whether I could get a good tablet pc for my new notebook. I thought that as I attend many meetings, the tablet pc might be good for note-taking etc, as long as it operated as a normal notebook as well. That eliminated a pure slate tablet but there were a few good options in terms of ones that could be use either way.

As I looked at the tablet’s available in Australia, I discovered that essentially you pay an extra 1000 dollars for a lower spec’d machine. Again, as this is my primary computer I couldn’t justify it. The only tablet that I would have considered to have the specifications that would have been sufficient would have been the ‘eric mack’ tablet in the Toshiba M4. But the price is just too prohibitive at the moment.

I did briefly consider purchasing a desktop for the office and a cheaper (maybe refurbished) tablet for ‘on the go’ use. But, my experience in simplifying my computers, as mentioned previously, has been too good.

So, I reluctantly decided not to move to the tablet platform this time.


So, we now have the Scoble phone and the Eric Mack tablet.

Friday, May 27, 2005


 

got a mention in Fortune

As you might imagine, the activity level on my blog picked up quite bit this past week with the apple tablet post. I joked around with a friend of mine that I pulled my Google ads about two weeks too early!

While perusing my referral list, I noticed that Fortune picked up on the top and also mentioned my blog, as well as Paul Thurrott's. Pretty cool.

What this really shows is that the interest level in such a device is really high. It also shows that Microsoft was dead on when launching the Tablet PC and doing a superb job when they did it. IBM following suit with their new ThinkPad Tablet PC further solidifies the future of this platform.

Other sites of interest where my blog was referenced:

Engadget
AppleInsider
MacDailyNews
MacRumors
MacSurfer
AppleLinkage
MacGeneration
MacNews
AppleTalk

 

cnn: Portability on the move in the new PC era

Pretty good article over at cnn.com on portable computing. They don't mention Tablet PCs in particular, but they do point to this interesting stat:

IDC predicts that worldwide sales of traditional desktop PCs -- which have grown non-stop since their introduction in the late 1970s and early '80s -- will peak in major developed markets like the United States around 2009 and then start to decline.

Around the same time, IDC forecasts more nimble laptop computers will overtake their stodgier desktop cousins in unit sales, accounting for 55 percent of the 80 million units expected to ship for the year.


 

LE1600 delayed

Apparently demand for the Motion's LE1600 has been much greater than anticipated. My tablet was supposed to ship on 5/27 (today). I just found out that its' been delayed to June 14th.

 

Google Print

From WebProNews:

Google Print has entered and cataologued a huge number of books from various libraries in the U.S. and put them into an online library of sorts and continues to do so. The massive undertaking will cover both books in the public domain, which will be put in their entirety on line, and copyrighted material, which will contain a very small portion of the book, maybe just a sentence or two in some cases

Thursday, May 26, 2005


 

Hilton Locke of Microsoft's Tablet PC team starts blogging

Hilton Locke (TabBlogger) is a test engineer on the Tablet PC Platform team. He's just started a new blog. This would be a good one to add to your subscriber list, especially if you like to hear about Tablet PC developments. Look for weekly posts.

 

More from Paul on the Apple / Intel report.

Good to see some more verification. I agree with Paul, I hope it all pans out.

Now, Fortune is corroborating my OS X on Intel report


 

IBM X41 Tablet PC listed for sale on IBM / Lenovo site

Its' not available for shipping yet, but some folks at the Thinkpads forum found where several models of the Thinkpad X41 Tablet PC is listed for sale on the IBM / Lenovo site.

The pricing is not available and they don't have pictures, but this is a sign that an official announcement is pretty close. One of the tablet listings shows availability in 15 days.

Go to page three on this link.

Thanks for the tip, Andros.

 

My friends Rob and Lee

Some dear friends of ours just learned of some very distressing news.

Lee, Rob's wife, has been battling colon cancer for about 5 months, going to chemo every other week. She only had 3 more treatments to go. She had a CAT scan done this week, and the cancer has now spread to her liver. Half the battle of beating cancer is not losing hope. This kind of news make that very difficult.

Pray for Lee, in her 40's and the mother of 4 young children. Pray for Rob, her husband, that he can guide their family through a time when everything seems dark and the only light you see is what is directly in front of you.

