Tablet PC News

Motion 1400 Tablet PC Specs: 1.1-GHz ULV Pentium M, 12.1" XGA TFT (160/170 degree WVA), Intel 855GME, 256MB of PC2700 (333-MHz) DDR SDRAM, 20GB, 802.11g, 11.65 x 9.45 x 0.87, 3 lbs. Bluetooth, Fingerprint reader.

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115564,00.asp


• ConstructConnect: Tablet PC Field Application for Advanced Construction Communication - “ConstructConnect utilizes highly innovative, patent-pending software applications designed specifically for Tablet PCs, and combines them with enhanced wireless data communications capability that links ConstructConnect users to the Internet or corporate servers via cell phone or WiFi data networks. ConstructConnect enhances the simplicity and mobility of the Tablet PC through a propriety toolset that is stable, easy-to-use, and adaptable to project-specific or company-specific needs, without requiring changes to company processes or forms. ConstructConnect enables field-based management and communication of CADs, photos, orders, change orders, or any paper document. It also provides a communications “audit trail” of all data sent to and from the field. To convert virtually any paper form into a transmittable, usable computerized form, Field2Base offers a universal conversion tool that enables existing paper forms to be converted and communicated via email or fax, or sent directly to a host system.” (Source: Press Release)

• This Year, Tablet PC Improves in Leaps and Bounds - “Although the first-generation Tablet PC machines were based on underpowered Pentium III M chips that offered lackluster battery life, I could see promise in the platform, and Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition was a surprisingly solid 1.0 release. With the release of a machine based on Intel’s Centrino mobile platform in 2003, however, the Tablet PC’s fortunes changed dramatically for the better. The Centrino--which consists of the powerful but battery-friendly Pentium M processor, an efficient supporting chipset, and a compatible wireless antenna (curiously limited to 11Mbps 802.11b technology in its initial iteration) is everything the Pentium III is not. Processing power is on a par with high-end Pentium 4 chips. And the battery life is phenomenal...Microsoft hasn’t sat still either. The company’s next-generation Tablet PC OS--code-named Lonestar, but recently renamed to Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005--will ship in late June and offer several enhancements over the initial release, making Tablet PC devices more viable. Best of all, XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 will be available free of charge to all Tablet PC owners. Microsoft is delivering XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 as part of XP Service Pack 2 (SP2); if you install this release on a Tablet PC device, you get the Tablet PC updates as well.” (Source: Paul Thurrott)

• Tatung TTAB-B12D Tablet PC Review - HPClean, from tabletpccorner.net, brings us another one of his traditionally through reviews; this time a multi-pictured (more than 40), in-depth look at the TTAB-B12D Tablet PC. The Tatung comes in high, grabbing a 9 out of 10 high mark. (In French, partially translated into English)

• Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 - “The official name of the next version of the Tablet PC operating system is Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005. We had been referring to it as 2004, but with a mid-year availability date, we determined a 2005 name would suit it better, and for a longer period of time...Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 will be available to you as a free upgrade if you already own a Tablet PC.”

• Acer TravelMate C300 Convertible Tablet PC - “A solid second-generation Tablet PC, the Acer TravelMate C300 is a convertible laptop design with a 14-inch XGA screen. Unlike first-generation tablets, this device could be your only PC, and as a traditional laptop, it offers all the amenities you'd expect--a powerful 1.5GHz Pentium M processor; integrated wireless, USB 2.0, and FireWire ports; and an integrated DVD/CD-RW drive (still a rarity with Tablet PCs) as well as the unique features you can get only from a full-featured Tablet PC, including a pressure-sensitive pen-enabled screen. Battery life is fantastic, even with the single battery my system contains. I was able to obtain 4 to 5 hours of battery life per charge, depending on the wireless and screen settings, and Acer says an optional second battery--which would fill the modular bay that the optical drive currently uses--would extend battery life to 8.5 hours.” (Source: Paul Thurrott)

“If this machine represents the future of the Tablet PC, and I think it does, this platform has a great future. Kudos to Acer for getting it right: Combined with the right options and the XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 update, the C300 has it all.”

