News Week of December 24, 2006

Neek Talk - Pre CES 2007 Show

We're back, and ready for CES 2007. In this podcast we welcome our cousin Kim who will be joining us at CES this year. Basically in this podcast, we discussed the technology we are hoping to see this year. We hope you enjoy! (Note: Please excuse the low volume on this podcast, we were having trouble with the audio on the HP/Compaq TC1100)

Listen to the Pre CES 2007 Show  (Source: TabletPCBlogs)

New UMPCs Hit Closer to the Mark

Asus's new UltraMobile is packed with features, while Samsung's Q1B doubles its battery life.

Judging by shipping versions of Asus's R2H and Samsung's Q1B, however, UMPCs are starting to mature by offering features you can't get in a notebook or desktop PC. In fact, my pick of these two--the $999 Asus R2H--packs more features in its 9.25-by-5.25-by-1.25-inch box than you'll find in many PCs.  (Source: Dennis O'Reilly, PC World, Washington Post)

Tablet PC Pens and Styluses InkShow

don't know why we have not covered this issue in an InkShow before, but pens and styluses are one of those things that you have to experiment with to find just the right one. Considering how much we interact  on a screen with a pen, issues of comfort, weight, button placement, and eraser head become even more important.

Fortunately, there are a myriad of choices when it comes to active digitizer pens and styluses. In this InkShow, I take a look at the collection of pens and styluses that I've accumulated over the years and tell you why I like them so much, and which ones I don't care for.

Share with us links and descriptions of your favorite digitizer pens and styluses, and stay tuned for another contest for your chance to win the Microsoft stylus I demoed in this InkShow.

Watch the InkShow ( 28:08, 154mb, .wmv streaming or direct download)  (Source: Rob Bushway, GottaBeMobile)

TabletPc2.com 2006 Products of the Year

See what TabletPC2.com chose as the:

Best Tablet PC of 2006
Best Accessory for 2006
Best Example of what a UMPC should be
Best UMPC Accessory
(Source: Linda A. Epstein, TabletPC2.com)

Lenovo Brings Power & Flexibility To The Tablet PC Market

Lenovo’s Hagerty points out some unique features of the ThinkPad X60 that set it apart. “The MultiTouch feature enables people to use their finger or the pen to interact with the Tablet. The MultiView indoor/outdoor, antireflective, antiglare display helps viewability in multiple settings. Finally, the Active Rotate screen function orients the screen to the user no matter which direction it turns. With this function turned on, ‘up’ is always ‘up’ no matter which direction the Tablet turns. This feature also allows for easy collaboration in mobile settings.”

Starting at $1,799, the ThinkPad X60 is in the middle of the pack price-wise. However, comparing bang for the buck, it may be the best value going right now. The ThinkPad X60 has larger, more powerful, more current options than competitors, such as a 100GB hard drive, 802.11n MIMO wireless connectivity, and built-in WWAN (wireless WAN) capabilities to connect with wireless broadband providers.  (Source: Tony Bradley, Processor.com)

CES Gathering update: Tablet PC & UMPC Community Gathering

The annual gathering with Tablet PC - and now UMPC - community enthusiasts has become one of my favorite parts of CES. It's a great place to talk with members of the Microsoft Mobile & Tailored Platforms Division (mobile PC, Tablet PC, and UMPC teams), OEMs, and ISVs, MVPs, and prominent online community members. Don't forget to bring your Tablet PC or UMPC!

Cheeseburger Las Vegas, in the Aladdin Casino Desert Passage.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
3:30PM - 6PM

RSVP to ljheiny at hotmail dot com  (Source: Lora, What Is New)

Teachers to present research at meeting

Susan Kershner, Lori Yuhaniak, Becky Garrod, Lisa Rudloff and Sue Weber successfully applied for a $20,000 eTech grant last spring to develop their program.

The money paid for Palm Pilots, a tablet PC and specialized software as well as extensive professional development the teachers used to enroll in "Action Research in the Classroom," an online course offered through eTech and Kent State University. (Source: vindy.com)
Posted Wednesday, December 27, 2006 by ChrisD
Rating: 2.95 (Rate it) 1 Lowest 2 3 4 5 Highest Comments (0)

HTC reportedly to offer its first UMPC in 1H 2007

Athena will have the following features: a Marvel 624MHz processor; Microsoft Windows Mobile Pocket PC operating system; a 5-inch VGA screen; a separate QWERTY keyboard which can combine with the screen to become a mini notebook PC; a built-in 3-megapixel phone camera with an 8GB hard disk drive; support for Wi-Fi, 3G, HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access), Bluetooth and GPS (global positioning system), the sources pointed out. As Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and 7-inch screens are mainstream specifications for UMPC models, Athena is different in these two respects, the sources noted.  (Source: Daniel Shen, Taipei; Adam Hwang, DigiTimes.com)
This is an example of the incorrect reference to a UMPC as a unit that does not run Windows XP, Tablet PC Editon or Windows Vista - Chris D.

World of Origami still unfolding

Get ready for Origami take two. While Microsoft's minitablet effort may not be quite where the software maker had hoped, the project is ready for another cameo. This spring, Microsoft attracted huge buzz for the Origami prior to its launch, but as details emerged and the products hit the market, they were roundly criticized as overpriced and underpowered.

Next month, at CES, Microsoft will be back with another round of the tiny computers. The latest tablets, code-named Vistagami because of their Windows Vista support, also will come in a wider range of looks, including some models with keyboards. Microsoft CEO Bill Gates is expected to mention some of the new devices in his CES keynote as part of a broader discussion of the new types of computers that will be enabled with Vista, including new all-in-one PCs and other esoteric designs.

But it's unclear whether the new crop of devices will do that much to address the two biggest criticisms of the category: price and battery life.   (Source: Ina Fried, CNET News.com, ZDNet)

Flybook V33i with HSDPA from Dialogue Reviewed (Part I)

There are few notebooks that have been head turners from the moment they were launched.

The Sony Vaio is one of them and the Flybook from Dialogue another.

It's been about two-and-a-half years ago when we first reviewed the original Flybook  ultra-portable notebook.

At this very moment the latest incarnation, the Flybook V33i,  is  glamming up our desk, sporting a deep Ferrari-red exterior, making its diminutive size even  more delectable...
Now that the Flybook has attained almost cult status, the question remains: is our first  love for this highly connected machine still there?  (Source:  Martin Regtien, Digital Reviews)