DigitalReview and the Flybook Ultra-Portable Notebook

[Jonathon Watkins]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.digitalreviews.net/reviews/072004/flybook_index.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.digitalreviews.net/revie...ybook_index.htm</a><br /><br /></div><i>"If you’ve been attracted to the likes of FlipStart, the OQO or any other ultra-portable notebook, you owe it to yourself to have a good look at the tablet-style Flybook. You expect it to have WiFi and Bluetooth, but add a SIM card slot for GPRS (there’s even a CDMA model), a CF / PC card slot, 2 FireWire ports and suddenly you have an ultra-capable machine. Did you say you want it in Ferrari-red?"</i><br /><br />As described above, DigitalReviews have gotten their hands on a rather decent ultra-portable notebook called the Flybook, produced by Dialogue. It runs Windows XP Pro and as well as red, you can get the case in blue, black or silver. he specs include a 1Ghz Transmeta Crusoe CPU, 512Mb RAM, a 40Gb Hard Drive, a ATi Radeon Mobility GPU, a touch screen monitor with a resolution of 1024 x 600 (Wide-XGA) resolution (32-bit colour), 8.9" wide-view, 16:9 display Low Temperature Poly Silicon-based TFT screen and it's able to output to an external monitor up to 1800×1440 at 32-bit colour. In terms of the I/O, this includes 2 FireWire ports, a LAN (RJ-45) port, WiFi, 2 Firewire ports, 2 USB2.0 ports, a built-in Modem (56K) (RJ-11), a mini-VGA port, a Video-Out port, a PCMCIA Type-II Slot, a earphone/Mic port, AC 97 with two built-in speakers, a 80-key standard keyboard, two sets of Mouse Emulation buttons and a Trackpointer. And as if all that wasn't enough, as optional extras you can also have Bluetooth and a SIM card slot for GPRS.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/f11.jpg" /> <br /><br />There's a removable battery, which lasts for around 3 hours and the design is clam shell and tablet convertible, with landscape/portrait display. The dimensions are: 235 x 155 x 31 (mm) and the weight is 1230g. Phew. That's quite a list! 8O The sugested price is $1999 USD. Note that this is only part 1 of the review, with a lot more detail promised for part two. Be sure to check the first comparison photos, where the Flybook is shown with a Toshiba TE2100 laptop and a iPAQ 2210 and Asus MyPal A730. The Flybook isn’t a PDA and isn't suitable to carry around in your pocket all day but it certainly looks really tempting for longer trips. So, is there anything else you would be looking for in an ultra-portable notebook, or has the Flybook got all angles covered?

[arnage2]

this is one of the nicest and smallest tablets ive seen

[DarrenS]

$2800+

Ouch!

[Jonathon Watkins]

this is one of the nicest and smallest tablets ive seen

I have to agree. It seems to have all the angles covered. OK, the price of around $2000 is on the high side, but you are gettting a lot for that. I'm impressed.

[dochall]

this is one of the nicest and smallest tablets ive seen

except it's not a Tablet pc.

One of the great things that MS did with TPC was not use a touch sensitive screen. If it had they would be far harder to use. I can rest my hand on my 3505 on the screen as I am writing. I wouldn't be able to do that with this machine.

[Ryan Joseph]

Wow. 8O I'm very impressed!
This device seems to cover all the bases. And, from those pictures, it really does look Ultra-Portable!

If nothing else, it proves that all that stuff can be squeezed into a tiny device. The future looks bright! :mrgreen:

[jkendrick]

Actually the review says it should retail for USD 1999 which isn't bad. As for the Tablet PC not working on a touch screen with a passive digitizer I am running the Tablet OS (SP2) on a Sony U70 with a passive digitizer and it works great.

[Perry Reed]

Very nice!! Even better if you could install the Tablet PC OS on it (assuming you could get your hands on a copy of it, of course...)

I'd love to know just how they implement the CDMA version. Specifically, could I use it on Sprint, which is my mobile phone provider?

[felixdd]

I've been hunting for a device to replace my HPC. When I saw the article I thought that I've found it. Until I read that the battery only lasts 3 hours....

Oh well -- the hunt is half the fun :D

(Still, the device looks awesome)

[Mark Johnson]

One of the great things that MS did with TPC was not use a touch sensitive screen. If it had they would be far harder to use. I can rest my hand on my 3505 on the screen as I am writing. I wouldn't be able to do that with this machine.

