Rob has been reporting on his experiences with installing SP1 on the Dell Latitude XT Tablet PC most of the evening. Seems like things went relatively smooth. I'm now downloading the service pack on  the Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet PC. It didn't show under Windows Update initially, but after running the Lenovo Update software twice it did manage to show up. BTW I despise Lenovo's software updater. It always seems to have to update itself before checking for new software. SP1 is taking awhile to download so I'll report after the process is over in the morning.

Please remember, if you're going to install SP1, make sure you backup and/or image your system. Just in case.

UPDATE 1: Download complete. But guess what? I get a Windows Activation message saying the system needs to be reactivated due to a change in hardware. I'm sure that has something to do with some of the Lenovo updates, although I don't recall a BIOS update. But, I'll just say this, (and it has been said many times before) updating Windows Vista and the hardware it runs on is like going to the dentist for multiple root canals. I think that should be printed on every sticker on every machine.

UPDATE 2: Things seem to have gone well. The install completed before I turned in for the night. I left things up and running over night knowing full well that Vista has some sorting out to do after an update like this. I can't say I'm seeing any significant or noticeable improvements this morning, but there still seems to be quite a bit of things sorting out as evidenced by some continued disk thrashing this morning. More as it comes.

This weekend, I posted up a sample webcam recording using Lenovo's IdeaPad U110 and its' included recording software Easy Capture. My experience was pretty bad. James Kendrick's experience using Easy Capture was the same. However, he also did sample recording using ArcSoft Webcam Companion, and the experience was much better. In fact, it was really good.

My recommendation to Lenovo: don't ship software that operates this bad. A lot of consumers will just use the included software, notice the bad experience, and then give up as a result. Look at including ArcSoft Webcam Companion, instead.

In this GBM Shortcut video, I talked about how much I'm struggling with typing on the Lenovo IdeaPad U110. it is probably the least comfortable keyboard I've used to date, and I've found it to be a very frustrating experience.

I thought I'd give a little more info, as well as some pictures ( click them to see larger resolutions ). Please keep in mind that these are my experiences. As keyboards are normally a very personal issue, your experience may be completely different than mine.

• With the keyboard being very glossy and slick, my fingers slide very easily on top of the keys
• There is not a clear delineation between the keys, thus there is no easy way to find where one key ends and another begins. The space separating each key is rather narrow. I can't emphasize this issue enough, as it is the primary culprit as being a bad keyboard for touch typists.
• Each key is indented with a slight angle to the right. When the keys are pressed, my fingers get caught under the corners of the keys around it. Thus, I'm not able to type as fast as I normally do on the Latitude XT, X61, and other Tablet PCs.
• The track pad is also slick and glossy, thus I've found it harder to control the mouse with.
• The touch controls, which are used to launch applications, is a cool implementation. However, they are not practical. The touch controls light up when pressed and dark when not being used. Thus, it is hard to know where to press on the dark bar in order to launch the applications. The design lends itself to accidentally launching the wrong button. It would be nice for Lenovo to design the unused portion of the dark bar to actually turn the lights on so the main touch controls can be seen. Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of touch based controls for volume and such. I'd rather have a physical button to press for volume, applications, etc. That's just me, though.

I will say this, though - my eight year-old daughter came up to me a while ago, pointed to the bright red etching on the case and said "Oh, that is pretty. Can I use it?"

Notice the indentation in the keys	Notice the indentation in the keys
	Notice how the edge on the keys angle from left to right
touch controls when not used	touch controls when pressed

In this GBM Shortcut, I test out the web cam on the Lenovo IdeaPad U110. You'll immediately notice that the voice and video are initially out of sync, then get better as the recording goes on, and then get out of sync again. The recording was done using Lenovo's Easy Capture application. I tried to use Vista's MovieMaker, but MovieMaker didn't recognize a valid camera. In the video, I talk about other issues with the webcam, my experience with typing on the U110, and battery life with the 4-cell battery.

This recording was conducted while running on battery using the Balanced Power Plan.

Needless to say, I don't think I'll be using the U110 to record any Shortcut videos.

In this GBM Shortcut, I take a look at Lenovo's Slim AC/DC Combo Adapter, a great solution for those Lenovo Thinkpad / IdeaPad / Notebook users out there.