• Despite a slow start, sales of these pen-based units are starting to take off - “When Bill Gates introduced the first prototype of a Tablet PC at Comdex 2001, he predicted it would become the most popular personal computer within five years. But since its November 2002 launch, these devices — notebooks or slates running Windows XP Tablet PC Edition — haven’t made much of an impact on the overall PC market. High cost, slow processors and short battery lives have all contributed to the slow uptake. So far, they’ve found a home in niche markets, such as health care, insurance and transportation. Despite this slow start, many industry watchers expect the second half of 2004 to be a turning point for the format. Vendors are rolling out third-generation products, offering better performance and longer battery life. And Microsoft will release a new version of the operating system this spring, with improvements to the tablet input panel and the context sensitivity of handwriting recognition software.” (Source: ITBusiness.ca)

• Tablet PCs finding a niche market - “Tablet PCs are being adopted by an increasing number of business professionals for specific mobile uses. According to Theron Uys, Acer product manager at independent IT solutions company First Technology, almost ten percent of notebooks sold by Acer in South Africa today are Tablet PCs. Despite the novelty of the product, business projections estimate more than 35% of all notebooks sold worldwide will come equipped with some form of pen digitizer by 2007,” he says. (Source: ITWeb, Johannesburg)

• Hockey goes High-Tech at Shark Tank - “The Sharks....with a Tablet PC on the bench that receives the TV feed of ongoing action. First used in the final two games of the regular season as a warm-up for the playoffs, it enables coaches to stop action, control replays and organize play by common elements, such as goals against or penalty kills. The Sharks see the technology as a teaching tool, providing instant help to players figuring out if adjustments need to be made. There's also the benefit of reduced anxiety when disputed goals are under review. Pre-game preparation is also 21st century. Chalkboard instruction is a thing of the past. Everything from scouting reports to video clips are displayed in the locker room on a 50-inch plasma screen equipped with telestrator capability.” (Source: Mercury News)

• UW Classroom Presenter 1.9.8 - “Classroom Presenter is a distributed presentation system for the Tablet PC. As a distributed system, the synchronized versions of the presentation are shared across multiple machines. The Tablet PC is used as the presentation device because of the high quality ink that it provides. A basic goal of Classroom Presenter is to provide an integration of computer generated slides and ink in a manner that allows instructors flexibility in delivery and interaction with the audience. Classroom Presenter has been used in a range of scenarios including distance education and in-class instruction. In the distance scenarios the instructor has lectured from a Tablet PC which was connected to computer in the remote room which displayed the slides and writing. In the in-class usage, the instructor uses a tablet pc which is connected to another machine which is driving the data projector. In the future, we will develop greater facilities for interacting with student devices in the classroom.” (Source: University of Washington)

• Jeddah School Launches E-Education Program - “The model experiment is sponsored by IT giant Microsoft, which is planning to extend it to other schools as part of a potentially lucrative drive to promote e-education in the Kingdom. The Al-Bayan Model School for Girls, has switched over to e-learning in ten intermediate-level classes, according to Khaled Al-Dhaher, Microsoft Arabia’s general manager. The program is centered around an “e-class” server which facilitates the learning process. “The girls come with a Tablet PC to follow the Ministry of Education-approved curriculum, which is completely electronic. So is the teaching process — from the running of classes to the exams, homework and interaction between students and teachers”. (Source: Arab News, Riyadh)

• eWeek Awards (Acer TravelMate C300) - “The TravelMate C300’s combination of a large screen and fast processor at a competitive price made Acer's Tablet PC a finalist in this year's Excellence Awards. The C300 continues Acer's top-flight Excellence presence: Last year, the company's C100 was the category winner. With a 14-inch screen, this convertible Tablet PC can serve as a mobile solution and a desktop replacement system. Judges were most impressed with the C300's integrated light sensor, which automatically adjusts screen brightness based on available ambient light and remembers those settings for the next time a similar lighting condition occurs.” (Source: eWeek)

