- Rob Bushway

HP has been in the news quite a bit lately, raising the bar on their Tablet PC and Mobile PC offerings. They certainly don't seem to be sitting idly by, choosing instead to take the mobile pc market by the horns and claim it for their own.

Are they making the right choices with their hardware and designs? What would you like to see HP do differently, or continue to do, in the tablet pc / mobile pc space? Is their customer service up to snuff? Speak up and talk to HP - they are listening....

- Sierra Modro

HP announced today a large scale deployment of the HP 2133 Mini-Note to the Fresno (Calif) United School District. The 7,000 Mini-Notes are going to kids in K-12.

“The HP Mini-Note is a powerful laptop that is small enough to fit on students’ desks along with their textbooks and papers, allowing them access to the Internet and educational content from around the world without leaving their seats,” said Kurt Madden, chief technology officer, Fresno United School District.

That's a huge commitment that the school system is making to getting excellent PCs into the hands of (probably all) its students. As important as it is to get the technology to the kids, it is equally important to help the teachers understand how to effectively use the technology in their classes.

HP also announced the HP Professional Development Program to assist in providing training to teachers on using technology in the classroom. This is in addition to their existing program, The Teacher Experience Exchange, a joint HP and Microsoft project that provides free resources to teachers through a community environment.

I'm impressed with HP for these commitments to providing both the technology and training to K-12 students and their instructors.

Read the Press Release

- Rob Bushway The past few weeks have been the busiest ever for me. With trips to the Surface team, AMD, Dell, and Motion, my mind is crazy with everything that is going on.

Here is a quick run-down on the companies and technologies that I'm most excited about and why.

• I'm excited about the iPhone 2.0 software due to Exchange and 3rd party application support. I'm not too crazy about iPhone 3G - kind of meh at this point.
• Microsoft Surface is totally nuts. There is so much potential in that new paradigm of computing, I can totally understand the Surface team's struggles with focus and execution. They want to get it right and, so far, are doing a great job. They want Surface in the consumer space as quickly as everyone else, so stay tuned. It'll happen, we just need to be patient. Why do we talk about Surface so much on a mobile site? The technology they are working on will find its way to mobile computing and a new paradigm in computing will totally revolutionize the mobile space. That is why I'm working on Dell Latitude XT. Right now, it is the most future proof tablet pc on the market.
• Dell is looking to be a trendsetter rather than a follower in the mobile space. I think they will do it.
  
• Motion Computing is working on some awesome stuff and I'm very excited about them as a company. I am concerned, though, that they should shorten the time between products. They started off with a regular yearly product release cycle, but have been increasing the time between new products as each year passes, thus allowing other companies to encroach. In my opinion, the LS800 was the right product at the right time with the wrong pricing that also needed some engineering issues addressed. I'm not sure that we will ever see Motion release another form factor like that, but I would never bet against them, either. A reegineered LS800, if properly marketed and priced, could totally revolutionize Motion.
  
• AMD's biggest move to the mobile space is happening right now with PUMA, their upcoming Hybrid CrossfireX technology (discrete and integrated graphics in the same box), and Shrike (GPU and CPU on the same piece of silicon) targeted to ultra-mobiles. AMD wants to be a major player in the ultra-mobile space, and I think they will succeed. I found AMD to be remarkably frank and honest about their past mistakes and learning from them. There is a lot of trust be earned right now, and AMD is in a position to earn it back or get laughed off the stage. I think they will earn the trust in a big way.
  
• OQO has been releasing frequent updates to its Model 02 (CPU, SSD, etc), but it has been a year and a half since the Model 02 was announced. It's time for something new and innovative. I'm very excited to see what OQO has been working on the past year. OQO is the right player in the right space at the right time with the right product. Pricing structure changes will help elevate them to the next level.
  
