jkOnTheRun

GRAHL's PDF Annotator 2 beta available

One of my favorite Tablet PC applications, PDF Annotator, is about to hit a new version. PDF Annotator 2 is currently in beta and you can download it for free right now. The beta version will work until May 31, 2008, but that gives you plenty of time to try it out. Some of the new features include:

• New Page Manager containing thumbnails
• Bookmark Manager with ability to create your own bookmarks
• New completely customizable Toolbox
• Stamps
• Auto-smooth setting to smooth free hand lines
• Enhanced Full Screen mode with fly-in toolbars
• Improved Text Search in new search toolbar with search result highlighting
• New Continuous View and improved view and zoom behaviour
• Pan mode
• Page Navigation with history support
• Additional Text Box Styles with colored backgrounds and borders
• Many more useful in detail improvements like a much better and faster rendering engine

If you're not a risk-taker, that's OK too. You can download the current production version and use it for 30 days to see if it works well for you. I've found it to be an essential tool for inking and marking up PDF files. There are definitely some good alternatives out there, but I've been very happy with PDF Annotator. Before I forget: folks who bought a PDF Annotator license for $49.95 this year will get the next version upgrade for free. Might be worth a download and purchase now, in case version 2 goes up in price.

A Tablet Input Panel alternative: Inker

Atozed Software is confident that they have a Tablet PC Input Panel alternative that's more efficient than the native TIP found in Windows. After watching the demo video, they might be on to something, but I'll have to install "Inker" and give it a try. My general observation is that Inker might be preferred by some, but it looks a bit too cluttered for my use on a UMPC. I do have a full-sized Tablet PC though so I can give it a go on both.

Some of the efficiencies noted might be a little overstated. For example, the product page says that it takes four taps to capitalize a word in the native TIP, while it's a single gesture in Inker. I count two taps, not four: one tap on the word shows the possible auto-complete options in the TIP and the first one is almost always the same word capitalized (or in lowercase if you wrote the word in caps). Regardless, I'm all for text-entry input options, so I'll take a look. You can too with a free download right here. You'll need Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 and of course a Windows edition that supports Tablet PC functionality.

Paul Krugman, meet Tablet PC. Tablet PC, meet Paul Krugman

Joe, one our readers, just shot me this link to Paul Krugman's recent New York Times musing. I recommend the full, brief read, but here's a quote with the gist:

"...today I longed for the ability to do serious writing while sitting on a rock by the side of the babbling brook."

I'm not sure if Paul has missed out on the Tablet PC market that's been evolving for the past four years or so, but I think there are some definite solutions. Paul is enamored by electronic ink and its ability to be used in bright sunlight, but we're not there yet. However, outdoor screens are available on a number of tablets: convertibles like the Dell Latitude XT and Fujitsu's T2010 & T4220 models come to mind for starters. Paul plans to write on the device, so I'd certainly add a slate or two to the list: the Fujitsu ST5100-series might be worth a look.

Sadly out of the 30-odd comments to Paul's story, a scant few even mention Tablet PCs. I realize that Paul's looking for an electronic-ink device to take notes, but another approach might be to define many needs and evaluate solutions rather than to try and define solutions for one need. I won't claim to know all of Paul's needs, but I'm comfortable saying that an outdoor-viewable Tablet PC or two should be added to a list of possible solutions for him. Thanks, Joe!

Tablet PC productivity tips: GottaBeMobile

New GBM'r, Craig Pringle, has a lengthy and useful article on how to get more out of your Tablet PC with Vista. In the post, he points out several tips and tweaks to help the overall inking experience, ranging from improving the handwriting recognition to modifying the sensitivity settings of Pen Flicks. Rob follows that up with a brief tutorial for multi-selecting items using a combination of the pen and keyboard or using the pen alone.

Note that a few of these items only apply to Tablet PCs with active digitizers or pens that have a button you can customize. Us touch-screen UMPC owners might miss out on some of this functionality as a result. ;)

Fujitsu adds integrated HSUPA to U810, T2010

Fujitsu just dropped an integrated 3G radio into both a UMPC and Lifebook Tablet PC for speedy connectivity on AT&T's network. Both the U810 UMPC and the Lifebook T2010 tablet get the option, with MSRPs at $999 and $1,499 respectively. (Note: the 3G option adds $200 to both devices; thanks Dan!) The HSUPA radio will fall back to EDGE or GPRS as needed and should get you speeds around 1.4 Mbps down and 500- to 800 kbps back up when in a coverage area.

Many folks swear by integrated radios for their WWAN connectivity, but I'm still sold on a USB solution like my USB 727. The definite downside is having a USB device sticking out of my computer or UMPC, but the advantage of having a 3G solution for every computer I own far outweighs the negative for me. If you're a single-device owner that doesn't change devices more than every 18 to 24 months, integrated 3G might be the better solution.

I hate "no laptop in training classes"

I was tied up all day today in a mandatory training class and it was one of those that allow no laptops to be used during the class.  This particular trainer was the first I've seen that extended that to Tablet PCs so I was not allowed to take notes in ink on my Tablet.  I understand why they don't want folks to have the distraction of using a laptop during the class but I showed him how I take notes and explained that I do it this way so I can search those notes in the future to get my hands on important information gleaned from the class.  I got a firm "no" so the Tablet stayed nestled in my closed gear bag.  The only result was I took no notes as I don't like paper for that.  Sheesh.  Maybe he's heard of stealth blogging.  :)

PenAttention: a must for presenters with Tablet PCs

Presenters using Tablet PCs, take note: you'll want to download the free PenAttention application before unveiling your next Power Point. PenAttention was written by Kenrick Mock, an associate Computer Science professor up at the University of Alaska in Anchorage. Time and time again he was frustrated by the miniscule on-screen dot of ink that appears when hovering a pen over the Tablet PC. Pretty hard to highlight the latest and greatest handwritten bit of info in OneNote when you have "OneDot" to work with no?