• Tablets hard to swallow - “When Microsoft releases its second service pack (SP2) for the Windows XP operating system, expected in June, there will be extra features for Tablet PCs. These additions promise an improved user interface and additional tools for developers, but will there be enough to popularise this type of pen-based computer? The Tablet PC has been on the shelves for 18 months, but take-up has hardly met the stellar success hoped for by Microsoft and its hardware partners. The razzmatazz and hyperbole of the launch failed to impress IT industry analysts at Gartner and IDC. Both estimated sales of around 425,000 units in the first year, and these predictions have proved disappointingly accurate. The slow take-off has angered hardware manufacturers that invested in the format, and some have blamed Microsoft for not doing enough to encourage sales.” (Source: Guardian Unlimited)

• Fujitsu Stylistic ST5000D Tablet PC (FCW Review) - “The most obvious difference between a handheld device and a Tablet PC is the tablet's vastly larger screen size. You can't slip a tablet PC into your pocket. But for a device with a 12.1-inch display, Fujitsu Computer Systems Corp.'s Stylistic ST5000D Tablet PC requires a minimal size trade-off. The tablet is about the size of a legal pad and a little less than an inch thick. At 3.4 pounds, it's heavier than a portfolio containing paper, but carrying it feels similar.” (Source: Federal Computer Week)

• Intellisync Mobile Suite Covers Business Gamut “Intellisync Corp. has introduced a suite of products for wireless carriers looking to offer a single solution to enterprises, smaller businesses and individual professionals...The software lets operators offer wireless data services that include push-based e-mail, basic calendar information and file access for devices that run Microsoft Corp.'s Windows, Windows Mobile and Tablet PC platforms; PalmSource Inc.'s Palm OS; and Symbian Ltd.'s Symbian OS.” (Source: eWeek)

• Infragistics NetAdvantage 2004 Vol. 1 .WinInkProvider (Reusable Presentation Layer Development Tools) - “Delivered within the powerful Infragistics Presentation Layer Framework, Infragistics is pleased to announce another innovation added to our shared framework, the .WinInkProvider, providing freeform or masked ink support for all Infragistics text-based editors, as well as our WinGrid, WinTree and WinScheduling. Now it is easier than ever to deliver your Microsoft-style applications for the Tablet PC; our Windows Forms elements can be ink-enabled simply by adding an Infragistics Ink Provider to the application.”

• A New Class of Computer (Tablet use in Graphics) - “Tablets start to really shine when using dedicated graphics apps. Sketching right into Photoshop or Painter with a stylus on a screen is an experience not to be missed. Instantly changing color or brushes or filling in large areas while working on “digital paper” takes a bit of getting used to, but, all the while, you just know it’s worth it. Storyboard or animatic artists will relish the ability to sketch and paint and make client changes without having to re-draw or re-scan artwork. After achieving some level of comfort with drawing on screen, a storyboard or animatic artist could deliver everything to a client and stick around to make the inevitable changes on-the-spot.” (Source: Digital Animators)

• Tablet PC Edition 2004 - Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2004 is done, finished, just waiting for a stable RC2 (supposed RTM on June 23rd). Also an external digitizer Wacom driver for Tablets. And “big news” per OneNote. (Source: small-biz-advisor.com)

• Psion Teklogix to resell Xplore's ix104 rugged Tablet PC -“Xplore Technologies...and Psion Teklogix...announced they have entered into a value added Systems Integration agreement. Psion Teklogix will now sell Xplore’s ix104 family of rugged wireless Tablet PC systems as part of its comprehensive mobile computing and wireless data collection solutions for targeted global industries and business applications including airports, field service, automotive, supply chain/cold chain, government, ports and transportation...   Xplore’s Dual Mode versions of the Renegade and All Terrain combine an active digitizer and a resistive touch screen which provide users the ability to use either an active stylus for applications that require digital inking for greater accuracy and finger touch input for more utility-centric input requirements. Xplore’s iX104 family of products is engineered and third party tested to Military Standards (MIL-STD-810F) for extreme operating conditions.” (Source: Press Release)

• xThink Calculator Version 1.1 (Update) - New features include a Page Down button to extend the Calculator workspace area and strikeout/check gestures. 
•  xThink Calculator Version 1.1  (What’s New) (PDF)
• xThink Calculator Viewer (Free) - Allows you to view calculator (.xtc) files on Windows 2000/XP and non-Tablet (and Tablet) machines.

