News Week of January 13, 2008

Touching the Dell Latitude XT Tablet PC (review)

In conclusion, this is a very slick and feature-packed Tablet PC and a notable first entry into the market from Dell. This is not a “me-too-tablet”. They’ve certainly put a lot of thought into the design and engineering of this device and it’s certainly a joy to use. However it all comes to price, which ultimately decides its value and who can afford it. Sadly when you put the features and price side by side, it’s hard to justify the subtle innovation for the extremely high premiums. A lot of people who would have otherwise been all over this product - students like myself - can barely touch the most standard model. If you have money lying around, this is a top-tier Tablet you won’t regret.  (Source: Long Zheng, IStartedSomething.com)
Posted Friday, January 18, 2008 by ChrisD
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Hunterdon Central School District would like to announce the expansion of its Tablet PC Academy for the summer of 2008.

The Tablet PC Academy is a three-day conference for K-12 teachers, administrators and technologists who want to learn more about how to use tablet PCs in teaching and learning. Since 2004 Hunterdon Central has been widely acknowledged as a world leader in tablet PC professional development.  Most recently, the program was recognized by the Workshop on the Impact of Pen-based Technology, WIPTE, with the inclusion on the District's tablet pilot research study in a book by Purdue University Press entitled Beyond the Tipping Point. 

Whether you currently possess a Tablet PC or are just considering this technology for you or your teachers, the Tablet PC Academy will offer you:

* Practical applications for integration into the classroom
* Ways to increase student engagement
* Productivity tips
* Knowledge to share with colleagues
* Collaboration with other professionals 

The Tablet PC Academy will be running two sessions during the summer of 2008:

* July 15-17, 2008
* July 22-24, 2008

For more information and registration visit the Tablet PC Academy at http://central.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/TabletPCAcademy/.  (Source: Press Release)

HTC Shift finally receives FCC approval

HTC announced the Shift ultra portable PC at CTIA in March 2007. Since that time there has been a few videos and reviews of test units that made it into the wild. You may actually be able to find the device in Europe now (I couldn’t find it available anywhere online thought) and the full specs are available on the HTC website. According to Unwired View the HTC Shift has finally been approved by the FCC so it should be coming to the U.S. soon. Most every site I checked out, like Mobile Planet and Dynamism, show a late February availability of the device.  (Source: Matthew Miller, ZDNet Blogs)
Posted Thursday, January 17, 2008 by ChrisD
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HP tx2000 Tablet PC Review

HP has finally updated the tx1000. Welcome the tx2000 Tablet PC. It has the same design as its predecessor, but now has an active digitizer and touchscreen. I have to say I am quite impressed with this 12.1-inch tablet. The entertainment features make this tablet a real head turner, especially when you consider the starting price. We received a pre-production unit for our review and it's still near perfect.

 
(Source: Tiffany Boggs, TabletPCReview.com)

Tablet PCs for TMpoint outlets

Telekom Sales and Services Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM), is introducing wireless Tablet PCs at TMpoint outlets. 

The Tablet PC will function as a virtual counter, managed by TMpoint personnel, to serve customers. 

It will assist them to make simple enquiries, process transactions, check service area availability, reconnect lines, make an order confirmation, etc.    (Source: The Star Online)

Fujitsu LifeBook U810 Review

Can't decide between a handheld PDA and an ultralight notebook PC? Neither can some of the manufacturers aboard Intel Corp.'s Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) bandwagon: Entries range from two-handed handhelds like the Samsung Q1 Ultra reviewed here last summer to itsy-bitsy laptops like Sony's 4.5-inch-screened Vaio UX. About the only thing they have in common is Windows.

Fujitsu's LifeBook U810 stands out from its UMPC colleagues in at least two ways. For one thing, it's not just a pound-and-a-half PC but a pound-and-a-half, full-fledged Tablet PC convertible, with a 5.6-inch display that swivels and folds to switch between clamshell keyboard and touch-screen stylus modes. You might think of it as the bonsai version of Fujitsu's 3.6-pound LifeBook T2010.