Problem solved with PenAttention, the free application Kenrick wrote to address the issue. After installing it on XP Tablet Edition or Vista, you'll have the option in your system tray to activate one of three on-screen pen modifications. You can have a highlight around the ink dot (shown), a pencil icon or a standard cursor icon. Great idea and one that would be nice to see become native on the Tablet PC editions of Windows. I might even download it just to write in ink with the little pencil. Oh, bonus points for the first person to solve for "n" in the above equation... but you have to show your work. No guesses.

jkOnTheRun video- HP tx2051 Entertainment Notebook

When I first saw the HP tx2000 earlier this year I was impressed with the improvements made over the original tx1000 model.  HP has incorporated a dual digitizer that provides an excellent touch experience along with a great inking experience with the pen.  The tx2051 covered in this 20 minute video is a powerhouse that is easily the fastest Tablet PC I have used.  Take a look and see why I feel this is a good value for those who want a good notebook with occasional inking.  In the video I show how good the touch experience is on the tx2000.  It is easily as good as the touch I have seen in videos of the Dell XT with the capacitive digitizer.  Enjoy the show.

Cool case for the Fujitsu P1620- what is it?

Reader Giora sent me a link to an Asian video of the Fujitsu P1620 that is very well done and shows off the P1620 nicely.  In this video there is a very cool custom-fitted portfolio case that lets you use the P1620 in either laptop or slate mode without removing it from the case.  Has anybody seen this case and do you know who makes it?

UPDATE:  I found out this is the Fujitsu bump case that is sold by Fujitsu and by ALLTP.

Vista 64-bit SP1 upgrade underway

Lo and behold this afternoon Windows Update informed me that SP1 for 64-bit Vista Ultimate was available for the evaluation HP tx2000 Tablet PC and it's downloading now.  I'm going to install it and see if maybe the missing Microsoft application support has been addressed.  Keep your fingers crossed.

jkOnTheRun- First impressions of the HP tx2000 Entertainment Notebook

This is by no means a full review but I'm hearing from so many interested parties about the HP tx2000 Entertainment Notebook that I want to give my very brief first impressions.  The tx2000 is a reasonably priced Tablet PC with a dual digitizer that has some interesting features that are uncommon in the genre.  First up you'll notice that HP calls this an Entertainment Notebook and not a Tablet PC and after playing with it for a day I can see why they do.  The tx2000 is a great device for entertainment functions as it is a Windows Media Center in addition to a Tablet PC.  The cool remote control that runs the WMC fits in the ExpressCard slot for storage and transport and the screen is drop-dead gorgeous for watching videos on the integrated DVD drive.

The tx2000 with the AMD Turion 2X64 processors is without a doubt the fastest Tablet PC I have ever used.  This thing runs like greased lightning and everything just happens instantly at all times.  The 4 GB of memory probably helps in this regard too but I think most of it are those two processors from AMD.  Windows Vista 64-bit seems faster too so maybe it's the entire package that flies.  Whatever it is I like it a lot and now when I leave the tx2000 and jump over to another machine, even the MacBook Pro, the other machine feels slow.

The dual digitizer is a welcome upgrade over the touch-only predecessor, the tx1000.  The touch is feather light and reminds me a lot of videos I've seen of the Dell Latitude XT with its capacitive digitizer.  I can barely stroke the screen and have things happen just right which is very nice.  The dual digitizer auto-switches so when I want to ink and bring the pen to the screen the touch-screen turns off to prevent interference and this works well too.  All in all the tx2000 is a breeze to use with either touch or the pen and is well implemented.  It's especially cool to run the Media Center by touch.

The tx2000 is pretty heavy for a Tablet PC and I wouldn't want to carry it as my main Tablet every day.  It can get pretty heavy in the hands after a bit but it works great sitting on a desk or in my lap watching TV.  I would peg the tx2000 as a great notebook for those who like to use the Tablet bits occasionally.  It is very good in that scenario because like I said, it's FAST!  I haven't used it long enough yet to get a good feel for battery life but I've been using it with the extended battery and so far it hasn't run out too quickly but I haven't timed it.   Not a benchmark by any means but it's all I can say at this point.  I'll be coming back with additional coverage before too long and a video or two but I wanted to get this out to those of you with an interest in the HP tx2000.  Did I say this puppy is FAST?

New Tablet PC in Mobile Tech Manor

It's raining gadgets at Mobile Tech Manor as today unexpectedly this showed up at the door:

There will soon be good coverage of this HP Pavilion tx2051 Entertainment Notebook but I can tell you so far it's the fastest Tablet PC I've used yet due to these awesome specs:

• AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-66 2.30 GHz (dual 64-bit processors)
• 12.1 inch WXGA High-definition BrightView Widescreen (dual digitizer- touch and pen)
• 250 GB 5,400 rpm HDD
• 4 GB of RAM
• 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi
• Bluetooth
• LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD+RW Double Layer optical drive
• 8-cell battery
• 4-cell battery
• Remote control
• 5 in 1 card reader
• ExpressCard 34 slot
• nVidia GeForce Go 6150 graphics
• Vista Ultimate (64 bit)
• Fingerprint reader
• Webcam

A few more photos after the jump.

Tablet PC- what's that premium worth?