 

IE 7 and Tabbed Browsing:

Get the scoop on how the IE Team plans to implement tabbed browing in IE7. This from the Microsoft IE Team Blog.

IE7 Tabbed Browsing Implementation: "

Hey, I’m Tony Schreiner, a developer on the IE team. I’ve been working on IE for a little over a year, and at Microsoft for over six years. My personal blog is over here, but I'm posting on the official IE blog to help consolidate useful information about IE7.

My role has been to re-architect IE to support tabbed browsing. This work began last year and includes building a new frame (top-level window and chrome), sorting out how to host and switch between multiple instances of the browser, and managing communication between the various internal components.

There have been a lot of questions and speculation about IE7's tabbed browsing feature, so I wanted to give an overview of some of the work we've done that you can look forward to seeing in Beta 1.



 

Photo blogging on the Treo with Splashblog

If there is anyone who will get the most out of there Treo 650, its' Marc Orchant. Checkout his post on photoblogging with the Treo 650

Photo blogging on the Treo with Splashblog


 

Getting kids interested in computers:

Some great ideas by Eric Mack. What I like about the ideas is that they involve the parent and the kid - its' called interaction.

How to get your kids interested in computers?


 

HPClean: LE1600 reviewed

HPClean has the first hands on review of the LE1600. Lots of good pictures. Site is in French.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005


 

Pain with the raw emotions

I just got through reading Michael Giagnocavo blog about losing his newborn baby, Mei. Tragic. His entries and the story will bring you to your knees.

Thanks for posting think, Robert.

 

installed Tiger for my Powerbook

I finally bit the bullet and installed Tiger. I have to tell you, I'm not too keen on paying for the minor upgrade, especially when I'm used to getting service pack ugprades from MSFT for free.

That said, the upgrade to fix some network connectivity issues I had. Before, I would have to authenticate to each of my SMB shares even though I added them to my keychain. Now, I can just go straight to the SMB drive.

One of the bad things I noticed was that it wiped out my hosts file. I'm going to need to setup that file again so I can hit my local websites inside my firewall

 

Nokia Internet Tablet

The Nokia Internet Tablet looks pretty cool. I can see a device like that in my home. In particular, my wife would use something like that. It could be hidden away in a kitchen drawer and brought out when needed.

Read more at Engadget


Tuesday, May 24, 2005


 

Paul Thurrott on the Apple Tablet and Intel

Paul Thurrott is getting some of the same info I'm getting. He posts his thoughts.

Monday, May 23, 2005


 

Palm's LifeDrive

With the announcement by Samsung and their development of high capacity flash drives, this PalmDrive looks to be too pricey considering what we could end up by the end of year.

I'll be waiting a while..

Great discussion on the Samsung drive and Palm's LifeDrive over at Engadget:

 

AMD and Tablet PCs?

Could be a good thing for prices.

AMD Renews Bid for Set-Tops, Tablet PCs: " Advanced Micro Devices has released the AMD Geode LX, a low-power processor that the company hopes will help it achieve its 'x86 Everywhere' strategy.

From Moreover - Semiconductor industry news (feed)
See also links to this feed and more from this feed

"



(Via Feedster Search: tablet pc.)



 

OneNote Powertoy Competition

Checkout this OneNote Powertoy competition, via Marc Orchant. Hope we see some good Tablet PC apps come out of this.

OneNote PowerToy contest

 

LE1600 in-depth

Great article by James Kendrick on the LE1600. Based on the article, you'd think he'd have is hands on a unit already. Its' that detailed.

In-depth look at the Motion LE1600 Tablet PC\

 

Choosing between a laptop and a Tablet PC

Great article by Jeff Van West on choosing between a laptop and a Tablet PC.

Tablet PC vs. Laptop: How Do You Choose?

I admit it. I'm a Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 evangelist. Recently, two friends, Chris and Frank, asked me for advice about purchasing a new computer. In both cases, I suggested they consider a Tablet PC. I guided them to specific models that would best meet their work styles and needs. In this article, I'll tell you what they decided and why they made those decisions. Their stories may help you choose between a laptop computer and a Tablet PC.

 

Testing the TC4200 Tablet PC

Looks like John, an R&D manager from Virginia Beach will be testing out his new TC4200 Tablet PC. Let us know how it goes!

