667 MHz DDR2 / 1GB But actual performance will be 533 MHz due to Processor FSB Limitation
Screen:
LED Backlit WXGA LCD (1280×800)
Hard Drive:
80GB 1.8″ / 5mm, 4200rpm / PATA
PAN:
Dell Wireless 360 Internal Bluetooth Module
LAN:
Dell onboard Gigabit LAN adapter
WLAN
Dell Wireless 1505 Draft 802.11n mini-card
WWAN:
Dell Wireless 5720 Sprint Mobile Broadband (EVDO Rev.A)
Optical Drive:
Dell D/Bay plus 24x CDRW/DVD
Battery:
Upgraded to 6-cell, 42W/Hr Primarily Battery
Warranty:
3 year mail-in service (standard) plus 3 year accidental damage protection
As reported in my earlier post, First Look - Duosense, Dell had the technology in place and multi-touch would be available once applications supporting it starts appearing. All-in-all, a very solid Tablet PC which promises much. One thing to note is that 2GB memory is almost a must for the Tablet PC running Vista, so make sure you add in that option.
HP just announced a whole new line of products and amongst them, the HP tx2000 Tablet PC, an upgrade to the HP tx1000. TabletPCReview received a pre-production unit and they published a first-look review yesterday. According to the review, the initial sepcs are as follow -
AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual Core processor TL-66 2.3GHz
Up to 4GB DDR2 RAM (review unit had 2GB)
Nvidia GeForce Go 6150 graphics
Hard drive options of 120GB, 160GB or 250GB
12.1″ WXGA touchscreen display with built in digitizer (1280×800 resolution)
LightScribe Super Multi or Super Multi 8X DVD+/-R/RW
Windows Vista Home, Business or Ultimate OS
Integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet
802.11a/b/g/n with Bluetooth
ExpressCard Slot
3 x USB ports
2 x headphone out and one microphone-in
VGA-15 pin
TV-Out S-video
RJ-11 and RJ-45
Notebook Expansion port 3
2 x Consumer IR
Battery: 4-cell or 6-cell Lithium-Ion
Weight: 4.3 pounds with weightsaver and 4-cell battery
Dimensions: 8.82″(L) x 12.05″(W) x 1.23″(H)
The PCMark05 score of 3,738 sure is impressive when compared to other Tablets (see test results in the review).
One thing that is not mentioned in the first-look review is the vectoring problem with its predecessor, the HP tx1000 Tablet PC, which uses the passive digitizer. However, if you read on in the comment section to the review, someone extracted the HP product catalog and confirmed that HP had incorporated the active digitizer from WACOM to their new line, so much for the vectoring problem (too bad the HP does not have the DuoSense technology).
Axiotron, Inc., a leading proprietary high-tech hardware solution provider, announced today (31 Dec) that its flagship product, the Modbook, the first fully functional Apple-authorized tablet Mac solution, is now shipping to its retail channel.
The only Mac-based tablet computer on the market, Axiotron’s Modbook seamlessly integrates a state-of-the-art Wacom® digitized pen-sensitive LCD slate-style display with Apple MacBook’s legendary ease of use and design sensibility, giving artists and design-oriented professionals enhanced onscreen writing and drawing functionality when they need it most.
“After introducing the product earlier in the year, we have experienced a tremendous amount of positive response to the Modbook as its exclusive modular design and superior functionality provide the best tablet solution on the market for artists and designers,” said Andreas Haas, President of Axiotron. “The Modbook’s recent designation as an Apple-authorized product has allowed us to better meet the needs of our extremely patient customers and we are proud to be able to ship a product that resets the bar for Mac users everywhere.”
Named Best of Show at Macworld 2007, Axiotron’s Modbook melds Apple MacBook’s speed, power, superior strength and elegance with Wacom’s leading digitizer technology to provide an unparalleled 512 levels of pressure sensitivity for a fast, accurate and intuitive user experience. Offering twice the pen sensitivity and control of any tablet PC on the market, the Modbook gives artists and design oriented professionals the increased freedom, flexibility and precision control to create and edit digital art using a variety of specially designed pen tips that are included with each Modbook.
