News Week of June 13, 2004

HP's laptop is at the top for ruggedness

"One of the more interesting Tablet PCs comes from HP, which offers a special, rugged version, the Tablet PC tr3000. It costs a hefty $3,449, but it's as close to indestructible as any computer gets. It's also totable and versatile, making it appealing to mobile workers. The 3.7-pound machine's magnesium case can withstand a 3-foot drop onto a hard floor, function in temperatures from 4 degrees below zero to 140 degrees and withstand a dousing in a rainstorm. You wouldn't want to subject other computers to such conditions. Its 8.4-inch screen is viewable indoors and out -- a rarity for laptops, which often become invisible in bright sunlight. It can go online wirelessly and run for about 31/2 hours on its rechargeable battery." (Source: Chris Cobbs, Orlando Sentinel)
Posted Saturday, June 19, 2004 by ChrisD
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Someday, You'll Own a Tablet PC

"Opinion: With tablet support likely becoming a standard part of the Longhorn OS, every Windows-based business notebook will double as a Tablet PC. Whether you will use your future notebook as a tablet—even whether it will be possible to do so with your machine—will depend on what you buy and how you choose to use it. But make no mistake: Tablet "goodness" will be baked right in, whether your screen has a digitizer or not. Why? Because it's very likely that tablet support will be a standard part of the Longhorn OS."

"Microsoft's goal isn't for some people to use a pen and digitizer all the time, though that is already happening in vertical applications. Instead, Microsoft wants everyone to use a pen at least occasionally. Redmond wants a pen to be a part of a notebook computer just like a keyboard, screen and wireless network adapter. No big deal, nothing we'd pay any special attention to.

A Microsoft executive predicted tablets will go mainstream within the next 24 to 36 months. I am expecting it to take a bit longer, but am just as convinced that before long we'll all own Tablet PCs without even thinking about it." (Source: David Coursey, eWeek)

VIDISolutions' Viditalk Pre-Loaded on ViewSonic Tablet PC

"VIDISolutions, a leading provider of video communication software, announced today that it has signed an OEM agreement with ViewSonic Corp. ViewSonic will be offering the VIDITalk video messaging service on its Tablet PCs through a direct link on the Tablet's desktop.

    The icon will appear on all Tablet PC V1250 units, with a direct link tosign-up for the monthly service. VIDITalk will be offered at special pricing to ViewSonic customers, with packages starting as low as $9.95 per month.   

VIDITalk is a video creation and streaming application that lets users enhance their email, and other electronic communication, by creating and transmitting high-impact video messages right from the PC. The videos are not attachments, require no downloads and offer a significantly higher video quality than competing video email products. VIDITalk videos can be viewed in a standard Windows Media Player with either a high or low speed internet connection.

"ViewSonic continues to extend the power of the Tablet PC by offering innovative software solutions that complement our products," said Dan Coffman, senior product manager for ViewSonic. "VIDISolutions provides our customers with a true streaming video solution, allowing them to collaborate easier and more effectively." (Source: Press Release, PRNewsWire)

Wireless Surfing

"We think that the people over at Intel may have been getting a little too much sun lately. They’ve come up with a Wireless Technology Surfboard for all those workaholic surfers out there… err. Anyway, the board’s been designed especially for the 2004 Intel GoldCoast Oceanfest in Devon .

An Intel Centrino-powered tablet PC has been sealed inside the board along with a solar panel to provide it with juice while out in the Blue Juice.

Intel has put a hotspot up at Croyde beach in North Devon so that the festival-goers can do some electronic surfing when they’ve finished with the real thing. According to Intel, the board really does work – both as a computer and a surfboard." (Source: ShinyShiny.tv)

Personal Computers

PCs have barely changed styles since their birth. Here's how to revolutionize their look

Make It Fit In

Even the media center PCs look too much like computers to be invited into the living room. The industry knows that must change. Intel and IDEO have built a prototype of a mobile entertainment PC, called Florence, that appears to be nothing more than a sleek, black TV screen with the computer hidden away inside the flat-panel display. For the office, Microsoft and HP are developing a desktop workstation designed to reduce "gadget sprawl." Rather than scatter your tablet PC, voice-over-Internet telephone, and personal digital assistant across your desk, you could snap them all into handy built-in connections on the monitor or the PC chassis. Elements of both designs should start to show up in mainstream PCs later this year.

