May 2004 - Posts

• Tablet PC events - week of May 24th

  This week's list of places and events, where you can see and hopefully play with a Tablet PC. And don't forget your local Best Buy store, which should hopefully have the new and more flexible display stand with the Toshiba M200. Tablet PC Developer Tour: 5/26 - Miami, FL Mobility Road Show (the one with the free copies of Office 2003 Professional and a chance to win a tablet at every event): 5/25 - Atlanta, GA 5/25 - Washington, DC 5/26 - Baltimore, MD 5/25 - Miami, FL Mobile Computing with the Tablet PC events: 5/26 - Seattle, WA 5/27 - Phoenix, AZ Tablet PC Campus Demo Tour: 5/25 - University of California - Los Angeles 5/25 - University of Florida 5/25 - Bernard M. Baruch College (CUNY) 5/26 - Queens College (CUNY) 5/27 - California State University - Northridge 5/27 - City College (CUNY) Last but not least, Tech Ed 2004 is going on this week in San Diego. Or, as I like to call, it "yet another West Coast event I'm not attending". For more Tech Ed coverage take a look at the following sites: Chris De Herrera is at Tech Ed, so keep checking at Tablet PC Talk Julia Lerman is there too I heard Loren has managed to go as well And, of course, TechEd Bloggers Posted May 24 2004, 08:29 PM by peter with no comments Filed under: Tablet PC

• Tablet PC events this week

  Tablet PC Developer tour dates: New York and Philadelphia: Tuesday, May 18 Newark, NJ and Santa Clara, CA: Wednesday, May 19 The Mobility Road Show also has somewhat "matching dates" this week: New York: May 18 and May 19 Philadelphia: May 18 San Jose, CA: May 19 The mobility road show is the one for IT folks and decision makers, showing them how mobile computing can make your staff members more productive. The real gems are that all attendees will get a free copy of Office 2003 Professional, a trial version of OneNote, and one Toshiba M205 tablet will be given away at each event. Sounds like a great chance for freebies, so make sure to look for your nearest event location. The Tablet PC Campus Demo Tour should be making the following stops this week: Stanford University: May 18 University of Delaware: May 18 Georgia State University: May 18 Kansas State University: May 18 University of Massachusetts - Boston: May 18 University of California - Berkeley: May 20 North Virginia Community College: May 20 University of South Florida: May 21 University of Nebraska: May 21 The campus tour also offers a chance to win one of 50 Tablet PCs. Dates, times, and locations for all these events may be totally inaccurate, but hopefully they are actually correct these days. Eyewitness accounts and impressions are always welcome! Posted May 18 2004, 09:59 AM by peter with no comments Filed under: Tablet PC

• Even more Averatec pictures

  Here are a couple of shots from some sort of Averatec product launch event. It certainly looks like one of the features of this model is the ability to be held by scantily clad women: And another generic shot: Posted May 17 2004, 11:16 PM by peter with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Tablet PC

• More Averatec C3500 bits - and a larger picture

  Take a look at this interesting product roadmap from Averatec. The convertible Tablet PC model - the C3500 - is indicated to have an AMD K7 processor. (Alright, what is that anyway? It sounds like the years old AMD chip numbering systems of yore.) A later shift to Intel's Dothan in a future C3x00 series seems to be planned as well. Here's a new picture too: There is a larger version available as well, showing off the convertible's simple, but generally acceptable design. The pen is interestingly mounted next to the screen, and not in a silo. Not many buttons next to the screen, but one of them looks like some sort of slider switch or rocker button. Interestingly enough, it also appears that the C3500 is currently being used in some sort of hospital trial deployment in Shanghai. Posted May 17 2004, 11:00 PM by peter with 3 comment(s) Filed under: Tablet PC

• Another stab at mobile video card upgrades

  Nvidia is taking another stab at adopting a "standard" for upgradeable video cards in mobile computers with something called MXM - a royalty-free graphics interface for PCI Express equipped mobile computers. I would be pretty much like AGP in your desktop - just take out your old video card and put in a better one. These MXM modules are supposed to be produced by various OEMs (like AGP cards today), assuming they choose to support the new standard. You'll be able to pick an MXM card from one of three classes, based on performance and power consumption, with a single connector in the notebook supporting all three classes. Of course, I wonder what would be the consequences of sticking one of the "performance" modules into an unventilated tablet like a slate from Motion. Will support calls increase as people upgrade with a card not quite intended for their type of portable? Or will certain OEMs prevent those problems by staying away from the standard? At any rate, I really want a tablet with an MXM video card. Now we have to hope that more partners - like ATI - will get on board and manufacture compatible products. Posted May 17 2004, 08:56 PM by peter with no comments Filed under: Tablet PC

• Mobile computing - expensive but disposable?

