News Week of March 25, 2007

Asus R1 Tablet PC with Vista User Review

The Asus R1 is the perfect computer for a student on their way to college. It is built very well, lightweight and easy to take notes on. Not only is it a great performer, it has a nice design too. This Tablet is perfect for non-students as well. It can be used in business settings, community settings or any setting you need a computer. The Asus R1 passes off as a great notebook, and then the center hinge allows it to convert into a Tablet. This gives the R1 more of a business feel and professional look compared to other notebooks.

The R1 swiveling into Tablet mode.  (Source: Kayla, TabletPCReview.com)

Sierra Wireless USB modem to debut on Sprint Mobile Broadband Network

AirCard® 595U USB modem offers access to the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network from a variety of computers, expanding mobile broadband beyond the laptop

Orlando, Florida (CTIA Wireless 2007) – Sierra Wireless (NASDAQ: SWIR - TSX: SW) today announced an agreement to supply the new Sierra Wireless AirCard® 595U USB modem for access to the Sprint Mobile Broadband EV-DO Rev A Network. The Sprint Mobile Broadband USB Modem (AirCard 595U) will be available next month in Sprint sales channels, including retail stores and at www.sprint.com, and can be purchased for as low as $49.99 with a two-year subscriber agreement and $50 mail in rebate. Sprint and Sierra Wireless are also demonstrating the modem at CTIA Wireless 2007, held March 27 to 29 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida (visit Sprint in Booth #2987 and Sierra Wireless in Booth #3141).

“We are pleased to collaborate with Sprint in the launch of our newest product, the AirCard 595U USB modem,” said Dan Schieler, senior vice president, Worldwide Sales for Sierra Wireless. “With value-added features like the included desktop docking cradle, access to Sprint Location Services with the latest version of Sprint Connection Manager, and battery boosted power for better performance in a variety of coverage areas, the AirCard 595U delivers a best-in-class solution for data customers looking for the flexibility that a USB interface provides.”

The stylish and compact AirCard 595U USB modem can be plugged directly into the USB ports of notebook or desktop computers, or can be connected through an included docking cradle. This offers an alternative for customers without PCMCIA card slots and allows them to move a single wireless data service between multiple computers. The AirCard 595U includes an internal battery to ensure optimal performance, and offers GPS capability to enable “locate and search” functionality. The AirCard 595U supports both Windows and Macintosh operating systems.

For more information about the Sierra Wireless AirCard 595U USB modem please visit http://www.sierrawireless.com/product/usbmodem.aspx. To contact the Sierra Wireless Sales Desk, call 604-232-1488 or e-mail sales@sierrawireless.com. (Source: Press Release)

Motion Computing Integrates Sprint Mobile Broadband on New Tablet PC

Motion LE1700 Wireless Connectivity Extends Beyond Hotspots and Enterprise Networks

Motion Computing®, a leader in ultramobile computing and wireless communications, today announced Sprint (NYSE: S) as its first wireless wide area network (WWAN) carrier partner for the LE1700, the company’s new flagship slate tablet PC.  

With the LE1700, Motion is first to integrate in a slate tablet PC mobile broadband capabilities with Sprint Mobile Broadband.  Sprint’s advanced Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A mobile broadband network provides wireless high speed data services in more than 220 markets; delivering increased flexibility for mobile professionals with access to business critical applications, away from wireless hotspots, enterprise networks and home offices.

“About half of Motion’s customer base regularly works outside the four walls of a business – case workers, for example, spend most of their time with clients and in the car,” said Tony Bonadero, Motion’s vice president of product management. “For these customers and others, integrated mobile broadband is a relevant and important technology.  That’s why Motion has partnered with Sprint; it helps us extend the productivity that comes with truly mobile computing to more vertical industries.”

For more information about pricing and availability, please contact Motion Computing at 1-866-MTABLET.

