Tablet PC Blog

Come and see UMPCs and Tablet PCs at ABITE this weekend

I know it’s last minute, but if you’re in Melbourne this weekend, come down and get hands on with the latest Tablet PCs. Tablet PC is participating in the ABITE Business and IT expo at the Melbourne Convention Centre from Saturday to Monday.

We will be displaying a variety of Tablet PCs and accessories including:

• Motion Computing F5
• Motion Computing LE1700
• Samsung Q1 UMPC
• Sahara Slate
• Disto Laser Measuring Devices

For more details about the event, go to www.abite.com.au.

To get a free entry pass call us on 03 9012 6602 or contact us using the form below.

Tablet PC 101: #20 Type With A Keyboard

When I talk to uninitiated people about Tablet PCs (not intelligent people like you), I am truly surprised by the number of people who say:

“I can type way faster than I can write.”

Well, duh!

It seems that some people think that Tablet PC pen input is an exclusive technology that supercedes and overrides all other input methods.

Now, before you decide to throw away your keyboard and mouse because you’re going to buy a Tablet PC… stop and pay attention:

Handwriting recognition and Tablet PCs are not designed to stop you from using a regular keyboard and mouse!

…or touch, or speech, or blink input, or deep brain magnetic resonance commands*, or whatever other new input technology comes out in the next 15 years!

Guess what? I too can type way faster than I can write.

Therefore, because my Tablet PC is my everyday computer, when I’m in the office I use a docking station with a large LCD screen, an external DVD writer and a wireless keyboard and mouse.

I also keep a convertible keyboard in my car for those situations when pen input just won’t do.

Of course, the addition of pen input means that you can use your computer in so many new ways and so many new places.

The fact is, no one is going to stop typing altogether on a keyboard any time soon!

*I haven’t invented deep brain magnetic resonance commands yet, but will keep you posted.

What If I Drop It? (A Tablet PC That Is!)

Now whatever you do folks, don’t try this with your Tablet PC at home!

But… here’s what happens when you drop the Semi-Rugged Motion F5.

Most Tablet PC models are designed with shock absorbent bumpers to withstand a simple bump or a drop. For the average Tablet PC, you’re going to see some superficial damage, but the contents (the expensive bits) will remain intact.

In this case, as you can see, the F5 withstands a corner impact from over 1 metre. With it’s semi rugged design, the F5 will take more of a knocking than the average Tablet PC before it breaks.

As noted in the video though, there is no warranty that is going to cover you against dropping your Tablet PC, even with the Motion F5. So seriously, don’t try this at home.

Tablet PC 101 #19: Computing in the Lounge - AKA - "Couch Surfing"

After thinking about all of the serious things that you can do with a Tablet PC, I’ve decided that it’s time to kick back a little.

So far, we’ve been through things like:

• Sketching and quoting jobs
• Making presentations
• Working in warehouses and factories
• Taking notes at conferences, at school and in meetings with clients
• Mind mapping
• Capturing signatures and signing forms
• Working on planes

After all that hard work, you deserve to have your Tablet PC working for you in your down time.

John Hancock of Adelaide, South Australia emailed me:

I have an XBox with the XBox media centre  software installed. This has a web interface and I can sit in my lounge chair with my tablet in hand controlling the media center using the pen. Much easier than using the remote. I was listening to some music last night and was browsing through my play lists selecting random songs. A very pleasant way to spend an evening.

Right on John.

I don’t want to sound like a geek, but… ok, who am I kidding?

Just quietly, there are many times that I have been caught sitting back on the lounge, enjoying a cup of coffee while surfing the latest Tablet PC blogs.

Actually, everyone I know who has a Tablet PC seems to indulge in some “couch surfing.”

Of course “couch surfing” is a pretty natural thing to do with a Tablet PC because it’s not like lugging around a laptop. It’s especially comfortable with a slate Tablet PC like the LE1700 that I use.

Toshiba M700 Review - Could this be your first Tablet PC?

Making the decision to switch to a Tablet PC is not easy for some people. Will you really use the tablet and pen features? It’s hard to know until you really get to use one for a decent period of time. It’s a leap of faith…

If you decide that a digital pen is not for you, then you could be left with an expensive machine that you don’t use to the full. For the same money you could have bought an awesome laptop.

Fortunately, Toshiba have produced a Tablet PC for people with commitment issues!

It’s the M700 convertible Tablet PC with a built in DVD burner. It’s really built to be a small portable notebook, and the Tablet PC features are an added bonus.

So with the M700, even if you never use the Tablet features, you will be left with a powerful and capable laptop.

The Toshiba M700 is definitely not as sexy as the R400, but it is a little more practical. For instance, the M700 does away with the R400s glossy screen. This screen has a matte finish to reduce glare.

It’s a little bit chunkier than the R400 due to the inclusion of the DVD drive. But it is remarkably light considering its size.

