Windows 8 Development Machines Question.

For non BUILD attendees.

Windows 8 works just fine on my PDC Tablet (and pretty much any existing PC) but I am wondering if there are there any options that support the full Gamut:

• Gyro Sensor
• G-Sensor
• Digital compass
• Proximity sensor
• Ambient light sensor

Without these it is going to be difficult to fully support Augmented reality Apps 

(I am looking to bring across "Shooting Range" from Windows phone).

An alternative could be an add-on card that supports these things - anyone know if such a thing exists?

Anyone else interested in this there is a good post here (check the comments as well).

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/09/13/experiencing-windows-8-touch-on-windows-7-hardware.aspx

and the Samsung device that was given out at BUILD should be available 'real soon' (running Windows 7)

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/41754/samsung-slate-pc-series-7-tablet-hands-on

Hi Ian2,

and the Samsung device that was given out at BUILD should be available 'real soon' (running Windows 7)

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/41754/samsung-slate-pc-series-7-tablet-hands-on

I played with the Samsung Windows 7 tablets at build and spoke to the Samsung reps a little.

One word of warning - the Samsung rep said that they didn't come with all the same sensors as the build tablets - I don't know if that was true or not as I didn't get a chance to compare device manager settings between the two devices, but thought I'd pass on this info before you handed over $1,200 for one!

@OrigamiCar:Thanks for the tip, I will check before I part with any money.

@Ian2: I would bet that pen input would be something missing, if anyting, in the consumer-version of the Series 7 tablet.

@cbae:Yep, I think that was one of the missing things actually - I'm not 100% certain, but I don't remember them saying it came with the wacom pen.

Personally, I REALLY hope that at least some of the final retail Windows 8 tablets come with Wacom pens as well as touchscreen. Running OneNote (and photoshop) on a slate with this kind of spec and OS is going to be amazing.

If so, it literally is going to be the tablet I've been wanting since the first tablet PC's came out...
So far, nothing out there has quite delivered everything in one package, many have been amazingly close, but not quite far enough (and I know - I've owned 7 different tablet pc's since they were released).

@OrigamiCar: No Motion Computing tablets? I've had mine since January 2006 and can do everything most people complain that tablets can't. Current ones have touch, mine came out right before touch, and right after Motion did put a touch tablet out(my model, but with touch), but some patent trolls sued them and they stopped.

Well, I've doe a little digging and the story doesn't look good for sensor equiped PCs for use in development.

Meanwhile I am close to submitting 'Shooting Range' for Mango devices (which I am very excited about).  Ironically as much as I am psyched about this App (and 'Goblin Harvest' which admitedly is longer term) it is my next idea for an augmented reality app that is the most exciting, and It's going to kill me if i can't get this stuff onto Windows 8 in time for the launch.

Damn me for being such a geek ...

If anyone can cast any light on any opportunities that might facilitate me developing motion-related apps for Windows 8 please would they contact me please. ...