• Lenovo's rumored X200 Tablet PC has got a lot of people talking. If it is anything like the X300 ultra-portable, it should be an overwhelming success.
• HP seems to be hitting some great strides with their TX Tablet PC series. The word I'm hearing is that it is selling like crazy. They hit the price point and addressed interaction issues. Let's hope they are listening with regards to the 2710p - folks love it, but there are definite issues to address with the next release.
• Evernote has totally revolutionized my use of notetaking and access to those notes from whatever device I'm on.
• Syncing is the buzz word of the moment, and in my opinion, the key to working successfully in the cloud. I've been taking great use of SugarSync. However, I'm very excited to see where Windows Live Mesh ends up. Seamless syncing between multiple platforms is hot stuff and is the future of the cloud.

Technorati Tags: amd, motion computing, oqo, hp, evernote, mobile, sugarsync, tablet pc, surface

- Sierra Modro

While I was at the HP event in Berlin, I got an HP iPAQ 900 Series Business Communicator, aka a really nice PDA phone. This phone has it all - Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro, touch screen, GPS, 3MP camera. Except that it isn't mine anymore. As you may remember, I got an Apple iPhone a few months back, so I have a nice new phone. My husband, on the other hand, has been using my cast-off phone, an i-mate JAMin, for quite a while, so he got the spandy new iPAQ to use. Following in the footsteps of Thomasin and Kathi, my husband David is helping to do a review of the iPAQ 910c.

The iPAQ 910c, as it is known in the US, is (was?) scheduled to launch today in "select markets." I haven't been able to find any announcements, though, in any of the major geographies.

Specifications:

• Processor: Marvell PXA270 processor 416 MHz
• Memory: 128 MB SDRAM
• Flash memory: 256 MB Flash ROM
• Slots:1 microSD
• Display: 2.46-inch Transflective color TFT 320 x 240 pixel touch screen with LED backlight
• Integrated camera: 3 Megapixel, CMOS sensor, auto focus, 4X digital zoom
• Wireless: 802.11b/g with WPA2 security; Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR; Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA; Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• GPS: Multimodal GPS navigation
• Dimensions (w x d x h): 2.5 x 0.6 x 4.5 in (64 x 15 x 114 mm)
• Weight: 5.4 oz (15.4 g)

Download the high res InkShow ( WMV, 14 min, 107 mb ) 

Watch the embedded video below

Visit HP for more information 

 

  

Technorati Tags: HP+iPAQ,HP+Connect+Your+World,HP+Berlin+08

- Rob Bushway

TechGeek32 has started a great thread in our forums, asking folks if they are still happy with their HP 2710p Tablet PC. If you've got a 2710p or are considering purchasing one, head over and start posting / reading. The insight shared by others will be very useful in your decision making.

- Sierra Modro

I got the opportunity to play with the new HP Touchsmart IQ504 when I was in Berlin and took some videos of people interacting with the system. It was definitely the hit of the show. Everyone wanted to touch it, and once they touched, they stayed and played.

With the Touchsmart, HP has taken simplicity to a new level. When I think about why I love my iPhone, one major reason is that it does exactly what I expect it to do and does it well. The Touchsmart subscribes to that same philosophy. HP wrote a custom interface that lives on top of Windows Vista, and that interface just works flawlessly. And it's totally intuitive. It's nearly impossible to convey an "aha" moment through words, but when I was using the Touchsmart, I felt like it was a very useful system that I could see being a household staple in 10-15 years, like the microwave or the TV.

In my opinion, the Touchsmart is unlikely to be the only computer in any household. It's designed to be a central repository for family communications - from electronic "sticky notes" left for other family members to playing music and viewing photos, this is designed to be in the main hub of the home not in the den. It has much more of an "appliance" kind of mentality. This is not a system where I expect people would sit down and write the Great American Novel, although the specs are definitely beefy enough to do that and much more. It's more likely where you look up a recipe online or show photos to a visitor.