In HP's dash to top, the name is the game

"Since Hewlett-Packard and Compaq completed a controversial merger in May 2002, the new-look company has put more than $US600 million into brand advertising - a third of its marketing spend so far - convincing citizens of the world it is a new and inventive force for good.

We've heard that line before, but in the next year HP will "invest" another $US300 million globally on TV and print advertising to ensure the message gets through. From next week, it will be the Opera House's high-tech, wireless "PC tablet"-equipped concert team that will lead HP's global brand charge in 2004. " (Source: Paul McIntyre, Sydney Morning Herald)

Allstream Launches Digital Ink Solutions

" The technology requires a paper form printed with a watermark, a digitalpen and sophisticated ink recognition software which allows a user's writtenentries to be recorded and passed to a desktop computer or server. From there,a set of business data processing rules is used to ensure the accuracy of thedata capture and conversion process. The digital ballpoint pen uses standardink and is equipped with a tiny optical camera to capture handwritten text,signatures and drawings when used in conjunction with digital paper. Digitalpaper is any standard business form printed with a special mathematical dotpattern unique to a customer application that appears as a faint watermark.The user's pen strokes are then recorded and stored in memory for securetransmission into a PC by synching the pen with a USB cradle, or in the future- wirelessly. Allstream's Digital Ink Solutions also supports companiesattempting to remove office paper through other digital means as the softwareruns on PC tablets equipped with Microsoft's XP operating system. In thisconfiguration digital paper is not required." (Source: Press Release, PRNewsWire)
Posted Thursday, June 17, 2004 by ChrisD
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Tablets take their time: Study

"IBM thinks tablets could use more work as well. During a recent interview, Steve Ward, general manager of Big Blue's Personal Systems Group, described the current generation of tablet PCs, particularly convertible models — which look like a regular notebook but have screens that can rotate and fold down to create a tablet writing surface — as being relatively heavy and low in battery life. IBM does not currently offer a tablet PC model, but Ward did not rule out eventually entering the market.

"I think at some point in the future, tablets are going to be there," Mr. Ward said. "Personally, I do not think it is today's generation of tablets, and I think there are a number of changes that need to happen. We should talk again in 18 months. That's when I think the software will be ready — although some people are using it today — for the masses." (Source: John G. Spooner, CNET, Globeandmail.com)

Winona State University Selects Gateway Tablet PCs in Largest Higher-Ed Tablet Deal in North America

"In the largest higher-education implementation of Tablet PCs in North America, Winona State University, of Winona, Minn., has signed an agreement with Gateway, Inc. to standardize on Gateway(R) M275 convertible tablets for its students, faculty and staff.

    The seven-year deal, which includes an initial two-year agreement and five, one-year extensions, will likely exceed $40 million over the length of the contract.  Winona State will immediately rollout more than 4,000 Gateway M275 Tablet PCs for incoming freshmen, as well as current students, faculty and staff ready for a refresh of their existing notebooks.

    The university, with an enrollment of more than 8,000 students, is the first major higher educational institution to standardize on the Tablet PC platform.  Winona State was one of the first "laptop universities" in the nation in 1994.  Today, every full-time undergraduate student receives a university-leased notebook, as do faculty and most student services staff.

    "We conducted an open bid and had faculty, staff and students evaluate many different models of PCs, including other tablets from competing companies," said Joe Whetstone, vice president of information technology for Winona State.  "The Gateway M275 tablet bubbled to the top.  It was the overwhelmingly popular choice of our students and faculty because the convertible has all the features of a mainstream notebook coupled with pen input." (Source: Press Release, PRNewsWire)

Tablet PC Market Will Remain Partially Successful Until Prices Fall

"The effort put forth by Microsoft and its hardware partners to introduce the Tablet PC into horizontal and vertical commercial markets, has only been partly successful, according to In-Stat/MDR (http://www.instat.com). A recent report from the high-tech market research firm reports that the device, which was designed to counteract sluggish commercial PC sales, has been adopted in vertical markets, such as health care, real estate, and insurance. However, horizontal commercial markets have been somewhat hesitant to adopt a new PC form factor in a world of slow-growing IT budgets.