Additional information on Sprint's Mobile Broadband network, including coverage maps showing current and future coverage, can be found at www.Sprint.com

About the Motion LE1700
The most feature-rich tablet PC on the market, the LE1700 integrates the latest technologies aimed at enhancing productivity of mobile professionals in healthcare, field sales and service, government and hospitality, among others. New technologies available on the LE1700 include Motion’s exclusive WriteTouch® display option for dual-mode writing and touch-screen input; Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) integration; the Microsoft® Windows Vista™ operating system; and Intel® Core™2 Duo mobile technology.    (Source: Press Release)

Update on LE1700 Tablet PC battery issues

Motion believes that the experiences I’ve been having with battery times are indeed pre-production issues. For example, there were several production-level tuning tweaks / adjustments in the BIOS and operating system that were not implemented in the units I received. Once those adjustments are made to production units, Motion believes that battery levels will be up to par with what specs quote.  (Source: Rob Bushway, GottaBeMobile.com)
Posted Thursday, March 29, 2007 by ChrisD
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$5.4m for religious schools IT projects

In an exclusive interview with The Brunei Times, Husny Abang Taha said "Once the plan is settled for each selected school will be equipped with a computer lab fitted with tablet PC."

He said that a tablet PC is able to recognise handwriting and enables it to be applied to a Windows set program. He added that the tablet PC maybe the first mobile computer that is able to recognise handwriting text. "The tablet PCs can store 'jawi' handwriting, used in religious schools, in the system, which can be retrieved it whenever needed," he added.

Each teacher who will be made in charge of the lab will also be trained.

"We hope the computer labs would help improve and encourage creativity among the religious teachers and give them an opportunity of using information technology," he added. (Source: Sobrina Rosli, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, The Brunei Times)

Corel® Painter™ Essentials 3 Now Available on New HP Notebook PCs

Award-winning Software an Inspired Creative Tool for the HP tx1000 series Entertainment Notebook PC

OTTAWA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Corel Corporation (NASDAQ:CREL; TSX:CRE) today announced that its consumer painting and illustration software, Corel® Painter™ Essentials 3, will be bundled on every model of the HP Pavilion tx1000 series Entertainment Notebook PC shipped in the US.

Ideal for digital photographers, art and craft enthusiasts, and students and teachers, Corel Painter Essentials 3 lets users easily create handmade digital art that’s perfect for framing, craft projects, and giving as special gifts for friends and family.

The recently announced HP Pavilion tx1000 series Entertainment Notebook PC is a lightweight, convertible PC with a 12.1-inch diagonal widescreen display featuring an optional integrated touch-screen that can swivel 180 degrees and fold flat. Complete with a pen tablet interface, the notebook can be used to capture hand-written notes and drawings, making it an ideal complement to Corel Painter Essentials 3 – giving users everything they need to create a home and mobile digital art studio for exploring their creativity.

“Corel Painter Essentials 3 and the new HP Pavilion tx1000 series Entertainment Notebook PC are a powerful creative duo for anyone who wants to explore their artistic side – whether they are sketching and painting en plein air or at home. Our award-winning painting and illustration software offers HP notebook customers impressive added value and a wonderful creative outlet,” said Rick Champagne, Product Manager for Corel Painter.

“With Corel Painter Essentials 3, our customers will have a wealth of artistic tools at their fingertips,” said Mark Sanchez, Vice President of Consumer Computing - North America, HP. “The convenience of the HP Pavilion tx1000’s touch-screen makes creating, accessing and sharing movies, digital art and photos easy and quick.”

Based on the professional power of Corel Painter, Corel Painter Essentials 3 comes complete with a wide selection of paints, brushes and pencils that look and feel like their traditional counterparts, a dynamic painting system that makes it easy to transform photos into stunning paintings, as well as helpful training resources to get people started quickly.

For more information about Corel Painter Essentials 3, please visit www.corel.com/painteressentials. For more information about the HP Pavilion tx1000 series Entertainment Notebook PC, please visit www.hpshopping.com.   (Source: Press Release)

HTC defines mobile computing with introduction of Shift and Advantage

Mobile computers set to deliver ultimate experience by combining innovative designs with powerful functionality and connectivity

Today, at the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association’s (CTIA) WIRELESS 2007®, High Tech Computer Corp. (TAIEX: 2498; “HTC”), the world’s leading provider of Microsoft® Windows Mobile®-based smart devices, announced the expansion of its product portfolio to include two new groundbreaking computing devices that focus on providing users with the definitive mobile computer experience.

The HTC Shift brings the full power of Windows Vista and advanced wireless connectivity into an innovative and compact design that is sure to create a new paradigm for mobile computing. The HTC Advantage delivers extreme portability that leverages the mobile office strengths of Windows Mobile 6 and advanced wireless connectivity in one of the smallest mobile computer designs available.