Would I buy one? Seriously considering it. At $1250 on special from HP, it's a great deal. It could replace many of the systems I have scattered around my living room and kitchen. (Yes, I do have many systems scattered around.) It has a simplified browser that is ideal for touch as well as all of the other applications that I typically use when I'm not on my "main" Tablet PC. I was far more impressed with it than I anticipated based on seeing pictures and reading specs. It's another case where you just have to touch it and find out for yourself. It uses many gestures familiar to iPhone users and it does support at least 2 finger multi-touch as you'll see with the photo editing.

Keynote Introduction

(40 sec)

 

Keynote Commercial

A real, honest-to-goodness TV commercial for a touch based product. (50 sec)

 

 

Showcase Demo

Warning: the video was shot in the showcase and the audio is pretty noisy. The video is about 2 minutes long.

 

- Matt Faulkner

A little bigger than you normal Tablet PC, but not as touchy cool as the Surface computer - The HP's TouchSmart 2 all-in-one PC is now ready to start shipping out to everyone.  I've had the chance play with one of these in my local Best Buy and think they are very interesting, but don't have the extra $1,200ish laying around to have a kitchen computer.  I do feel that incorporating one of these into my daily routine/lifestyle would be an experiment worth trying - I do see value in having a 'central computer' for the family to use.  I wonder how many people that own one of these actually uses the touch screen.

Via Engadget

- Rob Bushway

The HP HDX Dragon made it all the way to Canada, to its' new owner, TabletEnvy and family. It is official: The Dragon is almost bigger than TabletEnvy's girls (who knock the "cute" factor out of this world, btw!).

Here is TabletEnvy describing his new prize:

Worth the wait?  Major understatement.  The Dragon has lived up to all my significant expectations, and then some.

First impression: it's big!  Really big.  Hernia-inducing big.  The picture shows the Dragon next to my Fujitsu P1610: Bambi, meet Godzilla.  I have to keep reminding myself that this 20-plus inch screen is attached to a "laptop" computer.  Hardly something I would want to lug to the office every day.  However, the Waterfield carry bag is a wonderful addition and something I'll likely use to carry this entertainment centre for short weekend getaways with the family.

The Dragon is an absolute speed demon for a laptop.  It easily out-specs any of the three desktops at my office (CPU, video card, RAM), and at least matches my main desktop computer at home.  I can't wait to see the framerates this baby can handle on Gears of War or Flight Simulator.

BlueRay movies are absolutely stunning to watch on this thing.  The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy looks jawdropping, and the sound is stellar.  Who'd have imagined putting a subwoofer on a laptop?

My daughters are keeping Splotch busy.  When he stowed away in the FedEx shipment in search of some adventure, he got a little more than he bargained for...

Thank you so much to all the folks at GottaBeMobile, HP, and BuzzCorps for providing this magnificent beast.  I feel like a spoiled child.

And it feels good. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Rob Bushway

Microsoft and Disney have partnered together to bring a new attraction to Disney-goers: The Innoventions Dream Home.

Checkout this video which shows the home in action, including four Surface computers acting as an interactive dining room table. You'll also see HP's TouchSmart system being used, too.

- Warner Crocker

HP is having a show all to itself in Berlin and Sierra seems to be having quite a time there and she’s already brought us news on HP’s TouchSmart All-in-One. But here’s some other interesting news on the touch front. According to HP’s Kevin Frost, we won’t have to wait for Windows 7 before we see multi-touch on laptops. And according to another Kevin from HP (Kevin Wentzel) the obstacles aren’t hardware related but in developing suitable software.

via Laptop Magazine

 

- Sierra Modro

One little goodie I found in my HP Connecting Your World bag when I got to the event was an HP iPAQ 914 smartphone. I plan to give this phone a trial over the next few weeks to see how I like it. It's running Windows Mobile Professional 6.1 and includes a touchscreen and full qwerty keyboard. The keyboard is a bit stiff right now, but that may change over time.

It's about the same size as my iPhone, although it is definitely thicker. Still, it's much smaller than my old AT&T 8525 or the Tilt, and it should prove quite attractive to many Windows Mobile users. But pictures speak louder than words, so here are a few pictorial comparisons. Click on the pictures for a larger version. Read the Press Release for more details. Should be available June 30 in select markets.

