Peter wonders when he’ll see a Tablet PC with power graphics that’ll enable him to run Longhorn the way it’s meant to be. Me too.
The new Tablets are getting there, but quite frankly if a Tablet is going to be my main computer during the day, I need more horsepower across the board. As a developer I still rely on my desktop system to get my work done–fast.
What’s interesting to me is that not all Tablet designs need to be power systems. I’m intrigued, for instance, by Vulcan’s FlipStart. It’s no speed demon, but its size is ideal for a pocket-and-go computer. Too bad it doesn’t have a digitizer built in.
I chatted with the Vulcan team at DEMO2004 and they said they had considered integrating in a digitizer, but because of RF noise from other components they couldn’t fit it in. We need a new digitizer technology that’s doesn’t fall victim to noise issues like this.
The FlipStart is no speed demon though. And I can’t imagine running Longhorn on it. But the form factor is such that maybe in this one case I wouldn’t care. I’m still pondering this.
Would I buy a pocket tablet–similar to a FlipStart–but with a digitizer? I guess it would depend on the price tag. Maybe if it was $500 or so. Yeah, there I go again wanting it all for almost nothing. 🙂 But this is the reality. Tablet PCs will merge into the mainstream as prices drop.
At $500 I would love a true pocket PC. With a digitizer in it I would not have a tablet. I would have a good desktop system and my pocket pc. Since getting my tablet I use my pda less and less. However I still use it. I would love to combine the convenience of my PDA with the functionality of my tablet. Neither has really replaced the desktop (although I currently am using my tablet as my main machine). Even if my tablet had the performance of a good desktop, I would still want a pocket sized version of things for convenience. I am not sure if this means a Flipstart type of pocket pc or a pda or a smartphone. None of these are far enough along in development to prove themselves.
However… add a phone and digitizer to the Flipstart and there you have it. All the functionality of my desktop (minus a bit of performance) with the convenience of my pda and cell phone and there you have it… the ultimate mobile device. Do this for around $700 and I am sold.