“The xThink Calculator is a fully functional calculator for a Tablet PC user. You can use the xThink Calculator just as you would use a normal pocket calculator. The difference is, you enter numbers, operations and functions by writing on the tablet. The xThink Calculator uses xThink’s intelligent recognition technology to recognize hand-drawn, two-dimensional expressions correctly.”

• MindManager® X5 Pro on Tablet PCs - “MindManager offers business professionals a more effective way to capture, organize and communicate information, ideas and meeting notes on Tablet PCs.”

“The Tablet PC was crying out for a software application like MindManager, which really does deliver the goods.” - Financial Times
“MindManager represents a big leap forward in Tablet PC practicality and usability” – Business Week

Also might find this of interest... [HOWTO]: Purchase a Tablet PC Congratulations on your decision to purchase a Tablet PC. Now if you only knew what to do next then you’d feel more at ease. You are not alone. The most difficult task a new user faces is figuring out which tablet is the best one for their particular needs. In fact, I'm asked almost daily in email to help someone choose the best Tablet PC. Sadly there is no easy answer but there are a few suggestions that might make purchasing a Tablet PC more enjoyable.

History lesson time...

Xerox PARC alumni recognized for contributions to technology. - “If Sir Isaac Newton hadn't already said it, any of this year's four recipients of the National Academy of Engineering's Draper Prize might well assert, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Although few outside of the world of computer research might know who they are, Bob Taylor, Alan Kay, Charles “Chuck” Thacker, and Butler Lampson probably should be household names. These four are this year's winners of the prestigious Draper Prize, which recognizes contributions in engineering. As part of the first "class" of researchers at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center in California in the 1970s, these technologists were key to the invention of the PC. Today, most of us take PCs, networks, e-mail, laser printers, electronic publishing, and the Internet for granted. But someone had to invent the technologies that are so ubiquitous now. Together at PARC, the four designed and built in 1973 the first device that resembled what we now know as the personal computer. It's pretty much agreed that Taylor was the "impresario" who guided the project, Kay supplied the vision (including laptops and tablet PCs replete with wireless connections), Thacker engineered the computer known later as the Xerox Alto, and Lampson created its operating system.” (Source: PC World)

“I’m constantly amazed at the number of people who think that there’s not much more to do with computers, [because] actually, the computer revolution has only just begun,” Lampson says. The other three Draper Prize winners concur. “Personal computing is far from ubiquitous,” Thacker says. “After all, there are only a few hundred million PCs [today], and there are 6 billion of us. There are a lot of areas--for example, primary education--where computers are still little used.”

Dynabook - “...Back in 1968 when I [Alan Kay] made this cardboard model I thought of it as the machine of the future and started thinking about what would it be like for millions of people to have one of these machines. As we got deeper into the design, we realized that we wanted to dynamically simulate and extend. And so the metaphor became the pencil. What would it be like to have something like this as extent in the world as pencil and paper...”

Chronology of Personal Computers (1972) - “At Xerox PARC, Alan Kay proposes they build a portable personal computer, called the Dynabook, the size of an ordinary notebook. PARC management does not support it. Xerox PARC engineers Chuck Thacker and Butler Lampson ask Alan Kay if they could try building the Dynabook. They proceed, but the result is the Alto, a large desktop workstation.”

