The Smallest Tablet PC?

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://jkontherun.blogs.com/jkontherun/2004/07/sony_u70_review.html' target='_blank'>http://jkontherun.blogs.com/jkonthe...u70_review.html</a><br /><br /></div>An interesting secret about the mini-PCs appearing on the market is that most of them <i>don't</i> come with Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, but rather Windows XP Professional. It's possible that this is the case because they don't use electrostatic (active) digitizers as the MS Tablet PC spec prefers, but instead passive touch-sensitive screens. I've always wondered how well XP Tablet PC Edition would work on one of them. Well, PPCT member jkendrick decided to try it out himself -- he got ahold of a Sony U70 and installed XP Tablet PC Edition, and the results have come out well. It won't replace my PDA as it lacks instant-on, but it's certainly another device on my "want to buy" list.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20040727-U70Tablet.jpg" /><br /><br /><i>"My U is now a genuine Tablet PC with a 5" screen and I must say the work that MS had done on the Tablet OS is quite nice. The Text Input Panel (TIP) works well on the U and the handwriting recognition is so accurate it's scary."</i>

[manywhere]

Looks nice, although the device is way out of my price-league (wallet-wise). :(

Why isn't there any more affordable (non-slate) Tablet PCs below 2000 € (about 2500 $) ? I guess the demand for one here in my country is close to nothing partially due to the unlevelled specs and partially due to the price... :roll:

And Tablet PC seems like a nice idea in general, although the localization of handwriting recognition is non-existant for the moment. (Swedish and Finnish characters are supposedly not supported by the handwriting recognition software.)

Hey, poll time -- how many of you have both a Tablet PC and a Pocket PC?

[maximus]

Does it have memory-stick slot ? :devilboy:

[WyattEarp]

Does it have memory-stick slot ? :devilboy:

Of course it does. It a Sony product, did you really think they wouldn't install that god forsaken drive in there. :evil:

[Zack Mahdavi]

From the reviews I've read, the device is simply a marvel. I hope we'll see this device sold in the US. :)

[mar2k]

Just looking at that makes one wonder if its just a matter of time until this form factor becomes affordable, gets fitted with an active digitizer, and replaces PDAs altogether. Not for a while I'm sure, but it sure gets the mind racing.

My understanding is that Microsoft, Intel are already working on the instant-on part. Put all this together, drop the price, and there you go.....

[dean_shan]

Does it have memory-stick slot ? :devilboy:

Sadly yes, but atleast they put a CF slot too.

[manywhere]

Does it have memory-stick slot ? :devilboy:
Correction: Memory stink... :lol:

[farnold]

Is there somewhere a picture how that thing compares in size to a PocketPC?

[IpaqMan2]

I love the size of that thing... Personally I think it is the perfect size to do some heavy production work, from hitting the net, viewing documents, and reading e-books. I would love to see something like this in the WinCE family or a variation of a PPC in that size with instant on which would totally rock..Or I could probably manage even a tablet PC that size...But with all things.... only if the PRICE would be with in reason...Once it statrs hitting into Lap top range ($900) and above... than forget it!

[jlp]

Does it have memory-stick slot ? :devilboy:
Correction: Memory stink... :lol:

I call this device with many names: MemoryStink (indeed), MemorySink, MemorySh!t or MemorySick !!

:devilboy: :devilboy: :devilboy:

At least, as dean_shan pointed out, they thought about the CF slot.

But alas, it's waaaaayyyy too big, tho the U50/70 has the same screen size as the OQO (slightly different ratio) it's twice as big :evil: as the latter or an Axim X5; both of which are virtually the same size.

BTW what's the wake up time of the U50/70? Do they have each a different wake up time as they use different processors?!

[jkendrick]

Does it have memory-stick slot ? :devilboy:

Memory stick and CF slot. Nice to pop a 4 gb microdrive in. :)

[gohtor]

The review might be biased towards pda owners, a true tablet pc uses a one of those pen digitizers which provides greater accuracy than the touch screen technology.

xotic pc sells a touchscreen laptop sold as a tabletpc. Here is a review of what someone had to say about it:
http://www.tabletquestions.com/archive/t-1883.html

If we're talking about clicking on text hyperlinks on a 800x600 webbrowser from a IE in a pda sized screen, we need that touch screen in the same resolution to surf with.