“Many vertical markets were accustomed to pen-based computing, and saw the Tablet PC as giving them the flexibility of pen-based computing plus access to all software that runs on Microsoft’s XP operating system,” says Brian O’Rourke, a Senior Analyst with In-Stat/MDR. “As a result, the vast majority of Tablet PCs that shipped in 2003 went to vertical applications.” Within horizontal markets, Tablet PCs are particularly targeted at large enterprises. But, according to O’Rourke, “With limited IT budgets in the early part of this decade, and forecasts for annual increases in the 3% range over the next four to five years, enterprise IT managers have been hesitant to take a chance on a new PC form factor.” However, In-Stat/MDR projects that as Tablet PC prices come down over the next few years, and Tablet PC software offerings increase, interest in horizontal markets will rise. Horizontal markets should start to make an impact on this market in 2005, as average selling prices fall below $2,000 for the first time." (Source: InStat MDR)

Four Concept Computers

"4 Adaptable Notebooks

Perhaps the most varied computing form in the enterprise is the notebook PC. Most companies have the standard big-slab, desktop-replacement notebook for the troops and the slimmer, cooler, pricier notebooks for execs and other favored staff. Specialized devices such as tablet PCs and notebooks may also be an option for some users, though only about 450,000 tablet PCs were sold in 2003, and ultraportables of all designs account for less than 10 percent of notebook shipments, analysts say.

Both Forrester analyst Yates and IDC analyst Alan Promisel expect to see a variety of traditional clamshell notebook designs, including models weighing less than 3 pounds and some less than an inch thick that still hold two drives. But notebook transformation will be about more than thin and light, Yates says. Cheap, fat, heavy notebooks using desktop components, for instance, make a lot of sense as desktop replacements, even if they function poorly as mobile devices. He therefore foresees a return of the "luggable" as IT looks to keep costs low.

And Intel—king of the PC processor—is working on a new twist in notebook design through a series of prototypes collectively called Florence: Detach the keyboard, and it's a tablet PC; reattach the keyboard, and it becomes a standard notebook. Florence works better as a desktop system, letting users position the monitor and keyboard separately, which can reduce neck strain and other ergonomic ailments. Furthermore, it saves IT the cost of components commonly used with corporate notebooks—docking stations, extra monitors, keyboards and mice. A built-in camera and audio system lets it handle teleconferencing, and fingerprint identification helps to increase security." (Source: GALEN GRUMAN, CIO Magazine)

Tinker Air Force Base Completes First Phase of Landmark Aircraft Maintenance Project Using Wireless PLM Solution From UGS and Intel Corporation

"OKLAHOMA CITY, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- UGS, a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, Intel Corporation (Nasdaq: INTC - News) and the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) today announced the completion of the first phase of a wireless Tablet PC-based mobility solution project for maintenance mechanics at Tinker Air Force Base (AFB), which could improve the efficiency and productivity of aircraft maintenance time with the potential for significant cost savings.

The point-of-maintenance solution consists of software based on UGS' industry-leading Teamcenter® PLM portfolio -- which already serves as the digital backbone of Tinker's lifecycle management process -- running on wireless Tablet PCs based on Intel® Centrino(TM) mobile technology. The companies developed the solution based on the broader need of the Department of Defense Logistics Centers to increase productivity, standardize and digitize paper processes and capture more process knowledge for their approximately 700,000-strong maintenance workforce. The software was architected by UGS and Intel, working with the NCMS and member companies to duplicate the look and feel of the original paper forms while significantly automating the process." (Source: Press Release, PRNewswire, Yahoo)

Rehabilicare Implements NoInk Communications' Sales Force Automation Solutions to Drive Efficiencies

"INDIANAPOLIS, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- NoInk Communications, a leading provider of integrated handheld and Web-based software for the medical industry, was recently chosen to provide sales force automation solutions to Rehabilicare, the world leader in home-use electrotherapy devices and a division of Compex Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: CMPX - News). NoInk's solutions are being integrated across Rehabilicare's medical sales force to drive efficiencies in the ordering, inventory and contact management processes. 