The Slim AC/DC Combo adapter is regularly priced at $120, but is currently on sale for $96. Here is the information for all the peripheral tips available for phones, pda's, and mp 3 players. The combo adapter is available for $19.95.

I was able to steal the Lenovo IdeaPad U110 from my wife long enough to get these up close shots, as well as comparison shots to the Lenovo X300. Having handled them both and typed on each one, my preference would lean toward the X300, although I'm not the target market for the U110 - my wife and kids are.  I can tell you that I would absolutely love to see a Tablet PC version of the U110 without the glossy effect, though. I don't think I've ever held a notebook as light as the U110 before. It is awesome to hold, and my mind is going crazy thinking about the possibilities of a U110 Tablet. I absolutely love the bright red finish, and touch of class that the etching adds to the overall design of the U110. It has class written all over it.

It goes without saying that the U110 is a fingerprint magnet. From the screen to the mouse buttons, everything is glossy. The glare on the screen is going to be a bit bothersome, too. Personally, I think the gloss on this machine is overkill.

Taking pictures of the U110 is quite challenging due to the gloss, so I apologize in advance for the reflections. Click on each one for a higher res image.

Sorry - no Experience Index comparison between the two. The X300 has XP Pro installed.

Size comparison between the X300 and the U110	Another front shot size comparison between the X300 and the U110
Side size comparison between the X300 and the U110	Height comparison between X300 and U110
The full frontal shot of the U110 - the glossy finish of the entire front is hard to miss	Inside shot size comparison
Closer shot comparing keys	Back finish. It has a very nice rubberized feel on the back. The etching from the front carries through to the back
Side shot of the keyboard, wrist pad, and touch panel. Everything on the inside of the U110 is high-gloss.	Side shot of the screen, with the X300 behind the U110. The screen is flush with the casing
Trackpad and buttons. The buttons are flush with the casing	7-cell battery - provides a nice rubberized grip . It also gives a nice angle for keyboarding
4-cell battery - sits flush with the back casing.	Side view with the 4-cell in
Side view with the Express Card slot, 6-in-1 card reader, headphone / mic, 1394, USB, Ethernet, and Kensington lock slot	Side view with power, VGA, 2 USB ports, and wireless on / off switch
Veriface - notice the circles around my eyes as it tries to detect me. This is very cool. I find it difficult to click the logon button underneath the Veriface window to bypass facial recognition, though.	Lenovo's very small AC adapter. It is good to see them moving away from their bulky AC adapter.
Front of the AC adapter	Lenovo's U110 adapter compared to Dell's Latitude XT adapter
Another comparison between the U110 adapter and the XT adapter	Side view between the U110 adapter and the XT adapter

I spent the weekend camping with my son's Boy Scout troop. I was hoping to come home to find a Lenovo box in my living room, and I was not disappointed.

After getting a shower, I opened up the box to find a bright red IdeaPad U110.  As I took it out of the box, I was shocked at how light it was. I mean, really, really light. I didn't have it in my hands for more than 1 minute before my wife, Kathi, made a bee-line to see what I was holding. She took it in her hands and said "Now that is a snazzy looking notebook." She then asked me how long I got to keep it as an eval. Her eyes said it all: "I want to use that".

Some quick thoughts:

• Like I said, the U110 is feather light.
• It is very glossy - from the keypads to the screen. There is a very high gloss factor on this computer, and will be a huge fingerprint magnet. I think this will bother me a lot, especially with the keyboard being glossy. Time will tell what my wife thinks, though.
• The screen is ultra-thin. and the finish really makes it a nice stylish computer
• The resolution ( 1366 x 768 ) is very crisp
• The mouse buttons will take a little getting to use to as they sit right on the edge of the casing
• My wife, though, loves the keyboard and mouse / mouse buttons. She took right to them and even mentioned how easy they were to type on
• She mentioned on several occassions about how light the U110 was, and that was with the 7-cell battery in.
• The AC adapter is remarkably different from other Lenovo notebooks. It is small and light, and very similar in size to the Dell Latitude XT 45 watt adapter
• The included case is nice, but I don't think my wife will be using it. I think she'll end up wanting something a little more stylish to go with the U110
• Experience index:
  • Processor (Core 2 Duo 1.6 ghz ): 4.7
  • RAM ( 2 GB ): 4.8
  • Graphics: 3.5
  • Gaming graphics: 3.5
  • Primary Harddisk ( 120 gb 4200 rpm ): 4.1
  • Overall: 3.5
• Running processes out of the box: 67

I honestly think this U110 will be getting eval'd by my wife, so I think I'll have some interesting things to share. Stay tuned for more on this new offering from Lenovo!

