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GETAC E100 tablet now also resold by TabletKiosk
The GETAC E100 rugged Tablet PC is now also being resold by TabletKiosk as the GETAC 840XT. The IP54-sealed tablet measures just 11.1 x 7.2 inches and weighs barely more than three pounds. It's powered by a very energy-efficient 800MHz Intel A110, comes with a sunlight-readable 8.4-inch display and built-in GPS. [Read description and specs of the GETAC E100] -- Posted Thursday, April 3, 2008 by chb

Advantech introduces semi-rugged industrial tablet
Taiwanese Advantech, a global vendor of embedded and industrial computing platforms, introduced the MARS-3100S Industrial Tablet PC. The 3100S has a 10.4-inch display and runs XP Pro or XP Embedded on a power-efficient AMD LX 800 processor. With a magnesium-alloy housing and rubber bumpers the 3100S can survive 3-foot drops. IP54 sealing and the usual MIL-STD-810F testing compliance make this new Advantech product suitable for use in manufacturing, warehousing, shop floor maintenance, field service, transportation, law enforcement, fire or other emergency services. [See description and specs of the Advantech MARS-3100S tablet] -- Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008 by chb

Added: Gateway C-141
The Gateway C-Series Tablet PC convertible (now called an "adaptable notebook") goes on with the C-141 models, following up on the CX200 Series introduced in October of 2005 and the company's initial M275 Tablet PC convertible. [See description and specs of the Gateway C-141 Tablet PC convertible] -- Posted Monday, March 10, 2008 by chb

DRS Tactical lunches ARMOR line of rugged computers
DRS Tactical, located in Melbourne, Florida, announced ARMOR, a line of rugged mobile computers with an emphasis on data protection technology, anywhere connectivity and sunlight readable display options for industrial and government customers. The initial products of the ARMOR line include the compact C12 notebook convertible and the X10 Tablet, a 9th generation Hammerhead. -- Posted Thursday, March 6, 2008 by chb

Detailed review: GD-Itronix Duo-Touch II
The Duo-Touch II by General Dynamics Itronix is a compact, rugged Tablet PC now in its fourth generation. Upgraded electronics provide an overall benchmark performance improvement of 67% over the predecessor model. The Duo-Touch II also uses the GD Itronix DynaVue daylight viewable display technology for very good outdoor readability. Users can toggle between touch screen mode and an active digitizer, enhancing functionality and ease of use. The 4-pound Duo-Touch II is a fully rugged computer, has IP54 sealing, and can accommodate up to three different integrated radios plus GPS. [Read detailed review of the General Dynamics Itronix Duo-Touch II]
-- Posted Tuesday, February 26, 2008 by chb

LXE acquires Swedish Akerström, adds two touchscreen vehicle mounts
LXE, Inc. accounced it has acquired Swedish mobile computer maker Akerströms Trux. With the acquisition, LXE adds two Windows XP-based vehicle-mount panel computers to its lineup of handhelds. The Tx700 and Tx800 are rugged forklift and vehicle-mount computers running Windows XP or XP Embedded. The Intel M processor powered panel computers have 10.4 or 12.1-inch touch screens and feature superb onboard connectivity. The TX700 is also available in a Windows CE version. [See description and specs of the LXE Akerström Tx700/Tx700 CE and Tx800 panel computers] -- Posted Thursday, February 21, 2008 by chb

Roper Mobile announces rugged Duros Tablet PC
Roper Mobile Technology -- a subsidiary of Roper Industries that combines DAP Technologies, JLT Mobile Computers, and Black Diamond Advanced Technology -- introduced the Duros Rugged Tablet PC. The Duros is a fourth generation Windows XP-based tablet PC that is sealed to IP-65 specifications and passes the requisite MIL-STD 810F ruggedness tests. Equipped with a sunlight-viewable 8.4-inch SVGA resistive touchscreen and powered by either an AMD Geode LX 800 or a 1GHz Intel Celeron M , the comes with hard drives up to 120GB (or a solid state drive up to 64GB). The battery is hot swappable and the Duros has integrated WiFi, Bluetooth, GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS and optional GPS. It is geared towards harsh field applications such as mining, construction, utilities, public safety or military. [See description and specs of the Roper Mobile Duros rugged Tablet PC]