When does the fun end?


 
A 16gb flash based disk for a Tablet PC?

Sounds great!

Samsung develops flash-based disk: " Disks will have a capacity of up to 16GB; first disks will target sub-notebooks and tablet PCs.
Photo: Samsung's solid-state disk Copyright: Copyright ©1995-2005 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved.

From CNET News.com (feed)
See also links to this feed and more from this feed

"



(Via Feedster Search: tablet pc.)



 

Apple Tablet PC sightings

Got this from a source of mine. Treat as speculation, but thought it might be good to throw it out there and let the public chew on:

I have no less than 5 sources saying an Apple Tablet
announcement is due soon. Or something, as some of
these press people (Apple diehards at that), who
normally cared not about Tablets, and thought it was
all just Microsoft vaporware, are suddenly so
interested in the Tablet PC concept, and asking tons
of questions. Pretty easy to read those tea leaves, so
somethings up.

And the Intel talks are for battery saving Sonoma-like
Powerbook and Tablet tech, I'd heard this 3-4 weeks
ago from 3 sources, and other sources talked as it
just hit WSJ today. Everyone is speculating just ARM
or Embedded hits per iPod or like, but I'd heard more
for Powerbooks...etc.

Anyways, what I'd heard, word on street at least.

...And it exists, honest, seen a prototype. Instant On,
ASUS-Tatung whiteish looking, running a reduced
version of OSX, with some funky start-up PDA like
Apple icon menu. Touch only (white touch pen), least
the version I saw. Dunno if it will make it to market,
but I think what I saw, is what these NDA-signing
reporters have saw. Played with it for maybe 5 mins
before it was wisked away.

Some sort of weird Sonomaish slash Power PC hybrid,
not sure I get it. Customized Intel something.

Sunday, May 22, 2005


 

Tablet PCs and Education

I've come to really appreciate Robert Heiny's blog on Tablet PC and education. He puts a great deal of time and effort in to his posts and they are of the highest quality. I believe his blog should be a "must read" for those involved in technology and education.

Tablet PC School Grant Application Review


 

Michael Hyatt: Life is like skiing

Love this post from Michael Hyatt. I can relate to the "life is like skiing" analogy:

Sometimes Life Is Like Skiing: "


It’s been a while since I’ve posted. Life has been a blur. In the last month, my father-in-law died, my family moved into a new house, and we finished our company’s fiscal year-end. This last week was particularly busy. I had a Thomas Nelson Board of Directors’ meeting, a Quarterly Leadership Meeting, and a trip to Taylor University in Upland, Indiana where my former business partner was awarded an honorary doctorate degree. Fortunately, I am taking Monday off to get a little rest before my next round of meetings.


I’ve especially missed blogging during the last thirty days. I find that blogging makes me slow down just enough to process what is happening around me and in me. It helps me clarify my thoughts and keeps me focused. But, unfortunately, this kind of processing time is not always a given—at least not for me.


Sometimes I find that life is like skiing. You get off the lift, only to find you are on a black trail rather than a green one. (For you non-skiiers, green trails are for beginners; black trails are for experts.) The only way down the mountain is to lean into it, trust your instincts, and do the best you can. That pretty much describes the last month for me.


"



(Via Working Smart.)



 

Physics Illustrator Hints

From Shawn Van Ness:

Physics Illustrator Hints: "

I've never really blogged much about Physics Illustrator -- the little animated shape-reco funlet for Tablet PC, inspired by research from MIT, that my homie Peter Gruenbaum and I wrote at Leszynski Group.

But some mates of mine asked me about it last night, and I googled it... whoa boy! I've never seen such love and praise written about any piece of code I've touched. Here are some hints, along with a few PI downloads, worth perhaps a few extra hours of fun...

http://www.windojitsu.com/blog/physicsillustratorhints.html

"



(Via Shawn A. Van Ness's weblog.)


Friday, May 20, 2005


 

LE1600 is on its' way!

Just got an email from Motion Computing. My LE1600 tablet pc will ship on 5/27/05 . That's a week earlier than what I was originally told. Should be fun.

I'll be getting a review up on TabletPCBuzz.com as soon as it comes in.