A perfect blend of style and functionality, each Modbook comes pre-installed with Mac OS X Leopard™, the award winning OS X’s built-in Inkwell® handwriting recognition, a 2.0 GHz or 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a built-in iSight® camera and an integrated 24x DVD Combo drive or 8x DVD SuperDrive. Also, every Modbook features a built-in Global Positioning System (GPS).
In addition to all of the features of the powerful Apple MacBook base system, the Axiotron Modbook’s largest-in-class wide angle 13.3″ widescreen display offers wider viewing angles and a higher contrast ratio, resulting in darker blacks and more vivid, saturated colors while maintaining the same resolution and aspect ratio of the original MacBook display.
According to GottaBeMobile, it is available via Other World Computing starting at US$2279. Here’s an old video on the Modbook.
Just when I thought I had the coolest Tablet PC, the Fujitsu T2010, the DuoSense technology pops. Surprised the new Dell Latitude XT is not supporting it as Gizmodo reports “N-Trig makes the DuoSense technology that powers the Dell Latitude XT’s touch-sensitive and pen-enabled display. This is the only input device in the market that combines a pressure-sensitive pen with multitouch into a single surface, which allows for seamless iPhone-style finger interaction—perfect for broad, direct object manipulations—and precise stylus for electronic ink input and drawing.” Read on to find out why, link to Gizmodo’s report here.
Holy moly, Chippy of UMPC Portal finally got hold of the HTC Shift and he posted the following unboxing vids, link here. Still no news as to when the Shift is gonna be launched here in Hong Kong. I want it bad…..
[4 August] More impressions on the HP Compaq 2710p from Sierra from GottaBeMobile (GBM) Forum, link to forum page here.
Key extracts from the posts -
If you look at pics of the 2710p in slate mode, the hinge produces a budge on the right hand side. Early impression is that this is actually a good thing. My hand fits there nicely and it makes an good grip. We’ll see if that impression holds.
This is the most smudge-free screen I’ve used. Bizarre. It also has a very nice anti-glare coating, not that you can tell from my pictures below. It’s bright and crisp, even outdoors in the shade, although that was a 100% brightness. I need to do more outdoor testing.
Local forum indicated release date for HK is 21 August.
[Updated: 8 August] There’s an updated full review by Sierra up on GBM, link here.
Key extract from the review -
“The system is fast. I can’t really do an apples-to-apples comparison because I don’t have another Windows Vista system, but compared to my TC1000 (1.1Ghz, 1GB) and my P1610 (1.2Ghz, 1GB), the 2710p seems significantly more responsive. “
“Camera - I’ve only used it to read business cards, but what a whiz-bang feature! Takes beautiful shots of business cards and imports directly into a card app, which will then export into Outlook. Very slick and very easy to use. Worked on all of the cards I tested except the Japanese one. J Even on the Japanese card, it got the company and the email address, so I was impressed.”
[Updated: 11 August] Another review out from TabletPC2.com, link here. Some nice pics on the docking and the optional slim battery. One thing to note is that the processor we’re getting here in Hong Kong is 1.20 GHz , 2 MB L2 cache, 533 MHz FSB U7600 instead of the U7500 1.06GHz as mentioned in the review.
Photos from TabletPC2.com
[Updated: 18 August] cNet posted a review up on the HP Compaq 2710p Tablet PC and they don’t like it that much. They gave it a 6.6 out of 10 and their verdict on the machine -
The good: Slick, brushed-aluminum design; sturdy but lightweight construction.
The bad: No touch pad; no optical drive.
The bottom line:HP’s attractive Compaq 2710p convertible tablet suffers from one fatal flaw, choosing a ThinkPad-style pointing stick over a touch pad, effectively ruling it out for a large number of potential users. Full review here.
In addition, Laptop Magazine also posted a review and they say that the HP’s sleek convertible performs well but doesn’t have the best ergonomics. Their review here.
[Updated: 30 August] Rob Bushway of GBM just finished a 48 minutes long video review on the HP 2710p. Very informative and he pointed out a few weak points of the tablet (Hmm… weaknesses that makes me reconsider). But all in all, he still likes the form factor and he is keeping it. Link to review here.
