In this GBM Shortcut, I take a quick look at Quicklook2, a feature that HP includes on the HP2730p Elitebook Tablet PC that allows you to view your PIM data without having to fully boot into Windows (Vista or XP).

Quicklook2 does not work in Sleep or Suspend modes which is a puzzler to me, but it does work if your computer is in Hibernate mode or turned off. It isn’t actively grabbing data from your PIM (in my case Outlook 2007) instead taking snapshots of your data as you configure it to. You can choose to have it take a snapshot at times you specify, or when Outlook closes, or manually. You can also choose which data (Calendar, Contacts, Inbox, Tasks) to have available or not.

Since I prefer to put my Tablet PC to sleep (that sounds deadly in a vague way) I rarely use hibernate, or turn my computer off, so this is feature I don’t see myself using much. But then that’s me and you might find it valuable.

Check out these other posts in The GBM Lenovo/HP 2730p Tablet PC Shootout

• GBM InkShow: Interview with Lenovo’s Mika Majapuro on the ThinkPad X200T Tablet PC
• GBM InkShow: Lenovo X200 Tablet PC Hands-On Video Review
• GBM InkShow: First Look at the HP 2730p Elitebook Tablet PC
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Testing Webcams
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Testing Webcams in Slate Mode
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Windows Experience Index Scores
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Side by Side
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Weight
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Outdoor Viewing
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Benchmarks
• GBMPodcast #61: The Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout Continues
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Performance Testing
• GBM Review: The HP 2730p Elitebook Tablet PC
• GBM Shortcut: The Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout-Audio Output

So you've been reading about Tablet PCs, but you're not quite sure how they work or the major benefits.  A convertible tablet unites the power of a traditional laptop computer design with the benefits of a slate tablet.  The base of a convertible Tablet PC has a full keyboard, while the top of the unit has the ability to be turned 180 degrees, flipping over the keyboard to be used similar to a pad of paper.  The user relies on a stylus or pen to navigate, perform major functions, draw, or write on the tablet.  The convertible Tablet PC provides greater versatility and functionality than a slate tablet, but is often heavier or larger in size.

Convertible Tablet PCs typically run Windows XP Tablet edition or Windows Vista.  Windows XP Tablet is a flavor of XP designed specifically for the tablet platform, while all versions of Windows Vista except home basic and starter editions support tablet functionality.  Although there have been many rumors of a Tablet PC from Apple and some Linux distributions support tablet functionality, the Tablet PC platform relies mostly on the Microsoft Windows Operating System.

The Tablet PC platform has received mixed reviews from consumers, although a recent trend towards multi-touch computing and the success of devices like Apple's iPhone have helped renew interest in the tablet approach.  Many students and teaching professionals are beginning to realize the note taking and instructional advantages of convertible Tablet PCs as software and technology improves.

Learning about the convertible Tablet PC can be confusing.  Let's define a few terms.

The Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout continues. As I mentioned in the full review of the HP 2730p Tablet PC I’m not too fond of the output of the single mono speaker. The Lenovo ThinkPad x200 Tablet PC is another story. Lenovo beefed up the multi-media capabilities of the X200 due to customer demand. And the results are quite beefy. Even though the speakers are located on the underside of the keyboard they produce quite a full sound. I’ve also included a play off between the X200 and the X61 so you can hear the differences there as well. But, here you can listen for yourself.

Check out these other posts in The GBM Lenovo/HP 2730p Tablet PC Shootout

• GBM InkShow: Interview with Lenovo’s Mika Majapuro on the ThinkPad X200T Tablet PC
• GBM InkShow: Lenovo X200 Tablet PC Hands-On Video Review
• GBM InkShow: First Look at the HP 2730p Elitebook Tablet PC
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Testing Webcams
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Testing Webcams in Slate Mode
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Windows Experience Index Scores
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Side by Side
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Weight
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Outdoor Viewing
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Benchmarks
• GBMPodcast #61: The Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout Continues
• Lenovo/HP Tablet PC Shootout: Performance Testing
• GBM Review: The HP 2730p Elitebook Tablet PC

This post is not meant in any way to be alarmist, but merely to pass on information we are seeing about one of the key Tablet PC and UMPC manufacturers we follow. It looks like there are some interesting things going on at Fujitsu on the business unit level at Fujitsu.

Fujitsu looks to be selling off its hard drive business, possibly to Western Digital, and also perhaps doing the same with its consumer PC business as well. Speculation is that Lenovo might be taking that over. Again, we’re seeing reports of this and have no real confirmation. That said, given the uncertainty in the financial markets, I wouldn’t be surprised to see other shifts like this with companies we know and follow.

The HP 2730p Elitebook Tablet PC is more than worthy of your consideration as your next or your first Tablet PC. There is much to like: from the performance to the battery life, to the excellent design. I’ve had the privilege to be evaluating an early unit of the HP 2730p and I have to say that although I have a few quibbles, I’m extremely impressed. Some things just feel right in your hands. By an large this Tablet PC feels very right in my hands and as an Inker, that is really important to me. Here are my further thoughts.