[jkendrick]

The review might be biased towards pda owners, a true tablet pc uses a one of those pen digitizers which provides greater accuracy than the touch screen technology.

xotic pc sells a touchscreen laptop sold as a tabletpc. Here is a review of what someone had to say about it:
http://www.tabletquestions.com/archive/t-1883.html

If we're talking about clicking on text hyperlinks on a 800x600 webbrowser from a IE in a pda sized screen, we need that touch screen in the same resolution to surf with.

I agree the active digitizers are more accurate but I can't see any benefit unless you're an artist that is actually drawing on the screen, and let's face it you're not going to do that on a 5" screen. There's no loss of accuracy I can see for all other uses.

[rzanology]

once again people...check out the acer c111. It goes for around 1200. pretty much the same unit you see here.

[jkendrick]

once again people...check out the acer c111. It goes for around 1200. pretty much the same unit you see here.

Except it's a 10.4" screen vs. 5". UPCs are all about mobility.

[Mark Johnson]

Does it have memory-stick slot ? :devilboy:

Of course it does. It a Sony product, did you really think they wouldn't install that god forsaken drive in there. :evil:

Uh, was that an orginal MemoryStick slot? ...Or was that the MemoryStick Pro? Or... wait a minute... maybe the MemoryStick Duo? Hold on, which one was the small one again? Er... Which one was the one that never got larger than how many megs was it? Um.. Wait a minute, I'm getting all confused now...

Oh yeah, it's coming back to me now: I don't care. Forget I asked... :wink:

Sony is going to flog this dead horse for the next decade. MemoryStick must die! Die I say! DIE! Bury it next to the BetaMax!

[Janak Parekh]

Uh, was that an orginal MemoryStick slot? ...Or was that the MemoryStick Pro? Or... wait a minute... maybe the MemoryStick Duo? Hold on, which one was the small one again? Er... Which one was the one that never got larger than how many megs was it? Um.. Wait a minute, I'm getting all confused now...
Don't forget the Memory Stick Pro Duo, which the SE P910 smartphone supports but the P900 and P800 do not. :evil:

--janak

[jkendrick]

For the record it's a Pro slot. I haven't used it as I don't own a Memory Stick :)

[GoldKey]

Site was just posted to Slashdot, so needless to say, it is gone. :evil:

Update, looks like it is back. Impressive if you can take a Slashdotting.

[jlp]

I agree the active digitizers are more accurate but I can't see any benefit unless you're an artist that is actually drawing on the screen...

The very bad thing about passive touch screens is that the digitizer wears out after a while.

I've had PDAs for 10 years now since my Newton MP 110 and ALL of them have suffered from jiggs after a few months of use. Needless to say that it badly influences character recognition or pressing accuracy.

The worst case has been my 3 Dell Axim X5 I went thru in about a year; the first one only lasted barely over one month and the latter was so bad I had to recalibrate the screen a few times a day; and it always activated icons or menus located 2 items off from where I was tapping. It's my 4th one now in barely over a year.

In the case of the OQO, for example, the active digitizer is located behind the screen, and as such unarmed by stylus repeating touches.

I expect that thanks to the different technology and the way they are implemented active digitizers will never suffer from jiggs.

[maximus]

Does it have memory-stick slot ? :devilboy:
Correction: Memory stink... :lol:

:rotfl:

Well, my mistake. Thanks for reminding me :D

[Janak Parekh]

The very bad thing about passive touch screens is that the digitizer wears out after a while.
A long while -- my results vary from yours. My 3870 is still going strong. My 3650 was still OK, although its battery has worn out too much to be of any use anyway.

The worst case has been my 3 Dell Axim X5 I went thru in about a year
There's something wrong there.

In the case of the OQO, for example, the active digitizer is located behind the screen, and as such unarmed by stylus repeating touches.
However, the surface of the OQO that we saw at CeBIT seemed to bend substantially with each touch -- it almost felt like it would break. You also had to apply considerable pressure for a "click" to register. I hope they fix that before end-user units arrive.

--janak