I am an unusual Tablet PC user, I know that.  I am totally dependent on taking ink notes in my work and why the Tablet PC is so critical for getting my work done.  In addition to the inking ability the other criteria that is vital to me is mobility and since Tablet PCs usually come in thinner and highly mobile forms they work well for me.  The Fujitsu P1620 I am using now is a highly mobile inking machine and I love it.  It makes my work better and easier and that's worth a premium to me.  The recent introduction of ultra-portable notebooks like the HP Mini-Note have driven home to me how much a premium I paid for the Fujitsu and it's got me thinking about that.  The HP Mini I am evaluating is is about the same size and weight as the Fujitsu and with the exception of a much slower processor and the lack of a touch screen is similarly configured.  That means that it's roughly as mobile as the Fuji so the primary difference in functionality between the HP Mini and the Fujitsu P1620 is the Tablet PC bits.  Those bits are important to me as I mentioned but is it worth a 300% price premium?  Is it worth such a premium for you?  Let's discuss that so read on.

Touch-screen, Tablet functions coming to Intel's Classmate

Eagle-eyed Steve caught the following information in an Intel PDF from the Intel Developer Forum: the third-generation Classmate PC is expected to offer touch Tablet capabilities. The device is slated to appear late this year in the price range of $290 to $440 and of course will be powered by Intel's Atom processor.

Having used touch-screen Tablet PC devices for the past two years, I'm wondering about the whole idea. I'm all for promoting Tablet PC technologies but will the experience be positive or negative for the target audience? Students and other end-users might end up abhorring the vectoring issues we've experienced and could possibly equate that to all Tablet PCs, which would be a tragic inaccuracy. The picture in Steve's snip shows a swivel screen to provide an an optimal writing experience, so my hopes are high, but we'll have to see how this develops. This could all be a moot point if the 3rd-gen Classmate will contain both a touchscreen and an active digitizer, but at these prices, I really don't think that's the case.

One other question: it's clear that will likely qualify as a ULCPC or Ultra Low Cost PC, and therefore Windows XP would be allowed on it. Does the Tablet Edition of XP have a stay-of-execution until 2010 also, or will the Tablet features be something from the Linux world?

The more I look at the screen snip, the more I wonder if there will be four distinct "flavors" of this Classmate model. The price variation for the "multi SKP path" means yes, there will be multiple configurations or editions. Could there be four, namely from the top box: Standard, Touch, Tablet, and eReader? Each could have a slightly different feature set. Standard would be your plain vanilla Classmate. Touch could offer the same model, but include a touch screen. Tablet would then build upon that with the swivel screen and eReader.... shoot, I was on a roll there...

Why the Dell XT is not for me

I have been intrigued by the Dell XT Tablet PC like many of you since the first leaked information began appearing on the web so long ago.  I railed along with many about the high price that Dell was placing on the new capacitive touch capability but even so I have been eagerly awaiting hearing how users find the innovative Tablet PC.  It was with great interest I heard that Rob Bushway of GottaBeMobile had ordered one as I knew that soon we would begin hearing and seeing the Dell XT second-hand to see what all the fuss has been about.  Rob received his Dell recently and I have been following his unboxing video and subsequent impressions with great relish.  Having seen Rob's initial postings about the Dell, I can state pretty emphatically that it's not for me.  I've given this a lot of thought and I'll share those thoughts with you here.

The Vista graphics showdown- HP 2710p vs. Fuji P1620

As I sit here eating my Pad Thai in front of the display my mind keeps returning to the speed difference I notice between the HP 2710p and the Fujitsu P1620.  Both machines are snappy running Vista Business but I have noticed that the HP is snappier than the Fujitsu most of the time.  Not tremendously snappier but when you can notice it the speed is definitely a factor.  Both devices are configured almost exactly the same with Core 2 Duo 1.2 GHz processors, 2 GB of memory and slow hard drives.  The only real difference is the installed graphics accelerator, the Fujitsu runs the older Intel 945 chipset family and the HP the newer 965 family.

Watching the discussion about the Vista Windows Index ratings of many different devices in Kevin's thread it occurred to me I would be interested to see how my two devices compare in that regard.  I don't put much stock in the Windows Index ratings as a rule but in this case with two identically configured systems except for the graphics the WI would be a good indicator of how Vista thinks the older chipset stacks up against the newer one.  So while munching my noodles I had both systems run a system scan on their respective hardware and here's what came out of that, the HP on top:

The only appreciable difference as expected is the graphics subsystem but I have to admit I was surprised how much lower the rating is for the older 945 chipset.  As you can see both graphics ratings are down significantly compared to the 965 which certainly explains why the Fuji is a bit slower than the comparable HP.  The Windows Aero rating is much lower so that's probably what I am seeing as far as the performance goes.  Don't get me wrong, the Fujitsu is plenty fast and I'm happy with that but I sure wish Fujitsu had upgraded the graphics chipset along with everything else.  I'm also surprised that apparently the memory in the HP is faster than that in the Fujitsu if the second rating is to be believed.  Now that we know the Fujitsu graphics rating is lower than Kevin's new Q1 I'll never hear the end of it.

Motion Computing having major layoffs today

A tipster that wishes to remain anonymous has informed us that a Motion rep told him that Motion Computing is laying off 40 people today.  This is reported to be their third round of layoffs in the past 12 months and if this is accurate then it looks pretty rough for the primary slate Tablet PC maker.  Austin-based Motion recently settled a patent infringement lawsuit with Typhoon Touch and it's not clear if these latest layoffs are related to that settlement.  Let's hope that Motion can hold on and pull through what is obviously a rough period for them and get back to making slates for the consumer market.  We were unable to reach anyone at Motion to ask for further information.