“The introduction of the HTC Shift and Advantage continue HTC’s long history of innovative, precedent-setting devices,” said Peter Chou, chief executive officer of HTC. “These new devices bridge the gap between being mobile and being in the office, giving customers new choices for how they work, communicate and live.

With nearly a decade of experience designing and building pioneering smartphones, HTC is extending its mobile convergence leadership into a new mobile computing category created by the introduction of the HTC Shift and HTC Advantage. The company is now doing for mobile computing what it did for mobile phones, adding powerful functionality and advanced connectivity in compact and innovative designs.

HTC Shift

Unveiled at CTIA, the HTC Shift combines the power of Windows Vista with an innovative QWERTY-based keyboard design and 3G-connectivity. The days of compromising productivity for portability are gone. The HTC Shift provides all the power, functionality and connectivity the busy professional needs in a sleek design that is half the size and a fraction of the weight of what they lug around today. Similar in size to a couple of DVD cases, the HTC Shift comes with Windows Vista Business, includes a brilliant 7-inch widescreen touch display and a 30-gigabyte hard drive. Packed with advanced connectivity, the HTC Shift features high-speed global connectivity with Tri-Band UMTS/HSDPA, Quad-Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi. A multimedia maven, the HTC Shift leverages Windows Media Player 11 to provide easy access to music, videos and photos.

“The HTC Shift is combining the power of Windows Vista with advanced connectivity in a sleek mobile computer design,“ said Bill Mitchell, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Windows Mobile Platforms Division. “HTC and Microsoft have been innovating on smartphones for years, so it is exciting to see them bring that experience and innovation to mobile computers.”

HTC Advantage

Developed from the ground up to be extremely portable, the HTC Advantage liberates the traveling executive from their bulky notebook PC. The HTC Advantage packs powerful productivity features into a unique and innovative design that is small enough to slip into a jacket pocket or purse. Based on Microsoft Windows Mobile 6, the HTC Advantage includes Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile for quick access to email, calendar and contacts and Microsoft Office Mobile enabling the creation and editing of Microsoft Office documents. The HTC Advantage includes a thin, magnetically connected QWERTY keyboard and advanced connectivity with Tri-Band UMTS/HSDPA, Quad-Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi. In addition, the HTC Advantage enables powerful navigation capabilities with built-in GPS navigation. Other features include:

• 5-inch VGA touch display
• HDD 8GB, ROM 256MB, RAM 128MB
• miniSD™ card slot
• HTC VueFLO™ for easy navigation
• 3.5mm Stereo audio jack

Pricing and Availability

The HTC Advantage will be available through Amazon.com and other retailers this summer. The HTC Shift will be available in the US and Europe in Q3 2007. Additional details, including specifications, pricing and availability will be announced when available.  (Source: Press Release)

Hands On - Motion LE1700 Tablet PC

TabletPCReview's very own Brian Beeler got a chance to check out Motion's newest slate Tablet PC to join their line-up at CTIA this week. The LE1700 Tablet was just announced on Monday, March 26th and is already making a splash due to its spec sheet. This little Tablet will be the first slate Tablet to have a Core 2 Duo processor and you can choose between Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or Vista Business as the OS.

Front view of the Motion LE1700 running Vista.
(Source: Tiffany Boggs, TabletPCReview.com)

WEBCAST: Learn to use SmartDraw, a business graphics application, Monday, April 2, 10:00AM PT

With SmartDraw you can create professional-quality graphics with a Tablet PC running Windows Vista Premium Edition. Get an in-depth look at how SmartDraw incorporates Tablet technology and mobile PC features into its application. When: Monday, April 2, 10:00AM PT (Source: Microsoft Website)
Posted Wednesday, March 28, 2007 by ChrisD
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RealNetworks and Nokia Make Wi-Fi Rhapsody a Reality with Nokia N800 Internet Tablet

RealNetworks®, Inc., the global leader in digital media delivery and Nokia, the world's largest handset manufacturer, today announced that U.S. consumers can now enjoy mobile access to the award-winning Rhapsody® digital music service through the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet. This innovative collaboration gives Nokia N800 Internet Tablet users rapid access to Rhapsody's three million songs anywhere they have a Wi-Fi connection.

The new Rhapsody features are available to Nokia N800 Internet Tablet users beginning Tuesday, March 27, through a free software update, accessible via the device's Tableteer menu and also at www.nokiausa.com/n800. In addition to playback from Rhapsody's robust music catalog, this update will enable Nokia N800 Internet Tablet users to listen to customized Rhapsody playlists, stream hundreds of professionally programmed Internet radio channels and browse Rhapsody's critically acclaimed music editorial and album reviews.