Rob’s away with his kids on a camping trip this weekend, and I’m guessing when he gets back he’ll discover that he’s received one of the evaluation units of Lenovo’s IdeaPad U110, seeing that the tech blogging world seems to be unboxing and giving first looks at the new device from Lenovo. (See jkOnTheRun and Engadget to name two.) From what I’ve seen so far in terms of early reports around the web, it appears a distrubing (at least for me) trend is continuing. That trend is to make glossy screens and glossy cases ubiquitous, it seems. Apparently even the keys on the IdeaPad are glossy. I’m anxious to hear Rob’s reports about this.

Ok, folks, gloss belongs on lips not on computers, OK? I’m sure some like glossy screens. I don’t. I don’t like glossy cases either. The HP tx2051 I’m evaluating has a glosssy screen that reflects so much I can comb my hair in the reflection. The case, while not quite what I would call glossy, is a fingerprint and smudge magnet. So, it seems, is the fate of the IdeaPad U110, from what I’m reading.

What the heck is this move towards glossy everything? Is there some marketing survey out there that says customers want messy cases and unreadable screens? 

Stop with the glossy. Now.

Inside The Box, the Lenovo blog, has an article that talk about something we don't think of here much where people are 'mobile' all the time..  But there are also those that are mobile and also have to be a the desk a lot too. (That's me) 

While it is centered around Lenovo computers, the article still puts out an interesting perspective on docking and the designing of docks.  I have never seen or been in an office where 'hot desking' was in place, so that take on the dock idea never really crossed my mind:

Customers who use “hot desking” love this compatibility. Hot desking is often used in sales or other environments when users are commonly away from the office. Instead of giving each person a dedicated desk, users can drop in to the office once every so often, find an empty desk, and then sit down and work. This saves real estate space since on average only a small percentage of people will come by the office to work.

Read the full article over on Inside The Box and give comments if you wish.  My first comment would be support for at least DVI, HDMI would be a bonus, but not necessary.  What's the most important thing for you in a dock?

Survey Link

Very funny. Lenovo has crafted a very clever little ad and slogan going after the MacBook Air featuring the Lenovo X300.

Via Gizmodo

Just as we told everyone yesterday, Lenovo's IdeaPad U110 is now available for ordering at $1899.

Head over and check it out! I can't to get my hands on our eval unit. It is gonna be fun!!!

Here are some more details on Lenovo's IdeaPad U110 which we hope to get our hands on really soon. Specs look pretty sweet.

Between this and Lenovo's X300, who would want a MacBook Air? Seriously.

• Available for ordering on April 29 at Lenovo.com for $1899
• There will be a single configuration choice with an option for red or black
• Intel Merom Processor Core 2 Duo 1.6 ghz
• Up to 3 GB of RAM
• 120 GB 4200 rpm PATA HDD
• System ships with two batteries: 4-cell and 7-cell, plus an external USB portable DVD burner
• Focused to the consumer
• 18.4 - 22.4 mm
• Starting weight of 2.4 lbs
• 11.1" 16:9 LED screen
  • WXGA, Intel integrated Graphics
• Aluminum etch cover and & Magnesium Aluminum case
• Frameless screen
• Touch-sensitive controls
• Vista Home Premium
• Dolby Home Theatre Speaker System
• Veriface security authentication
• Integrated 1.3 megapixel camera ( USB 2.0 )
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• 6 in 1 card reader
• Express Card slot

Click the images for a larger view

Heads up - Lenovo is sending us one of the highly anticipated 11" U110 IdeaPads to review. I'm not sure if we'll get the red or the black, but either way, I'm really looking forward to reviewing the U110.

As soon as it gets in our hot little hands, I'll post up some initial video and impressions. What do you want to know about it?

TigerLilly, a GBM Reader, just let us know about an awesome deal on a Lenovo X61 Tablet PC over at CDW - for $999. Better head over there now if you want one. I expect their stock to deplete pretty quickly.

• Core 2 Duo L7500 / 1.6 GHz LV, 120 GB HDD, 8 Cell Battery, 1 GB RAM, Vista Business, MultiTouch / MultiView, 1024 x 768

Thanks to WhatIsNew.com, I just noticed that Lenovo is running a special 22% off their X61 Tablet PCs, along with free shipping. Head over there if you are looking to save a few bucks on a great Tablet PC.