TabletKiosk joins Dell and Motion in accused patent infringement club

Typhoon Touch is making a business out of suing Tablet makers for alleged patent infringements and today have sued TabletKiosk, Electrovaya and Xplore Technologies for touch screen patent infringements.  Typhoon Touch had previously sued Dell and Motion Computing for the same violations and so far only Motion has settled the suit. 

Typhoon specifically cites Xplore's iX104C series of tablet PCs, Electrovaya's Scribbler SC4000 tablet, and four of TabletKiosk's ruggedized tablets. Typhoon, a Seattle-based firm that creates and acquires patents, has only licensed its patents on portable touch-screen computers to Nova Mobility. The two companies have asked the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas for unspecified damages and an injunction on the sales of the computers Typhoon says are in violation of its patents.

Of course none of the companies named can comment on the active lawsuits.  I was surprised to hear that Motion had been accused of violating these touch screen patents as I didn't think they even made touch screen tablets as their multi-touch version of the L1700 was canceled before it ever shipped.

(via CNET)

Airline hypocrisy: is this Tablet PC sending orders wirelessly?

Hey, what's the big idea? Does Virgin America have a special pass to use wireless radios while in-flight? I can't answer that question, but it's obvious they're using Motion Tablet PCs to take food and beverage orders while flying. Dave Zatz snapped this pic not long after Virgin America started operations. He placed his food and drink order via the in-flight entertainment system and the info appeared on the LE1700. Did the info get passed over wires through the FlexDock around the Tablet PC or are the orders sent via some wireless technology that doesn't interfere with flight communications? Maybe it's standard WiFi and they've secretly lined the cockpits with lead to shield the deck from interference as well as Kryptonite. Of course, the biggest question of all is: what meal did Dave request and how many drinks did he order... assuming he wasn't the designated co-pilot, that is. I suppose we could check with Virgin Atlantic on this one, but my gut says they'll tell us that the flight attendant is really playing Sudoku on the Motion Tablet... and that the order was sent over the dock. ;)

Slick deal- Hp tx2000z for $934

We're always on the lookout for a good deal to pass on and reader Kelvin Tran told us about a really good deal on the HP tx2000z Tablet PC.  Take a look at the specs:

• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (32-bit)
• AMD Turion(TM) 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology Gold Edition TL-68 (2.4 GHz, 512KB+512KB L2 Cache )
• 12.1" WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display(1280 x 800) with Integrated Touch-screen
• 1GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 6150
• FREE Upgrade to HP Imprint Finish (Echo) + Fingerprint Reader + Webcam + Microphone!!
• 802.11b/g WLAN and Bluetooth
• 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• FREE Upgrade to LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support!!
• HP USB Digital/Analog TV Tuner
• 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery

According to slickdeals.net here's what you need to do to get this device for $934 with free shipping:

1. Click here, then "Customize and buy"
2. Select the following options:    
   1. Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (32-bit)
   2. AMD Turion(TM) 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology Gold Edition TL-68 (2.4 GHz, 512KB+512KB L2 Cache ) [add $125]
   3. FREE Upgrade to HP Imprint Finish (Echo) + Fingerprint Reader + Webcam + Microphone!!
   4. 802.11b/g WLAN and Bluetooth [add $20]
   5. FREE Upgrade to LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support!!
   6. HP USB Digital/Analog TV Tuner [add $100]
   7. 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery [add $39]
    
3. Checkout, apply coupon NB1567
4. Your total will be $1434 - $500 coupon = $934 with free shipping

November 2008 is judgment day for XT2, the next Dell Tablet PC

Well that was quick. Dell has only offered the Latitude XT Tablet PC for two months and already there's a refresh in the pipeline. Engadget pegs the XT2 to appear this November with an updated chipset, an eSATA interface in lieu of a USB port (don't worry, there's still two USBs to spare), and the possibility of an integrated optical drive. I'm thinking the lack of an optical on the current XT isn't holding back sales; it's the starting price in the $2,500 and up range. Unfortunately, there's no gleans of information on a potential price. If Dell continues to cater to the enterprise, I expect you won't be able to multi touch XT2 for under two-grand. Any takers that 2009 will bring XT3, rise of the multi-touch machines?

(via GottaBeMobile)

Motion LS800 with SSD for just $1,499

John Hill of Allegiance Technology has just let us know that since the LS800 has been discontinued that Motion is letting him sell his remaining inventory for just $1,499.  This is a unit with the View Anywhere display, 1 GB of RAM and a 32 GB SSD.  When they're gone they are gone so you better jump if you're interested in the smallest Motion slate.

• - Genuine Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition
• - Intel® Pentium® M Processor ULV 753 (1.1GHz)
• - Atheros 802.11 ABG wireless networking
• - 1GB of DDR2 RAM
• - 32Gb Solid State Drive
• - 8.4" SVGA TFT display
• - Integrated Fingerprint Reader
• - Integrated Bluetooth® and IrDA
• - Integrated Ethernet
• - Full-size digitizer pen
• - Motion Pak Software
• - One-year standard warranty

Coffee break- no lost time with the right gear

Today's coffee break is not really a coffee break in the purest sense as there is no beverage involved.  This morning I decided to be a nice guy and take my wife's car into Jiffy Lube and have her oil changed and tires rotated.  I'm just a nice guy like that.  Mobile guy that I am I know that things often don't work as planned so I tossed the Fujitsu P1620 into the Man Bag, yes the Man Bag, and headed to what should have been a half hour chore.  Things often happen unexpectedly and this was one of those times as the mechanics at Jiffy Lube couldn't remove the oil drain plug as the last place that did an oil change apparently stripped it.  They tried for an hour, I'll give them that but to no avail.  I decided I needed to take the car to a real mechanic who could get the stripped plug out of there so I headed a mile away.

