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News Week of August 13, 2006

Two weeks left in NSBasic's Programming Contest!

There are just 2 weeks left to get your entries in for our programming contest. Complete details are here: <http://www.nsbasic.com/desktop/PR/pr.060712.html>

We are running the contest for NS Basic/CE, Desktop and Palm at the same time.

Special Prize!

With the cooperation of Microsoft, we're offering a special prize for the best Ultra Mobile PC app: a Samsung Q1. You'll need to use NS Basic/Desktop to create apps for this device. <http://product.samsung.com/micro_manuals/Q1/samsung_Q1.html>

The deadline for all entries is September 1. Have a great summer! (or winter, depending on your hemisphere!)

There is also a FAQ for the contest (Source: Press Release)


Posted Friday, August 18, 2006 by ChrisD
Rating: 2.85 Comments ()

Fix: The computer occasionally does not hibernate and you receive an "Insufficient System Resources Exist to Complete the API"

You use a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2), Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, or Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. When you try to put the computer in hibernation, the computer occasionally does not hibernate. When this problem occurs, you receive an error message that is similar to the following:

 
Insufficient System Resources Exist to Complete the API.
 
When you experience this problem, the hibernate feature is not available on the computer until you restart the computer.

This problem typically occurs when the computer uses 1 gigabyte (GB) or more of RAM.

Note The Windows XP SP2 features and components are included in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 and in Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005.(Source: Microsoft.com)

Posted Friday, August 18, 2006 by ChrisD
Rating: 3.10 Comments ()

Tablets make Charleston port-able

Slate devices simplify logistics and speed shipments

Wireless tablet PCs help the port of Charleston, S.C., keep tabs on the thousands of tons of cargo that it handles every day. More than 2,000 trucks a day arrive with containers of agricultural products, consumer goods, machinery, metals, vehicles, chemicals and other payloads.

Port workers at the dozen lanes entering the port area use tablets to enter information and paperwork data from truck drivers into the port�s automated Yard Management System. Workers then print a ticket for each container. When a truck arrives to pick up a container, crane operators use their wireless tablets to determine which container is to be collected and where it is located. Then they repack the stacks of containers to make sure that the right one is ready by the time the truck gets to that area of the facility.

As a result of the sheer volume of cargo and the regulations of state and federal governments, port officials face major logistics challenges. Aside from keeping track of the thousands of containers that enter and leave the port, they have to meet federal security and customs regulations in regard to the origin, contents and destination of each container. In addition, they have to make sure the freight moves efficiently, so that trucks aren�t kept waiting unnecessarily.   (Source: Edmund X. DeJesus, Goverment Computing News)


Posted Thursday, August 17, 2006 by ChrisD
Rating: 3.21 Comments ()

No wires - Rogersville City School begins wireless Net use

With the first day of classes less than a week away Rogersville City School faculty members are being trained to use the school�s new wireless technology and Tablet PCs � one of the first projects of its kind completed in the state.

�The students are natives to this culture and a lot of us are immigrants,� Ravan Krickbaum, director of Rogersville City School, said regarding computers and the Internet. �With wireless Internet technology and a tablet PC the opportunities for learning are just endless.�(Source: Joel Spears, The Rogersville Review)


Posted Thursday, August 17, 2006 by ChrisD
Rating: 3.09 Comments ()

Back to School, With Cellphone and Laptop

Among the popular options this year are laptops that flip around to turn into tablet PC�s, like the Gateway CX210X convertible notebook ($1,299). The stylus that comes with the laptop can be used like a pen. For those unfamiliar with tablet PC�s it can take a little time to become comfortable with the smooth display, however, and the screen is sometimes difficult to see under certain lighting conditions. But the laptop could prove to be a big timesaver for students putting together study guides. For example, students could download a professor�s lecture notes to the laptop, write their own notes in the margins using the tablet PC, then print out a set to study.   (Source: JEFFREY SELINGO, New York Times)
Posted Thursday, August 17, 2006 by ChrisD
Rating: 2.93 Comments ()


Targus Rolling Notebook Backpack - My all time Favorite Tablet PC Computer Case

Targus rolling backpack

In October 2004 this bag was the TabletPC2.com product of them month, almost two years later, nothing else has come close and the Targus 15.4" Rolling Notebook Backpack remains my favorite computer bag.