Form Factor and Design

HP turned heads with the HP2710p for many reasons. One of which is the design and the form factor. HP stayed with that same form factor and improved on it, and I’m glad they did. Maybe I’m biased as a Tablet PC lover, but this looks and feels different than most convertible Tablet PCs, and quite frankly, I think Tablet PCs should look and feel different than just your every day notebook. It is sleek, it is light, it is thin. It weighs in at 3.7lbs. It makes you want to pick it up and work (or play) with it. It just feels good in my hands. It is also a head turner. Flip the screen around into slate mode and you feel like you are holding a slate Tablet PC. Other convertible Tablet PC owners should take a cue from HP and give their designs something special. After all the price points aren’t going to be falling any time soon on the upper end, so you might as well make potential owners feel like they are getting something special. Hands down, when it comes to look and feel the HP 2730p is a winner. On the functionality of the design it wins as well.

Just got a note from Linda Epstein of TabletPC2.com. The company that hosts TabletPC2.com has experienced a hard drive failure, but they expect to be online again within the next day or so. Keep checking back, and before you know it, life in Tablet PC land will be back to normal.

Big kudos to my main man Warner Crocker on being re-awarded Microsoft’s MVP for Tablet PC for the 4th straight year.

Warner, you give so much to the mobile pc community and this site wouldn’t be what it is without you. Congratulations!

Our good friend is at it again. Microsoft Research’s Ken Hinckley has unveiled a prototype project he’s working on called The Codex that brings two OQO Model 02’s together to take advantage of a multiple tablet pc configuration.

Ken showed off this prototype to Warner, Craig, and me back in April and we were blown away with the possibilities. Can you see the potential here? Head over to Ken’s blog and check out how the Codex works.

The Codex has two screens, it's designed to be used that way, and you won't find any half-apologetic demos that try to mash them back together into one big screen. Instead, it's all about the intelligent partitioning of tasks and interface elements across the screens.

Above is one example where I'm working on a blog post that I've had planned for a while. On the left I have a whole bunch of cool photos that I found tagged with moleskine on Flickr. I was browsing through these as inspiration for our InkSeine digital note-taking software. On the right I'm organizing bits and pieces from these photos along various themes.  So I just take a snapshot from the collection on the left screen and it appears in my notes on the right screen, where I can arrange it and mark it up as I see fit. I can scroll back and forth on the left screen to find a photo that meets my current needs, while the page that I am authoring on the right screen always remains visible. The two screens are invaluable because I always have the reference material in the context of what I am working on, instead of feverishly flipping between them on a single screen.

I'm further along with authoring my blog post now, and I have a bunch of material floating around in my notes. I create a page that is a Table of Contents, with links to several themes that I've identified in my Flickr moleskine investigations. If I open a link, such as my Creative Collage page, it opens on the opposite page. I don't even need a "back" command to return to where I was - I still have my navigational structure on the left, side-by-side with my content page on the right.

Google has opened up their January 2001 search index, giving us a reminder of what things used to be like. My, how times have changed.

I did a search for Tablet PC – 88,100 results popped up with the following top results, highlighting Bill Gates unveiling the Tablet PC at Comdex in November 2000:

Almost seven years later, we have this – 20,900,000 results:

Have fun doing some way-back searches!

via Blogoscoped

Starting young is never a bad thing – to be an artist or a Tablet PC advocate :)

After detailing my plan to purchase a Tablet PC and select the right unit, my HP 2710p has finally arrived.  I've been using it exclusively as my primary note taking device for a few days, and I've encountered a few differences between using a Tablet PC, traditional paper, and a conventional laptop computer.

The first difference I've noticed about using a Tablet PC in the work setting is the reaction others give.  Younger colleagues regard the Tablet PC as cool, asking what it is, how it's used, and where they can purchase one.  Seasoned coworkers regard it as complicated and advanced, while students surprisingly pay little attention to it.  Despite the reactions it receives, the Tablet PC still struggles to find a spot in mainstream, daily computing for the average user.

One of the reasons why

Many of our readers are looking to get in to a tablet pc for the very first time. As one might expect, the terrain can be a little difficult to navigate. Tablet PC 101 will be a periodic primer series focused on the basics of Tablet PCs. While this is just a primer series, I’d encourage all readers to dig in to our forums for more in depth information on tablet pcs.

There are two basic types of Tablet PCs: convertibles and slates. Convertible Tablet PCs are full computers and look just like a notebook pc, only the screen swivels around so it can also be operated in “slate” mode. Slate Tablet PCs are also full computers, but they typically lack a notebook style keyboard, with some even offering a slide-up or built-in keyboard to the face of the screen.  Both convertibles and slates can be operated by a digitizer pen, a finger, a keyboard, or a portable keyboard. Input using the pen is done by handwriting a note, writing in to a input window which then converts your handwriting to text, or is pecked out using an onscreen keyboard. Input can also be accomplished by using the keyboard or speech recognition.

Let’s dig in a little deeper to slate Tablet PCs:

Are you LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a networking site with a business and career connection focus. And like most networking sites there are various ways to connect to others who share interests and perhaps opportunities. Now there is a Tablet PC Enthusiast Group on LinkedIn started by Jeff Fisher. You’ll find different segments of the community represented there from enthusiast to bloggers to Microsoft folks, to developers, to reps from OEMs.

This looks like another good way for the community to network with each other, so if you’re already on the service check out the Tablet PC Enthusiast group. If you haven’t yet joined LinkedIn, now might be a time to check it out.

Comfort Software has released a new version of their on-screen keyboard. Version 3.2 comes in both Lite ($9.95) and Pro versions ($19.95). I’m not sure if there is a trial here or not, although both have free downloads listed for both versions. I don’t have a touch screen device to test this out, so if anyone does, let us know.

For a list of what’s new, check out the GBM Forums or the product page.