For another, the U810 strives to avoid the sticker shock of entries like the $2,500 Vaio UX or most status-symbol subnotebooks: It has the psychologically appealing price of $999. (A model with Windows Vista Business instead of Home Premium is $1,099.)  (Source: Gary Blackwell, Datamation)

Ultra portable devices were everywhere at CES 2008

I mentioned that there wasn’t a lot of mobile phone news at CES, yet there was plenty of ultra portable news. There were UMPCs, Tablet PCs, Intel MIDs, Via-powered devices, and more. This is an area that interests me as I travel quite a bit and also have a 2 hour daily train commute so there are lots of opportunities for using a device that helps me get things done on the road. Check out my new image gallery showing several mobile devices from CES 2008. I also learned a few things this week that helped me optimize the HTC Advantage so that it can be used to fill the role of a portable computer that may make my quest for a UMPC device a moot point.  (Source: Matthew Miller, ZDNet Blogs)
Posted Tuesday, January 15, 2008 by ChrisD
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Data Ltd DLI 8300 Review

Versatile multi-purpose slate computer

Laporte, Indiana based Data LTd Inc was founded in the early 1990s as a manufacturer and reseller of wireless data collection devices. They carry mobile computers, vehicle mounted terminals, handhelds, and scanners.

The company's DLI 8300 is a compact (10 x 7.5 inches) and elegantly designed rugged tablet computer that can be used as a vehicle mount or mobile system. It uses a very power-efficient AMD Geode LX 800 processor running at 500 MHz. The chip is x86-compatible and Data Ltd sells the DLI 8300 with Windows XP, Embedded XP, XP Tablet PC Edition, Windows CE 6.0, and Debian Linux. Depending on the OS used, the DLI 8300 is equipped with either up to 16GB of Flash on a CF Card or a 30 GB shockmounted hard disk.  (Source: Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, Rugged PC Review)

McKesson to Release C5 Mobile Clinical Assistant Tablet PC

Building on two decades of experience in mobile point-of-care solutions, McKesson said that it is the first healthcare IT company to announce general availability for the Motion C5 Mobile Clinical Assistant tablet PC.

The announcement comes after months of testing with McKesson's Horizon Clinicals applications, configuration and firmware enhancements, and special arrangements with Motion Computing for unique product, training and support bundles. Developed by Intel Corp. and Motion Computing in collaboration with thousands of clinicians as well as companies like McKesson, the C5 has now proven in multiple implementations to enhance the benefits of information technology for clinicians, and ultimately for patients.

The C5 is a lightweight tablet that integrates durable design elements with point-of-care data and image capture technologies to help physicians, nurses and other clinicians do their job on the move. Recognizing that a mobile platform helps break down barriers some clinical systems impose between caregivers and their patients, McKesson engaged early with Motion Computing and Intel to ensure it could obtain the full benefit of this new technology for its customers. These efforts led to application enhancements specifically for the C5 to ensure effective bar-coding and connection with hospital wireless networks, as well as certification of McKesson's HorizonWP Physician Portal, which clinicians log into more than four million times each month.

McKesson also worked closely with The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, S.C., to ensure full functionality of the solution and to support MUSC's efforts to study the impact of mobility on patient care. "We were excited about the opportunity to collaborate with McKesson, Intel and Motion on an integrated software and hardware solution designed specifically to address the complexity and fragmentation of clinician workflow," said Marilyn Schaffner, Ph.D., R.N., C.G.R.N., chief nursing officer at MUSC. "In our initial pilot of McKesson's clinical documentation and bar-code medication administration solutions with the C5, we saw an 18 percent improvement in patient vital sign charting accuracy along with a significant reduction in charting delays."

McKesson has certified its major Horizon Clinicals applications on the C5. An estimated two million clinicians - including more than 400,000 registered nurses - rely upon these applications to deliver safe, efficient care. Of particular interest to McKesson and its customers is the C5's integrated bar-code scanning capability, which helps drive compliance with bar-code medication administration guidelines to ensure the highest levels of patient safety. Today, McKesson's Horizon Admin-Rx bar-code medication administration solution prevents more than 500,000 medication errors weekly. When combined with the C5 technology that increases caregiver time at the bedside, this provides nurses with a tool to drive improvements in patient care.

"McKesson introduced the first point-of-care bar-coding device in the late eighties, and today we have more hospitals bar coding than any other IT provider," said Merrie Wallace, R.N., M.N., vice president and solution line manager for McKesson Provider Technologies. "With our adoption track record and our continued R&D emphasis in the area of mobile clinician workflow, we were approached by Intel and Motion to collaborate on what became a category of devices designed with and for clinicians. The effort was in synch with our goal of giving clinicians more time with patients, and studies are now showing that hospitals using the C5 are realizing measurable improvements in safety, efficiency and clinician satisfaction."   (Source: Press Release)