The second shop said they could certainly get the plug out and perform the same oil change and tire rotation so I set them in motion and settled into the waiting room.  I was already over an hour into my half hour chore and it was likely going to be another hour given the task at hand.  No problem for me as I pulled out the Fuji and popped the v740 modem into the PC Card slot and got to work.  It was quite comfortable in the waiting room and I got a lot done, although getting our latest video posted was not one of those things since YouTube was still processing away at the video.  I was able to keep an eye on that process though and I got everything ready to go in case it ever got finished processing.  While I was working away I was struck once again how I often capture what would otherwise be lost time in situations like this and it's due solely to how mobile my gear is.  If the P1620 wasn't so darn small I probably wouldn't have brought it with me for a "half hour" chore like I set out to do.  It's great being so mobile.

Right now I am sitting in the comfy Man Chair in front of my TV watching March Madness basketball and working away with the Fuji in my hands.  The dog Oreo is curled up around my neck on the back of my chair and it couldn't get any better than this.  I love mobile tech.

Don't forget pen flicks

If you are running Windows Vista on your touch screen UMPC or Tablet PC then don't make the same mistake that I made.  Vista includes a useful feature called "pen flicks" that offers some good functionality for such devices and I have to admit that I have turned it off on every Tablet PC I have used because I haven't gotten the benefits from it that I thought I should get.  That changes drastically on the Fujitsu P1620 with the touch screen however and yesterday I finally decided to turn pen flicks on and give it a try.  I am very glad I did so because it has augmented my common uses of the P1620 due to the touch screen.

Pen flicks by default will provide very basic navigation functions that are enabled by "flicking" with the pen on the screen.  One of the most common uses by way of an example is invoking the Back and Forward in the web browser letting you move through sites you have visited with simple flicks.  On the Fujitsu I am finding this incredibly useful as I can do it with my fingertip and not have to reach for the stylus.  I am in a web page and when I decide I want to go back to the previous site I have visited I simply flick my finger to the left anywhere on the screen and near instantaneously I am back at that site.  The Forward flick works the same way.  When I saw how easy this is to do and how useful I started trying different things with pen flicks and it is pretty darn useful.

The page up and down flicks, a simple flick up or down, works incredibly well in the browser or in long documents.  A simple flick and up or down I go and it is so fast on the P1620 it couldn't be easier.  I am getting a ton of use out of these flicks and I haven't even reached the stage where I have defined my own flicks yet, something easy to do with this method.  I am also getting a lot of mileage out of the editing flicks that let me copy and paste stuff in any active window just by flicking to the upper right and lower right respectively.  All of these flicks are user customizable and you can even set the sensitivity of the pen and touch.  It's incredibly useful so don't miss out like I was and try turning pen flicks on with your touch screen.

You can reach the pen flicks via the icon in the system tray as in the image above or you can find it in the Control Panel under Pen and Input Devices.  Happy flicking!

Lenovo outlet offers X60, X61 tablets at deep discounts

Unlike the last price drop tease *cough* Nokia *cough*, this Lenovo news is the real deal. CrunchGear points out the Lenovo Outlet store which offers notebooks in the R, T, X and Z series. The X Series Tablet PC has it's own little outlet and I see prices that are up to 50% or more off. Yup, as an example, there's some originally priced units upwards of $2,900 that are now selling for under $1,400. If I had to guess, I'd say that's the average price for an X60 or X61 Tablet PC through the outlet although there's currently five units in the $899 to $1,267 range. Sweet deals for a sweet Tablet PC! Probably a "get 'em while you can" thing, so if an X60 or X61 was on your radar, it should be beeping loudly right about now.

Mahalo videos the Modbook Tablet

We haven't heard a lot since the shipping announcement about the Axiotron Modbook and I've been waiting for someone to give us a good video of the Modbook in action.  Mahalo's Veronica Belmont has done just that and the resultant video is a great display of the Modbook and also of how useful the Tablet format is for creative efforts.  She shows how the Modbook is helping artists, cartoonists, photographers, music creators and others to create the stuff they do with the greatest of ease.  Who knows, after seeing this video maybe buddy t lewis will be switching to the Modbook?

jkOnTheRun video- Entertainment on the Fujitsu P1620

I can hardly express strongly enough how happy I am with my recent purchase of the Fujitsu P1620 and part of the reason is the great leisure activities I do with it.  In this video I show you some of those activities that endures the P1620 to my heart and why I am so happy with it.  You will see how I browse the web, read the New York Times, listen to music and podcasts and read magazines on this great mobile device.  You'll also get a feel for how I do all of this using just my fingertip for control.  Enjoy the show!

Ernie the Attorney- loves the Tablet PC but can't use one in court

Ernie the Attorney has one of the greatest blogs around, his coverage of Hurricane Katrina from New Orleans was first-rate journalism.  Ernie really is an attorney and he's blogged that recently his girlfriend loaned him a Tablet PC to use in his work.  His observations won't surprise anyone who has used a Tablet PC:

(1) a Tablet has a completely different social dynamic than a traditional laptop because people don't perceive it as a computer; unless you stand behind someone using a Tablet you easily assume that they are just writing on a pad of paper; (2) the Tablet is more comfortable to use; but if you type reasonably well you will still prefer to use a keyboard; (3) the Tablet is more natural to use at a lectern or in a conference, as long as principle #2 isn't a factor; (4) even though it's a niche product I would absolutely use a Tablet in certain situations, except for one thing: (5) Tablet PCs run Windows which means they don't wake up quickly, or reliably.