Thursday, May 19, 2005


 

Tablet PC Demo commercial

I picked this up from Marc Orchant. Great ad on the Tablet PC - this is good stuff. Now, when are we going to start seeing the links for this and the Stationary Is Bad ad?

Tablet PC ad

 

Eric Mack is opening is Tablet PC

Eric Mack is blogging and podcasting the entire experience of opening his Toshiba Tecra M4 - it really is a sight to behold.

Eric Mack's "out of the box experience"

 

Thanks for listening

This year has been a very good year for new tablet introductions. Primarily, what we have seen from the OEMs is that they really do have a listening ear. Primarily, I'm talking about Toshiba with their Tecra M4 Tablet PC and Motion Computing and their LE1600.

The features that they implemented shows that they really do listen and see a bright future ahead for the Tablet PC.

Toshiba: folks wanted a tablet that was truly a desktop replacement: high end dedicated graphics card, high resolution, sonoma, dvd burnder SuperMulti drive. Last year they had one tablet. This year they have 3.

Motion: thinner, lighter, faster, TPM hardware security, support for seamless extended battery support, better convertible keyboard. Motion continues to set the bar for slate tablet pcs.

 

Confessions of a late adopter

Looks like the Motion Computing LE1600 Tablet PC is getting the attention of another late adopter. Sax.Net

 

Office 12: Beta 1 Due This Fall

MicrosoftWatch: "Microsoft is billing Thursday's CEO Summit as a coming-out party for Office 12. But Microsoft is still talking in nothing but platitudes about the next major version of Office, declining to offer any kind of real details about the product."



I sure hope they have inking for Tablet PCs and Outlook addressed. Anxiously awaiting this beta.

(Via Microsoft Watch from Mary Jo Foley.)


Wednesday, May 18, 2005


 

Just ordered LE1600 - TC1100 for sale

I placed my order for an LE1600 yesterday. So, to help pay for it, I'm selling my TC1100.

If anyone is interested, send me an email: rob at zoeinc.com

tc1100 1.0 ghz, 1gb of ram, 40gb harddrive, wireless, bluetooth
Docking station with cd rw / dvd
Portfolio
Rubber flap protector
Eraser pen
Standard pen
Reformatted with sp2 installed
Extra battery
2 ac adapters
All standard software included

There is a very small scratch on the screen (you don't know its' there unless you really look).
$1250. With all the extras included, I can’t really sell it for lower than that. If I don’t sell it, that’s ok. This really is my favorite tablet among all I’ve ever owned and it would be good to have a backup testing unit.

Tuesday, May 17, 2005


 

Finally from PDF Annotator developer - Grahl Software

I received an email from Oliver Grahl, the develpoper of PDF Annotator. He asked that I share this with everyone.

"sorry for not coming back on you earlier. I'm just back from a 14 days vacation where I haven't been able to reply to emails.

I'm just working through a large number of mails, yours is the first one I'm answering.

So, just in brief: We had problems with the vendor of the PDF rendering technology used in PDF Annotator. That company did stop supporting their product, and finally the product got bought out by its developers. Although I hope that they will get up again soon now, I don't get bugs of the rendering engine fixed at the moment. So, I'm now evaluating some alternatives. Anyway, an update with lots of bug fixes is in the works (still using that rendering engine, but a newer version). It is scheduled for later this month.

I've got a lot of feedback on PDF Annotator so far, and it is currently the product I want to push most of all for this year. I'm not happy about the current situation, which has been caused by some mistakes on my side (i.e. waiting too long hoping for the rendering engine vendor getting up again). I hope that this technical issue will be resolved soon, as my todo list is full of great ideas from the current users' feedback.

Maybe you can post a short notice on the buzz. I'll try to send out an email to the existing customers ASAP."


Very glad that PDF Annotator is not going to turn out to be vaporware afterall. Looking forward to those new releases and hoping that he gets the rendering engine issue resolved.

 

Will the LE1600 knock the TC1100 from its' throne?