  Here's something that periodically keeps nagging at me. The Lonestar bits of SP2 may be a "free upgrade", but let's face it: if you have tried it, you know that it leads to a pretty noticeable performance hit on your. In fact, many of the slower first-generation tablets have major problems with it, rendering it almost unusable. Monica's TC1000 runs Lonestar, but it also has its memory maxed out, and I heavily tweaked it for performance. As it is, the new TIP performs at only "acceptable" levels. I can't imagine it in on the Acer C100 series of tablets - it probably doesn't even run at all. Take a step forward now. I have a new speedy Toshiba M200. Even with the 1 GB of memory, I'm pretty sure that running Longhorn on it wouldn't be very pleasant. At any rate, I wouldn't get the visual candy bits, what with the 32 MB Nvidia video card. And that's the pinnacle of tablet video performance these days - the meager Intel integrated graphics found on most current tablets would be a lot worse. The problem in both these cases can be solved "simply" by getting better hardware. But is that really what mobile computing (and now most obviously represented by tablet computing) has come to? If you want a new version of the OS, you have to get a new device? The PDA and smartphone crowd has been used to it for years - older devices were sometimes upgradeable to a new OS (if the OEMs were gracious enough), but the experience was usually worse enough than the "native" one offered by new devices that shipped with the upgraded code, so that users were pretty much forced to shell out the money for new hardware. Mobile computers are slowly but surely taking the lead from desktop machines, but we pay for the mobility by much more limited upgrade paths. Desktops could always be frankensteined with faster processors, more memory, better video cards, or whatever else it took to satisfy the greedy needs of a new OS. A total replacement could frequently be staved off for at least one generation. With notebooks, the story is different, and the choices much more limited. I really do wonder what some of the early adopters will think when they find out that Lonestar won't run too well on their first-generation tablets. Or is it alright these days to just write off a thousand or two dollars' worth of equipment? Posted May 17 2004, 08:42 PM by peter with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Tablet PC

• A tiny peek at Averatec's upcoming 3500 series convertible Tablet PC

  I couldn't find a better picture of it anywhere else, so here's a really tiny image of what should be (but know knows) Averatec's new 3500 series Tablet PC. Yes, it's that mythical cheap tablet. When it launches - supposedly sometime this summer - it should sell (out quickly) for about $1,100. Rebates and special offers will likely push that down into the three digit price territory. This will be one of those products produced by one Asian company, yet rebranded and offered in different configurations by many others, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a number of clones. This new tablet with a low price tag doesn't mean that Tablet PCs are getting cheaper - they aren't quite commoditized to that extent yet. However, it means that there will be cheap tablets. Nothing fancy, probably some corners will get cut, no speed records, and likely paltry battery life. But it will cost around a thousand dollars, which is the magical number many buyers are looking for. Oh, and one of the ways to achieve that low price may be a first in tablet land: an AMD processor. But as usual, take all this with a grain of salt - we won't know all the details until it's on the shelf of your local electronics retailer. Update: More - and larger - pictures, plus a few more details on the C3500 are now also available here and here. Posted May 17 2004, 07:52 PM by peter with 17 comment(s) Filed under: Tablet PC

• How many tablet purchases are waiting until SP2?

  Pictures, videos, user praise - you can find a lot of all of those when you start looking for information on Lonestar, or the more official Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005. It looks pretty impressive, and makes it look like a Tablet PC is pretty usable with just a pen, which it is. But is that actually a bad thing? One of the criticisms in the current storm of "the tablet is dead" publicity is that the product will miss the back to school buying season - again - because SP2 is now pushed back until probably July or later. Some people argue that such a situation is not the case - buyers shouldn't be waiting, since they can buy a Tablet PC today and later download the free upgrade. That is true. However, who in the right mind would really want to buy a tablet now, if they ever - even once - set eyes on Lonestar? I mean, Tablet PC version 1.0 was...shall we say, decent for a first release. More like an alpha version. Lonestar is really what version 1.0 should have been. It's so much different and better, that any Lonestar user would instantly despise the original, if it were suddenly forced on them again. And it demoes pretty well too - those, who have seen it, want it. One could argue that sales should be helped by sheer obscurity: your average retail store buyer won't see Lonestar demonstrated anywhere, so they have to base their purchase decision on version 1.0. But then again, that's not too impressive to begin with, so maybe that's not a winning point. And also, the types of people who are now adopting tablets are probably at least somewhat tech savvy and might put in some time to learn about the product beforehand. That's when they come across Lonestar, see it's better, and decide to hold off buying a tablet. Worse yet, since SP2 offers a host of other improvements, it is probably holding off purchases of Windows XP based computers on its own. So not only will Lonestar get lost in the rest of the SP2 updates, it will also be bundled into many other improvements as part of a "wait and see" purchase climate. To top it off, Intel didn't help by launching new Dothan chips at this point either. Buyers will either again wait for the latest and greatest, or wait for existing models to become cheaper. After all, they already are waiting for SP2, so another reason will just reaffirm that decision. So is the "buy now and upgrade later" line of reasoning an oversimplification of the market? Would you buy a tablet now, if you knew about Lonestar, but weren't comfortable with installing a somewhat buggy beta version of a service pack? Posted May 17 2004, 07:39 PM by peter with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Tablet PC