"We are thrilled to be working with Nokia to bring the Rhapsody experience to the Wi-Fi enabled Nokia N800 Internet Tablet," said Philip W. O'Neil, senior vice president of music, RealNetworks. "Innovative integrations like these reinforce our vision of Rhapsody as a single service that delivers a personalized music experience that consumers love, at any time and on any device."

"Giving consumers direct access to Rhapsody via their wireless Nokia N800 Internet Tablet gives new meaning to music on the go," said Bill Plummer, Vice President, Sales & Channel Management, Multimedia, Nokia North America. "Our goal at Nokia is to make the Nokia N800 the ultimate portable Internet entertainment device, giving consumers the convenience of easy wireless access to their favorite online services beyond the confines of home."

The sleek, pocket sized Nokia N800 Internet Tablet is a Linux-based handheld product dedicated to convenient Internet browsing, messaging, email communications, Internet calling and other applications over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth phone data connections. With stereo audio, media support and an integrated web camera, the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet lets users enjoy streamed and downloaded content while on the go. The Nokia N800 Internet Tablet includes a high-resolution widescreen display (4.13 inches) with zoom functionality, built-in stereo speakers for enjoying music, an on-screen keyboard, and an intuitive user interface that is ideal for browsing for music through Rhapsody.

The Nokia N800 Internet Tablet is commercially available in the United States at www.nokiausa.com for $399. It can also be found at Nokia Flagship Stores in New York and Chicago and other select retail outlets nationwide.  (Source: Press Release)

Algiz intros ruggedized Algiz 8 tablet PC

While there's certainly no shortage of ruggedized tablet PCs out there (or laptops, or UMPCs), upstart Algiz seems to think there's enough room for it to squeeze itself into the mix, recently announcing its beefy Algiz 8 tablet. According to the company, the device is "dedicated to defend and protect," although it may be somewhat hampered in that task by its low-power 1.0 GHz ULV M Processor, which gets complemented by an 8.4-inch SVGA display, a 40 GB hard drive, and a maximum 1GB of RAM. On the upside, that should translate to some decent battery life, which can be further extended thanks to its hot-swappable 5800mAh battery.  (Source: Donald Melanson, Engadget)
Posted Wednesday, March 28, 2007 by ChrisD
Rating: 4 (Rate it) 1 Lowest 2 3 4 5 Highest Comments (0)

New REALTY WORLD Franchisee in Northern California

“REALTY WORLD Northern California has pioneered the adoption of mobile technologies that allow agents to serve their clients from whatever location is most convenient – whether it’s accessing the latest listings from a coffee shop using a PDA or filling out and signing a purchase agreement right on the screen of a tablet PC,” Meyer says. “REALTY WORLD of Silicon Valley will set the standard for an entirely new kind of real estate office that meets the needs of agents and their clients without the high overhead costs of a conventional brokerage.”  (Source: Press Release)
Posted Wednesday, March 28, 2007 by ChrisD
Rating: 4 (Rate it) 1 Lowest 2 3 4 5 Highest Comments (0)

Green technology strategy

"A tablet PC makes your life so much easier in terms of reducing your usage of resources and I also find it makes me a lot more organised and productive," he says.

"You're even able to search through all your handwritten notes. I don't understand why tablet PCs have not had more of an uptake because once you've actually used one, you will never go back.

"Using less paper means fewer trees will get cut down, less paper that needs to be transported around the world and, at the end of the day, you always lose pieces of paper with important information on them."  (Source: Stephen Fenech, couriermail.com.au)

Why the FlipStart will fail, or, Why history is important

I read about the device right here at Computerworld.com:

Gerry Purdy, an analyst at Frost & Sullivan Ltd. ... said the FlipStart and other devices represent "an interesting new category" of mini-portables.

New category?  Oh really?