Where has this bag taken me?  into the homes and offices of Actors, athletes Directors and Producers.  Las Vegas, Manhattan, Newport Beach, Beverly Hills and countless other city's.   Microsoft, Miramax, Universal......It's traveled by car, plane, Limo, taxi and bus, bounced up and down stairs, rode in elevators and on more then one occasion been used as a door jamb in a hotel room.

I still have a dozens of cases from various events including my $425.00 Tumi Wheel-A-Way Computer Brief. In fact I have at least 15 or 20 computer cases in varying designs, colors and styles.   Wheeled and non wheeled, backpacks, briefcases, bump cases, hard cases, soft cases, black cases, colored cases, men's cases, woman's cases.  While I do use some of them when the occasion calls for it, even though I have only used it as a backpack once or twice, I use the Taurus Rolling Notebook Backpack  at least 90% of the time. 

Besides the fact that this was the first case I had seen labeled  "Tablet PC Compatible"  what makes this one stand out from the pa ck........... Just about everything.    (Source: Linda A. Epstein, TabletPC2.com)


Posted Wednesday, August 16, 2006 by ChrisD
Rating: 3.15 Comments ()

Why a $500.00 Price Tag for an Ultra Mobile PC isn't realistic And why the Ultra Mobile PC�s are worth the asking price

The most common cost complaint seen on website posts compares UMPCs to existing low-priced laptops. Here is an example:

"I can buy a notebook from Dell for 449.00 with a keyboard and an optical drive so there is no reason why the UMPC can't sell for $500."    

To evaluate the validity of this comment, we need to examine the components and business model to determine how an OEM like Dell can offer a Laptop for $449, while current UMPCs start at $899.

  • That particular laptop starts with 256 ram, a 40 gig drive and Windows XP Home Edition
  • When the OS is changed Windows XP Pro (without the Tablet PC Edition) this adds $149.90, and now the notebook costs 598.99
  • Upgrade the ram to 512 and the notebook costs $638
  • Upgrade to 1 gig of ram and the cost is $713. .....  and so on and so on.   

The fact is that new technology and smaller form factor are always more desirable than old technology.  As subsequent time passes, the sales volume grows and companies are able to survive on smaller margins, which results in lower prices for the end user. In addition, this perceived lower pricing is the result of the long term amortization of R&D, and common marketing tactics such as mail-in rebates and loss leaders.  (Source: Linda A. Epstein, TabletPC2.com)


Posted Tuesday, August 15, 2006 by ChrisD
Rating: 3.47 Comments ()

Library receives technology grant

The grant enables the library to buy four mobile headsets that will allow librarians to move freely around the library to assist patrons without being tied to a desk telephone.

The tablet PC will provide staff with a mobile programming solution, bringing computer-based programs and presentations to the public. The library strives to reach patrons both in the library and in the community.  (Source: The Times of Northwest Indiana)
Posted Tuesday, August 15, 2006 by ChrisD
Rating: 2.90 Comments ()


Tablet PC Tech Support Report Card - LAPTOP Magazine's "Tech Support Showdown"

So how well does your preferred Tablet PC manufacturer provide technical support? LAPTOP Magazine has "graded" some of the top manufacturers in the quality of technical support offered for there products. Two grades were awarded for each company. A seperate "web-based support" grade and "phone-based support" grade were averaged to provide an "overall grade".

"Web grades were based upon the availability of information and the ease with which it was located. Phone grades were based upon wait times, the quality of service, and a positive resolution of the problem."

We reviewed the outcome of LAPTOP Magazine's findings and created a report card of sorts for top Tablet PC manufacturers named in the Tech Support Showdown.  (Source: Barry J. Doyle, TabletPCReviewSpot.com, Michael S. Lasky, Laptop Magazine)


Posted Tuesday, August 15, 2006 by ChrisD
Rating: 3.05 Comments ()

Audio InkShow: An interview with Darin Fish

When you want to know the pulse on the Tablet PC and Ultra Mobile PC industry, there is one person at Microsoft to talk to: Darin Fish.