• Channel 9 interview with Peter Loforte

  Fantastic! The first of the now somewhat delayed Channel 9 interviews with the Tablet PC team is now available. Peter Loforte, GM of the tablet team, gives a great demo of Lonestar, including the new TIP, the correction experience, context tagging, IE hooks in the TIP, and even upcoming developer functionality like the realtime stylus API. Great stuff! If you haven't seen Lonestar yet, watch it. If you have, watch it anyway. Send the link to any of your friends who are interested in a Tablet PC and want to see how it works. Send it to your developer friends, who are contemplating developing ink applications. As a bonus, apart from seeing Peter's HP TC1100 (I'm certainly jealous), you also get a quick peek at the not very publicly paraded TDV Vison V800 XPT in its nifty keyboard case. Posted May 17 2004, 07:16 PM by peter with no comments Filed under: Tablet PC

• Tin foil hats and paranoid security tips

  A handy guide to tweaking your Windows XP system to be more secure. Of course, it pretty much takes the "hack the registry" approach, even when you can change some of the values through the GUI, but at least you get to learn where all the settings are stored. Posted May 13 2004, 09:27 AM by peter with no comments Filed under: Tablet PC

• It gets worse - the nutty rants have started

  No, no, I don't mean my own posts. Shush! Apparently, word must be spreading out that the Tablet PC (software, hardware, and all) really is dead, with Microsoft totally ditching the OS and OEMs shutting down production (which is complete nonsense), otherwise I can't in my mind explain this Open Letter to Tablet PC Manufacturers. Here's a quick summary of the delusional piece. Microsoft has ditched the OS and the OEMs. OEMs are faced with shutting down factories. It would cost millions. It doesn't have to be that way. Instead, keep the hardware, open some research labs, and put Linux in the machines. This will lead to all sort of new software development and other possibilities. They have nothing to lose, because if they don't go the GNU way, it's the highway and total failure anyway. Now granted, as the author says, it's a personal opinion, and free speech, but frankly, it's an uninformed (or misinformed) opinion, and not very helpful in what is already a volatile situation. The next thing we know, some mainstream publication will run with it, and all of a sudden, whole product lines will be rumored extinct. It does provide for some entertaining reading though: "Imagine if those self-same manufacturers were to install GNU/Linux on those Tablet PCs. Imagine if they opened up their hardware to the Linux community to build a successful version of the Tablet PC and marketed it correctly." Yes, uh, a "successful" version of the Tablet PC based on Linux would take years to accomplish at this point. Certainly not before Longhorn made it look like a laughable second-rate copycat attempt. And as much as Microsoft has some serious marketing issues, the open source community can't currently market itself out of the boiling pot of SCO, infighting, competing UIs, and licensing model doubts, so what makes you think they could somehow magically all become a coordinated effort and market a joint product? In two years. With a product that nobody has even started writing. I mean, it's certainly possible, but unlikely, in my opinion. Posted May 12 2004, 04:58 PM by peter with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Tablet PC

• Larry O'Brien gets you started with tablet development

  Riding on unbelievably fortuitous timing, I just saw that Larry O'Brien's new article is now available on DevX - Programming the Tablet PC - Get Up To Speed Quickly. It's a perfect little starting point or refresher, depending on how far along you are. It even includes source code so that you can write your very own ink blogging application! Larry, you're my hero! Now let's see more of these articles. A lot more! Posted May 12 2004, 04:27 PM by peter with no comments Filed under: Tablet PC

• Where have all the ink developer resources gone?