-- Posted Wednesday, February 20, 2008 by chb

Updated DT Research information appliances
There was a time when "web tablets" were supposed to be the next big thing and even Microsoft got into the act with its "Mira" platform. That did not go anywhere, but today products like the WebDT 310 and the slightly smaller WebDT 360 from DT Research are being used as light and handy solutions for many mobile computing applications, now have laser scanner and MSR options, and they can run the XP Tablet PC Edition. [See description and specs of the DT Research WebDT 310 and DT Research WebDT 360]. -- Posted Friday, February 15, 2008 by chb

HTC Shift: does this "hybrid" solution show the future?
HTC's finally released ultra-mobile PC offers a fascinating look at hybrid technology that combines full Windows Vista with a Windows Mobile variant that offers instant-on and access to push email and PIM data. Vista is powerful but has short battery life; the "SnapVUE" Windows Mobile mode offers only essentials but can run as long as ten days. There are two processors and separate memory, a 1280 x 800 pixel 7-inch touchscreen, and an innovative slide-and-tilt QWERTY keyboard lets you use the Shift like a little notebook. [Read full description and specs of the HTC Shift "hybrid" ultra-mobile PC] -- Posted Wednesday, January 30, 2008 by chb

GETAC introduces Intel A110-based lightweight rugged Tablet PC
At DistribuTECH 2008 in Tampa, Florida, GETAC introduced a compact, lightweight rugged Tablet PC slate based on Intel's ultra low-power A110 processor. The E100 measures 11.1 x 7.2 x 1.26 inches and weighs just over three pounds. The 8.4-inch touchscreen display is available with a 800 nit daylight-viewable option. Using a magnesium housing, rubber bumpers, shock-mounted hardware and extensive sealing, the E100 is ruggedness-tested to MIL-STD-810F standards. Geared towards field and customer service applications, the system is available with "mission boxes" for customized market applications that use RFID, barcode and magnetic strip readers or digital cameras. [Read description and specs of the GETAC E100 ruggedTablet PC slate] -- Posted Tuesday, January 22, 2008 by chb

MobileDemand introduces sunlight viewable rugged Tablet PC
MobileDemand introduced the xTablet T8700, a compact, rugged Tablet PC slate based on a reliable platform that has seen duty in various vertical markets for years. There are significant technology enhancements in the new model that make the versatile tablet more practical than ever. The latest version of the xTablet is faster, especially with the optional Solid State Drive, and even handles Windows Vista efficiently with its Intel Core Duo processor and generous 2GB base RAM. The machine has an integrated numeric keypad, and is available with a mag stripe reader and scanner/imager. And the sunlight viewable dual-digitizer display is a big productivity enhancement for those who use the machine outdoors. [See our detailed review of the MobileDemand xTablet T8700] -- Posted Monday, January 14, 2008 by chb

Electrovaya releases Scribbler SC4000 Tablet PC
Electrovaya announced the launch of the Scribbler SC4000 series. The sleek new Tablet PC slate combines an Electrovaya 70Wh Lithium Ion SuperPolymer battery, a 1.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U7500 ULV CPU, fingerprint security, a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, 802.11a/b/g WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, a 60 GB SATA 5400 rpm hard drive (upgradeable up to 160 GB) and 1GB RAM (upgradeable to 4 GB). It includes a TPM security module and there is a sunlight-readable screen option for the wide viewing angle 12.1-inch display. The Scribbler SC4000 weighs 3.3 pounds and is less than an inch thick. The Scribbler SC4000 comes with Windows Vista or Windows XP Tablet 2005. [See Electrovaya SC4000 spec sheet] -- Posted Thursday, January 10, 2008 by chb

