Category: Tablet PCs

  • First Impressions – Lenovo X201 Tablet PC

    My Lenovo X201 Tablet finally arrived and I couldn’t be happier. It’s a nice tablet PC, and I’m more convinced than ever before that I made the right decision by going with Lenovo.

    I’ve used several different laptops and tablet PCs and can honestly say that I’ve never been more impressed with a machine, not HP, not Dell. I’m sure there are fans of both manufacturers, but that’s my personal opinion. Take it for what it’s worth.
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  • Conference note taking with a tablet PC

    I took a trip to San Diego last Friday to visit with some colleagues. During one interesting conversation the subject of me using a tablet PC in place of almost any other type of computer came up. One of the things that has drawn me to tablet PCs is their functionality. They offer nearly everything I get from a laptop plus the added benefits of a touch screen and inking. While the touch screen is useful for navigating the web and playing with photos I find it most useful for taking notes, i.e. inking. I no longer carry one of those yellow legal pads that I see everyone writing on at meetings. What do people do with those legal pads when they’re full?
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  • Lots of Interest for the Samsung Galaxy Tablet

    A small video showcasing some of the features of the Samsung Galaxy Tablet made its way around the internet this week. The slate tablet includes a 7 inch screen, Android 2.2, video calling – which I think will become more important as we move forward in healthcare – plus other features. The device is scheduled to make its official appearance on September 2, 2010 at the IFA in Berlin, Germany. Boy, would I like to attend that event.

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    I like the look of the device, but only official reviews will tell me if the it’s any good. I’m concerned that the 7 inch screen might be too small, but this is consistent with recent tablet designs like the Cisco Cius and rumors of a new 7 inch Apple iPad. For me it makes more sense to design a tablet about the size of a standard legal pad, but there must be something to this 7 inch design as I assume manufacturers don’t waste their time and money on baseless design. I would really like to get my hands on this device.

  • Do you think this is the future of mobile computing, or the past?

    I came across this post at Mobile Health Computing, one of the many blogs of Dr. Joseph Kim.

    Is this the future of mobile computing?

    Here’s a great photo of an Apple iPad on a stand with a keyboard on the desk. Is this the future of mobile computing? Will we all end up using thin slate tablet computers that are held up on stands? While we’re sitting on a desk, we may use the keyboard. When it’s time to go, we grab the slate and we run off. No keyboard needed since we’re probably going to be computing on-the-go.

    The image from Dr. Kim’s post reminded me a similar setup I’ve seen in a pharmacy before. The image to the right is a J3400 tablet PC attached to the Motion FlexDock. The FlexDock offers support for an external monitor, RJ45 nectwork connectivity and multiple USB ports for keyboard, mouse and printer. In addition the FlexDock includes a charging bay with room for an additional battery.

    Would it surprise you to learn that the setup to the right was introduced more than a year ago (early 2009), and that the J3400 is an “older” model tablet PC that was recently replaced by the J3500? I find that interesting.

    Either setup would be great.
  • Thinix Touch UI for tablet PCs

    I’ve seen Thinix Touch before, but have renewed interest in the product as I continue to explore new uses for various tablets in my possession. The application has been available on touchscreen computers like the HP TouchSmart series for a while. There’s even a Thinix products page on the company website that lists several devices that are available with the Touch UI.
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  • Motion J3500 gets a wicked upgrade

    Earlier today I mentioned the Motion J3400 in reference to the mobile computers we use in pharmacy.  And right on queue Motion Computing announces the release of the Motion J3500, the big brother to the J3400. Several of the key changes include availability of Intel Core i5 and i7 vPro Processors, a dual touch display – optimized for digitizer and touch input, Gorilla Glass, a View Anywhere display and an optional 128GB Solid State Drive. Throw in 7 hours of battery life plus the rough and tumble nature of the J3500 and you’ve got yourself a pretty nice tablet.

    There’s a great look at the J3500 over at RuggedPC Review including photos and a video.
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  • Quick Hit – Mobile devices in our pharmacy

    During preparation for a presentation that I’m giving at Innovations 2010 on mobile computing in pharmacy, I realized that we seem to be collecting quite a variety of mobile devices in the pharmacy at Kaweah Delta. Below are some images of the devices currently in use.
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  • iPad + ClamCase = awesomeness?

    There is no question that the iPad has met the expectations of most. Crud, probably exceeded the expectation of many. It certainly has redefined the slate category and is on its way to rewriting the history of that class of tablets. Apple wisely built a device that is easy to use, has an incredibly user friendly interface and is simply great for watching movies, surfing the web and consuming textual information, i.e. ebooks. For me, however there is one thing that’s missing, a keyboard.
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  • Motion Computing updates their tablet PC lineup

    I received an email from Motion Computing today informing me that the company has updated their C5 and F5 line of tablet PCs; now know as the Motion C5v MCA and F5v Mobile Field Tool.

    Upgrades include availability of the Intel Core i7 or Core i5 vPro Processors along with new levels of power and security. The big ticket items that caught my attention were the reported 50% performance improvement, hot-swappable batteries with 30% longer life, availability of a solid-state hard drive and the use of Gorilla glass as the standard display. C’mon, anything with “Gorilla” attached to it has to be cool.
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  • Tougher mobile technology – laptops and tablet PCs

    I’m a relatively inexperienced traveler. I’ve only flown approximately tens times in my entire life, and most of those have been in the past 18 months. It’s been great, however I always find it difficult to decide what mobile devices to carry with me. I always carry my DROID and iPhone, but can never seem to pick between laptop, tablet PC or both. Yes I’ve thought about the iPad, but I really need a physical keyboard and more robust applications for what I do. My needs may change in the future, but for now that’s my take on the issue.
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