HP have added some fuel to the ongoing Adobe and Apple flame wars with a new video jointly created with Adobe and spoken by one of their marketing team.

One of the things that does bug me on the iPhone is the lack of flash support. The reason that it bugs me is that it completely limits the viewing of websites like YouTube. Yes, “there is an app for that”, but as the video here points out users should not have to be thinking about apps all the time – besides the YouTube app on the iPhone is unreliable and very limited in my experience.

So with Flash Player on the HP Slate device,  I’m able to access the full web and not just a part of it. – Alan Tam, Adobe Flash Marketing

Fortunately as you will see in the following video, soon we will have a consumer oriented slate device that will support flash in the HP Slate.

After my fantastic experience with Windows 7 multi-touch on the Fujitsu T4310, T900 and HP Tm2, I think it is definitely worth passing over the iPad to wait for a real consumer slate that acts just like my PC.

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.

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.

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.

Here is the real future of Tablet PC. Hitting the news today is a Microsoft Tablet PC project that combines a multi-touch capacitive touch screen and digitizer pen.

Of course, Microsoft have actually been making Tablet PCs for over seven years now… and that’s not just a rumour!

The software demonstrated looks amazing and seems to leverage well established Microsoft technologies like the Tablet PC input panel and snipping tool. See for yourself:

If it works anything like this… I want one!

We picked up an article from Fast Company today shoring up rumours of a Google Android powered Tablet PC to be offered by T-Mobile in the US. It looks to be a seven inch slate device. As they say in the article:

Imagine it as a netbook without a keyboard, and then think of the pocket-friendly convenience that the reduced size of such a device would bring.

The massive netbook trend makes a lot of sense for consumers, but not a lot of sense for the bottom line of notebook manufacturers like HP, Lenovo and Dell. Undoubtedly these devices cannibalise sales of regular notebooks, so while the numbers might be up, the dollar figures are probably down. So for that reason, I think smart companies like Google and Apple will stay away from the netbook space.

On the other hand, a useful 3G mobile slate device with a larger screen than a phone would create a completely new space. It is a space in the market where PCs are not generally used, but full PC power is not necessarily needed.

Google are onto something here, because this is the space where Blackberry, iPhone and Kindle will meet. It could be the computer that you use on the train, plane or couch to:

• Read eBooks, articles and blogs
• Make notes or write articles
• Check and send emails
• Browse the web
• Buy tickets
• Find a restaurant
• Research a purchase
• Get directions
• Watch movies and videos without conversion.

UMPCs or MIDs are only inches away from this, but even with a host of devices released at CeBIT 2009 there still isn’t a real contender to make a go of this in the Windows camp.

Now to add to the longest running PC rumours in history… the Apple Macbook Tablet.

If you think about it, Apple have produced the most successful slate tablet computer ever already – The iPhone.

With their success in slate computing, and the convergence of netbook hardware and faster 3G networks, the timing might be perfect for Apple to own the UMPC or Mid Tablet PC market as well as the phone market.

Here’s what a related Fast Company article said about the timing of a Mac Tablet PC.

But a larger tablet with a touchscreen keyboard, a 3G radio and running the iPhone OS–why not? Apple has already produced viable touchscreen typing software, and it already has an operating system that is low on power consumption and high on performance. A Mac tablet would improve upon the iPhone by enabling multitasking, a bigger screen, copy-paste, and easier typing, making a portable version of iLife (or an adapted version of Amazon’s new Kindle app for iPhone) a fully-realized possibility. A full version of Safari would mean a complete Web experience, and Apple’s ever-improving battery technology would mean more time on the road. The App Store is ready and waiting for a new generation of full-featured software, and the infrastructure for selling it is in place.

I would add that Apple has a consumer brand, and if you want to sell a consumer product in mind boggling numbers, you need a phenomenal consumer brand attached to it.

If a mid sized Apple Tablet were sold on a cell phone style payment plan we think it would be huge hit with consumers. If it really ever happens, we’ll all be hearing about it.

Maybe it will wake Microsoft and partners up to the fact that you can’t make a device like a Tablet PC or UMPC, hide it under a rug and expect it to sell. Either way we do expect that Microsoft and co will soon be playing catch up with Google, if not Apple as well in the UMPC category.