I believe that Motion's LE1600 Tablet PC will give HP's TC1100 Tablet PC a serious run for its' money. Here is why:

1) They weigh the same, but the LE1600 has a 12" screen vs HP's 10" screen.
2) The LE1600 has a faster processor (1.5) and is sonoma based
3) They both have fans
4) Apparently, Motion's new keyboard is much improved over its' old one. No wires, locks in place.
5) Seamless integration for extended battery
6) The LE1600 has a better graphics subsystem, 128mb of shared vram
7) Built in fingerprint/ scrolling solution

People considering a hybrid solution will be giving the LE1600 a serious look. It now has a very distinct advantage over the TC1100. When I get a review unit in a few weeks, I'll post some more thoughts.

I've seen enough to really consider selling my tc1100 and getting this unit. I've also had the pleasure of looking over these specs since last Thursday, so these thoughts are not just based on a 1 hour review of the press release this morning.

 

Motion announces LE1600 Tablet PC

Checkout www.TabletPCBuzz.com for the official announcement of the LE1600 Tablet PC from Motion Computing.

I want one!

 

Press pics of the LE1600

If you would like to see some press pics of the Motion's LE1600 Tablet PC, check these out. You can see just about everything about the LE1600 that you would like to see.

Monday, May 16, 2005


 

Ego surfing & temptation & accountability

Eric is teaching a valuable lesson to a very wide audience, but the audience that matters the most is in that room behind the french doors doing their school work.

 

Josh Einstein on component developes and Whidbey

Josh Einstein has a few words for component developers that have not yet made their components Whidbey compatible. I agree with Josh. There is no excuse for component developers not having Whidbey compatible components ready to go.

"Okay listen up. If you are a component developer, then by now you should have Whidbey-compatible components available. The “we're waiting for .NET to ship” excuse is no longer valid. The API is almost entirely finalized with only absolutely necessary breaking changes being expected between now and RTM. If you don't believe me, go take a look around blogs.msdn.com.

As a developer, I can understand not wanting to support a beta product (regardless of how incredibly stable it may be), but the fact is, if you make developer products, then you have to understand that people are already in the process of building their next generation applications on these tools that are right around the corner. If you think your customers are going to wait for you to catch up, you're dead wrong."


Full blog discussion

 

No more Google Ads

I have removed the Google Adsense ads from my blog. Even though my page impressions have been high, they were generating such a low amount of click through revenue that I decided it just wasn't worth having ads on my blog.

Sunday, May 15, 2005


 

Motion LE1600?

TabletPCBuzz.com member fpanagak has posted a scanned image of an article from Laptop Magazine that discusses a new Tablet PC from Motion Computing.

Check it out:

LE1600

Saturday, May 14, 2005


 

TabletPCReviewSpot: 4200 RPM vs. 5400 RPM Hard Drive - Performance vs. Battery Life

Barry Doyle has a really good article on comparing 5400rpm hard drives to 4200rpm hard drives, performance issues, etc.

 

Warner Crocker: Office 2003 and inking:

Warner has got a fantastic post on Office 2003 inking.

If you are not familiar with inking and Office 2003, and some of the necessary 3rd party apps, I'd highly recommend you read his post.

Office 2003 And Ink: The Things We Assume


 

The right point man in America's culture war

As a former employee of Focus on the Family, I'm very pleased to see the public policy arm of Focus on the Family take such a proactive stance on items that mean much to the stability of the family. I can attest to the impact and wide reach of ministry that Focus has.

I agree with Ted Haggard's quote: "“One would be foolish to minimize his (Dobson’s) impact,” Haggard said."

We are in a culture war. Many lines are being drawn in the sand. We continue to need men like Dr. Dobson and Dave Schultheis (a good friend of mine) to stand up. We especially need men like you and me to follow in their footsteps and take up the fight in this culture for values we believe in.

The right point man in America's culture war

Friday, May 13, 2005


 

Electronic News - Form Follows Function

Great article by Ed Sperling on form factors and the next big thing.

Electronic News - Form Follows Function

Wednesday, May 11, 2005


 

Warner Crocker: The Stages of Tablet PC Ownership

Warner Crocker has updated his Stages of Tablet PC Ownership on on his blog . If you own a Tablet PC, you gotta read them. Its' pretty sad when you see yourself in 95% of the statements.

Great job putting those together, Warner.