“...Alto broke with tradition because its designers had a new understanding of computing. “Most people still thought the purpose of a computer was to grind up numbers,” said Mr. Thacker, who...now works at Microsoft, where he recently worked on the company’s Tablet PC design with Mr. Lampson. “We thought it was a communications device.” (Source: New York Times, “How Digital Pioneers Put the ‘Personal’ in PC”, John Markoff, April 3, 2003)

“...the keyboard is a limiting factor and so the idea -- the Holy Grail that goes back really to Vannevar Bush talking about the Memex, it goes back to Xerox PARC with Alan Kay talking about the Dynabook -- is to have a computer that instead of having the keyboard is more like just, say, a tablet of paper.” - (Bill Gates at Technology Alliance Summit, Seattle, Washington, May 17, 2002)

“Now, one of my colleagues is a fellow named Chuck [Thacker], and he’s also obsessed with this Tablet PC idea. And his obsession goes all the way back to the mid-70s when at Xerox PARC he worked with a fellow named Alan Kay, and they worked on a Dynabook concept.” (Bill Gates, Forum 2000, Redmond, Wash., June 22, 2000)

“In terms of technology, when you compare today to the days of the Dynabook, or even five or six years ago, you see that several key technologies have really come together to make these kinds of devices a reality...” - (Bill Gates - Information Week, Nov. 9, 2001, “One On One With Bill Gates”, Aaron Ricadela interview)

“Microsoft’s Tablet PC, the first Dynabook-like computer good enough to criticize.” - Alan Kay. (Source: Steven Levy, Newsweek - “Bill Gates Says, Take This Tablet”, April 30, 2001, pp.67-70)

• Why Alto? Butler Lampson’s Historic 1972 Memo
• The Xerox Alto Computer (Byte)
• Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age (Book)
• As We May Think (by Vannevar Bush)
• Tablet PC History - TX-2, Grafacon.2, DynaBook, GRiDPAD, PenPoint, WinPAD...
• Inventing the Tablet PC
• Is the Pen Finally Mightier Than the Keyboard?

• Microsoft developing PC tablet device (March 2000) - “Two former Xerox Parc officials, Butler Lampson and Chuck Thacker, are heading the development along with Dick Brass, Microsoft’s vice president of technology development....”
• Meddling with the Future - “...Chuck Thacker, who helped set up the lab back in 1997 and was instrumental in designing the Tablet PC, was named one of Microsoft’s Distinguished Engineers.”

I am wondering if Motion will come out with a 1.4-GHz Celeron M? Maybe that's what the 1.4-GHz was all about. (?)

The new Intels....

• 1.1-GHz Ultra Low Voltage Pentium M
• 1.3-GHz Low Voltage Pentium M
• 900-MHz Ultra Low Voltage Celeron M
• 1.4-GHz Celeron M

Regardless, the M1400 is quite a nice machine. Hope it runs cool.

And (still) more Tablet news in case anyone interested...

Warwickshire LEA gives 1500 teachers Tablet PCs in £16m pfi deal - “Under the eight-year contract, worth £16 million, RM will provide more than 1,500 teachers with ICT-based Teacher Toolkits designed to improve teaching and learning in Warwickshire schools. Each Teacher Toolkit includes an RM Tablet PC, which will be used as both a personal productivity tool and for delivering lessons. Teachers will be provided with Kaleidos, RM's virtual teaching and learning environment, to support them in planning, preparing, delivering and assessing lessons. Classrooms will be equipped with data projectors, allowing teachers to use their wirelessly-connected Tablet PCs for interactive whole-class teaching. RM will also provide a managed, authority-wide network and portal solution, based on RM Community Connect 3, Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server and Windows 2003 Server. In addition, 40,000 pupils will benefit from access to enhanced digital content and lessons through Kaleidos.” (Source: publictechnology.net)

• Why My Tablet Is Indispensable - “Regular readers of the column will remember that I embarked on a long-term road test of the TC1100 last month. I wanted to know if a Tablet PC could be a legitimate replacement for notebooks and PDAs. Well, my basic conclusion is that it’s a replacement for neither, but is still too invaluable to give up. It comes down to this: If you’re like me, and you want to look up movie information on IMDB.com from the comfort of your living room couch, or search recipes on Epicurious.com from the convenience of your kitchen, there is no better “solution” than a Tablet PC with Wi-Fi support.” (Source: Maximum PC, Jon Phillips)