Darin is the Director of Business Development for the Mobile and Tailored Platforms Division at Microsoft, which includes Tablet PC and Ultra Mobile PC / Origami. He has been with Microsoft for 22 years, 4 1/2 of which has been spent working with the Tablet PC team. Darin was on the Tablet PC team for about a year before launch and has been on the team since. Darin�s team manages the relationship with OEM, ODM, IHV, and ISV Partners. If it has to do with hardware or software for Tablet PCs and Origami devices, Darin and his team have their hands in it.

If you are at all interested in Tablet PCs, Vista, Tablet PC marketing, the future of the Tablet PC and devices to come, and some new technology called �Hot Start�, then you need to listen to this Audio InkShow. (Source: Rob Bushway, GottaBeMobile)


Posted Tuesday, August 15, 2006 by ChrisD
Rating: 3.04 Comments ()

DRADIS - Code Master Challenge Entry

What is DRADIS(Direction Range Distance)?  Well the name DRADIS is borrowed from a computer program / radar system from the television series Battlestar Galactica.  I�d like to think that my version accomplishes the same task � to provide valuable and interactive data to the pilot of a vehicle.  I�ve built DRADIS to be an application that runs beside a driver and aids them with their work tasks while driving.  Below I have linked to a video of an overview of DRADIS and some quick footage of my first real field test.


View larger res version on Google Video

There have been many attempts at mounting computers in cars � however the biggest problem is how a user can safely and easily interact with these devices while operating a moving vehicle?  The biggest part of making it safe is by keeping their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel.  Using Windows Vista running on a Tablet PC this is achievable.  Vista is a key part to DRADIS because it offers a few important input/output features.  The .NET 3.0 suite provides great functionality but in terms of DRADIS these are the heavy hitters.  (Source: Bitporters Media)


Posted Monday, August 14, 2006 by ChrisD
Rating: 3.15 Comments ()

Don't believe the hype

Next in the cycle comes the "trough of disillusionment" which hits after a technology has failed to meet its hyped expectations and media interest begins to fade. Tablet PCs, corporate blogs, and Wikis all slot into this category.

To illustrate, Gartner said despite originally very high hopes for the tablet PC, it had proven "solid and mature" for applications where it solved a specific problem but was not recommended for mainstream deployment. (Source: LOUISA HEARN, Sydney Morning Herald)


Posted Monday, August 14, 2006 by ChrisD
Rating: 3 Comments ()

MobileSketch(TM) Moves Sketching Forward; Apex Announces MobileSketch Version 3 Release

Apex Software, the standard in sketching in the real estate valuation market, announced today the release of MobileSketch(TM) Touch Tablet Version 3.

MobileSketch Touch Tablet was designed to empower users to quickly and easily draw sketches in the field using a Tablet PC or Ultra Mobile PC. Version 3 is designed to take full advantage of the functionality and form factor of the mobile device making it an invaluable tool to mobile professionals.

"Our goal was to eliminate the need for the clipboard," said Randall H. Garrett, President and CEO of Apex Software. "With MobileSketch v3, mobile professionals don't need anything more than their Tablet PC to get their job done faster and more effectively."

MobileSketch contains the most commonly used features from both previous versions and the Apex desktop application. Additionally, MobileSketch features have been fine tuned to address mobile usability including a high-contrast user interface for optimum viewing in the field.

"MobileSketch represents a dramatic step forward for the mobile professional," stated Robert Smoote, Apex Software's Vice President of Product Management. "MobileSketch v3 incorporates full-featured integration eliminating the need for the desktop solution as its conduit for data exchange with other applications on the same device."

For more information, visit www.apexwin.com.  (Source: Press Release)


Posted Monday, August 14, 2006 by ChrisD
Rating: 3 Comments ()

Check Out "Tablet PC Launcher" - Make Pen-Based Computing a Snap!

If you are looking for a great utility to cut down pen taps to launch applications, access and open files, switch between tasks and more, "Tablet PC Launcher" by Googgy Software could be the answer for you! This handy little utility simplifies navigation in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, providing the user with a simplified and speedy experience with no keyboard or mouse required.

Tablet PC Launcher is ready to go instantly without any complicated configuration or thought. It is a very small program that stays "out of the way" and can save time and spare Tablet PC users from tedious and redundant "tapping" to carry out everyday repetitive computer tasks.

 
(Source: Barry J. Doyle, TabletPCReviewSpot.com)


Posted Sunday, August 13, 2006 by ChrisD
Rating: 3.18 Comments ()

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