Ernie's observations of the Tablet used in social settings are right on the money but unfortunately #5 is the deal breaker. 

Just as I was starting to use the Tablet a lot I found that it would sometimes get slow or become unresponsive; this happened once or twice at semi-critical times. I dutifully rebooted, and didn't suffer too much. But the thought lingered: I could never rely on the Tablet during a hearing or trial, or any situation where I was in front of a judge. It's one thing to reboot during a deposition, but it would be completely unacceptable to tell a judge to "hang on, your honor, while I reboot my computer."

So, I've stopped using the Tablet completely. I have several lawyer friends who have tried the Tablet, and one or two are still using it. Perhaps they haven't had the problems that I have had, so I know it's possible the Tablet could be a useful tool for a litigator. But not for me.

This is sad but I understand Ernie's position.  It's true that not every Tablet PC suffers from these problems a lot but like Ernie experienced in certain situations it only has to happen once at a critical time and it's a huge problem.  It's too bad that we still see these problems at all but as one who uses a Tablet PC heavily (every day) I understand his position.  To Ernie's credit he sees the advantages that a Tablet PC bring to an attorney and still loves to use it in depositions or other settings when a stoppage wouldn't risk a contempt of court charge.

The Fujitsu P1620 is "not fair"

I have been happily using the Fuji every day to attend meetings and take notes in OneNote and it has worked well.  I sit down at each meeting, pull the P1620 out of the case and get busy capturing my notes in OneNote.  At the end of each meeting so far one or two attendees have come over to see that "Star Trek" device and I show them the Fujitsu and how I take notes in ink.  Today one of the guys got this amazed look on his face when I was showing off the Fuji and said that "it's not fair" that everyone can't use one in their work.  I looked at him and told him the same thing I've been telling my kids for years- "who ever said life is fair?".

Small trumps thin in notebooks

One of the benefits of being someone who gets to use a lot of different mobile devices is the conversations these devices start with those interested everywhere I go.  Whether I am in a coffee shop or a business meeting pulling out one of my mobile devices invariably starts a conversation with those around me who are wishing they had a good device to use in their own work.  Most of the devices I've carried around and used a lot are convertible Tablet PCs that are good notebook computers in addition to the Tablet stuff and that is what catches most people's attention.  Everyone is familiar with notebooks and how they look and work and that is what most people have in their mind when they think about mobile technology they can use in their own life.

Since the introduction of the MacBook Air (MBA) a lot of conversation has taken place about how thin it is and how that is what people looking for notebooks want for themselves.  I have said in the past that I don't think that thin is the primary attribute that people want in a notebook and the many conversations I have held with regular people drives that point home to me time and again.  I base this observation in large part due to the reaction that folks have to the different convertible notebooks that I carry and use.  It is interesting that no one ever says to me "how thin that device is" even though most of the notebooks I am seen using certainly qualify.  Not MBA thin of course but definitely thinner than most notebooks out there.  No, most people notice the overall size of the notebook and other features it may have.  The Tablet bits intrigue almost everyone who find that could be useful in their own work but no one ever states that thin is important to them.  Features, price and overall size carry the day in these conversations.

I do find that the smaller the notebook is the more attention it grabs from others, a point driven home since i have been carrying the Fujitsu P1620 every day.  The Fuji is not that thin compared to other notebooks I have used but the small size starts a lot of conversations and I find that many do feel that a small notebook could fit their work and that definitely interests them.  I hear a lot of people state that the small size would make it so much easier to carry and travel with and when they see that feature-wise it has few compromises the reaction is very positive.  I have seen that same reaction every time an Asus EEE PC enters the room.  Of course when I swivel a screen around for Tablet work it blows a lot of people away no matter what device I am carrying as most have never seen one in the real world.  Just about everyone comments that the Tablet features could aid them in their mobile work but no one feels the thinness of the notebook is a big deal.  So based on my interaction with real people I can state that small trumps thin in the notebook world, and Tablet trumps non-Tablet too.  I will be very interested to hear some real sales figures from Apple after a while to see how many of the MBA they are selling.  While everyone I talk to thinks they are sexy not many have indicated they intend to buy one or that the thinness would aid them very much in the real world.

Motion announces F5 Tablet PC and consumers yawn

After a few weeks of teasing consumers with leaked information about a new Tablet PC announcement Motion Computing has announced their newest product, the F5.  I have heard from quite a few consumers who were searching for detailed information about Motion's new computer and to get that detailed information you can head over to GottaBeMobile who has the deets and a video review.  Unless you own a warehouse though here's all you need to know from a comment I placed here a few days back with my guess as to what this new Tablet might be:

I believe it will be slightly ruggedized, a variant of the medical C5 which I have played with, yet will be for a different vertical market. It will not be for consumers (style nor price) at all.

Let's score how well I guessed:

Slightly ruggedized-  check
Variant of the C5-  check
Different vertical market than medical-  check
Not for consumers in style-  check
Not for consumers in price-  check

Seems like I scored 100, much to the chagrin of those of you looking for a replacement for the discontinued LS800.  Sorry folks, Motion is concentrating on the high-dollar enterprise and not the consumer.

Coffee break- another inker sighted!

jkOnTheRun video- the smallest gadget bag

You know me, smaller is definitely more mobile which is why I love the Fujitsu p1620.  In this short 3 minute video I show you just how small my gadget bag has become thanks to the small size of the P1620.  After watching the video you will know doubt be impressed how I can carry everything I need on jaunts of 5 hours or less in a very tiny package.  Enjoy the show!