OQO adds 64GB SSD and sunlight-optimized display
OQO expanded its UMPC line with the addition of a 64GB solid state drive option and the introduction of a new display technology offering dramatic improvement in direct sunlight readability with greater than 50% reduction in unwanted reflections. This expansion addresses several growth segments of the UMPC market. Field service professionals, for example, require outdoor-useable UMPCs in tough environments. The OQO model 02 with 64GB SSD uses high performance NAND Flash. The Sunlight Optimized display uses proprietary anti-reflective films in order to reduce specular reflections between the internal layers of the display itself, resulting in reduced reflections in direct sunlight and improved contrast when used in outdoor viewing scenarios. [View OQO Model 02 description] -- Posted Monday, January 7, 2008 by chb

Dell finally has a Tablet PC!
Well, it took a while, but Dell finally has a Tablet PC. The Latitude XT follows Dell's trademark formula of offering competent yet fairly generic products with some extra goodies baked in. The XT excels by offering what promises, if it uses the ATG 630's technology, to be one of the best outdoor-viewable displays. And the N-trig dual mode pen and touch digitizer adds flexibility. We would have preferred an internal optical drive to the snap-on Media Base, but overall the Latitude XT is a nice addition to Dell's Latitude line as well as a serious competitor in the notebook convertible market. [Read detailed description and specs of the Dell Latitude XT Tablet PC convertible] -- Posted Tuesday, December 18, 2007 by chb

OQO first to use VIA's new 1.6GHz C7-M processor
VIA Technologies announced that OQO is the first manufacturer to ship the 1.6GHz VIA C7-M ULV processor in the latest configurations of the OQO model 02 product line. The higher-speed processor in this update of the OQO model 02 increases the device's performance and enables mobile professionals to enhance anytime/anywhere productivity. In addition to a faster processor, the OQO model 02 update now also supports EVDO Rev. A with data rates of up to 1.4Mbp as well as storage capacity of up to 120GB,. A SSD (solid state drive) option is also available. -- Posted Tuesday, September 11, 2007 by chb

Acer to buy Gateway
Acer announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Gateway. Under the terms of the agreement, Acer will purchase all outstanding shares of Gateway for US$1.90 per share in cash, which represents a total equity investment, and purchase price, of about US$710 million. Interesting how the remaining US computer companies either consolidate or sell out. Maybe it just doesn't make sense to essentially be just marketing companies that have everything built in Taiwan or China anyway. It should also be interesting how two companies that have been in the Tablet PC market for a while will handle their Tablet efforts. -- Posted Monday, August 27, 2007 by chb

Spellex Tablet PC Suite 2.0
Spellex announced the Spellex Tablet PC Suite 2.0 for specialty terminology. The new Tablet PC enhancement recognizes hundreds of thousands of comprehensive English terms, including words relating to business, language, current trends, and Internet technology. With the Spellex Tablet PC Suite, you can also enhance your handwriting recognition and spell checking ability by adding specialized terms from the medical, legal, and scientific fields. Pricing for the Spellex Tablet PC Suite starts at $59. -- Posted Friday, July 20, 2007 by chb

Motion now shipping LE1700 and C5 tablets with Acronis True Image preinstalled
Acronis, Inc., a technological leader in storage management software, announced Motion Computing is shipping Acronis True Image Motion Computing Edition on all new Motion LE1700 and C5 tablet PCs. Acronis True Image is a comprehensive data and system protection solution for tablet PCs, desktop PCs and laptops. It is used to create an exact image of a hard disk for data recovery and to restore backed-up individual files and folders. -- Posted Wednesday, June 27, 2007 by chb

Gateway adds Electronic Medical Record (EMR) software to healthcare portfolio
Simplifying the purchase and implementation of technology for healthcare professionals, Gateway is now making it easier than ever for hospitals and medical offices to outfit their facilities with computing solutions that increase efficiencies and enhance patient care. Beginning immediately, MedicWare Electronic Medical Record software can be purchased with several Gateway PCs that are ideally suited for the healthcare market, including the thin and light Gateway E-155C Tablet PC convertible notebook. -- Posted Thursday, June 21, 2007 by chb