Rehabilicare recently deployed NoInk's mobile technology to 15 of its field sales representatives and managers for a pilot program. Once the test phase is complete, the company will roll out NoInk's solutions to its more than 60 employee sales reps. The Tablet PC applications will allow the company to better track and service its field inventory which is stocked across 6,000 nationwide physical therapy clinic and physician office locations." (Source: Press Release, BusinessWire, Yahoo)

NEC Solutions America and Abacus Partner to Deliver Mobile Solution to Legal Community

"AbacusLaw Software Enables Legal Professionals to Join the Mobile Workforce with Ease and Efficiency with NEC's Industry Leading Tablet PC

NEC Solutions (America), Inc., a premier provider of integrated solutions for the connected enterprise in North America, today announced a collaboration with Abacus Data Systems, a leading provider of legal practice management software, to include AbacusLaw Classic software with NEC's Versa LitePad Tablet PC, the industry's thinnest and lightest Tablet PC solution on the market today.

NEC's Versa LitePad comes with a variety of software and is engineered to combine the natural convenience of pen-based computing with the productivity advantages of Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Tablet PC Edition. The addition of AbacusLaw Classic software provides law offices with the portable technology and flexibility they need for attorneys and their staffs to work as efficiently as possible whether it's in the office, in the courtroom, in the field or on the road.

"NEC Solutions America and Abacus have revolutionized the legal pad by combining the most innovative Tablet PC on the market with the industry's most recognized law practice software," said Judd Kessler, Esq., Abacus Data Systems President. "The Versa LitePad and AbacusLaw Classic package provides the legal industry with a convenient, portable and fully functional solution that will prove to be a major competitive advantage for the attorneys who use it." (Source: Press Release, BusinessWire)

Windows XP Service Pack 2 Release Candidate 2 Ships

"For Tablet PC users, the update also provides a major refresh of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, which adds a much improved Tablet Input Panel (TIP and other features); likewise, Media Center PC users will find their systems updated to Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 when they install XP SP2, also a major update." (Source: Paul Thurrott, WinInfo)
Posted Tuesday, June 15, 2004 by ChrisD
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Chicago White Sox Hit Home Run With Gateway PCs and Personalized Service

"Baseball these days is very high-tech, with a variety of diverse andspecialized needs," said Brown. "We have scouts who use Gateway notebooks tosubmit reports and trainers who wirelessly connect to the team network whileon the road. Our chief financial officer uses a Gateway tablet PC to helpmanage our organization's finances. And even White Sox players benefit fromthe Gateway relationship by getting the latest in computer hardware." (Source: Press Release, PRNewswire)
Posted Monday, June 14, 2004 by ChrisD
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Infragistics(TM) Introduces New Features and Designers In NetAdvantage(TM) 2004 Volume 2 Release

"Presentation Layer Development Toolset Enables User Interface Developers to be More Productive During Design Time

EAST WINDSOR, N.J., and ELSTREE, England, June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Infragistics, the world's largest publisher of reusable presentation layer development tools for the Microsoft(R) .NET(R), COM, and Java(R) platforms, today announced it is shipping the Infragistics NetAdvantage 2004 Volume 2, a complete toolset for developing commercial quality user interfaces for Windows Forms, ASP.NET, Tablet PC & COM. Volume 2 of NetAdvantage 2004 ships with new designers and style presets across all ASP.NET elements, MSDN style help through HelpCenter, new features in WebTab, WebGrid, WebCombo, WinSchedule and WinGrid, and three new elements: WinDataSource, WinGridBagLayout, and WinFlowLayout. Designers and Productivity Features NEW in Volume 2