Fujitsu P1620 vs. the HP 2710p- my thoughts

I can't believe how much I am getting asked how I compare the Fujitsu P1620 to the HP 2710p for every day usage.  To me they are very different beasts but I can appreciate how someone wanting to buy one or the other might be agonizing over it.  I'm not going to recommend one over the other as it really depends on how you work and what to typically do with your daily machine.  Instead I am going to offer some observations about what I miss about the HP 2710p when I'm using the Fujitsu and vice versa.

What I miss about the HP 2710p when using the P1620:

• That nice flat rubber trackstick head.  The Fuji nub is fine but not as precise for my fat finger.
• That hot swappable extended battery.  Having to hibernate the Fuji to swap the battery is not as good.
• The hovering cursor.  It's not necessary but does make things easier at times.
• Being able to see the power (standby) indicator when the lid is closed.
• The full-sized keyboard.  The Fuji's is fine but not as good as a full one.
• The web cam!  I miss it so much on the Fuji.

What I like better about the Fujitsu P1620 over the HP:

• Near instant docking and undocking.
• Lid swivels in both directions.
• Buttons on the bezel.
• I haven't benchmarked it but the faster booting on the Fuji.
• Much better fingerprint sensor.  It's positioned better for usage in either notebook or slate mode.
• Middle mouse button for scrolling.
• Size, size, size!

Zinio on the P1620

I've been asked to post a screen of Zinio on the P1620. Here it is:

Ongoing thoughts on the Fujitsu P1620

I keep getting my head filled with additional thoughts and impressions of the P1620 as I continue to use it heavily and I intend to share them from time to time, like now.  I had forgotten how perfect the P1620 form is for reading ebooks with eReader in portrait orientation.  The 8.9 inch screen is ideal for reading books as it presents almost a hardback book's worth of print that is easily readable under any lighting (or none at all).

I am also thoroughly impressed with how well the P1620 docks and undocks.  When I dock it into the port replicator it is attached to all the peripherals plugged into the hub in just two seconds and automatically rotates the screen to landscape if necessary.  It just works.  This is an area of frequent frustration with the HP 2710p on the other hand as it seems to take forever before USB devices are recognized by the device for use.

More thoughts as they pop into my head.  Here's a screen of eReader so you can see what I mean (click to enlarge):

jkOnTheRun review- First impressions of the Fujitsu P1620

It took what felt like a very long time for the Fujitsu P1620 to reach Mobile Tech Manor but in reality it was just a few weeks.  Now that I've had it for 24 hours I can ask myself "was it worth the wait"?  The answer is a resounding yes.  Here are my first impressions of the newest little Fujitsu as I am getting a lot of questions from a great many people interested in this little touch-enabled Tablet PC.  Hopefully these impressions will answer some of the most pressing of those questions.  This is simply a rambling post with my thoughts so far, my impressions of how the P1620 compares to its older sibling the P1610, and how it compares in real use with the HP 2710p I have been using.

jkOnTheRun Video Geek Session- Fujitsu P1620, part 1

After many delays, the Fujitsu P1620 finally arrived at James' house. This morning we got to chatting about the differences in this refresh of the P1610. We went on and on so much about it, that we cut this one off at seven-and-a-half minutes. Hey, we realize you have other things to do than sit around and watch us geek out for a half-hour!

Part one offers up a general overview of the hardware as well as how quickly James got back into a smaller-screened touch-enabled Tablet PC. We hit upon some of the options that Fujitsu offers, cover the battery life expectations and discuss the touch sensitivity of the screen. Make sure you catch my interpretation of Palm rejection too. ;)

First Fujitsu P1620 pics from Mobile Tech Manor

The Fujitsu P1620 has arrived and is performing the first Vista boot now.  Here's a couple of pics to tide you over until I can get something else up.  First up is the little P1620 performing it's first Vista boot.  Second up is a pic of the Fuji next to the diminutive HTC Advantage to show how small this baby really is.

The Fujitsu is almost here!

Gotta love FedEx!  The Fujitsu P1620 only left Japan yesterday but according to the tracking it's almost in my hot little hands:

Brief video to follow its arrival.  :)

Fujitsu to JK- honest the P1620 will ship to you, some day

I just spent another 20 minutes on the phone with Fujitsu to try and determine if they even know where my P1620 is.  The answer in a nutshell- they think they know.  They think it's still in Japan in the factory and they are being told it will ship on the 29th of February.  To catch up with the story this is the original ship date I was quoted back on Feb. 6th when I ordered the P1620 along with an extra A/C adapter.  The adapter shipped on the 19th and delivered to me two days later.

The confusion started at that point because online it showed that the P1620 shipped at the same time but of course was never delivered.  Because of the confusion I have called Fujitsu every day since then and each time talked with a different very nice representative who expressed their own confusion.  I have been told three different ship dates which have all passed with no shipment leaving Japan.  The representative today called Japan to get the real story, not the one about the leap year giving their system fits, and here's the latest story from Fujitsu Japan.

The computer is still showing that it will ship on Feb. 29th, this Friday, meaning I won't have it until next week, fully two weeks after they originally showed they had shipped it.  You have to understand that after posting an estimated ship date of Feb. 29th I was notified by email that the estimated ship date was moved up to Feb. 19th, the date that the adapter actually shipped.  Japan is now saying the ship date is back to the 29th as it was originally.  Confused yet?  I sure am.  The rep today, Reyna, says that she is sure the P1620 will ship before the 29th, maybe even tomorrow, and she will personally call me to tell me when it ships.  I asked her why I should believe that since I've gotten conflicting and inaccurate information every single time I've spoken with someone.  She understood but still is sure it will ship prior to the 29th even though that is what Japan has told her.  Some day I'll get it, honest.

