September 2010

N-trig DuoSense (pen & multi-touch)
Digitizer maker N-trig took the "back-to-school" season as an opportunity to issue a press release on the many uses of its innovative DuoSense technology that combines digital pen functionality with multi-touch. DuoSense is currently used in various HP, Dell and Lenovo products and is a competitor to Wacom's G6 Multi-Touch technology used in the Motion J3500 tablet. -- Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2010 by chb

Is the world ready for a tablet with dual 14-inch screens?
Most current and planned tablets have 7 or 10-inch screens. The Kno, which stands fro "Knowledge Now," is much larger than that--it consists of not one but two massive 14.1-inch screens. That's because the Kno, which uses a pen, is designed to be a digital textbook, with the size of a textbook and the ability to display two full pages at once. TechCrunch reports that none other than Netscape founder Marc Andreessen has invested in Kno and considers it the "most powerful tablet anyone has ever made." Kno claims "revolutionary digital note-taking using natural handwriting" and is supposed to cost under US$1,000. [Check Kno website] -- Posted Tuesday, September 14, 2010 by chb

Don't look for AMD in tablets anytime soon
It's unclear for now what processor will dominate in the upcoming generation of Android, WebOS and possibly Microsoft-based iPad competitors, but it likely won't be AMD. In an interview at InsideHW, an AMD VP essentially said that a company with just 15% market share is best served by going after the markets they're already in, and perhaps in high-volume markets like netbooks. Tablets, however, will first have to prove themselves before AMD gets involved. [See InsideHW interview] -- Posted Tuesday, September 14, 2010 by chb

Android form factor issues
Just like Windows CE before it, the Android OS is having problems accommodating devices with different screen sizes and resolutions. As is, Android was really designed for small, portrait-oriented smartphone displays and accommodating landscape-oriented tablet displays isn't without problems. The latest 2.2 version of Android, for example, is not optimized for tablets, something Google itself freely admits. Apple is facing the same issue with the iPhone and iPad where there are different OS versions and iPad apps are increasingly higher-end and higher priced. -- Posted Tuesday, September 14, 2010 by chb

Full review: Trimble Yuma rugged tablet
The Trimble Yuma is a very rugged, small and light (2.6 pounds) tablet computer that can go places where a full-size tablet is just too large and heavy. The Yuma is Atom-powered, has an exceptionally bright outdoor-viewable touch screen display, and is dust and waterproof. In RuggedPCReview's testing, the Yuma proved to be a very trust-inspiring, easy-to-use, and exceptionally sturdy machine. Running Windows 7 and having good onboard connectivity, including two cameras and GPS, make the Yuma suitable for a large variety of field applications. [See full review of the Trimble Yuma] -- Posted Tuesday, September 7, 2010 by chb

Getac introduces Intel i7-powered V200 rugged convertible notebook with super-bright 12.1-inch multi-touch display
Getac announced the V200 rugged convertible notebook computer, which represents a more powerful, higher-end addition to the company's V100 that remains available. The V200 is based on a 2GHz Intel Core i7-620LM processor, has a 12.1-inch 1280 x 800 pixel display with a superbright 1,200 nits backlight, resistive multi-touch that works while wearing gloves, a forward/backward facing 2mp camera, available "LifeSupport" hot-swappable battery technology, GPS, Gobi 2000, a variety of keyboard options, and, of course, the highly configurable convertible design that allows operation both as a notebook and as a tablet. [See description and specs of the Getac V200] -- Posted Tuesday, September 7, 2010 by chb

Fujitsu announces 10-inch Intel Core i5-powered multi-touch Lifebook T580 convertible
Fujitsu announced the Lifebook T580, a small 3.1-lbs computer that at first sight looks like a netbook with its compact body and 10-inch display. However, the T580 packs far more power and many more features than your standard netbook. Most notably, it's powered by an Intel Core i5 processor and it offers multi-touch (up to four fingers) capabilities. 3G wireless and GPS are options, and the dual-input digitizer reportedly uses the N-trig DuoSense system, though we do not have that confirmed yet. For a demo of the T580, check this YouTube demonstration. -- Posted Sunday, September 5, 2010 by chb

Motion launches enhanced Tablet PC support programs
With first-class support increasingly becoming a differentiator when making rugged computing product choices, Motion Computing announced a number of new support programs geared towards improved uptime and reducing lost productivity. The Motion Express Tablet Exchange Service provides next business day delivery of a replacement tablet for volume (50+) customers; Accidental Damage Protection offers an added layer of protection against unintentional physical damage; and Enterprise (1000+ units) Support Services offers access to a dedicated team of product experts to address critical technical support issues. [See Motion Product Services page and press release] -- Posted Wednesday, September 1, 2010 by chb