News Week of November 23, 2008

Forest Ridge School Students Put Down Pencils and Boot Up Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet PCs

Lenovo today announced that Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, an all-girls� school located in Bellevue, Wash., deployed 330 Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet PCs to help give teachers and students new and dynamic ways to teach, learn and engage technology-savvy students in grades 5-12.

Forest Ridge administrators selected ThinkPad X60 Tablets and X61 Tablets because the Tablet PCs give them sturdy yet lightweight technology with easy-to-use features, along with multimedia and touchscreen capabilities that make computing simple for students.

Lenovo PC technology blankets the school. For example, Forest Ridge language teachers use the Tablet�s built-in microphone to record students in class, and some teachers create audio lessons to send to students who miss school. In math classes, students use the ThinkPad Tablet�s digitizer pen to solve problems in real-time, decreasing the use of paper. The powerful ThinkPad Tablets support multiple class programs simultaneously including Microsoft Office OneNote, a virtual binder for students to organize their homework, assignments and tests. Using OneNote on Lenovo Tablet PCs, teachers can also create images, audio and video within assignments for a more engaging learning experience.

�Our students are digital natives having grown up using technology, so it is critical that we deliver seamless, innovative, technology-enabled class lessons that involve their participation in the learning process,� said Michael Smith, technology director, Forest Ridge School. �Lenovo ThinkPad Tablets create an environment that feels natural to our students while creating opportunities to stimulate their minds and help them develop new skills.�

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablets come with ThinkVantage Technologies, a suite of self-help tools that help make sure students and teachers focus on learning, and not PC maintenance.

Using Presentation Manager, teachers quickly turn their PCs into display hubs whether they are in the classroom, faculty conference room or auditorium. The Active Protection System helps protect the hard drive if the computer falls off of a desk or gets bumped in the hallway. Forest Ridge students can easily log into their PCs by swiping the fingerprint reader on the Tablet wrist pad. In addition, ThinkPad Tablets are extra durable with a magnesium skeleton roll-cage that reinforces the PC�s shell.

Forest Ridge purchased its Lenovo PCs from Alden Associates, a Lenovo business partner that specializes in IT solutions for the education market. The school deployed the new ThinkPad Tablets using its in-house IT department and technology �mentors,� a small group of teachers who help train and assist their colleagues on new tools.

The school trains students and families on how to get the most out of their Lenovo PCs. Middle school students receiving their first computer learn about various Tablet features, including PC boot up and log-in, using the digitizer pen and class software programs. Lenovo�s training video that spoofs the popular television show, �CSI,� �TPI: ThinkPad Investigation� teaches students about the importance of caring for their computers.

Forest Ridge students receive their Lenovo PCs when they enroll at the school and keep them when they graduate to continue using in their personal and academic careers. The school is working with Lenovo to evolve its PC solution and leverage the latest multi-touch features and Web-based applications.  (Source: Press Release)

2008 Tablet PC Holiday Buyer's Guide

With the holiday shopping season underway, shoppers who are looking for Tablet PCs are in luck. There are more tablets than ever before that are geared toward people with many different needs and interests. Whether you're a  student who needs a tablet that is great for note-taking and fits in a small backpack for school, a standard consumer just looking to see what tablets offer that is affordable and entertaining, or a business professional needing a rugged yet portable solution, this guide will point you in the right direction.

 
(Source: Tiffany Boggs, TabletPCReview.com)

HP Brings Multi-touch Innovation to Consumer Notebooks

HP today announced the industry�s first convertible notebook PC with multi-touch technology designed specifically for consumers.

Building upon the touch innovation HP developed for its TouchSmart desktop PCs, the HP TouchSmart tx2 Notebook PC was developed for people on the go who value having their digital content at their fingertips � literally.

The enhanced HP MediaSmart digital entertainment software suite on the tx2 allows users to more naturally select, organize and manipulate digital files such as photos, music, video and web content by simply touching the screen.

�Breezing through websites and enjoying photos or video at the tap, whisk or flick of a finger is an entirely new way to enjoy digital content on a notebook PC,� said Ted Clark, senior vice president and general manager, Notebook Global Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP. �With the introduction of the TouchSmart tx2, HP is providing users an easier, more natural way to interact with their PCs, and furthering touch innovation.�

The tx2 is the latest result of HP�s 25 years of touch technology experience, which began with the introduction of the HP-150, a touch screen PC that was well ahead of its time, in 1983.

