Apple iPad – Apple launches sleek new tablet – Aimed at eBook reader and UMPC Market

Australia woke up to news this morning that the much anticipated Apple Tablet has been launched. Overturning all expectations, the Apple Tablet – for years known in some circles as a unicorn – is called the iPad and not the iSlate.

In form, the iPad is very much what Tablet users have been wanting for a long time. It is ultra-thin at just 1.3 cm thick, and weighs around 700 grams – about the same as the weight as the Viliv X70 UMPC.

iPad is based on the iPhone OS which will give the device the benefit of simplicity. Imagine the iPad like a large iPod touch with 3G options. There are no voice call capabilities, and there is no webcam. We wonder wether Google talk – famously banned from the iPhone app store for blurring the lines of the Apple / AT&T contract in the US – will be allowed on the iPad.

As long time iPhone users we know that the iPad will lack serious field input capabilities like digitiser driven handwriting recognition – which is now at least twice as fast as virtual keyboard input. That tells us that the device is squarely aimed at content consumption rather than creation.

Essentially, the iPad will make a great colour eBook reader, basic web browser (minus flash content) and email viewer. As we have experienced for many years now with UMPCs and Tablets, these features are hard to live without once you have experienced them.

From early news, some of the groundbreaking features of the iPad are:

• Long battery life – up to 10 hours claimed
• Access to iPhone Apps – Apparently all 140,000 of them
• Simple, sleek, thin and light weight design.
• Crystal clear wide viewing screen – allows up to 178 degree viewing angles – important for a good Tablet reading experience
• Apples usual smooth multi-touch functionality
• Great line of accessories including an attachable physical keyboard and protective portfolio case.

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On early details, there is still some work to be done to bring this device to the masses:

• On screen keyboard – Great auto correction, but frustrating to navigate to symbols and features that you would find on a normal keyboard. It appears that apple have stuck very closely to the iPhone Virtual Keyboard design Microsoft do this well in the Tablet Input Panel with quick access to localised common typing commands like .com and .au.
• Glossy screen – Judging by the video the screen is very reflective and glossy which makes viewing difficult, particularly in common business environments like fluoro lighting and outdoors.
• Oddly in a world awash with widescreen, the iPad has a standard aspect 4:3 screen with 1024×768 resolution.
• No webcam.
• No stylus, note taking or handwriting input – A pressure sensitive digitiser is more accurate and handwriting is about twice as fast as virtual keyboard input. Note taking is what makes a Tablet most useful and this is missing on the iPad.
• No ruggedness ratings – One thing we know for sure is that even Tablets used purely at home take much more of beating over time than a laptop does. We have seen countless broken screens and peripherals. Although the device does include solid state storage, a serious field Tablet needs to be rugged to last.
• Limited storage – storage is from 16Gb – 64Gb depending on model selected. Great for basics, but more storage is often needed.
• No freedom – one of the biggest drawbacks of the iPhone OS is the restriction on accessing your own content like video and audio files directly. Everything must be funnelled through iTunes or the App Store, meaning that you can not just plug in your files and go like you can with a windows based Tablet.

Apple Australia’s website carries no mention of the iPad leading us to expect a long delay before we see the device in Australia. Once it does arrive though, well be sure to get one and bring you a hands on review.

gigabyte M1028 – Touch Screen Netbook

It seems like the Netbook category has come full circle with the current generation of touch screen Netbooks. After all, the current netbook as we know it is based on an Intel Atom processor that came out of the original UMPC project.

One of the better convertible netbooks is the Gigabyte M1028 TouchNote. We’ve been using the Gigabyte M1028 around the office for a few months now and here are some of the key reasons that we like it:

• Good size keyboard (92% full size) with Function keys and good key placement
• High res 10” indoor touch screen (1366 x 768 pixels)
• Easy access to upgrade and expand – Standard 2.5” SATA hard drives can be upgraded easily
• 2 USB ports, Express Card Slot, SDHC Card Reader and more!
• Multi-touch track pad mouse
• Nice sturdy swivel hinge convertible design

Options include:

• 3G / Next G Mobile Broadband
• GPS
• 2Gb RAM
• Standard 160Gb or 250Gb Hard Drives
• 6 Cell battery option for 5-6 hour operating time.