 

The first reports on the M4 Tablet PC from new owners

For those looking for some "hands on" info on the Tecra M4 Tablet PC, checkout these two posts

Owner 1
Owner 2

 

JKOnTheRun: Where are the gadgets? - a reader in Asia sounds off

James Kendrick has a reader with some interesting questions regarding Tablet PCs in Asia and PDA...chime in on the discussion. Where are the gadgets? - a reader in Asia sounds off


I think the questions he raises are valid across spectrum, not just Asia. That said, I think we are beginning to see a much broader acceptance of Tablet PCs. A kick-butt marketing campaign by Microsoft, an ink-enabled Outlook, and an ink-enabled Outlook Express certainly would help things, though.

 

Mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee...

Got this via Steve Richards blog. Great post by Graham Chastney on concentrating on the big /important things in life.

I agree with the final quote - no matter how busy and full life seems, there is always time for a cup of coffee with a friend.

I really like Steve's blog - his philosophy on family life and working from home fits really closely with mine. Refreshing to come upon a kindred spirit. Add it to your news aggregator.

 

Virtual Laser Keyboard problems

I posted on 5/5 about doing a review on the Virtual Laser Keyboard, distributed by Power Positioning.

First of all, I'd like to thank Power Positioning for sending me the unit. Everyone I have shown it to just oogles over it. When my wife first saw it, she said that it looked like something Sydney Bristow from Alias would use. I agree!

However, I'd like to actually get to do the review some time, but it doesn't look like that will happen anytime soon. You see, I got the keyboard on 5/5 and started having problems getting paired with my Tablet PC. In the week that I've had the keyboard, I've sent two emails and left two voice mails and have not gotten a response yet.

So, I went to their website and clicked on the Live Help option, and wouldn't you know it, someone was there! However, they indicated that it was only for sales questions, not technical support. I pasted the dialogue of our conversation below.

Part of doing a review is also taking into account their customer support. The product looks promising (if I can ever get to use it), but the support side looks very lacking. For a $200+ unit, I really expect better customer support.

Live Help chat transcript:
Please wait for a site operator to respond.
You are now chatting with 'Eyal'
Eyal: hi
Rob Bushway: Hi....My name is Rob Bushway.
Eyal: How can i help you?
Rob Bushway: Your company sent me the bluetooth virutal keyboard to review. I've sent emails and left messages on your phone without an acknowledgement or reply.
Eyal: what is the problem?
Rob Bushway: Basically, I'm having difficulty getting it to pair up. After keying in a pairing id and then doing the same on the vkb, the computer displays an error in pairing..
Rob Bushway: I don't have it here with me to test with at the moment.
Rob Bushway: running windows xp tablet pc on a TC1100
Eyal: I'm sorry, but i'm not a technical support, so please fill the contact us form with the error you get, and i will make sure someone from the technical department will contact you.
Rob Bushway: I've already sent two emails to
Rob Bushway: and left two voice mails over a week ago
Rob Bushway: what good does the Live Help option do on your website if you can't provide technical support?
Eyal: it is for sales support only, questions about the product, not installtion problems
Eyal: and it take time to answer everybody, becuase we get houndred of forms every day
Rob Bushway: I'd like to suggest that you either change the verbage on your website to indicate that or have this be a tech support help. I've sent emails and left voice messages with no response - how else can people get technical support
Rob Bushway: in a reliable turn around time
Eyal: we try to answer as fast as we can...
Eyal: you just fell on Holidays here in Israel
Rob Bushway: I understand, but its' been a week.
Eyal: for example we are closed until Sunday for independent day
Eyal: try to fill it out again , and i will make sure it is taking care of
Rob Bushway: thank you.
Eyal: Thank you

 

What has happened to PDF Annotator?

Back in January, Grahl Software released their PDF Annotator tool to the delight of many who were wanting a seamless approach to annotating PDF's via their Tablet PC.

Since the initial release, nobody has heard anything else out of them, and there are lots of bugs that need to be fixed. People, like myself, bought the initial product even with the bugs as way of standing behind the product.

I've sent an email and a contacted them through their website and have not received a response. I'm very disappointed in the lack of communication and follow-through with the customers. I'd like to keep recommending PDF Annotator, but I can't do it any longer unless Grahl starts communicating better and following through with their paying install base.

 

Eric Mack has got a great Toshiba rep!