Digital media powerhouse

The tx2 gives customers the choice to set aside the keyboard and mouse in favor of a more natural user interface � the fingertip.

HP�s multi-touch display delivers quick and easy access to information, entertainment and other social media. The tx2 recognizes simultaneous input from more than one finger using �capacitive multi-touch technology,� which enables the use of gestures such as pinch, rotate, arc, flick, press and drag, and single and double tap.

The convertible design with a twist hinge allows consumers to enjoy the TouchSmart in three modes: PC, display and tablet. With a rechargeable digital ink pen, users can turn the tx2 into a tablet PC to write, sketch, draw, take notes or graph right onto the screen � and then automatically convert handwriting into typed text.

Starting at less than 4.5 pounds, the tx2 possesses a 12.1-inch diagonal BrightView LED display and an HP Imprint �Reaction� design.

The tx2 notebook�s HP MediaSmart software lets customers enjoy photos, listen to music and watch Internet⁽¹⁾ TV or movies in high-definition.⁽²⁾ The software is optimized for multi-touch input while also making it simple to search digital content. In an effort to provide consumers with rich content through the Internet, HP has expanded its partnership with MTV Networks (MTVN) by offering video content from 10 television channels and online brands within MediaSmart�s TV module.

Beginning in December, users can enjoy all the best content from Nickelodeon, the No. 1 entertainment brand for kids; MTV, the premier destination for music and youth culture programming; and COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network and the No. 1 network in primetime for men ages 18 to 24. MTVN also plans to make content from Atom, CMT, GameTrailers, Logo, Spike, The N and VH1 available within MediaSmart�s TV module.

The MediaSmart software was first brought to HP HDX notebook PCs in September, using the interface first popularized on HP TouchSmart PCs. HP plans to include the software in the tx2 and all future HP consumer notebook PCs.

Powered by the AMD Turion� X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile Processor or AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor⁽³⁾ and built on Windows� Vista Home Premium, the tx2 will be made available worldwide in an array of configure-to-order options.

Additional features, accessories and service

The HP TouchSmart tx2 series is ENERGY STAR� qualified and EPEAT� Silver registered. Mercury-free LED display panels are included on the tx2 as part of HP�s ongoing commitment to reduce its impact on the environment.

The HP tx Series Notebook Stand elevates the tx2, enhancing its usability while stationary, including making it possible to put the PC in an upright position for full interactivity with the touch screen.

HP Webcam with Integrated Microphones allows users to see brighter, cleaner images when chatting over an Internet⁽¹⁾ connection.

The tx2 offers access to a variety of self-help tools built in and online. It also is supported by HP Total Care, which enables consumers to reach support agents 24/7 by phone, email or real-time chat.

Pricing and availability

The HP TouchSmart tx2 is available for ordering today in the United States at www.hpdirect.com with a starting U.S. price of $1,149.⁽⁴⁾ More information about the tx2 is available at www.hp.com/go/touchsmarttx2. (Source: Press Release)

Review: HP Elitebook 2730p Tablet PC

HP recently made available the HP Elitebook 2730Pp upgrade to the HP Compaq 2710p which in my opinion was one of the best tablet PC�s ever made available. I personally did not think it could get any better I loved the light, the built in business card reader. I thought the HP Compaq 2710p was great and could not get any better.

But the 2710p had it�s flaws, it did not have a touchpad and a lot of people diliked that, also when you removed the stylus from the holder it often times launched out like a projectile, some people also wished it had a scroll wheel on the side so that they could scroll through webpages and documents while in tablet mode easily.   (Source: Michael , HardwareGeeks.com)

Windows 7 netbook system specs explained

Over 1GB of that footprint in Vista is pre-installed drivers, and Windows components add another 500MB. Microsoft doesn't plan to reduce those much, but Sinofsky says the beta of Windows 7 will extend the list of 'optional components' which are installed but not loaded by default.

Even in the pre-beta this is much more granular; you can remove XPS support, gadgets or tablet features. Even if you have tablet features loaded, the component won't actually be in the memory unless you have tablet hardware on your PC.  (Source: Mary Branscombe, TechRadar.com)