TABLETS PC BLOG

Motion Computing releases the smallest tablet PC

Motion Computing releases the LS800 as the smallest tablet PC running Microsoft® Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition 2005.

It has an 8.4-inch display and is less than 1 inch thick weighing 2.2 lbs. It uses the Intel Pentium® M Processor Ultra Low Voltage 753 (1.2 GHz) and the Mobile Intel® 915GMS Express Chipset. The LS800 uses the 1.8″ hard drive vs the typical 2.5″ you see in notebooks usually. Also, it’s protected by a plated carbon-fiber chassis with metalized paint.

“The LE1600 builds upon Motion’s history of offering best-in-class slate tablet PC design for an unsurpassed mobile computing experience,” said Scott Eckert, Motion Computing’s CEO. “After listening to our customers in the mobile workforce, we have enhanced nearly every component, feature and design element in the LE1600 to increase productivity for on-the-go users while providing enhancements in mobility, performance and security. Through our leadership in product innovation, as well as our build-to-order manufacturing model, Motion is well-positioned to increase its already-significant share of the worldwide tablet PC market.”

Tablet PCs were touted by companies such as Microsoft as the future of mobile computing when products were first released in 2002. Tablets resemble notebooks but allow users to enter information on a touch-sensitive screen and to hand-write notes into certain applications. To date, shipments of the devices only represent a small fraction of the notebook PC market, according to industry market researchers. Certain industries, such as education, health care, and insurance, have shown a special interest in Tablet PCs, Clark said.

For the most part, the portable PCs have been released in two different categories. Slate devices, such as Motion’s products, consist of a flat slab that lacks a keyboard. Convertible devices, released by companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba, resemble conventional notebook PCs but have a flexible screen that rotates to cover the keyboard when used in Tablet mode.

Motion is now trying to get more PC users to recognize the benefits of a Tablet PC, such as its lightweight design and its capacity for around seven hours of computing time, with an optional second battery, Clark said. Other companies are trying to lower the price of their Tablet PCs to the level of mainstream notebooks.

Most Feature-Rich Tablet Available Today

Motion’s LE1700 is packed with cutting-edge features and technologies; all in a lightweight, durable and ergonomic slate tablet PC.

The LE1700WT includes the exclusive Motion WriteTouch display option for the most responsive dual-mode writing and touch-screen experience on the market.  With the LE1700WT, Motion is the first to bring to market automatic switching between digitiser and touch input with a simple double-tap of a finger or hover with the digitised pen to go from one mode to the other.  WriteTouch accepts input from the pad of a finger or digitised pen, but will not respond to other materials or objects. 

“N-trig’s native dual mode technology for pen and capacitive touch enables the LE1700 to set a new and superior standard for tablet usability and natural input,” said Amihai BenDavid, CEO, N-trig Inc.  “This new technology expands the horizon for mobile computing where even the most experienced tablet users will find a dramatic change in how they interface with their system.  Once again, Motion is demonstrating its vision and leadership through introduction of the LE1700 for tablet PC users.”

Optimized by the tablet PC enhancements included in the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, the LE1700 will allow IT departments to use one operating system across all enterprise hardware. Vista includes additional layers of .NET integration to facilitate the development of digital ink applications. Finally, with Vista, the handwriting experience is improved for the user with a trainable Tablet Input Panel (TIP) that personalises handwriting recognition.

“The LE1700 provides the enhanced computing experience mobile professionals expect,” said Bill Mitchell, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Mobile Platforms Division.  “Motion’s display innovations and ergonomic product design uniquely take advantage of the tablet PC and mobile computing benefits in Windows Vista.”

The LE1700 is the first slate tablet PC on the market to offer Intel’s Core 2 Duo technology for greater than twice the CPU performance when compared to the previous generation Intel® Centrino®. Core 2 Duo increases system responsiveness when running multiple applications and extends mobility with smart battery power management.



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If you are tired of looking at your bulky and heavy computer, and want to go in for something more portable, light and sleek, then the obvious thing that comes to mind is a laptop. But, there is a better option as well, and it is called the Tablet PC.

Tablet PCs are the latest technological toys available in the market. Though they had been introduced a few years ago, but it is only now that they are gaining familiarity with the consumers. Now-a-days these slate shaped PCs are available in the market for the same price as that of a top ranged laptop, with more and better features. It is the best option for professionals who are perpetually on the move. Professionals having a touring job or executives who have to ‘meeting hop’ several times in a day have taken to this sleek PC like fish to water. Lighter and smaller than a laptop (it weighs only two to three pounds), it makes mobility easier.