He's getting questions answered that a lot of folks have wondered about in regards to the Tecra M4 Tablet PC. Eric, think you get your Toshiba rep to start a blog?

Tecra M4 questions answered

 

James Kendrick now has a real Tablet PC!

He gives his first impressions:

First impressions - HP tc1100 Tablet PC

I've said this time and again over the past several years, the TC1100 is my oveall favorite Tablet due to its' flexability. I wish more manufacturers would follow their lead. I'd love it if it had a faster processor, though.

Monday, May 09, 2005


 

Rethinking Technology: A new adventure with a Tablet PC

This will be an interesting blog to follow, as Doug Sorroco begins working with his new Tablet PC. Doug is a lawyer working in the IP realm. Here are his thoughts on how the Tablet PC fits into all of this:

What does this have to do with Rethink(ip)? Everything.

One of the goals of Rethink(ip) is to discuss new and innovative ways of serving client needs in the intellectual property realm. IP lawyers spend most of their time in the trenches with technology and science innovators (well, at least they should be) – any tool that improves interaction and communication is well worth incorporating into the mix.

In the short time I have been using the device, I have already seen some tremendous inking possibilities for client work:

* using mindmaps to sketch out patent application components,
* collaboratively drafting documents and disclosure documents and
* using other tools such as Go-To-Meeting and Camtasia Studio to promote collaborative learning and technology development.

The first piece of software to find its way onto my new R15 is MindManager – the integration with the inking capabilities is amazing. The second piece of software I put on the machine is ActiveWords. If you haven’t yet tried out ActiveWords, in a nutshell, it will change your practice – just ask Steve, he is doing some amazing patent related things with ActiveWords.


Via Dennis Kennedy's blog

Sunday, May 08, 2005


 

The Last EdTech Blog: Make Mine Lite

Great post by Kelly Holdstock on the benefits of the TC1100 Tablet PC form factor vs the much heavier Dell D800. He gives some great insight into the Student perspective.

Kelly is an Instructional Designer in the educational sector.

The Last EdTech Blog: Make Mine Lite

Friday, May 06, 2005


 

InfoWorld: Chad Dickerson wants a Tablet PC

Looks like Chad Dickerson wants a Tablet PC:

"Our SOA Executive Forum yesterday went extremely well. I would have blogged more of it, but it seemed like every session I went to was standing room only and I'm not very productive with a laptop standing up (note to self: another reason to get a Tablet PC). The only time my seat was guaranteed was when I moderated the CTO Reality Check panel at the end of the day (report from Ephraim Schwartz here)."

InfoWorld: SOA Executive Forum recap

 

The Tablet PC Education Blog: iBook G4 Approved for Cobb County Schools

This could have been a big win for Tablet PCs. Thanks to TabletPCEducation for the info.

The Tablet PC Education Blog: iBook G4 Approved for Cobb County Schools

 

MIKE WENDLAND: Tablet's cool, but my heart is with Macs

A follow-up on the Mike Wendland Tablet PC story that started about 6 months ago.

Several of you might remember following the Mike Wendland (Detroit Free Press) story back in November of 2004. His first article pretty much slammed Tablet PC's. Then he demoed a Motion Tablet PC and was hooked. It was great story to follow.

Mike just posted an update that I thought everyone might find interesting. It revolves around Bill Gates noticing Mike's supposed switch from Mac to PC, and then Mike telling us why his heart is still devoted to the Mac. Apparently, Bill Gates used the M1400 VA as well.

"I wouldn't drive my wife's Honda to an interview with Bill Ford. So when Microsoft Chairman and chief software architect Bill Gates came to town last week, I didn't take my Mac PowerBook to my interview with him; I brought along a Tablet PC.

The model I have, a Motion 1400, is what's known as a slate tablet. It's less than an inch thick and has no keyboard, but it has a nice 12-inch screen that you write on with an electronic stylus.

Gates was impressed. "That's the same one I use," he told me as we sat down for our interview and I began scribbling notes on it, simultaneously recording our interview with a built-in Microsoft program called OneNote.

That's about all we said of my Tablet PC. What surprised me was how it apparently impressed Gates.

On Monday, at a meeting with business journalists in Seattle, he mentioned me by name and the fact that I brought my Tablet PC to the interview last Friday in Dearborn.