You’d think that technology vendors (and analysts!) would learn from more than 25 years of making the same mistake over and over and over again.  But that appears not to be the case.  Companies like Panasonic, Hewlett-Packard, Sony, and now Microsoft are the guilty parties.  Even some blasts from the past such as Atari and Psion are accomplices in this nutty plan. (Source: Evan Koblentz, ComputerWorld)

FlipStart proves key on the road

    Despite these hassles, the FlipStart proved itself where it counts. It gave me the productivity I would find in a regular desktop or notebook PC, without the additional weight. Those who consider a computer as an extension of their hands will know how valuable such performance can be while traveling.
    Call me a flip-flopper: In this case, you would be right. To paraphrase a well-known politician, I was against the FlipStart before I was for it.
    True road warriors may find they need this machine as much as I did while loping through an airport or an exhibition.   (Source: Mark Kellner, The Washington Times)

Engineering School Professor Brings Tablet PCs, New Enthusiasm to Computer Engineering Course

Engineers are widely known for their desire to take things apart and put them back together in a way that makes them more effective. So perhaps it’s no surprise that Mircea Stan, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Virginia, is applying these classic engineering traits to the very process of engineering education. Through interactive design software and several Hewlett Packard Tablet PCs, Stan is hoping to more effectively engage computer engineering students in research.

The Tablet PCs, 20 in all, were awarded to the U.Va. School of Engineering and Applied Science when Stan secured a 2006 HP Teaching for Technology Grant, designed to transform and improve learning in the classroom through innovative uses of technology. Stan has outfitted the Tablet PCs with Xilinx software design tools, which the students would not otherwise have had classroom access to, and a new program developed by the University of Washington, “Classroom Presenter,” which Stan equates to “PowerPoint on steroids.” (Source: University of Virginia)
Posted Tuesday, March 27, 2007 by ChrisD
Rating: 5 (Rate it) 1 Lowest 2 3 4 5 Highest Comments (0)

Toshiba Protégé M400 laptop Review

Can an Intel Core Duo powered Tablet PC impress?

The good Compact, light, easy to use, vertical mode great for viewing websites

The bad Not sure why you would want a Tablet PC, Not the fastest offering on the block

We say The Toshiba Protégé M400 works well and does what it sets out to do, however we are still struggling to see why you would want a WebTablet in the first place. (Source: Stuart Miles, Pocket-Lint)

Hands-on with Motion Computing's C5 medical Tablet PC

It was only a pre-production model, but we managed to get hands-on with the C5, that medical-centric Tablet PC that Motion Computing announced about a month ago. Obviously meant for healthcare professionals rather than regular consumers, but the C5 is definitely one fine-looking machine. Click on the gallery for a handful of hands-on shots.  (Source: Peter Rojas, Engadget)
Posted Tuesday, March 27, 2007 by ChrisD
Rating: 4 (Rate it) 1 Lowest 2 3 4 5 Highest Comments (0)

Toshiba Portege R400 Tablet PC Review

The Toshiba Portege R400 has been getting a lot of attention recently. The only problem is all the attention it is attracting isn't always positive. The R400 has an innovative design, but lacks some key features. Many users don't see why the Tablet is so expensive when it does not have an internal optical drive and only has two USB ports. Thankfully it does have some unique features though like the Windows SideShow display, Windows Vista Ultimate, an LED backlit screen and its unique and secure hinge, which make it stand out above lower priced Tablets.

The Toshiba Portege R400. (view large image)  (Source: Tiffany Boggs, TabletPCReview.com)

Absolute Software Extends Embedded Anti-Theft Security to Tablet Computing Market

VANCOUVER, March 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Absolute(R) Software Corporation (TSX: ABT), the leading provider of firmware-based, patented Computrace(R) Computer Theft Recovery, Data Protection and Secure Asset Tracking(TM) solutions is pleased to announce that Motion Computing(R), a leader in mobile computing technologies, has now embedded support for Computrace in the BIOS of its flagship LE1700 Tablet PC.

Motion is offering Absolute's Computrace(R)Complete(TM) with its LE1700 Tablet PC, the most feature-rich tablet PC on the market. The LE1700 integrates the latest technologies aimed at enhancing productivity of mobile professionals in healthcare, field sales and service, government and hospitality, and now provides its customers access to the highest level of computer theft protection available on the market.

"Tablet PCs are the most mobile computers available and require diligent tracking to protect an organization's data and assets," said John Livingston, Chairman and CEO, of Absolute Software. "Motion Computing is the leader in the slate tablet PC market and this agreement reinforces that position and firmly establishes our embedded footprint in this growing market."