[Updated: 6 October] James Kendrick from jkOnTheRun ran the most thorough review on the HP2710p. His take on the tablet -
“It is no doubt apparent that I am very pleased with what HP has brought to the tablet with the 2710p. It is not only a great Tablet PC but also a stellar thin and light notebook computer, something that other OEMs have attempted to do but none as successfully as this in my book. The hardware components are a decent compromise for providing great battery life while still providing very good performance, even under the resource hog that is Vista. HP has done a good job making sure that the entire package works as flawlessly with Vista as anything I have seen yet. The thin and light design is stellar at providing a great OOBE and daily usage. While the 2710p is pricey if you use the HP configurator on their web site, I was able to purchase this one using a “Smart Buy” that priced this top of the line configuration at just $1,749 which is a great price for this hardware. Check the HP site before you make a purchase decision as they usually have good configurations priced attractively this way.”
I am a little bit confused now as the following article (http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=963) says that the T2010 has 1,707 PCMarks vs 2,453 PCMarks for the HP 2710p! (difficult to explain why that would be the case)
Only one advantage for the X61T: the 2710p is “not quite as fast as the X61″.
Many advantages of the 2710p:
The X61T has a battery life of “more than four hours per charge” with the 8-cell
The X61T has a “dim screen”
The 2710p has handwriting recognition “noticeably better than even that on the X61. I’m not sure why there would be such a difference — both use Vista’s recognition engine — but it was striking.”
The 2710p is a little lighter and has a 12.1-inch widescreen display, which means when it’s in tablet mode; it’s perfect for reading Web pages or other documents.
James Kendrick over at jkOnTheRun posted his unboxing vid on the HP Compaq 2710p, he also covered the ultra-thin battery and the expansion dock in the video. Check it out and enjoy.
ultramobilepc-tips.com ran a 3DMark 2001 test on the Fujitsu Y2010 in the following video. Just as reported in earlier post, I had no problems running heavily 3D rendering games like Dark Age of Camelot or WOW on the Fujitsu T2010.
[Following is the review on the Fujitsu T2010. You'll notice that this is not the standard review you're used to read, in fact, it will be a collection of thoughts, things I noticed, flaws I detected within the next week when I get used to this tablet. My T2010 is bundled with a docking station (include DVD writer, DVI-out, VGA-out, 4 USB port, speaker out, 2 Kensington locks), specs as follow -
Intel Core 2 Duo ULV processors - 1.20 GHz U7600
Intel GM 965 chipset
2GB DDR2-667 SDRAM, 1GB Intel turbo memory
12.1″ Crystal View WXGA 1280×800, 16M color display, indoor/outdoor
Intel GMA X1300 graphics with 384 MB shared video memory
160 GB 5400 rpm SATA HDD
Wi-Fi AGN or ABG
Bluetooth
Gigabit Ethernet
Standard Li-ion 6 cell 5800 mAh battery
Dimensions: 11.69″ (297mm) W x 8.62″ (219mm) D x 1.34″ (34mm) H
Weight: from 3.31 lbs (1.5 kg)]
Performance
Above is the Windows Experience Index on the Fujitsu T2010, the overall score is the slightly lower than the HP 2710p tablet PC as posted on James Kendrick’s review of the HP2710p [link].
Some guys raised the question as to whether 3D games like WOW can be played on the Fujitsu T2010 over at TabletPCReview’s forum. Well, I installed the latest version of Dark Age of Camelot, and ran it on 1280×800. Turned all options off and the game ran pretty smoothly. The 3D rendering was not lagging much. Figured that running WoW would be pretty much the same (not a WoW player here so won’t know).
Flaws
Posted this comment on GottaBeMobile’s article, Fujitsu T2010 coming to GBM next week, link here.
“Just got mine today, working on the review. Truly a lovely tablet, the screen is crisp and clear. However, noted the first flaw already, especially after watching your video review on the HP 2710p, that being the T2010 lack the magnetic latch. Basically there are none on the T2010. Not sure what Fujitsu was thinking in regarding to this, the screen when in tablet mode is not snapped to the keyboard. Kinda worry that it would put too much pressure on the hinges.” [see update on 9 September and comments section] There is a latch.
[Updated: 2 September] Another minor flaw. When the tablet is set onto the docking station, the tablet wobbles quite a bit, not a steady lock….hmm. Check out the following vid.