The sale expires April 21, but knowing Lenovo, I'm sure they will be following up with some other sales in the near future.

This past week proved to be quite the test for how well the Latitude XT was going to hold up to some rigorous mobile usage. I'm pleased to say that it held up quite well and is still proving to be a great Tablet PC. Here are some notes from using it during the MVP summit the past week:

• Many of Microsoft's Tablet PC folks were using the LED version of the Latitude XT. There is a clear difference in thickness and weight between the LED and DLV version. The LED is significantly lighter and thinner. In hindsight, I probably should have purchased the LED version. I dont' think the added viewability was worth the extra weight and thickness.
• The battery life held up pretty well - about 2.5 - 3 hours using Dell's Recommended profile. Under Power Saver, I was getting 4+ hours. I was getting 7 + hours on the extended battery using the Recommended profile. Because of the added weight and thickness, though, I hardly ever used the extended battery.
• The replacement screen has proven to be a very good thing. I hardly ever notice the grid.
• I had my pen replaced due to some accidental discharges when in hover mode. The new pen is working like a charm
• The only bad angle on the DLV screen is when viewed under the Dell logo.
• I only carried the Tom Bihn Ristretto Messenger bag all week. Along with the power adapter, some pouches for my wallet and cables, my phone, the extended battery, and the Latitude XT, I had everything I needed. It is amazing how much can fit in that small bag. Stay tuned for an InkShow on the Ristretto - it is a very, very nice bag and a great solution for the the Latitude XT.
• The low profile 45 watt adapter for the XT is the best mobile ac adapter I've ever used. It is light and takes up very little space in a bag
• Inking and touching continues to be a great experience on the Latitude XT. I'm still using Auto Mode and prefer it as the default touch setting.
• With the great touch experience, I'm learning to use the flick gestures a lot more. I found myself in portrait mode a lot more than usual this past week, and the flick gestures worked great. They could still use some interactive feedback improvement, but are often a much-overlooked feature of Vista.
• Getting the N-Trig / OneNote bug fixed was a very good thing. It helped a lot with my notetaking during meetings. However, I found myself in InkSeine, EverNote, and OneNote periodically throughout the week. My favorite notetaking destination when portrait: InkSeine. My favorite when in landscape: EverNote.
• Keyboarding on the XT is very nice. Not quite as good of an experience as the Lenovo X61, but still quite good.
• When using an SD card in the XT, the card sticks out much further than other tablets I've used, and is prone to accidentally eject when the tablet is placed in a bag with the card still inserted. Other tablets have the card seated flush with the casing, which I prefer.
• I love having USB ports on all three sides of the XT. This allows me to use my EV-DO modem to accommodate any direction I'm holding the Tablet. That flexibility is a huge plus for mobile tablet users.
• Rotating between landscape and portrait is very, very quick. It isn't instant, but it is the quickest rotation I've used on any tablet pc.
• The experience is the smoothest and least troublesome I've used yet. I have yet to experience one of those well known Vista docking / monitor issues. In addition, I have no trouble going in to sleep mode after docking. Like I said, it is smooth, trouble-free, and it just works.
• I have found the pen to be comfortable to write with, and well balanced.
• There are no accidental discharges with this pen, which I really like. HP's 2710p pen is prone to accidental discharge all the time.
• I miss the eraser head on the pen. I think Dell should make that a priority enhancement for current and future XT's. It is just natural to have an eraser head on pens, they are standard on almost all other pens, and Dell's should have one, too.
• I absolutely love the page scroll buttons on the side of the screen. It is the perfect location for web browsing while in portrait mode. Getting a chance to play with the 2710p again this week made me really appreciate the Latitude XT on screen buttons and page scroller on the side of the tablet. Well done.
• Picking up on a comment from my meeting with Ken Hinckley, I'd love to see Dell place some more buttons on the top left and right of the screen. This would allow someone to assign Ctrl actions to the buttons to use while also inking with the other hand in portrait mode - dual hand mode support!