Review: MobileDemand xTablet T8600
Offering integrated bar code and mag card readers for field data collection activities makes the MobileDemand xTablet T8600 Tablet PC a superb productivity tool for a variety of vertical market applications. It is also one of the few tablets with an integrated keypad, speeding up data entry. The fully rugged slate has a magnesium housing, extensive shock absorption, can survive multiple 3-foot drops and offers IP54 sealing (see our shower test. A massive battery allows for full-shift operation. Despite all this, the xTablet T8600 is very compact and weighs just 4.6 pounds. [Read full review of MobileDemand xTablet T8600 Tablet PC] -- Posted Wednesday, June 6, 2007 by chb

GD-Itronix DynaVue Outdoor-Readable Display Technology
General Dynamics Itronix has unveiled a remarkable daylight-readable display technology called "DynaVue." How good is it? Our technology editor Geoff Walker says, "Don't you just hate it when some marketing guy labels something as "ultimate"? Well, I've found something that really should be labeled as "ultimate." It's General Dynamics (GD) Itronix' brand-new DynaVue outdoor-readable touch-screen display technology." [Read technical review of the Itronix DunaVue Outdoor-Readable Touch-Screen Display technology] -- Posted Monday, June 4, 2007 by chb

Review: Toshiba Portege R400
Toshiba has ditched its Satellite and Tecra Tablet PCs, but the Portege R400 is a stunner. Ultra-light and ultra-elegant, this premium Tablet PC convertible runs Vista Ultimate on its 12.1-inch 1280 x 800 pixel wide-format screen. If the 43 watt-hour battery isn't enough, you just snap a second onto the bottom. Performance is right up there, but no optical drive and just a PC Card slot for expansion. On the other hand, Verizon EVDO is built-in! And if you haven't tried handwriting reco in a while, do! It works better than ever.[Read our review of the Toshiba Portege R400] -- Posted Tuesday, May 29, 2007 by chb

Report on outdoor-readable notebook screens
Outdoor readability is becoming ever more important. Our technology editor analyzes different approaches and highlights the best. Read Notebooks with Outdoor-Readable Screens in Mid-2007. -- Posted Sunday, May 20, 2007 by chb

Fujitsu announces U Series convertible UMPC
Adding to its long tradition of offering pen slates, Tablet PC convertibles, and mini notebooks with touchscreens, Fujitsu announced the U Series of convertible ultra-mobile PCs. Unlike most current UMPCs, the U Series offers full (albeit cramped) notebook functionality with a 74%-scale QWERTY keyboard as well as tablet operation. The little device measures just 6.75 � 5.25 inches, is barely over an inch thick, and weighs about 1.3 pounds. The U Series is powered by an 800 MHz Intel A110 chip, has 20-40GB of hard disk, 512MB or a gig of RAM, and a 5.6-inch wide screen with 1024x600 resolution. Either Windows XP Pro or Vista are available, and the starting price in Japan is US$1,199. [Read our description of the Fujitsu U-Series UMPC convertible] -- Posted Wednesday, May 16, 2007 by chb

Gigabyte to reveal slider UMPC
Gigabyte is joining the growing number of vendors offering an ultra-personal PC. The Taiwanese comapny's U60 UMPC sports a handsome "slider" design not unlike the OQO. It uses Windows Vista (Home Basic or Premium, or Business) on ViA C7-M processors running at 1.0 to 1.5GHz, has 512-768MB of DDR2-533 RAM, and a 800 x 480 pixel 6.5-inch LED-backlit LCD. Click on the small picture to peruse the keyboard: it is a split unit that may require a bit of getting used to. -- Posted Tuesday, May 15, 2007 by chb

Motion offers 32GB solid state drive for the LS800
In what may well become a rapidly ccelerating trend, Motion Computing is now offering a 1.8-inch 32GB solid state drive for its ultra-compact LS800 Tablet PC. Since Flash has no moving parts, reliability is improved, there is 10% more battery life, and data is accessed faster. The new SSD drive has the same formfactor as a 1.8-inch hard drive, and current LS800 owners can upgrade their devices to an SSD drive via one of Motion's Certified Maintainer partners. [see our review of the Motion LS800] -- Posted Tuesday, May 8, 2007 by chb

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