[Janak Parekh]

http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news_9485.html

Akihabara News reported on a new "handheld-sized" prototype Tablet PC with integrated thumbboard being unveiled at IDF Japan last week. Dubbed "Ruby", it weighs in at 450g (15.8oz), uses a Pentium M 600MHz, and has an electrostatic (non-touch-sensitive) digitizer.



Despite the buzz, this unit just doesn't do it for me. In my opinion, it's not small enough to be truly mobile, and not large enough to be truly useful -- I'd much rather have a Pocket PC alongside a full Tablet PC (which, in fact, is my current setup ). I'm glad to see the miniaturization, but at the same time I'd just love to see the Pocket PC OS integrate more functionality, as it's a great base for tablet-style applications. What do you think?

[Janak Parekh]

http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news_9485.html

Akihabara News reported on a new "handheld-sized" prototype Tablet PC with integrated thumbboard being unveiled at IDF Japan last week. Dubbed "Ruby", it weighs in at 450g (15.8oz), uses a Pentium M 600MHz, and has an electrostatic (non-touch-sensitive) digitizer.



Despite the buzz, this unit just doesn't do it for me. In my opinion, it's not small enough to be truly mobile, and not large enough to be truly useful -- I'd much rather have a Pocket PC alongside a full Tablet PC (which, in fact, is my current setup ). I'm glad to see the miniaturization, but at the same time I'd just love to see the Pocket PC OS integrate more functionality, as it's a great base for tablet-style applications. What do you think?

[Matilda444]

I've got a Sony TR5 and UG71. I find the TR5 managable, but the UG71 is just not big enough to actually get work done. While the UG71 is very portable for Monkey Business, my iPAQ 4705 will take care of that while being even more portable.

[hamishmacdonald]

Blyeech!

They took the worst parts of the PDA and the laptop and combined them, while leaving out the strengths of each. An engineering marvel.

[foebea]

If you add a video card, and make the keyboard a slider (so it can be hidden) then I would get one. The only thing I would do on a mini tablet would be gaming. Also it has to have wifi, bluetooth, usb 2.0.

I would buy the nVidia x800 Pocket in a heartbeat.

[Scarpad]

Why can't they realize that storage is the cheif thing we want. Archos is coming out with the AV700 it's got a 7inch Widescreen screen and 40 or 100GB storage. It's nice and thin and the screen is very useful. Why can't we have a device with a built in Hard Drive and a Nice Screen.

[rlobrecht]

I'm in the same boat as Janek, I prefer a Tablet PC and a Pocket PC. Plus this thing is ugly. I realize its a prototype, and hopefully that's the whole problem, but this thing has all the stylings of an industrial meter.

[bcries]

Does anybody else ever wonder why MSN Messenger for PPC has none of the ink functionality provided in the Tablet (and now the desktop) versions?

Microsoft has the technology. It would be perfect for Windows Mobile. Why why why?

[BUMP THAT]

Originally Posted by Janak Parekh

Akihabara News reported on a new "handheld-sized" prototype Tablet PC with integrated thumbboard being unveiled at IDF Japan last week. Dubbed "Ruby", it weighs in at 450g (15.8oz), uses a Pentium M 600MHz, and has an electrostatic (non-touch-sensitive) digitizer.



Despite the buzz, this unit just doesn't do it for me. In my opinion, it's not small enough to be truly mobile, and not large enough to be truly useful -- I'd much rather have a Pocket PC alongside a full Tablet PC (which, in fact, is my current setup ). I'm glad to see the miniaturization, but at the same time I'd just love to see the Pocket PC OS integrate more functionality, as it's a great base for tablet-style applications. What do you think?

I would prefer your setup, and have a more functional PPC.

[Pdaholic]

The keyboard on this thing would not be easy to use. The long screen would make it top heavy, and it would be a balancing act trying to use the keyboard.

Now, if this were a clamshell model, it would probably work a little better.

[Perry Reed]

I know I've mentioned this before... I'd like to see a mini-Tablet, running XP, but with the Pocket PC GUI on top of it (or a similar GUI, tailored to the small screen). This would be the best of both worlds -- compatibility with the millions of XP applications, but able to use the small screen well, at least with those applications designed to use the new GUI.

The way I see it working is much like XP Media Center Edition, where you have the secondary "10 foot" GUI in place for the new applications that use it, but still have the "regular" XP GUI in place for those that don't. I think that Microsoft ought expand that notion into a "Pocket" GUI for the mini-tablets, and in fact, could take it in other directions as well. Another one may be a simplified (and safer) version of the GUI for kids. Or perhaps a "game" GUI that looks and works like the Xbox GUI for games.

There are many possibilities.