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.
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?
Windows 7 – Mobile computing took a huge stride forward in 2009 on the back of improvements in Windows 7. 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:
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:
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.
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…
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.
Resource management is especially important on Tablet PCs where performance is balanced against weight and battery life. Many Tablet PC and UMPC users are left with a particularly poor experience when it comes to anti-virus software.
Over time Anti-Virus software has generally become bloated with features like link and search scanning, email filtering and anti-spam. Ultimately your Tablet PC can be come so weighted down performing all of these security functions that it runs like a snail…
Finally there is a decent solution direct from Microsoft called Microsoft Security Essentials. It is a simple, free anti-virus client that just does anti-virus. We have found that it adds very little overhead to your Tablet PC so everything runs much faster.
If you need features like anti-spam and email scanning we recommend that use a hosted service like MailGuard. With a service like MailGuard, the filtering of spam and viruses is done before it gets to your server or Tablet PC. It is much more reliable and it has many other benefits like increased security. That means that your Tablet PC is not bogged down performing those tasks.
You can download Microsoft Security Essentials for a faster Tablet PC here. If you have an alternate solution, tell us about it in the comments below.
The Viliv S5 is a tiny UMPC with a 5” screen that runs Windows XP. The S5 includes GPS, Solid State drive and optional 3G – and it fits in your pocket.
We use the Viliv S5 with a bluetooth keyboard to write blogs on the go. It also makes a great eBook reader!
For a demonstration of the Viliv S5 contact us on 03 9012 6602 or get in touch via our website.
The Motion F5 and C5 can be equipped with an RFID reader. For want of a better analogy, RFID is a smarter barcode system. It is often used for inventory tracking and identification.
Unlike a barcode which is read only, information can be written to RFID tags on the fly with a device like the Motion F5. Software applications that run on the Windows based F5 will allow you to read and manipulate the tags.
Motion Computing have published the following demonstration video showing how to use the RFID reader.
The F5 and C5 are also tagged with a passive RFID tag so that you can track them too. The video shows the location of the passive RFID tag (We knew it was in there, but now we know where!).
For more information about using RFID give us a call on 03 9012 6602 or contact us via our website. We can assist you to source RFID tags and equipment to use with the F5 and C5 through some local suppliers here in Australia.
We came across a Viliv S5 UMPC user who posted a series of Videos on YouTube showing how he uses the S5.
Note that he has Windows XP Tablet PC edition installed on the system. The Viliv comes out of the box with the Windows XP Home and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is not available direct to the general public. If you like the idea of using the Tablet Input Panel (TIP) on the Viliv S5 you can run Windows 7 on it. It is tricky to install windows 7 on the S5, so if you aren’t an advanced user we recommend using professionals (like us).
This series of videos will give you some ideas of how you can use the S5.
In Australia we have 2 models of the S5 available. One with inbuilt HSPA Mobile Broadband / 3G (Next G compatible at 7.2mbps) for $1459 inc GST, one without Mobile Broadband for $1289 Inc GST.
All Viliv S5 models include:
Full range of accessories available including Car Kit (12V charger and mount), leather case, VGA connector, composite connector, spare batteries and styli.
We can upgrade these to Windows 7 for you. We can also ship with software such as Microsoft Office 2007 pre-installed. Contact us for an all inclusive quote.
We carry only Australian stock with an Australian warranty. Whilst you will find that some companies will in ship direct from overseas, there is no local warranty support available for them. The cost of shipping the unit back and forth overseas if you have any issues will soon suck up any savings that you might make. So do yourself a favour and buy locally from us.
To order, fill out the contact form on the Viliv S5 page of our website here and we will get in touch.
We take an up close look at the new Motion Computing C5 MkII MCA (Mobile Clinical Assistant) Tablet PC. We take the C5 outside to show of the capabilities of the new Hydis AFFS+ display with Gorilla Glass.
The Motion C5 includes a powerful Intel Core 2 Duo processor and huge array of options like:
Of course it also carries the best screen technology currently available (Hydis AFFS+) making the C5 the most comfortable Tablet PC to read indoor and outdoors without sacrificing battery life.
This is an exceptional Tablet PC and thanks to the strong Aussie dollar, it is currently very well priced.
We have a demonstration unit available for you to get your hands on anywhere within Australia. Contact us for demonstration today on 03 9012 6602 or via our website today.
The Xplore iX104C4 is a super tough IP65 rated rugged Tablet PC. Because the Xplore is ATEX certified we have been able to deploy it on gas inspection work for the coal seam gas projects in Western Queensland.
Whilst the Xplore is not intrinsically safe (no computer is), it is safe for use in certain dangerous environments (ATEX / UL1604 Class I / Div II.). You will need to check to be sure that the ATEX certification that this device carries will satisfy the requirements of your work environment. Give us a call to discuss it.
The Xplore is built with a triple layer magnesium housing and a unique patented bumper system that enables it to pass a direct drop test onto concrete from 4 feet. It also comes with a choice of Wacom active digitiser or a Wacom digitiser / touch screen combination.
Importantly Xplore also uses smart outdoor screen technology to ensure maximum viewing without needless power draining backlighting. And best of all, with Xplore you don’t have to sacrifice computing power for ruggedness. The iX104C4 uses an Intel Core 2 Duo processor giving it great computing performance.
Thanks to www.RuggedPCReview.com for the pictures in this video. You can read their review of the Xplore iX104C4 here.