Quite right. I've got the M205. If it had a touchscreen instead of a magnetic digitizer, I can't see how it work in note-taking/slate mode properly. It would be like trying to write on a legal pad without actually touching the paper with the heel of your hand.

I'd really like to see a review of this feature/problem from someone who has had sginificant "hand-on" time with a magnetic TabletPC first. Maybe this will come clear in their pending "Part II" review.

[rzanology]

no biggie....that thing is pretty much the same size as my acer c110. The only thing they cramed in that i dont have on my acer is the cf reader. And the acer has been around for about a year now. So nothing ground breaking. Personaly....i think the acer looks better too.

[jkendrick]

I'm finishing a review of the Sony U-70 right now and should be posting it to my web site later tonight. There is a section on implementing and using the Tablet OS on this remarkable device.

[dean_shan]

I still like Toshiba's tablet better.

[Macguy59]

To bad it uses a Transmeta CPU . . . dog slow but low power consumption and low heat generated.

[Shaun Stuart]

One of the great things that MS did with TPC was not use a touch sensitive screen. If it had they would be far harder to use. I can rest my hand on my 3505 on the screen as I am writing. I wouldn't be able to do that with this machine.

Quite right. I've got the M205. If it had a touchscreen instead of a magnetic digitizer, I can't see how it work in note-taking/slate mode properly. It would be like trying to write on a legal pad without actually touching the paper with the heel of your hand.

I'd really like to see a review of this feature/problem from someone who has had sginificant "hand-on" time with a magnetic TabletPC first. Maybe this will come clear in their pending "Part II" review.

I think if you look closer at the specs it says In the manual the Flybook has a “palm-rejection” type panel, meaning you can lean on it with your palms while writing on the touch screen.

[deich]

Windows without a CD-ROM drive? I don't think so. Sooner or later, you will need to boot to CD. When that happens, I want to know I have a CD-ROM drive that will let me do it.

[Jason Dunn]

I'd love to know just how they implement the CDMA version. Specifically, could I use it on Sprint, which is my mobile phone provider?

Probably not. CDMA networks only tend to activate devices that have been tested and approved for their network...Telus wouldn't activate the Samsung i700 for me for testing. :-(

[Gutsandglory]

Now were talking, this is the kind of device ive been waiting for, hopefully this is a sign of things to come!


One of the great things that MS did with TPC was not use a touch sensitive screen. If it had they would be far harder to use. I can rest my hand on my 3505 on the screen as I am writing. I wouldn't be able to do that with this machine.

Why would you care about writing on the screen when you have a keyboard? or am i missing something?... i type 10x faster than i can write.

I've been hunting for a device to replace my HPC. When I saw the article I thought that I've found it. Until I read that the battery only lasts 3 hours....


3 hours aint bad considering thats what you get with most notebooks, though i do agree there needs to be a revolution in battery technology some time soon as things are only getting smaller.

[Janak Parekh]

Windows without a CD-ROM drive? I don't think so. Sooner or later, you will need to boot to CD. When that happens, I want to know I have a CD-ROM drive that will let me do it.
Actually, most of my notebooks for the last 5 years haven't had CD-ROMs. External bootable CD-ROMs work perfectly fine. ;)

--janak

[jkendrick]

That's right, Janak. I'm using a bootable firewire DVD-RW drive with the Sony U-70 and it works great and I leave it behind when not needed.

[Brad Adrian]

Actually, most of my notebooks for the last 5 years haven't had CD-ROMs. External bootable CD-ROMs work perfectly fine. ;)
Just out of curiousity, do you usually leave the CD drive at home when you travel? I'd be afraid to go too far without having that safety net. But, I also very seldom travel with only my Pocket PC; I usually take my notebook, too.

[flydoc]

So, is there anything else you would be looking for in an ultra-portable notebook, or has the Flybook got all angles covered?


What about the screen? Is it transflective so that it can be used outdoors?

Thanks,
Mark

[Janak Parekh]

Just out of curiousity, do you usually leave the CD drive at home when you travel? I'd be afraid to go too far without having that safety net. But, I also very seldom travel with only my Pocket PC; I usually take my notebook, too.
Oops, missed this. I never take the CD drive anywhere; I leave it at work. In the case of an installation, I just do a network share to a desktop with a CD drive. In case of a hard disk crash... well, if I was on a trip, I wouldn't have time to do a reinstall anyway, and I wouldn't have CDs with me. ;)

--janak