News Week of January 25, 2009

Unravelling PC form factors

In the laptop arena there are now many form factors available, capable of running a variety of operating systems. Deciding which form factor is appropriate can be difficult because every form factor has a trade-off. A 17 inch screen, which is easy on the eyes, can barely fit in most laptop cases for example; and a machine optimized to run graphics is likely to have poor battery life. No one portable machine can suit all the needs of a user nor can it be customized like a desktop, meaning IT must think quite carefully about what is needed and acceptable.

Accepting that needs vary from user to user can help make purchasing decisions easier. In our research we run across a number of different kinds of users, which map onto the following broad categories:

Vertical specific
These users, often found in health care, the plant floor, delivery specialists, retail inventory and so forth, may not use many of the traditional computing applications of the typical user, but need both specific hardware and software, customized to the job. In such situations, tablet-like PCs can make sense for example.   (Source: IdaRose Sylvester, Freeform Dynamics , The Register)

Toshiba Port�g� M750-S7202

Tablet PCs are an acquired taste, and the Toshiba Port�g� M750-S7202 has all the benefits users will appreciate in a tablet, as well as the inherent drawbacks to the genre�namely a bulky chassis and premium $1,799 price. If you really do use it as both a tablet and a traditional laptop, however, those negatives become easy to overlook.

Done up in a dark-gray ("metallic flake titanium") color, the M750 looks both attractive and inoffensive. Measuring an inch and a half thick and weighing 4.6 pounds (without an optical drive in the modular bay), the M750 is similar in size and weight to other convertible tablets we've recently reviewed (such as the HP TouchSmart tx2z), but it's bulky compared with most 12.1-inch laptops. Toshiba�s own nonconvertible Port�g� A600 series, for example, weighs just 3.2 pounds and is only 1.2 inches thick.

Toshiba has designed the M750 for the rigors of road use, employing strong magnesium alloy for the shell; shock-absorbing materials for the hard drive, LCD panel, and chassis; a 3D accelerometer to protect the hard drive heads and platters in the event of a drop; and equipping the M750 with a spill-resistant keyboard. The keyboard is comfortable and has full-size letter keys, though the ancillary keys are a bit truncated. As with other business-oriented portables, the M750 has no dedicated multimedia control keys, but Toshiba does include a volume wheel on the front edge.  (Source: Jamie Bsales, ComputerShopper.com)

Dell Latitude XT2 Tablet PC Specs and Pictures Leaked On Dell.Com

Our always reliable forum members unearthed the service manual for Dell�s unannounced XT2 Tablet PC. � complete with specs, pictures, and all.

Complete specs and more pictures after the break.

• DDR3, eSATA, GMA X4500 graphics (they dropped the ATI video card)
• Capable of 5GB of RAM
• 1.8� SATA
• 34mm Express Card ( a change from ExpressCard 54)
• One USB port capable of PowerShare, which can charge a USB device while the tablet is off
• They are sticking with ULV
• Notice the antennae bump on the right side of the screen, which is a change from XT which had a little lift tab in the middle of the bezel.
• According to the manual, they�ve also done away with one of the programmable buttons � email.
• The weight of 2.2 lbs looks suspiciously low. I can�t imagine them dropping over a pound in weight going from XT to the XT2. I�m thinking the weight is not including battery or display.

(Source: Rob Bushway, GottaBeMobile)