• iAnywhere Extends Sync and Go Web Application Support to Tablet PCs - “New version of M-Business Anywhere adds tablet support to industry's leading solution for delivering mobile web content and applications. New features also include monitoring and reporting capabilities as well as internationalized support for global deployments...M-Business Anywhere is the core technology of the popular AvantGo mobile Internet service, which has more than 10 million registered users worldwide. The platform enables companies to extend web content and applications, including CRM, ERP, and other enterprise solutions, to mobile devices rapidly and with low total cost of ownership. M-Business Anywhere supports both wireless and offline “sync and go” connectivity, ensuring always available access to web-based information from any location.” (Source: Press Release)

• Robert Aldana: ‘The Internet Is My Office’ - “Silicon Valley real estate agent Robert Aldana is so wired he’s, well, wireless...“The Internet is my office,” says Aldana, a San Jose real estate agent who was recently appointed as a state director to the California Association of Realtors...After dropping Haley off at school he stops into Starbucks for java and a “hot spot” (wireless connection) for his Tablet PC and continued communicating with his clients...“The tablet is so thin I can carry it like I would a magazine.” (Source: Realty Times)

• Is it OK to switch off from work? - “3G mobile phones, broadband connections at home, wireless access in hotels and airport lounges -- there is no reason not to be in touch with the office 24/7. New technology now enables flexible working hours around the clock, but some are beginning to feel the strain from vague expectations about how available they should be....The smart phones allow employees to get e-mails and documents from their tablet PC and reply using the phone keypad, as well as manage diaries and contacts -- they were developed with Orange and Motorola. The guidelines were issued after a six-month trial, when 443 Microsoft employees were given smart phones, Tablet PCs and broadband Internet access in their homes.” (Source: CNN)

• FieldCentrix supports Tablet PCs - “FieldCentrix...announced Atlas Copco Compressors Inc. has selected FieldCentrix Enterprise wireless mobile and dispatch software to optimize its field service operation, increase cash flow and enhance its customers’ service experience...Atlas Copco Compressors Inc. has chosen to equip their field technicians with FX Mobile software running on Panasonic Toughbook 18 Tablet PCs. Newly supported by FieldCentrix, the Tablet PC platform combines the power of Windows XP with the convenience of pen-based laptop computing.” (Source: Press Release)

• Motion Computing Partnership Program to Promote Tablet PC Software - “Motion Computing has initiated a partnership program to encourage the development of third-party software and hardware products for Tablet PCs. Motion is a leading provider of slate tablet PC products for healthcare, field sales and service, government and education. The partnership program, unique in its scope, is available to independent software and hardware vendors (ISVs and IHVs) that have or are developing products aimed at driving the acceptance of ink-enabled computing across a broad spectrum of industries. The program stems from Motion’s continued work helping hundreds of companies develop Tablet PC-related products.” (Source: Press Release)

Stylish tablet packs features into nifty-looking package - “If money was no object my laptop of choice would be a high-end Sony Vaio such as the Z1XGP, stacked with a gigabyte of Ram, wi-fi of the fast “g” variety and a speedy rewritable DVD drive. But next in the dream line-up is pretty much any top-end Toshiba laptop - and the M200 Tablet PC would suit just fine.” (Source: New Zealand Herald)

PCs are getting faster and fancier. And thin is in. - “Many enterprises are also looking at portable systems other than notebooks. Tablet PCs may be an alternative for many users, particularly those who need to work with large amounts of text or numeric data away from their desks. Tablets, which are designed to mimic the dimensions of a large paper notebook, include an operating system that lets users jot down information with a stylus. Mike Stinson, vice president of mobile products for Gateway, predicts that pen-based input will be a requirement of most portable system users by 2005. “It's just an easier way to take notes,” he observes. U.S. Tablet PC shipments are set to climb from 260,000 units in 2003 to 2.25 million in 2005, according to statistics compiled by IDC...” (Source: CIO Asia)

