Tablet PCs

Not too many details on this one just yet, but the good news is that Tatung is reportedly readying the 10.4-inch WebPad TX-3000 for release — at least in Thailand, that is. Apparently, the company has been busy showing off the machine at Taitronics Bangkok 2007, and word on the street puts an AMD LX 800 processor and 1GB CompactFlash card within, and we could also see 802.11b/g WiFi, USB 2.0, PCMCIA, VGA output, audio in / out, and a three-hour battery pack on the final release. Sadly, we’ve no idea exactly when Tatung plans on loosing this thing to the public, but we’re hoping it won’t keep those eager to snap one up waiting for too much longer.

[Via TeleRead]

These days, you better bring your A-game when promoting a product in an already (somewhat) saturated market, and Dell has certainly given it its best shot with a recent Latitude XT promo. The video showcases a gentlemen who is apparently fed up with his other tablet and the incomprehensible grief it has caused him, and rather than selling it to another poor sap and waiting it out for Dell’s forthcoming alternative, he takes matters into his own hands. Needless to say, the poor machine didn’t stand a chance against a mighty electrical saw, and while we highly doubt the impending Latitude tablet could either, it’s a comical watch nonetheless. Check it out after the break.

[Via GottaBeMobile]

You won’t hear us grumbling about a new competitor in the rugged tablet PC arena, and while it’s probably too early to tell whether ACA Digital’s latest device is one to pay attention to, it has managed to slip into the divulging hands of the FCC. The self-proclaimed “rugged” XT1100 sports a fairly uninspiring enclosure, a VIA Eden CPU, VIA CX700M chipset, 256MB of DDR2 RAM, optional 2.5-inch HDD, a 10.4-inch SVGA or VGA TFT touchscreen, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR, optional GPS module, and a rechargeable Li-ion battery. Additionally, there looks to be a PC card slot, CF slot, headphone / microphone jacks, “telephone” and Ethernet ports, a pair of serial ports, VGA, a duo of USB connectors, padded bumpers on each corner, joystick, numerical, and directional buttons on the face, and 802.11a/b/g WiFi. As expected, there’s no word on pricing nor future availability, but we all know the final frontier isn’t too far away after getting green lit by the FCC.

Tablet PC devices seem to be getting overshadowed (as always) by other initiatives at this year’s WinHEC, but scrappy Arizona outfit InPlay Technologies is hoping to swing some attention back to the platform with the release of the InPEN, its new computerized RF stylus. Unlike traditional analog styli, the InPEN contains a programmable microcontroller that broadcasts a unique identifier to the tablet, which allows multiple pens to be linked to the system. InPlay is touting several uses for the tech, such as simultaneous editing (each user gets a different color ink), change tracking, and device security, but the company hasn’t explained if the system extends the current Windows Tablet Edition digitizer or totally replaces it. We’re also curious to know what happens when the stylus battery dies — can you still use your finger? We probably won’t get any answers for a while, as InPlay says it’s still shopping the tech to tablet manufacturers.

HP’s rolling deep with the lappies today, and while most of them apart from that monster they call the HDX are nothing special, they did announce that new ultralight Tablet PC we’d been hearing about, the HP Compaq 2710P. This one weighs in at 3.6 pounds and has a 1280 x 800 pixel, 12.1-inch widescreen active digitizer display, an Intel Core 2 Duo ULV processor, 100GB hard drive, up to 4GB of DDR2 SDRAM, Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11 a/b/g/draft-n, optional EV-DO or HSDPA module, and an ExpressCard/54 slot. OS options include Vista, XP, and FreeDOS.

We’ve been hearing rumors about a possible Dell Tablet PC pretty much since the day the first Tablet PCs went on sale, is it finally going to happen now? None of this is officially confirmed or anything, but jkOnTheRun (which has tons of cred when it comes to this stuff) reports that Dell is probably going to roll out a Tablet PC sometime around September or October of this year and that it will most likely be a convertible-style Tablet based on the Latitude D420 and come with a widescreen display and optional WWAN.

Joining the curious workhorse UMPC / tablet PC arena is the xTablet T8600, which boasts about its ruggedness, barcode scanning, and magnetic stripe reading abilities that it handles when not checking your email and making dinner reservations on the go. Furthermore, the unique design allows for a backlit numeric keypad and directional arrows to be installed beside the 8.4-inch SVGA display, and internally, you’ll find a 1.1GHz Intel Centrino processor, up to 1.28GB of DDR2 RAM, a “dual digitizer / touchscreen standard,” integrated 802.11a/b/g, shock-mounted 40GB hard drive, optional EV-DO / EDGE / GPRS / GSM, Bluetooth, a nine-pin serial port, and a Li-ion battery that can reportedly keep things running for “up to seven hours.” To account for all the beatings it’ll presumably endure, it sports military-grade water-, dust-, and shock-proof characteristics, and can also operate at extreme temperatures. Hope you aren’t too excited, though, as there’s no word just yet regarding pricing or future availability.

[Via PCLaunches]

While there’s certainly no shortage of ruggedized tablet PCs out there (or laptops, or UMPCs), upstart Algiz seems to think there’s enough room for it to squeeze itself into the mix, recently announcing its beefy Algiz 8 tablet. According to the company, the device is “dedicated to defend and protect,” although it may be somewhat hampered in that task by its low-power 1.0 GHz ULV M Processor, which gets complemented by an 8.4-inch SVGA display, a 40 GB hard drive, and a maximum 1GB of RAM. On the upside, that should translate to some decent battery life, which can be further extended thanks to its hot-swappable 5800mAh battery. It also looks like you’ll get plenty of connectivity options to choose from, with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, as well as optional GPRS/CDMA connectivity and GPS should you decided to haul it into uncharted territory. Unfortunately, there’s no word on how much it’ll cost, nor is there any indication of when it’ll be available — although, judging from the image above, we wouldn’t expect it very soon.

[Via Navigadget]

When you’re waiting on a signature device like the decked-out OQO Model 02, you’re REALLY waiting on it, so the anxious gadgetheads who’ve been watching this one like a hawk will be delighted to learn that the pocketable powerhouse is finally shipping. After a slight delay — which must have been torture for pre-order customers, we’re sure — the $1,500 Model 02 is now available either directly from the company or through “select enterprise and retail channels,” and still comes with the option of EV-DO goodness from either Sprint or Verizon. That 3G connectivity is obviously gonna cost ya, though — that is unless you’re the lucky winner of our birthday cake contest (to be announced shortly), in which case your culinary skills have already got you covered.

It was only a pre-production model, but we managed to get hands-on with the C5, that medical-centric Tablet PC that Motion Computing announced about a month ago. Obviously meant for healthcare professionals rather than regular consumers, but the C5 is definitely one fine-looking machine. Click on the gallery for a handful of hands-on shots.