I was pleased at the mention. It was a wise move, I thought, and probably contributed to what was a free-flowing and insightful interview.

Then I started receiving e-mail inquiries from other journalists about Gates' remark."

Thursday, May 05, 2005


 

Next review: Virtual Laser Keyboard

The folks at i Tech Dynamic sent me their bluetooth Virtual Keyboard (laser) to review. I'll be working on it over the weekend and hope to have a review read to be posted by the end of next week.

Pretty cool device - having a little trouble getting it paired, though.

 

Nick Bradbury: Tablet PC, MD

Great post on Nick Bradbury's experience in a doctors office and their utilization of tablet pc's in their practice - loved the part of the doctor drawing a picture of his ear to show Nick the problem - that's the power of the personal touch.

Tablet PC, MD: "

I just returned from an appointment with a doctor whose office had upgraded to Tablet PCs since my last visit, and it was pretty cool to see non-techies benefit from these gadgets. The office had several docking stations which held the tablets, and my doctor undocked one as he walked in to see me. Geek that I am, we talked more about his office tech than we did about my reason for visiting (a simple clogged ear, btw), and he obviously loved his tablet. During the visit he took notes on the tablet, and he even used the stylus to draw a picture of my inner ear to show me what the problem was. When he was done, he handed his tablet to a nurse, who jotted a few notes down before re-docking it. This was a real-world display of tech 'in the wild,' helping someone do their job.


 

Tablet PC: Writing in One’s & Zero’s

Great post by Andre on the current status of the Tablet PC and what he thinks needs to happen next.

Andre: Teching It Easy: Tablet PC: Writing in One’s & Zero’s

 

James Kendrick is selling his Sony U750P - getting a real Tablet PC!

Congratulations, James. The TC1100 is a wonderful choice. If you are interested in a really good ultra portable, checkout James post.

Sony U750P for sale- getting a Tablet PC

Wednesday, May 04, 2005


 

TabletPCPost.com surpassess 100,000 downloads!

Congratulations to www.TablePCPost.com for surpassing the 100,000 download mark! For the best collection of Tablet PC software be sure to check them out.

 

Sold my Treo 650

I've been using a combo pda / phone for several years now and have really enjoyed the technology. I've used various models: pocket pc phones, treo 650, samsung sph-i500, etc. The Treo 650 has been my overall favorite.

However, I've learned over the past couple of years that having a combo pda / phone can have its' problems if you don't know how to control its' usage. It came to head over the past couple of weeks.

While its' a good thing to have access to your email from wherever, I found that I was always checking it - in the grocery store, waiting for a movie to start, in the car, out to dinner, etc. If something "important" came along, I felt the need to address it right then - even when I wasn't supposed to be working. In addition, even if I didn't deal with right then, the contents of the email were on my mind and I was thinking about it rather than the current situation. I felt like I was being controlled by my easily accesible email, and that I could never "leave" work at work.

The simplest solution for me was to sell it. Its' been very freeing to deal with my email when I should be dealing with it: at the office; and not let the constant flow of information run through my mind. Downtime is a good thing. I now find that when I'm traveling in my car, I'm relaxing and thinking clearer; rather than checking my email, reading it, and trying to reply to something that could really wait.

I did purchase a phone that acts as modem so I can still dial-out through my Tablet PC when I'm on the road and don't want to pay those wi-fi fees.

Maybe what this all points to is a weakness on my part of not being able to control technology. There are probably a lot of other people that this is not a problem for. That's ok. I think I've just found a better way to work and live for myself. That said, I don't think I'm the only one out there....

 

Happiness is....

sitting with your daughter for over an hour talking about every page in a 50 page American Girl catalog.

Tuesday, May 03, 2005


 

Tecra M4 and fan noise level?

Eric Mack has some great info from the Toshiba rep on the fan noise level on the Tecra M4.

Should Tablet PCs make noise?:

Sunday, May 01, 2005


 

Helen Cards

I couldn't pass this up.

There is a 5 1/2 year old girl named Helen who has been creating greeting cards on her dad's Tablet PC. She started creating art on her father's tablet pc when she was 3 years old. She now has her own set of greeting cards called "Helen Cards".

Check it out:

Thanks for the tip, Chris.

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