The Gigabyte M1028 also makes a great eBook reader. So, if you are looking for a netbook, why not get one with a touch screen too?

Pricing

From $759 Inc GST

Contact Tablet PC on 03 9012 6602 or info@tabletpc.com.au for more information.

Apple Tablet? – First a lesson in Tablet PC History

For many consumers, tomorrow’s launch of an Apple Tablet represents the birth of a new category of computing. But, what we known today as the Tablet PC has been making waves for a long time now.

Microsoft loyalists may think of the 2001 launch of Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition as the beginning of the Tablet PC while many apple fans will point to the “before its time” Apple Newton of the early ‘90s.

But in his recent article in Information Week, Dr Conrad Blickenstorfer of RuggedPCReview.com points out that Tablet PCs have been around much longer than you think and gives us a lesson in Tablet PC history.

…current coverage has been in creating the impression that Microsoft invented tablet computers in 2001, rewriting history in the process. Fact is, slate and tablet computers have been around for a good 20 years, and in 1991, there was as much hype about slates as we have today.

As it turns out, pen computing has been around for a long time and this isn’t the first time it’s hit the news either. But with the runaway success of the iPhone, tomorrow (our time) could be the birth of a Tablet PC for the masses – courtesy of Apple.

It would be hard to believe that there has ever been a more anticipated computer product release… We’ll wait and see exactly what Apple will have for us, and we’ll be especially relieved if it is actually a Tablet PC! Whatever it is we hope that Apple release the product in Australia within a reasonable timeframe.

Fujitsu T4310 user video – shows Windows 7 Multi-touch and OneNote 2010

We’ve had a great time playing with the new multi-touch Fujitsu T4310 over the summer. The combination of windows 7, Office 2010 (currently in beta) and multi-touch just rocks!

The first Fujitsu tablet to come out with multi-touch was the T4310, and it has now been followed up by the T900, the replacement for the beefy T5010 Tablet PC. Fujitsu continue to innovate with pen and touch computing and are one of the clear leaders in the Tablet PC field.

The following user give a good demonstration of the T4310. Although this user points out a couple of the shortfalls of the product, he still gives it a big thumbs up… And so do we.

Part 2 in particular shows how the capacitive touch screen works with OneNote 2010. It makes navigating your workspace super easy!

You won’t find a better demonstration of the combination of digitiser pen and touch. As you will see in this video, touch nicely augments the functionality of the pen.

Touch does not eliminate the need for the pen however, and as you’ll see a digitizer pen is pretty essential for serious Windows based tablets.

Call us on 03 9012 6602 for more info on Fujitsu Tablet PCs.

How to Save your Tablet PC or UMPC battery – 5 Tips for making a Lithium Ion Last

Most computers and electronic devices like Tablet PCs and UMPCs use Lithium Ion batteries. Lithium Ion (LiIon) batteries have some really compelling advantages that make the kind of small and lightweight gadgets that we have today possible. Lithium Ion batteries:

• Have a low weight to energy ratio
• Can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes
• Do not exhibit a memory effect (you don’t need to discharge them or run them down before charging again)

However, there are some disadvantages to having all this power…

What you should be aware of with Lithium Ion batteries:

• They have a minimum charge threshold - usually protected by the electronic controller on the battery-  and if they go below it they may be unrecoverable (i.e. dead).
• They lose capacity over time - A full battery will lose about 20% of its total capacity every year if stored at 25 degrees C. If fully charged it will lose 35% per year at 40 degrees C (laptops often get hotter than this!).
• They have a limited number of charge cycles* – usually between 500 – 1000.
• You should expect to replace them at some stage.

Tips for saving your Tablet PC or UMPC battery

The following tips will help you to keep your Lithium Ion battery running as long as possible. You might find that some of these tips are not that practical, but being aware of them will help you.