So if you’re looking to make the jump to a Tablet, but you’re not quite sure, this may be the Tablet PC to get you over the line.

Cheek out our video demonstration below:

Visit our online shop for more information on the Toshiba Portege M700 Tablet PC.

Tablet PC 101: #18 Write on Your PowerPoint Slides

Do you think PowerPoint presentations are overused and boring? You wouldn’t be alone in the business community if you thought that. Well, Tablet PCs create a way for you to change all of that.

Hook your Tablet PC up to a projector and you’ve got a lot more than a boring slide machine… You’ve now got yourself an interactive presentation tool. That’s not just corporate speak, I’m serious!

Using a Tablet PC and PowerPoint you can:

• Replace flip charts and butchers paper
• Combine presentation slides with brainstorming and audience involvement
• Draw in digital ink to explain and illustrate concepts

Click on the picture above to download the sample PowerPoint 2007 file. By the way, you can use digital ink in Office 2003 too.

Does the Motion Computing LE1700 Replace the HP TC1100?

The HP TC1100 was the carrot that got us into Tablet PCs. In fact, the first Tablet PC that we had was the woeful HP TC1000. It was terribly underpowered with a Transmeta Crusoe Processor. It left a bad taste for many.

Fortunately, HP quickly got their act together and fixed the TC1000 by putting a decent Intel Centrino processor in it. The result was the TC1100, which is still today a very capable and sought after Tablet PC.

What was so good about the HP TC 1100 you might wonder? Well, it was the only Tablet PC to come in a Hybrid form factor. It could be both a convertible tablet (With a keyboard attached) and a slate.

In slate mode, you had a powerful and lightweight portable device weighing just over 1 kg. With the keyboard attached, you had a Tablet PC that also functioned like a laptop. 

Unfortunately HP decided that the TC1100 wasn’t important enough in the scheme of things. They continue to develop Tablet PCs, but have taken the safe road of laptop style convertibles like the HP 2710P.

Enter Motion Computing. To be honest, Motion have been around in Tablet PCs since the very early days. So we may be a little slow in reporting this, but we think that Motion have had an alternative to the TC1100 form factor for quite a while. It’s the LE1700 with convertible keyboard.

We put together the following video to demonstrate the similarities.

To see the Motion LE1700 Tablet PC in more detail, visit the LE1700 page on our online shop.

Tablet PC 101: #17 Computing in Places That a Laptop Won’t Go

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s very hard to use a laptop while you’re standing up. Tablet PCs slates on the other hand, are designed to be used when your standing up.

Think about the possibilities for this… For instance, a cold storage company recently told us that a Tablet PC will save them hours every day. How?

Well, each time they have a question in the cold store, they have to walk out of the store, into the office, look it up on the computer and then walk back again. It was a massive warehouse. Can you imagine how much time that takes up every day?

With a Tablet PC (in this case, the semi-rugged Motion F5) they can have the PC on hand, and look up the information while they are standing at the pallet.

Here is a list of just some of the places that you’ll see Tablet PCs where a laptop is not practical:

• In a warehouse
• On a building site
• On a farm
• At a hospital bedside
• On the street
• In meetings
• In hallways

By the way, a Tablet PC is easier to use on you lap when you’re sitting down too, since there’s no need to balance the keyboard and screen.

Motion Computing F5 Tablet PC Video

I demonstrated the Motion F5 Tablet PC for a large warehouse this week. So while I was in demonstration mode,  I thought I’d put together this video review.

Overall, the F5 is a very impressive Tablet PC. For applications like logisitcs, warehousing, manufacturing and construction this Tablet must be on your list to evaluate.

Motion Computing F5 Tablet PC Video Transcript

If you’d like to see a Motion F5 in action, email us at info@tabletpc.com.au, phone on 03 9012 6602 or use the contact form below.

Tablet PC 101 #17: Sketch a property, job or quote and calculate area

Trades people all know how hard it is to accurately measure and estimate areas. Some incredible software for Tablet PCs can help you to get it right before you even leave the property.

The Apex Nexus software demonstrated below is one of the most intuitive Tablet PC applications that I’ve ever seen. It allows you to quickly and easily sketch lines while adding angles, curves and dimensions.

Importantly, you can quickly calculate accurate area. A trades person with this kind of power could even produce a quote on the spot. Goodbye competition!

With Nexus, you can sketch a house, a plan, a driveway, a window or anything that has lines and measurements. Click on the picture for a video demonstration.

The Nexus software is often used by:

• Property valuers
• Insurance assessors
• Real estate agents
• Construction engineers
• Builders, concreters, pavers, landscapers, carpenters, carpeters, floor installers
• Anybody who needs to measure and quote.

Nexus also works beautifully with Disto Bluetooth laser measuring devices. Amazing stuff!