Additional accessories for the P1620 on the way today

OK, I'm still waiting for the delivery of the Fujitsu P1620, in fact right now I don't know when it might arrive.  When it didn't arrive on Wednesday of this week I called Fujitsu and they said it shipped that day and would arrive today, Friday.  They also told me I'd receive a confirmation email that had a tracking number but that didn't arrive.  On Thursday since I had no confirmation that the computer was shipped I called Fujitsu again and they told me it shipped that morning.  Since it's coming direct from Japan it would arrive at Mobile Tech Manor on Monday or Tuesday.  Knowing when it might arrive is important because it is shipping with a signature required and I would have to be home to sign for it.  I still have received no confirmation that it shipped from Japan so at this point I am not sure when to expect it.  The online status still shows it as shipped which it has shown since Monday so that doesn't mean too much.

Meanwhile I have ordered some little accessories to use with the Fuji when it does arrive and those should arrive today.  First up I decided I needed a USB 2.0 hub to use with the port replicator of the Fuji which only has 2 USB slots and those will be used up by the DVD drive which has already arrived.  It requires 2 USB slots so it gets enough power and even though one of them is a pass-through connector I felt I would still need several additional USB slots.  I ordered this Belkin hub which is very similar to the one I use with the MacBook Pro and am quite happy with it.  It's a 7 port hub which is plenty but the cool thing is how 2 of the slots are on the top of the hub.  This makes it very handy to plug in memory keys and the like which I just plug in, use, and then remove.  It's also very reasonably priced and like I said I am quite happy with the one I already have.

Next up I decided to take the advice of good friend Steven Hughes and ordered a Patriot 16 GB SDHC card for use with the Fuji.  Steven is using this card with his older P1610 so it should work fine in the newer P1620.  Like Steven I intend to use 2 GB of the Patriot for ReadyBoost and the other 14 GB for movies and the like.  The Patriot was reasonably priced for such a high capacity card and I will get good use out of it I am sure.  I had actually ordered a SanDisk 2 GB SD card to use for ReadyBoost that arrived earlier this week.  For grins I tried to put it in the HP 2710p to try it for ReadyBoost and it wouldn't work, the HP told me it was not fast enough for that usage.  I decided at that point to go with Steven's solution which works for him so I am pretty confident this Patriot card will work fine.

Now if the P1620 would only get here already!  There are few things in life worse than waiting endlessly for new tech to arrive.

Korean Ripple Note: Penryn-powered touchscreen Tablet PC

Since the Ripple Note Tablet PC is for the Korean market, I'm not sure we'll see it outside of Asia, but we can always hope that the importers hunt some down. Would you based on these specifications:

• Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 CPU, 2.1 GHz with 3 MB of cache, 800 MHz front-side bus
• 12.1-inch, 1280 x 800 touchscreen
• Choice of Microsoft Windows XP or Vista
• 2.5-inch hard drive, starting at 120 GB of capacity
• Capable of up to 4 GB of 667 MHz RAM
• Integrated 1.3-megapixel webcam, 802.11a/b/g, 7-in-1 card reader, dual speakers, optical drive, ExpressCard slot and fingerprint reader

Most of the information on the Ripple is embedded in JPEGs on the product page, so my Google Translate method is falling short. I can pick out a few more tidbits, like a 4-cell battery, weight of 2.1 kilograms and the option of integrated 3G.

(via MobileWhack)

Fujitsu P1620 is on the way!

Axiotron ModBook on loan at SlashGear

Wasn't it just the other day when James asked "where are all of the ModBook owners"? Well I wouldn't call SlashGear a "ModBook owner", but they do have a review unit that just arrived. There's several pictures of the device along with some promised video and future impressions, so you'll want to stay tuned to catch it. The modified MacBook they have on loan is spec'd with a 2 GHz Core 2 Duo, 1 GB of RAM, integrated Intel X3100 graphics, 120 GB hard drive and Apple Super Drive. Oh, and there's a Wacom digitizer in there too of course... wouldn't be much in the tablet department without one of those! At five-plus pounds this is a bit hefty for a slate form factor, but I'm still very interested to see how it works out. I'm just not interested in carrying one. :)

Where oh where is the Modbook?

Remember the Modbook, the non-Apple produced Mac Tablet that was vaporware for over a year and then on January 1st of this year was reported to be shipping to customers?  So what happened?  We should be hearing reports from customers who received theirs and seeing reviews on the web but no, just the sound of silence where the Modbook is concerned.  So where are they and has anyone actually received one?  I'm just askin'.

Using a slate Tablet PC disconnected for a day

Gail Levy is a good friend and head marketer for TabletKiosk, producers of UMPCs and Tablet PCs.  This week Gail decided to practice what she preaches and went slate only for a day in her work.  She used no dock, keyboard, mouse or anything else with a wire connected to her Sahara slate Tablet PC.  Today she blogged about the experience and discovered that:

I felt silly sitting at my desk, chatting on the phone and writing on my tablet. Using the tablet this way didn't make me more mobile, it made me feel stupid. Next week, I need to make sure that I get myself away from my desk.

Gail's experience drives home something I say a lot.  Don't do something with mobile technology just because you can, you must use it for tasks that the mobile tech enables you to do them better, easier or faster.  Doing something with the wrong technology will almost always just frustrate you, something I believe Gail discovered.  It will be interesting to see how Gail continues her slate-only trials in the weeks to come.

(via GBM)

Building a new system- a jkOnTheRun primer

So