Despite its uses, it is popular only among top level executives. Professionals at lower levels still prefer the laptop, probably because laptop prices are coming down. The second factor can be that they are still not comfortable using a smaller keyboard or a digital pen. Probably, the most important factor is that professionals who have predominantly a desk job and limited movement, do not feel the utility of a tablet PC.

Despite this, a tablet PC is slowly and steadily registering its presence in the market and increasingly gaining popularity amongst executives. Salespersons, doctors, students, researchers and many more people from various walks of life are waking up to its advantages. It supports all types of latest operating systems and can be used like a notebook to take notes.

The biggest advantage is that it can be easily carried everywhere, and does not need to be set up on a flat surface. It can be used by holding it in the hands like a book and the digital pen can be used like an ordinary pen to write upon it. In some PCs even the fingertips can be used to select menus and perform certain functions.

The tablet PC is an impressive piece of technology that brings together beauty, style, sleekness and utility in a single gadget.



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With the introduction of Tablet PC to the computing world, Tablet PC is quite famous among different section of the society. Students, journalists, professionals and consumers who want to get portable PC are very satisfied with the development of Tablet PC.

Some of the well known brand who manufacturers Tablet PC are the Gateway Tablet PC, the Motion Computing Tablet PC, the Fujitsu Tablet PC, the Toshiba Tablet PC.

There are two types of Tablet PCs configurations:

1. The slate model PC tablet: - This model doesn’t have attached keyboard. Like a piece of paper you can use a tiny pen-stylus device to write on the surface of these tablet pcs, where your handwriting is digitally converted and showing up on the screen.

2. The convertible model PC tablet: - This tablet PC look like traditional notebooks, with displays that turns around and folds flat covering the keyboard facing outwards, but when flipped upright, the screen works just like a laptop computer or notebook computer.

Generally the features of Tablet PCs are

- Weight less than 2kg (some slates weight less than 1kg)

- Very compact

- Digitized displays (12-inch)

- No internal CD, CD-RW, or DVD drives

- Slower mobile processors, less memory and smaller hard drives

- Ports are few

- Microsoft Windows XP Home or Professional

As per your requirement you can upgrade the Tablet PC. For instance you can get larger hard drive 60GB or your Tablet PC screen can be upgrade for indoor and outdoor viewing.

 



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A tablet PC is a light weight slate shaped hand-held computer or a slim note book PC. The idea is to replace the traditional pen and notebook with a tablet PC and stylus or digital pen. Historically the tablet was used by the Egyptians to write on clay tablets with a writing stick. In the present day the clay tablet has been replaced with a screen and the writing stick with a stylus. The tablet PC may be considered the pen and notebook of the future. They typically weigh around 2-3 pounds and their main feature is portability. The idea of a tablet PC was floated by Alan Kay of Xerox but was a commercial failure until now, when the prices have fallen down and it is expected that the prices will fall in future. The first widely sold Tablet PC was Newton of Apple Computers.

The hardware consists of a slim touch screen, stylus, optional wireless keyboard and mouse. In this type of computers the data input is not through the traditional mouse and keyboard but through a stylus or a virtual keyboard on the screen. It also has the facility of data input through wireless keyboard and mouse. The stylus is used to write directly/tap on the screen or fingers are used to input data through the touch screen. There is a magnetic field over the screen which interacts with the stylus electronics, hence the user can rest his hands on the screen without distorting the image and only stylus movement affects the screen. They come in various sizes like 8.5 inch, 10 inch and 14 inch.

There are different types of tablet PCs like slates, convertibles and hybrids. Slates consist of just the screen and the stylus. If a slate is attached with a keyboard it is called a convertible. Typically the keyboard is attached with a single joint and it folds/opens onto the screen. The Hybrid has a detachable keyboard so that it can be used both as a slate or a convertible.

Tablet PCs come with resident softwares like handwriting recognition software, speech recognition software, shorthand entry software, virtual keyboard etc,.

There are various advantages like portability, users who are not comfortable with keyboards find stylus more friendly, they do not interrupt line of sight as they are kept on the table and are helpful in meetings and are handheld so can be used in giving presentation while standing up. The disadvantages of Tablet PCs have been cost till now but since the prices have fallen and are falling, hence is not a constraint anymore.

Various companies like Acer, Lenovo, Toshiba Fujitsu, HP, Gateway, Compaq, Motion, NEC etc are manufacturing Tablet PCs.

Are they future proof?Till recent years the Tablet PC was a commercial failure but with the advances in battery technology, handwriting recognition software, wireless internet access, larger memory, better screen resolution they are being accepted as commercially viable option. Many popular science fiction movies portray the use of Tablet PCs. Tablet PCs are bound to replace the notebook



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