"Continuing on our commitment to give .NET developers the tools they need to deliver commercial class applications with less code than ever before, Infragistics has re-architected its Windows Forms and ASP.NET Grid designers in the NetAdvantage 2004 Volume 2 release," said Dean Guida, CEO of Infragsitics. "NetAdvantage now provides the developer with more power and flexibility in an easy to use centralized interface during design time." (Source: PressRelease, PRNewsWire)

invivodata to Launch In-Clinic Solution for Collecting Patient-Reported Outcomes Data in Clinical Trials

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 14, 2004--

SitePRO(TM) Streamlines Quality of Life Assessments and In-Clinic Screening, Improves Efficiency and Quality of Data Collected

invivodata(R) inc., an industry leader in electronic patient self-report solutions for clinical research, today unveiled SitePRO, its in-clinic patient reporting system for collecting patient-reported outcomes (PRO) data in clinical trials. Specifically designed for conducting on-site quality of life assessments and patient screening, SitePRO is already proving to be an effective tool for site coordinators and patients alike. It is currently being used in a global Phase IIB trial involving hundreds of sites and thousands of patients.

"Building upon our proven success in capturing the highest quality PRO data directly from patients in real time, we're pleased to now offer our customers a solution that enables them to capture important quality of life data from patients during scheduled clinic visits," said Doug Engfer, founder and CEO of invivodata.

...SitePRO features a screen three and one half times wider than a standard personal digital assistant (PDA) display and can present complex text-based questions on an easy-to-use touch-screen interface without reformatting. Merging the practicality of a PDA with the functionality of a Tablet PC, SitePRO is an easy-to-use system proven to help patients provide accurate in-clinic reporting." (Source:Press Release, BUSINESS WIRE)

Chicago White Sox Hit Home Run With Gateway PCs and Personalized Service

"Team Applauds Stability of Hardware, High Levels of Service

POWAY, Calif., June 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Baseball in the new millennium is less about peanuts and popcorn and more about computer technology than ever before. No one understands this better than the Chicago White Sox, who recently began refreshing their technology infrastructure with PCs from Gateway, Inc. From the club's scouting department to its front-office administrators, Gateway notebooks and desktops provide the technology backbone for the team's organizational success. The White Sox chose Gateway PCs based on their competitive pricing, platform stability and superior service levels.

"...Baseball these days is very high-tech, with a variety of diverse and specialized needs," said Brown. "We have scouts who use Gateway notebooks to submit reports and trainers who wirelessly connect to the team network while on the road. Our chief financial officer uses a Gateway tablet PC to help manage our organization's finances. And even White Sox players benefit from the Gateway relationship by getting the latest in computer hardware."" (Source:Press Release, PRNewswire)

R&D Envy

"Each year, HIP Health Plan Of New York finds one or two of what chief technology officer Pedro Villalba calls "golden nuggets" in the company's IT "sandbox." The first golden nugget extracted this year from the sandbox--as the company's research lab is known--is a tablet PC with customized software that's used by nurses to gather information about hospital patients so the health-insurance company's case managers can recommend the most cost-effective treatments.

Two nurses are using the tablet PC in a pilot project that--if successful--will be expanded to 15 nurses on HIP's staff. In New York hospitals, nurses visit patients who are insured by the company and type each patient's case information into a standard form on the PC. A nurse then can swivel the machine's screen to tablet form and, using a stylus, write observations and comments in her own handwriting. The information is uploaded via a wireless network to a database accessible to case managers, who analyze the cases and make recommendations to caregivers within 24 hours." (Source: Charles Babcock, InformationWeek)
Posted Sunday, June 13, 2004 by ChrisD
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Why I Bought a TabletPC

"Now I have all my files with me. In fact, I have set up my “Power Documents” (another Linenberger idea) in OneNote for instant reference. (I plan to blog more about these later.) Since our office is wireless, I can quickly look up something on the Web if needed in the meeting. I can also make assignments or solicit information via e-mail. Much of the assignments I receive in meetings can be done right there in the meeting. You have to experience this to believe it, but it's already been a great boon to my productivity." (Source: Michael Hyatt, Working Smart)
Posted Sunday, June 13, 2004 by ChrisD
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