I’ve had the Motion J3400 and Dell XT2 for a few weeks now and thought I would update my opinion on these tablets.
Motion J3400 configuration:
Windows Vista Business
1.4 GHz Intel Core Duo Processor
2 GB RAM
Dell XT2 configuration:
Windows XP Tablet Edition –SP3
1.6 GHz Intel Core Duo Processor
2 GB RAM
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I got my hands on another new tablet PC today. This time it was the Dell Latitude XT2. This is our hospitals convertible tablet of choice. I would have preferred the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet, but as I have mentioned many times before we are a Dell shop.
The Dell Latitude XT2 is a very elegant looking tablet PC, but was a bugger to configure. The tablet didn’t want to stay connected to the hospitals wireless network. This is in sharp contrast to the Motion J3400 I mentioned earlier this week which grabbed onto our network right out of the box. The problem turned out to be the Latitude’s ControlPoint Connection Manger. I was able to find some information by searching Google after a disastrous call to the Dell customer service line. I had all the right credentials to access the mega-super-extra-special customer service rep, but that turned out to be worth about the same as a hand full of rocks. Anyway, I ended up uninstalling the ControlPoint Connection Manger and restarting Window’s connection manager via MMC. After that the tablet’s connection to the hospital network worked great, but the “Tablet Buttons†that allow the user to operate screen rotation in slate mode stopped working. More research led me to a software bundle called the ControlPoint System Manager. I installed that and the buttons started working, but I lost the digitizer. An additional 30 minutes of googling led me to the N-Trig software bundle, which finally got me up and running. I’m sure all this would have been much easier if the DVD that the customer support website kept referring to was actually in the box. I never did find it.
Now, on to the good stuff. The XT2 is a very nice machine. It is smaller then my Dell Latitude D520 by quite a bit (see photo). The J3400 is similar in size, but looks significantly bulkier. I prefer the look and feel of the XT2. The screen on the Dell is small (12.1â€), but very sharp and easy to read. Like the Motion tablet it is much faster then the tablet PCs the pharmacists are currently using.
The tablet came with Windows XP pre-installed which is fine. The inking experience is very nice. The feature I like the most so far is the ability to navigate with either finger-tip-touch or the pen. I can quickly change back and forth by tapping the screen twice with my finger to activate the touch interface, or by tapping the screen twice with the pen to activate the pen interface. This little feature alone kept me entertained for quite a while. It made surfing the internet more of a treat then usual.
Based on the limited time I’ve had to spend with the tablet I have to say it’s a keeper. I actually like it quite a bit more then the Motion J3400. I’ll update you on how well it performed in the pharmacy after I’ve had a chance to put it through it paces. Until then, I have a new toy.
I received a new Motion J3400 tablet PC today from our IT department. It’s for our ICU pharmacists and will be replacing the Motion LE1700 tablet PC they are currently using. The tablet has the same application configuration as our desktop machines: Siemens Pharmacy, Soarian Clinicals, internet access, etc.
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Today we take a look at how some pharmacists are investigating tablet PCs in their practice settings. Enjoy the third part of the four part series.
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Anyone that knows me won’t doubt for a second that I’m a fan of the tablet form factor for a computer. I am patiently waiting for the Apple tablet (Mac Tablet, TabPod, iTablet, iPad, AppTab, etc) to arrive, as well as looking forward to test driving Windows 7 on a tablet PC. Tablet PC information on the internet is typically sparse, with little bits of information here and there. The last couple of days however, have seen an explosion in activity.
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Today we continue our series on tablet PCs in pharmacy practice by looking at available technology. Enjoy the second part in the four part series.
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I recently had an interesting conversation with a colleague over the use of tablet PCs in pharmacy practice. We both felt that tablets were a great tool and couldn’t understand the lack of interest in our profession. After the conversation, I felt compelled to do a little research. Rather than present the information in one giant post, I’ve decided to break it down into four parts. Part 1 is presented below.
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TheStreet.com: “Apple (AAPL Quote) will have a tablet computer in time for the holidays, but the company is still mulling how to sell it. The device, designed as a larger version of the iPod Touch, will have a 9-inch to 10-inch touchscreen and possibly a keyboard, as analysts, industry sources and news reports have outlined. An initial version of the long-anticipated Apple tablet will be subsidized by Verizon (VZ Quote), but Apple and Verizon “won’t be as tightly integrated” as Apple’s iPhone exclusivity deal with AT&T (T Quote), says one source familiar with the companies, who asked not to be named.” – I continue to be a huge proponent of the tablet form factor for computers. Their utility is infinite and I believe Apple can certainly bring something special to the table.  Apple has an uncanny knack for creating wildly popular and inventive devices long after other vendors have gone stale. Let’s face facts; the iPhone has revolutionized the smart phone industry. My credit card hasn’t been out of my wallet in quite some time and it’s overdue for the purchase of a new toy. C’mon Apple, don’t let me down.
Advantech MICA-101
The Advantech MICA-101 is The MICA-101 is a medical tablet PC based on the Intel Mobile Clinical Assistant (MCA) reference architecture. The device reminds me a lot of the Motion C5. The MCA tablet provides clinicians access to patient care records at the point of care and allows for real time documentation.
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