Even with all the above notes on well the Latitude XT is working out for me and how much I appreciate the way Dell designed the XT, I have not found a compelling reason to tell people why they should spend the extra money for a Latitude XT over say HP's 2710p, HP's TX2051z, Fujitsu's T2010, Toshiba's M700, Lenovo's X61, and others. Sure, there are many areas in which the experience is as good or better. For what I do and the areas I'm interested in testing from a natural input perspective, the Latitude XT represents a good purchase for me. However, for monetary reasons vs features / benefits, a person would be wise to look at other choices until Dell brings the price more inline with their competitors. The price needs to be inline with HP's 2710p for me to recommend it to anyone, even with the additional features and touch enhancements.

My thoughts on the above alternative choices:

• Most bang-for-the-buck performance Tablet PC: Toshiba M700
• Best slate-like convertible Tablet PC: HP 2710p.
• Best over-all convertible Tablet PC for the business user: Lenovo X61.
• Best media-centric Tablet PC: HP tx2051z

Every year Engadget puts up their "Year End" Awards.  The list was compiled from over 150 gadgets and technologies that were released during the 2007 calendar year. Two exceptions were made for Vista and the Foleo, because of popular demand, so they could be nominees for worst gadget of the year.  This year, like in years past, Tablet PC's are included in that survey and for 2007 the big winners are:

Tablet PC of the Year
Readers' Choice: Lenovo X61T

Tablet PC of the Year
Editors' Choice: Dell Latitude XT

Head over to Engadget for the full list of results.

Don't get me wrong - I like the x61 eval I've been using, but sometimes I really wish I could have kept that Toshiba M700 I had for a few days....

Why do you say??  Check out the image below, and make sure to note the last line and the time! 1.6 (Lenovo) vs. 2.4 (M700) = I might be able to get this done faster.  That's why I want an M700, it's taken me over 20 hours of the processor running at 100% on the Lenovo to get this done.  With the M700 and the 2.4 ghz dual core, this would have taken less time to complete.

Click image for larger view

This week I’ve been lucky enough to test out several different Tablet PCs during rehearsals for our production of Driving Miss Daisy that starts performances at Wayside Theatre today. Tablet PCs, (and UMPCs for that matter), are all about note taking for me. During rehearsals I am constantly taking notes. I’ll be blogging more about my experiences with the various devices (Lenovo ThinkPad X61, Motion F5, Fujitsu P1620) and note taking software in this next week.

Last night at rehearsal though one of our staff was looking over my shoulder when I had the Motion F5 in my lap and noticed the screen smudges. They asked me if it was broken.

I’ve become accustomed (obviously too accustomed) to the smudges on the Lenovo ThinkPad when I’m in note taking mode and I guess I’ve learned to ignore them. Both the Motion and the Lenovo have a ViewAnywhere technology on their screens. Lenovo calls theirs SuperView and whatever the coating is that supposedly lets you view the screen in bright light conditions leads to the smudgy deposits that fill the screen. It is unsightly, and I’ve found the pen actually starting to drag as it passes through some of the gunk.

Again, I’ve gotten used to this, and thanks to the Shwamee Microfiber cleaning cloth I use, I’ve gotten into a routine of cleaning the screen each night or morning. But my colleague’s “is it broken?” comment drew a new picture for me last night.

Think about this OEMs. Someone sees someone using your product and decides to take a closer look. They see that smudged up screen. That can’t be a favorable impression. The explanations of why the smudges are so apparent also can’t do much to make that first impression go away when the explanation begins with “oh, that’s the technology that lets you view the screen in bright light conditions,” especially when those greasy deposits do nothing but reflect light.

This isn’t just a usability or a technology issue, it is also a marketing issue. OEM’s would be wise to look for a better way if they want potential customers to see a clear path to purchasing their product.

But I cheated....

If you have been following the site, you know I have bee having a HECK of a time trying to get Vista SP1 installed on my Lenovo x61 Tablet PC.  Well, with my last effort this weekend, I have it installed.

I did everything I could to get things to work - I had some e-mails, some forum posts even used my own experience - Nothing worked.  The last step I made was to uninstall everything off my machine - even uninstalled drivers as well - like the video, network...  back to the windows generic/default - Still didn't work.

What did I do?  I gave up!  Friday night I did the almost 3 GIG download of Vista with SP1 included - THAT installed just fine.  Unfortunately after 6-7 tries to do the upgrade I just couldn't take it any more.  So, I am now running SP1 and all is fine, except for the time it's taken me to reinstall everything back on this machine.....