News Week of January 1, 2012

Windows 8 tablets secret weapon: OneNote and inking

The Windows 8 team at Microsoft must be the busiest team in tech, with so much to do to get the OS out the door and on the slate. The company is counting on the �new� genre of tablets running Windows 8, on both Intel and ARM hardware, to bring Windows into the mobile age. While early peeks of the Metro interface with Windows 8 look promising, the devil is in the execution. I strongly urge the folks at Redmond to remember the big advantage over the competition in the tablet space, and work the pen and OneNote into the forefront of Windows 8 tablet design. (Source: James Kendrick, ZDNet Blog)
Posted Friday, January 6, 2012 by ChrisD
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Barnes & Noble: Pros, Cons of Selling Off Nook

For a company better known for its box stores than computing boxes, Barnes & Noble has done an impressive job of carving a technological place for itself in the burgeoning e-reader and tablet hardware market. Now it seems the company wants to cash in on all that hard work and take a back seat to companies like Amazon and Apple by spinning off its Nook hardware business, or possibly selling it entirely. Is it a good idea? Is it a dumb idea? Here are some pros and cons.  (Source: John P. Mello Jr, PC World)

Tablet PC or notebook?

This time last year Apple�s iPad had just made its local debut. A year later and the iPad2 is now well established in the market, so much so that you can even buy one at your local Pick n Pay.

So, should you spend your Christmas bonus on a tablet PC, or should you rather spend the money on new notebook?

Here are a few things to bear in mind before you blow your entire budget.  (Source: Alastair Otter, mybroadband)

How the war between tablets and PCs will unfold

When schools in Idaho -- hardly America's most progressive state -- announce they'll be spending big bucks on tablets, you know just how widely those mobile devices have penetrated the mainstream market. And when you consider that consumers worldwide downloaded more than 200 million tablet applications during Christmas week alone, you get a sense of the enormous opportunity tablets present to developers, as well as chipmakers and device manufacturers.

That's no news, of course, to companies like Intel, AMD, and Microsoft, whose businesses are rooted in the old desktop-centric computing model. On one hand, the strategic landscape in 2012 is largely being shaped by the collision of two very different computing models: tablets and PCs. On the other hand, providers on both sides of the strategic divide are rapidly hedging their bets.  (Source: Bill Snyder, InfoWorld)

73 million tablets were shifted in 2011

"In the short term, tablet PCs will be the growth accelerant in the overall mobile PC market, as macroeconomic factors and hard drive motor supply issues impact the market for notebook PCs," said Richard Shim, senior analyst at NPD Displaysearch.

"In the longer term, notebook PC shipments will bounce back as ASPs [average selling prices] continue to decline, Windows 8 launches, and new form factors, such as ultrabooks, continue to emerge."  (Source: Chris Martin, The Inquirer)

Asustek sees tripling of tablet sales in 2012

Taipei, Jan. 6 (CNA) Taiwanese PC brand Asustek Computer Inc. said Friday that it expects its tablet computer sales to increase from 1.8 million units in 2011 to 6 million this year due to its early adoption of Google Inc.'s latest Android operating system.

The Android 4.0 version, dubbed "Ice Cream Sandwich," will be released on Jan. 12 for users of Asustek's Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet, making Asustek the world's first tablet PC maker to adopt this open platform, said Samson Hu, vice president and general manager of Asustek's Eee system business unit.  (Source: Jeffrey Wu, Focus Taiwan)

Asustek going Android, Acer eyeing Windows 8 for tablet PC market

Acer, after refuting rumors about plans to phase out of the tablet PC and smartphone markets, has adjusted strategies for its tablet PC business and will focus on a Windows-based model in the future, while Asustek Computer will continue to put its focus on Android-based models and is currently evaluating Windows 8-based models, according to sources from upstream supply chain. (Source: Monica Chen, Taipei; Joseph Tsai, DigiTimes)
Posted Thursday, January 5, 2012 by ChrisD
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GlobalMed Introduces New Mobile Telemedicine Carts and Tablet PC with Help from HP

Fully integrated solution will help hospitals reduce transfer costs and enhance remote healthcare

GlobalMed today introduced three new mobile telemedicine carts and a tablet PC solution powered by HP Workstations and EliteBook PCs that will bring doctors and patients together for clinical healthcare at a distance.  (See this video.)

The GlobalMed i8500 Series Mobile Telemedicine Carts powered by HP combine the power of the HP Z210 SFF (Small Form Factor) Workstations with HP L2105 Widescreen LCD Touchscreen monitors in a telemedicine cart that clinics can use to connect to other healthcare professionals around the world.

�Prior to telemedicine products like the GlobalMed carts, even the most acute cases of suspected cardiac problems were transferred outside of local clinics,� said Joel E. Barthelemy, managing director of GlobalMed. �We�ve had one hospital report $560,000 in savings within six months of deploying our telemedicine carts by reducing transfer fees.�

Customized telemedicine to fit your workflow

The GlobalMed General Practice Cart powered by HP and GlobalMed Specialty Cart powered by HP come equipped with the TotalExam� camera for close-up patient examinations, a digital stethoscope to hear high-quality real-time medical sounds remotely, and CapSure� image automation software  to measure, annotate, and time/date stamp examination images. The GlobalMed Specialty Cart powered by HP also includes a TotalENT� otoscope for high-quality digital video.

The GlobalMed Educational Cart powered by HP offers a larger 42� HP monitor, making it ideal for patient and physician education programs. The large screen allows clinicians to gather in groups for continuing medical education classes, and lets practitioners connect more closely with patients in remote telehealth evaluations. The GlobalMed Endpoint Tablet PC 2760p allows physicians or specialists to view CapSure images through CONi� Services remotely, allowing them to consult with patients from their home or remote office.     

Cost savings to patients and providers alike

With the use of the i8500 Series Telemedicine Carts, specialists and physicians in urban areas can provide care to a remote clinics and practices telemedically, which reduces the frequency of patient transfers, and eliminates the need for patients to travel long distances to receive sufficient care.

�Using our workstations and displays as the foundation, HP is partnering with GlobalMed to change the way patients are treated and seen,� said Chris Mertens, vice president, Healthcare, Personal Systems Group, HP. �Combining the reliability and stability of HP Workstations with HP�s quality testing and certification processes makes the i8500 series a great choice for healthcare providers looking to connect to other facilities around the world.�

Industry-leading design and performance

All of the GlobalMed Telemedicine Carts powered by HP are tested and certified to perform with the top medical software solutions and peripheral devices. The HP Z210 SFF Workstations with Intel i5/i7 processors deliver performance and reliability that is ideal for medical imaging. The HP L2105 Widescreen LCD Touchscreen monitors advance the ease of use of GlobalMed�s peripherals and image automation and viewing software.

GlobalMed�s Mobile Telemedicine Carts have quickly become the telemedicine industry standard due to their ergonomic design, anti-microbial work surface, and five-star, large wheel base that allows easy movement across any surface or threshold.

More information on HP Healthcare and Workstations solutions is available at: www.hp.com/go/hphealthcare and www.hp.com/zworkstations  (Source: Press Release)