• Acer to showcase largest ever range of products at Gitex Saubi Arabia - “...Acer will showcase the TravelMate C300, which is the company's third tablet PC to be launched in the Middle East. Based on the success of the region's first Tablet PC, the TravelMate C100, Acer then launched its second Tablet PC in the Middle East – the TravelMate C110. The TravelMate C110 – which includes Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and the latest Intel Centrino Mobile technology – has been meeting the needs of Saudi Arabia's growing 'on-the-move' business community. The C110 was the first Tablet PC with Intel Centrino Mobile Technology to be launched in the Middle East.” (Source: AME Info)

• Windows XP SP2 Will Bring Tablet PC Improvements - “XP Tablet PC Edition 2004 offers an easier data entry method. Although an improved Input Panel is still available at the bottom of the screen, the OS now sports in-place form-field editing: Click a form field with the stylus and a small version of the Input Panel appears right there--no need to move between the form elements and the bottom of the screen. This in-place editing feature is handy, but the Input Panel has been further improved. Now, as you enter text, you can edit it on the fly, ensuring that the text you enter in the form is correct the first time. Nice.” (Source: Paul Thurrott)

• Alias SketchBook Pro Included with ViewSonic Tablet PC - “Alias...and ViewSonic...announced an agreement to bundle Alias® SketchBook Pro on all V1250 convertible Tablet PCs in North America. The agreement combines ViewSonic's Tablet PC technology with Alias' best-in-class digital pen-based sketching and annotation software, Alias SketchBook Pro.” (Source: Press Release)

• Jim’s Diet Trims the Waste Line - “Television may be an electronic medium, but it’s a paper-hungry one as well...Last June According to Jim became – and remains – the only TV show to eschew paper in favor of Tablet PCs, hand-held devices shaped like a sheet of paper that function like computers. With a Tablet PC, each writer now views every draft of the script on screen, adding handwritten notes with a stylus. The notes are then transmitted instantly to every other writer over the production company’s internal wireless network. “We shoot the show using digital high-definition video. We record the sound digitally. Writing was the only aspect of the show that had not yet gone digital,” Hodes says. “We had great shooting equipment, but we were still using a forest of paper.” The production now uses M1300 tablets from Motion Computing running Microsoft’s XP Tablet PC Edition operating system. Scripts are written using Cinovation’s Scriptware screenwriting software, and handwritten notes are added with the Microsoft Office OneNote application. Only the notes are electronically circulated among the writers. Once changes are agreed upon, the head writer’s assistant alters the master script and then sends it back to the staff’s tablets for the next round of reviews.” (Source: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences)

“Intel, Microsoft and Motion Computing agreed to absorb the $70,000 purchase price of the twelve computers. “When we got the tablets, everyone on the staff started to drool,” Hodes says. “And people immediately found other uses for them. Instead of looking for someone in the office, people are now sending instant notes to each other.” Still, Hodes qualifies the experiment’s success. “Until another show becomes paperless, I’ve failed. We need another forward-looking producer – who can afford this – to do it.”

Tablet PC Events

Good things are happening, a slew of Tablet PC Events are upcoming... • Mobility Road Show • Tablet PC Demo Days • Microsoft Tablet PC Developer Tour 2004 • Tablet PC Campus Demo Tour • Student Mobility Tour 2004 • AngelBeat Conferences 2004

Kilmerr, just providing a summary and a couple of links would do. Pasting complete websites is a bit too much...

Thanks for the post, very interesting!

~ Knute

It is a summary and lots of links. Just wanted to make it so you can READ them straight-thru without having to go link-happy, browse all over. Getting the main thrust. Abstracting, if you will, within fair use boundries. Believe me, its not complete. The Wiki, and the Forum areas, aren't exactly CMS-friendly tho.