1. Store it at 30% – 40% charge (I.e. not full) - For example, if you’re heading away for a month and your not going to take your tablet, charge it to about half and put it somewhere cool.
2. Never leave your Tablet PC in your car, especially on a hot day – As detailed above, heat will greatly diminish the capacity of your lithium ion battery to hold a charge. Keep them cool as much as practically possible.
3. Remove the battery from the Tablet PC when you’re running on power constantly (I.e. if you’re mainly deskbound).
4. Unplug it! Let your Tablet PC run on battery as much as possible rather than keeping the battery in the unit fully charged.
5. Don’t leave a battery flat for long periods of time – If you do, it may discharge below the voltage threshold, and they don’t come back from that. The typical storage loss is 10% per month, so if you left a battery flat for a month or two or three, it may not recover.

Battery power is a critical component of your Tablet PC. Without your Lithium Ion you simply won’t be mobile anymore! So when choosing a Tablet PC you want to consider a couple of things about it’s batteries:

• How much do they cost? – Any decent Tablet PC or UMPC will outlive its battery! You absolutely will need to replace them at some stage
• How fast do they charge? – Some charge much faster than others
• How many will I need to keep? – If they charge faster you will probably need fewer batteries
• Will they continue to make the batteries? – Lithium Ion batteries do not store well as outlined above, so it is not a good idea to buy some for now with the intent of using them in future. You will want to be able to buy fresh new batteries in future.

* Charge cycle = 100% full discharge and recharge. So, if you discharge and recharge to say 60%, then back to full, then another 40%, then back to full you have reached 1 cycle.

BBC Reporter Breaks ‘Unbreakable’ Rugged Phone – Needs Gorilla Glass!

The Sonim XP1 is a rugged, IP54 rated, MIL-810F drop tested mobile phone that is pretty close to unbreakable… That is until this BBC reporter got hold of it (Click on the screenshot to watch the video):

As you can see, the weak point of this phone is its glass screen. We find that the glass screen is the weak point on many of the Tablet PCs on the market too – even the rugged ones. Even though standard screens are made from chemically hardened glass, they are still prone to break when a little force is applied.

Corning turned this problem on its head when they released Gorilla Glass last year – Gorilla Glass is strengthened with a process that achieves a much deeper level of strengthening. You can see a demonstration of Gorilla Glass by Andrew Moore-Crispin of butterscotch.com here at CES in Las Vegas last week.

Motion Computing were the first Tablet PC manufacturer with Corning Gorilla Glass on the rugged F5 and C5 tablets last year. Gorilla Glass is up to four times stronger than other glass used in Tablet PCs and as yet, Motion are still the only Tablet manufacturer using the technology.

Having used Tablet PCs for nearly 10 years (and broken at least 4 screens), I can attest to the value of this glass. It should be an essential component on all Tablet PCs along with a low power Hydis AFFS+ outdoor viewable display – another Motion Computing first.

Sonim should plan a visit to Corning to make their rugged phone even tougher (so that this doesn’t happen in future)!

HP comes back to the Slate Tablet PC

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer introduced a new HP slate Tablet PC at this weeks CES Show in Las Vegas USA. HP have published a little teaser video, but not much more information just yet:

Welcome HP and others back into the real Tablet PC market! This year you will be spoilt for choice in buying a Tablet PC.

2009 Was The year of the Tablet PC

After a huge run up to the end of 2009, we took some time to think about all of the “2010 – Year of the Tablet PC” rumours. There is no doubt that 2010 is going to be an exciting year for Microsoft Windows based Tablet PCs and UMPCs, and maybe even some Apple and Google ones too.

We’ve already had some very interesting hardware shown this week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

However, here at TabletPC.com.au, we think that the year of the Tablet PC was 2009!

Sure, the consumer devices from the like of HP, Lenovo, Viliv and Apple will make some waves this year. On the Windows front we have already seen a wave of pen and multi-touch devices like the Lenovo X200t and Fujitsu T4310 with capacitive touch screens.

But the serious Tablet PC business really kicked off last year. 2009 saw many large and small Australian organizations deploy mobile computing solutions with Tablet PCs.

What happened in 2009 for Tablet PCs?

1. Windows 7 – Mobile computing  took a huge stride forward in 2009 on the back of improvements in Windows 7.
2. Outdoor Screen Technology – The introduction of the Hydis AFFS+ display by Motion Computing was a technical breakthrough for Tablet PCs (currently on Motion Computing F5, C5 and J3400) – Most Tablets are used outdoors at some stage, so this technology is essential.
    