 

 

- Sierra Modro

I got a chance to check out the refreshed HP tx2500 in the product showcase today. The form factor and overall look has not changed at all, but the updated AMD Turion Ultra processor and ATI HD3200 graphics do create a noticeable difference. Check out the Windows Experience Index! This is using a OS and software load that is not final, so the results may change, but it's still impressive for a Tablet PC you can buy starting at $1049. There are some nice extras that HP is throwing in right now including a free upgrade to 2GB of memory and 50% off a 250GB hard drive upgrade.

 

- Sierra Modro

As you all know, I'm at the HP Connect Your World event this week. While the internet access at the hotel won't allow me to upload video, I'm going to try to at least get you a photo review of the day's events to make it feel more like you're here.

The day began with a short wait outside the venue. There are around 450 press and analysts from around the world at the event.

 

After we got inside, the first up was a keynote session from several HP executives highlighting major product announcements in several categories including notebooks. Announced products include the Voodoo Envy, the HP TouchSmart PC, and the HP DreamColor color-accurate monitor.

 

 

 

        

After the keynote I headed into a session on the TouchSmart. I have a great video demo of the TouchSmart that I hope to get uploaded tomorrow. Until then, here are a couple of photos. I was quite impressed.

  

After the demo, I had 3 interviews with HP executives. You'll see more on the videos, and Ian Dixon, owner of TheDigitalLifestyle.com, did an audio recording of the interview we did with Kevin Frost, VP of consumer notebooks. Once that is posted, I'll get that available here.

Ian:

Then we had a closing keynote covering the HP vision for the future of computing. They had several stages from 2009-2025 and included product mock-ups of various possible products of the future. Worth mentioning - a tablet companion device that sits beside your main system for ink communication.

  

 

The evening with a dinner and reception at a beautiful building in the Pariser Platz by the Brandenburg Gate, designed by Frank O. Gehry. (I also love architecture!) I got to hang out with HP representatives as well as Ian and other friends.

Looking forward to tomorrow, I hope to get the video I've shot uploaded, plus there are more sessions with expert panels discussing mobility and other topics. Expect more tomorrow!

- Warner Crocker

Keep your eyes peeled and your ears cocked here at GBM for news on what HP is rolling out in Berlin today. Sierra's got some great video, audio, and photos in the can on HP’s tx2500 (the successor to the tx2000 series), the Voodoo, and the HP TouchSmart coming. She’s also having some fun interviewing some of the HP honchos there and from what I’m hearing she’s got some great info to share.

As a side note on this, we are trying an experiment. The GBM Team is using Microsoft’s Live Mesh to move some data back and forth. As Sierra captures video and audio, she’ll dump them into a Live Mesh folder and those of us on this side of the pond will free her up for more reporting by uploading that content for her to prepare to post later. We’ll report on how well that works as we go along.

 

- Sierra Modro

When HP acquired Voodoo, they acquired more than just a high-end gaming system manufacturer. Voodoo has some serious design skills, and they proved it with the appropriately named Voodoo Envy.

This is a seriously nice system. Thin, light, and powerful, it will cause a serious case of envy in anyone watching you use it. At only 0.7 inches thick, it's one of the thinnest systems out there, thinner even than the MacBook Air. It's a 13.3" widescreen with a replaceable battery and more than one USB port. Those being some of my major complaints with the Air, I'm pretty happy. The Envy also just feels more solid than the Airs I've used - the hinges don't flex and the system is more balanced. With a full carbon fiber chassis, the Envy is available in custom colors as well.

The Envy also sports a multi-touch touchpad and a unique feature - the power brick includes a wired ethernet jack that acts as an 802.11n router for the Envy. This is a sweet way to implement wired ethernet. The jack for wired eithernet is thicker than the system is, so there is no way to put it on the Envy itself. By putting it in the power brick, you get the speed of a dedicated 802.11n connection - FAST - plus, when traveling, you get your own WiFi router anywhere you can plug in to eithernet and power.