Computrace helps customers address issues of regulatory compliance, data protection and theft recovery. The software product deters computer theft, recovers stolen computers and provides a $1000 theft Recovery Guarantee(x). Customers may also activate a remote Data Delete feature to protect sensitive data on missing or stolen computers. Computrace addresses issues of regulatory compliance through detailed reporting on asset tracking, hardware and software inventory, software license and lease management, and can help enforce security policies through custom alerts and reporting. Traditional asset management systems can lose track of assets like tablet PCs when they drift to unknown locations or are not connected to the client network. With Computrace, the tablet PC reports changes in asset information on a daily basis over the Internet - regardless of its location.

"The Motion LE1700 tablet PC is portable, durable, innovative, and often used out of the office," said Tony Bonadero, Motion Computing vice president of product management. "Advanced security features and services are important to our enterprise customers as they roll-out larger numbers of tablet PCs to their mobile workers. ComputraceComplete can help our customers protect their tablet PC investment and key data, which is important for us in maintaining our leadership position in the rapidly expanding slate tablet PC market."

As the tablet PC market grows, so do incidences of theft and loss. Over 600,000 mobile computer thefts occurred in 2004, totaling an estimated $720 million in hardware losses and $5.4 billion in theft of proprietary information, according to Safeware The Insurance Agency. Although an FBI study found that 97% of stolen computers are never recovered, Absolute Software recovers three out of four stolen computers that contact its Monitoring Center.  (Source: Press Release)

Video: TabletKiosk Sahara i215 Not Designed for Vista

While it was never built to run Windows Vista, it seems that it can handle it just fine as demonstrated by the video below. You'll also enjoy it's ultra lightweight (3.1-pound) design and overall attractive aesthetics. Another interesting characteristic is that it has a CompactFlash slot, but not a Secure Digital or PCMCIA slot.  (Source: Michael Kwan, Mobile Magazine)
Posted Monday, March 26, 2007 by ChrisD
Rating: 5 (Rate it) 1 Lowest 2 3 4 5 Highest Comments (0)

Toshiba's new tablet PC is snazzy - and pricey.

The R400 handles awkwardly in tablet mode. Toshiba's predecessor tablet, the M400, had a rubbery strip across the bottom that made it easier to hold. The R400 also has sharper edges than the M400, making it uncomfortable to carry from meeting to meeting.

Finally, the stylus is short and difficult to grip. I felt as if I were drawing with an eraser on a rubber surface, not writing with a sharpened pen on a pad.

Bottom line:

For me, the benefits of this stylish new machine don't justify its elevated pricetag. (Source: Bjorn Billhardt, FSB Magazine, CNN)

Small PCs present big problems for users and interface designers

"Windows is a fine interface for that general-purpose, desk-centric, sitting-throne-position environment," Rolston said. But mobile computing is what he calls "high context" - the device needs to perform a very specific task, based on where the user is (in the car, for example) and what she's doing (like trying to find the mall).

"Just because you can make it small doesn't mean you should," he said.

On that count, Microsoft agrees.

"If you just take Windows, the deeply immersive mouse and keyboard experience and plug it down on a 7-inch or 5-inch screen, you have some problems," said Bill Mitchell, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Mobile Platforms division.  (Source: Jessica Mintz, Associated Press, San Jose Mercury News)

GottaBeMobile.com video review of the LE1700 Tablet PC

We are very pleased to bring everyone this first look at Motion Computing’s newest Tablet PC, the LE1700, in this special launch day video review. It has been about two years since the release of the LE1600, and many people were wondering if this day would ever come. It has!

In many ways, Motion has again set the bar for other slate Tablet PC OEMs to meet. With the introduction of SXGA (1400 x 1050 resolution), Core 2 Duo, and integrated broadband, it is clear that Motion listened to their customers when designing this new version. In addition to integrated broadband (carriers unannounced at this moment), the LE1700 also supports a SIM slot for HSDPA and 3G in Europe. Theoretically though, there is no reason why other SIM cards shouldn’t work for those of us in the states. Guess we'll see as folks start buying them.  (Source: Rob Bushway, GottaBeMobile.com)

Hands-On With HTC's First Laptop

The Shift operates on Windows Vista Business Edition and includes tablet extensions for writing on the screen with the included stylus. To place the Shift into Laptop mode, slide the screen back and tilt it up to a 75-degree angle..

The Shift's keyboard is much improved than the ones we've seen on other sub-laptops like the Sony UX and OQO Model 02. The keys are small and tight, but with actual travel: when you push a key, you push it down and it springs back like on a real keyboard, not a thumb-board. We estimated the key pitch at about 17 mm.