3. Mobile Broadband Access – We now have Tablet PCs with 21mbps mobile broadband access with GPS onboard.
4. Applications – Software developers are continuing to embrace mobile applications in areas like building and construction management, building and pest inspections, sales force automation, digital forms, GIS and mapping.

Who started using Tablet PCs in 2009?

Hundreds of Australian  organisations deployed Tablet PCs in 2009 because of advancements in hardware and software that make field computing solutions now practical. Here’s a taste of the types of companies that we helped deploy Tablet PCs with in 2009:

• Defence and Police Forces around Australia
• Local Governments from North Queensland to Tasmania and across to WA. 
• Distribution businesses
• Manufacturing businesses
• Nurseries, Farms,
• Building, engineering, architecture and construction companies
• Physiotherapists, Occupational therapists, Nurses, Doctors, Clinics,  Aged Care Facilities and Hospitals
• Restaurants, Hotels, Bars and Pubs

And many more from small “Mum and Dad” businesses through to multinational companies.

Why did they choose Tablet PCs in 2009?

Our customers have many reasons for choosing Windows based Tablet PCs for their jobs and projects. They generally boil down to the following:

• You gain true computing mobility without sacrificing power
• You can now read the screen without effort
  • Outside reading is comfortable with good battery life
  • Screens are much bigger than PDA (PDA screens are too poky for many jobs)
• They can run their existing Windows programs without having to learn a new system or pay to develop a completely new one
• They were surprised to find that handwriting recognition really works, particularly in windows 7
• You can now work all day away from a power source.

Why did they buy from TabletPC.com.au in 2009?

The largest to the smallest Australian companies called on tabletpc.com.au for advice in 2009 because we are still the only independent Australian company that employs real Tablet PC and UMPC experts.

• We sell all of the Tablet PC brands that are available in Australia to independent resellers, including:
• HP, Lenovo, Toshiba and Fujitsu Convertibles
• Panasonic Toughbook Rugged Tablets
• Motion Computing
• Xplore Rugged Tablet PCs
• Tablet Kiosk, Logipad, Getac
• Viliv, Gigabyte, Asus and Samsung UMPCs
• And if it’s not on the list, we can source it for you…
• We are able to give you advice on your specific needs – We don’t have allegiances to any brand, we will only sell you the best device for your job!
• Our staff have all been involved with Windows Tablet PCs since the launch of Windows XP Tablet PC edition in 2001 – in real world use.
• We have a worldwide network of software solution providers to make sure that your Tablet PC is not just a piece of hardware, but a solution that will work for you.
• We supply training and support with all of our Tablet PCs that cheap web sellers and even the manufacturers just can’t offer (because their staff have no idea about Tablet PCs!) – We make sure that you know how to use your Tablet PC effectively.

eBook Reading with Amazon Kindle for PC

Steve Chippy of UMPC Portal shows the Amazon Kindle for PC software in a bit more depth that we did in our videos here. Chippy is using a Viliv X70 for the review which is larger than the Viliv S5 that we used. We have both the Viliv X70 and S5 available here in Melbourne for demonstrations.

From Chippy’s video we learnt that the grey sidebars in the reading pane can actually be used for page turning – a handy feature for a touch screen UMPC. We also learnt a simple way to control the screen brightness on the Viliv X70. Wonder if it works the same on the S5? Off to test…

eBook reading on the Viliv S5 UMPC

With the release of the Amazon Kindle software for PC as well as the Barnes & Noble eBook software, there has never been a better time to get into creating a digital library. On top of that, we now have good, practical, affordable UMPCs like the Viliv S5 to read eBooks on.

Of course eBooks have been around for years now and there are many titles available, but the addition of Amazon and Barnes & Noble to the market mean that there are many more quality current titles available.

In the following video we take a look at the S5 as an eBook Reader. Then in part 2 we compare the Amazon Kindle software to the Barnes & Noble software.

eBook Reading on UMPC – Part 1

eBook Reading on UMPC – Part 2