Priced at $2099, the Envy is not a cheap system, but it compares well with the Air, particularly given the feature set. Voodoo is being positioned as a luxury brand for HP, and the Envy is one of their first products since the acquisition. It's a fine debut for Voodoo in the custom notebook market.

- Sierra Modro

One of the most exciting announcements today for touch enthusiasts has been the new HP TouchSmart IQ504 and IQ506 all-in-one consumer PCs. While these are not notebook computers, I certainly hope to see some of the innovation introduced in the new TouchSmarts available in a portable computer in the near future.

The TouchSmart uses a different digitizing interface - optical, not resistive or capacitive. I'm trying to get more information on exactly who supplies the digitizer because it appears to work very well. The key element, however, is not the hardware, elegant as it is. The key is the software. HP has designed a new user interface that runs on top of a standard Windows install that is easier to use and actually designed with touch in mind. This new UI makes the touch interface easy to use and intuitive.

I plan to post some video on the TouchSmart in action once I can get it uploaded.

- Sierra Modro

I'm in Berlin, jet-lagged after about 14 hours in the air with around 30 kids ages 9-13. I can't believe my flight was with a school group going to Paris. No sleep for me!

I had a short trip around Berlin and then the welcome reception tonight. Tomorrow starts the interviews and informational sessions. I hope to be doing some live blogging from the venue, assuming I can get a decent WiFi connection.

Expect to see some good new product information starting tomorrow! I've been compiling your questions to see if I can get answers from the HP executives here at the event. Stay tuned...

Technorati Tags: HP+Berlin+08, HP+Connect+Your+World

- Rob Bushway

Congratulations to forum member tablet_envy on winning the $5200 HP HDX Dragon Entertainment Notebook system. His name was chosen randomly from all those who entered in our contest.

tablet_envy, look for an email from us and reply back within 72 hours to claim your prize!! I'll then pack up the system and send it your way.

His entry is pasted below:

1) Do you currently use a mobile computer ( Laptop, Tablet PC, UMPC, Ultra-Portable PC, etc)? If so, what brand(s) and what operating system(s) ?

Currently using a Fujitsu P1610 tablet PC running Windows XP (Professional).

2) When did you purchase the computer that you currently use the most and when do you plan on replacing it?

Purchased early 2007.  Looking to upgrade later this year?

3) Will your next purchase be a mobile computer? If so, what kind and what brand(s) are you considering?

So many choices....

Definitely a mobile computer, most likely a convertible tablet.  However,  the right slate would still be a consideration.  Some candidates include the LG P-100, Lenovo X-61. 

4) What technology leader would you most like to have lunch with and what would you want to discuss?

Bill Gates.  I would like to discuss his charitable causes, and the future directions his Foundation will be pursuing (research?  poverty?).

5) What can HP do to improve your mobile life?

Provide lightweight, feature-rich tablets, with longer battery life.  Hey, I'm not asking too much, am I? 

- Rob Bushway

Ok, folks - this is it. All the other contests are over, except for this one. We are it - your last great hope of winning the HP HDX Dragon.

Head over to learn more and get your entry in. You have to get your entry in by 3:00 pm MST today! We'll announce a winner by 5:00 pm today.

- Sierra Modro

I'm heading off to Berlin next week to the HP Connecting Your World event! Connecting Your World is the premier HP event where HP execs discuss new products and product strategy.

I'm looking forward to hearing about the upcoming products (and hopefully seeing some!) while I'm in Berlin. HP is also giving me the opportunity to speak with HP executives about the current and planned products.

If you have questions for HP, this is a good time to ask them! The event is June 10-11, so get me your questions this weekend and I'll see what I can learn. I plan to live post as much as possible while I'm at the event. Expect to see news next week coming straight from Berlin!

Maybe I'll even see some of my fellow bloggers...