[Updated: 3 September] Another minor flaw noted, this time it’s the AC-in connector, it wobbles quite a bit after you plug it in to the Tablet, was fine with the docking station though. Hmm…this bugs me a bit too. Recorded a short vid to demonstrate this.
Display
The display screen I got is the outdoor/indoor display (standard configuration here in Hong Kong). Took it out today at hign noon to check on the readability and it still looks good under the direct sunlight (see above pic, you can still read most of the stuff off the screen).
[Updated: 2 September] Took the above pic today in my car this afternoon.
Though the screen looks great, the fingerprints smudges on the screen just drives me crazy, especially when the screen is off.
Further to Phil Evans’ comment, I hooked up the T2010 to my Dell 24″ monitor and set the resolution to 1920×1200, looks pretty good (see pic).
Findings - SIM card slot in T2010 battery bay(?)
Xenoproctologist from TabletPCReview forum posted this, “I just pulled the battery from my T2010 and noticed, just above the base of the notebook and to the right of the centerline, what appears to be a SIM card slot in the battery bay. (About an inch deep; a bit over half an inch wide; six contacts in two rows of three offset slightly to the side.) Very strange.
Anyone have a clue whether this is actually attached to anything? Is there infrastructure for WWAN that I wasn’t aware of? Or am I mistaking a diagnostic port or card reader of some bizarre variety for something else?”
Following that , I found the SIM card slot too (see above pics), inserted my data card and nothing pops, will look further.
[Updated: 3 September] From Xenoproctologist again over at TabletPCReview forum, he got a response from Fujitsu regarding the SIM card slot.
“Originally Posted by FUJITSU
Thank you for your inquiry about the apparent SIM card slot in the
modular bay.
We don’t have any information on that, but the T2010 does not have
support for SIM cards so I would guess that it is not connected to
anything in the unit. It is likely that the bay module has been changed
to this new one on all units to accommodate possible changes in the
future.”
Battery Test
[Updated: 5 September] Made a short vid on the T2010 today, but the quality was not up to par, gonna redo it later in the week. Meanwhile, ran some battery tests the last two days and I can say that the battery last a decent 5.5 hours on average while on power saving mode (without any tweaks). Figure I can squeeze in another hour or so with tweaks on. Test settings: 80% brightness, WiFi on, Bluetooth off. During the time it was on, not much heat or noise noticed and that’s a plus.
[Updated: 9 September] Thanks Emmanuel for the tip, there is a latch apparently, just near the swivel hinge, acccording to Crave, another blog from CNET, “The T2010 is 3.5 pounds with a 12-inch, LED-backlit wide screen. It’s designed specifically for tablet use, so the 9-hour battery stays in the front, but the latch is moved nearer to the notebook’s swivel hinge.” [link]
[Updated: 11 September] The screen protector is available now from all local resellers, list price is HK$380.
In addition, some awesome screen comparison pics on the indoor and indoor/outdoor screen from Jamon [link], who also posted this thread on TabletPCReview forum in regarding the screens and scratches (ouch), link to the forum thread here.
Been a lazy weekend, catching up with the family and starting on the home decor project on the new apartment. Saturday night family dinner, my sis brought over her Fujitsu U1010, took some pics and here they are. She just got her Fujitsu U1010 for about a week and came across that double user login bug with the Omnipass. For those who had the same problem, the solution is posted on TabletPCForum and the link is here.
UX-27GN on top, Fujitsu U1010 underneath
Top view, again the UX-27GN on top, Fujitsu U1010 underneath
Just got the evaluation model back. The Fujitsu T2010 arrived to Hong Kong late last week. The going rate is HK$21,800 (US$2,795) and it comes with the docking, which have a DVD writer, 4 USB ports, Kensington locks and DVI out, sweet. Just unboxed it. Installing Microsoft Office and other applications at the moment. All looks good so far. The screen as I mentioned in earlier post is just awesome, one of the best I’ve seen. Will do a full review later in the week. Post any questions here and I’ll dig out the answers.
Mark, thanks for the call. I’m installing Dark Age of Camelot now to try out and see if 3D games can run on this machine. Regarding the review, I surrender, as promised, will do an update every 2 to 3 hours, hehe. Remember I’m +12 ahead of EST so do your math (my bedtime).