  Here's a perfect example of developer frustration, voiced by Rob Zelt, who wonders how come there are so few available ink code examples: "Just for giggles, do a Google search on "using Microsoft.Ink". You'll likely get between 100 and 150 hits. Not to put that in perspective, search for "using System.Windows.Forms" and take a look at the 11,000+ hits you get on that one!" Rob also points to some online resources he has found, but as you can see, the selection is pretty paltry. On the bright side, thanks to Rob's efforts, I was delighted to find out (and why wasn't this promoted somewhere?!) that the University of Washington is offering a Tablet PC Capstone course! And all of their assignments, lectures, and tutorials are available online! That totally made my day. Now I want to take that course. The sad part is, if you take a look at the available materials, it's all a heck of a lot better than some of the official Microsoft documents currently offered to potential ink developers. The slide shows even look more interesting than some of the leaked MDC materials. Of course, the class is based on the Microsoft Press book Building Tablet PC Applications, but that's not always readily available or sufficiently promoted either. I mean, seriously, if you want to learn about Tablet PC development, go through the course materials - they are really pretty good! Does anybody know a student that is or will be taking this course? If so, please ask for opinions about it. Now back to the lack of developer resources. The 1.7 version of the SDK is still available by request only. You have to e-mail tabbeta@microsoft.com to get enrolled in the SDK beta, which is the only way to get it now. And that's despite the fact that SP2 is publicly available as an RC1 build! The argument is that this method allows the tablet folks to keep track of who's developing what, but isn't the ISV oriented tabisv@microsoft.com address more suitable for that purpose? What if I'm just a hobby developer (that could one day write a really cool ink application), but I don't want to register anywhere? Just give me a public and unsupported download to play with. Don't hold back the development of ink applications just because you want to create a mailing list. Of course, my discontent with the lack of developer resources is relative. For example, Adam Gallant seems content with the "vast array of samples" that the 1.5 SDK offers. However, more documentation, code samples, online webcasts, and classes are sorely needed. Some folks may not realize it, but developers need help even with some seemingly simple conundrums. For example, how about an official developer guide to installing Windows XP Tablet PC Edition on a desktop with a digitizer? Seems like a common enough request, but is there an MSDN article or some other reference document? I am not aware of any. Posted May 12 2004, 04:13 PM by peter with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Tablet PC

• Goodbye, tabby, goodbye

  You just have to love the name of this article from Ziff Davis Channel Zone: Goodbye and Good Riddance to the Tablet PC. That was so my headline! But even I don't normally go this far: "Well, it looks like the Tablet PC is in a decline again. Good. It's about time." Or this one: "Tablet PCs in the mass market though? Forget about it! Microsoft is." I think that's more in line with equating "Tablet PC" with "slate" (yes, and that has to go away), but I'm sure Microsoft is very determined to bring pen and ink technology to the mass consumer market. When, how, and in what form - that's a different matter, but it will happen. Nevertheless, the author presents one really good item to ponder: "The real problem for Tablet PCs has always been that there has never—let me repeat myself, never—been a mass market for them. People who think there is one are confusing cool techno toy lust for a market force." This is one thing we all have to be careful about. There is a general assumption that "everybody wants to write with a pen". Or "everybody wants to take notes". That's not quite true. You can't be an objective Tablet PC proponent without admitting that tablets just aren't for everybody out there. Sometimes we are so blinded by our own cool toys, which we fervently believe in, that we try to make up imaginary uses for them for all sorts of people, who really don't need them. It's true that there isn't a mass market for digital ink right now. But the challenge - one that many groups must accept - is to create that mass market. It will take user education, killer applications, well designed, reliable and cheap hardware, and a resulting compelling need on the part of consumers, who must realize that it's not just a gimmick, or an answer in search of a question, but it actually solves everyday problems for the common person. Posted May 12 2004, 03:33 PM by peter with no comments Filed under: Tablet PC

• Tablets - don't knock them until you try one. In fact, try and then try again.

  Ed Bott comments on some of my earlier response to Robert Scoble's post. He makes some great points: "The Tablet PC is one of those products that you can describe until you're blue in the face, but people don't get it until they try it. And the average student or business person simply doesn't get to try a Tablet PC." That is so true it's not even funny. As much as we talk about the perfect demo setup, and what should be shown to aspiring tablet users, sometimes you can literally go on and on, and on, and nothing really "hooks" them. Case in point: I had my first tablet for about a year, and while I tried to explain the benefits and possible uses to Monica, she never quite fully warmed up to it, until she got to keep it. Then all of a sudden, she had dozens of brilliant ideas about what to do with it in the span of a week. People really need to try it out for a while, and demoing Journal to them endlessly won't do much, until they write and convert some ink. Right now, your local Best Buy stores with the new (much more free and flexible) fixtures are your best bet to try out a Tablet PC (a Toshiba M200). Not all of the stores may have the new fixtures just yet, but they are on their way. "For Peter and the others who are using the technology now, enjoy the feeling of being out in front." Ed, you know what, it has its downsides. If I could magically snap my fingers and give up my tablet in exchange for a million students getting one of their own, I'd do it in a heartbeat. It's one of those pieces of technology that makes you want to be in the curve, along with everybody else, and not ahead of it. Posted May 12 2004, 03:16 PM by peter with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Tablet PC