GottaBeMobile.com reader Tim Hutchinson confirmed with his Gateway rep that the news is really true.  Gateway is sold out of the C-142XL with no plans to restock that item - OR any Tablet PC item for that matter, at least online.  They are moving all their Tablet PC sales to retail!!  Places like Best Buy are going to be the purchase location if you want to buy Gateway Tablet PC's.  Too bad for all the Tablet PC 'online' sales folks that are out their jobs...

From reading the posts over on TabletPCReview (Thanks for the link Tim) - looks like it could be as soon as this Saturday!!!

One of the things I really enjoy about using my Tablet PC is issuing commands to start Outlook, email a friend, go to website, etc using my pen. Using PenCommander allows you to do just that.

Phatware has just released version PenCommander 2.1 offering an improved user interface, reduced memory footprint, and better support for Vista Service Pack 1. PenCommander is also available at a lower price of $24.95. Current registered users can upgrade at no cost.

Learn more by watching our InkShow on PenCommander.

Yesterday the How-To Geek put up a post about using single click instead of double click icons on the desktop.  This isn't a new feature as it's been around since Windows 9x but the post started me thinking a little...  I don't have any device right now that has a touchscreen, but for those that do, is this change made as part of your setup?  Does it help you at all?  It seems that on any Tablet PC or UMPC with a touchscreen it would make clicking a lot easier.  Sure seems like a good idea - give it a try and report back what you think!

If you missed RitePen's 33% GBM discount, then you are in luck. They have extended the special by one month, so you can still get RitePen 3.0 for $19.95. You must use this link to purchase it.

Be sure to visit our forums and review the great RitePen threads - folks are loving it!

The blogosphere and tabletscape is all crazy about Mike Arrington's "Web Tablet for under $200". I think it is a great idea and I hope they are serious, but I don't think that they are. What I do believe, and this is mere speculation, is that Mike is telling everyone that Apple is indeed releasing a web tablet: a larger iPhone or iPod Touch, better known as the Mac Tablet.

Here's why I think the TechCrunch Tablet isn't real:

GBM Forum member Katysax just got an HP tx2500 Tablet PC and has offered up some really good opinions from an end-user point of view that prospective buyers will definitely find helpful - both the good, the bad, and the ugly. Bottomline - she loves it!

HP has a tx2500z enroute to us, so stay tuned for our own InkShow review.

TabletKiosk is breaking out the paint brushes and introducing one-of-a-kind color tablet pcs!  These special color tablet pcs will be available for auction via TabletKiosk's website sporadically throughout the year.

Unfortunately, the first of the bunch, a bright red one, has already been claimed by Martin Smekal, TabletKiosk president. Come on, Martin - where's the fun in coming out with a red one if you are not gonna give it to me?

What colors do you want folks?

As many of you know, for the last month or so I’ve been extraordinarily busy with the renovation and re-opening of the Wayside Theatre where I work. I hope it goes without saying for GBM readers that while I was in the middle of construction, rehearsals, and dealing with building inspectors that I had my mobile arsenal close at hand to help me get through the work load.

In fact, I shifted things up a bit and set my workhorse, the Lenovo ThinkPad X61, aside to focus on using two other Tablet PCs during that time. They were the Motion F5 Slate Tablet PC and the HP tx2051. I used both in different scenarios, at different times, for different chores, and with different success rates.

The Setup

The Motion was running Windows XP and the HP tx2501 was running Vista 64bit. On both Tablet PCs I had essentially the same applications installed with one exception. This included Microsoft Office 2007 (including OneNote 2007), and EverNote Beta as my primary tools. I had BlueBeam PDF Revu on the Motion and PDF Annotator on the HP for document markup and signing. I also integrated Windows Live Mesh into my arsenal when that came along. What a boon that turned out to be. My primary tasks as I saw them going into this period were going to be:

• Note taking
• Document creation
• Document review and signing
• Email correspondence
• Research

Keep in mind that during any day I wore multiple hats. Far too many, as a matter of fact. My days would go from dealing with contractors and inspectors in the morning, to union, board, and contract negotiations, copy creation, financial management throughout the day, and then finally rehearsals in the evening.

Back in February, RMT released a resistive touch rugged tablet for the vertical market. Rugged PC Review finally got their hands on a review unit and posted an in-depth look on their site. One of the most intriguing aspects of the Duros is the option to run Windows XP Embedded. The advantage of having XP Embedded is a minimal installation of the OS.  A company can custom design the OS around specific components depending on what the tablet is needed for. As little as 8MB with a bootable kernal or 40MB of OS footprint would be needed for day-to-day operations. With such a small impact on system resources from the OS, the Duros proved to be quite zippy with even the slow 500MHz processor. Full customization includes a choice of operating systems ranging from the lightweight XP Embedded and Linux utilizing AMD's LX 800 chipset operating at 500MHz to the resource intensive Windows Vista running Intel's Celeron M ULV 373 chipset at 1.0GHz. Hard drive options start with a 40GB HDD and ends at 120GB with a 64GB SSD thrown in for good measure. More pictures and the full review can be found on Rugged PC Review's site.

Interesting piece from PC Magazine listing 21 "Great Technology Failures" - 10 from Microsoft, 11 from Apple. They classify each of the failures as great technology, but way ahead of its time. It is not surprising, then, to see PC Mag lump Tablet PC in to the mix:

Rather than typing on a PC, why not write on it as though it were a pad of paper? And have the CPU interpret your chicken scratch, sort your notes, and generally work in a much smarter way? Based on sales, it seems the world still isn't ready for the Tablet PC. Nevertheless, Gates is convinced you'll eventually love this system.

It is interesting that PC Mag also lumps .Net as one of the failures, too. I don't understand that choice at all. .Net is one of the most popular platforms to program in and is hugely popular.

I haven’t been using the Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet PC as I’ve been putting some other Tablet PCs to the test recently, but I went back to it earlier this week. It feels like returning to an old friend. Prior to setting it aside I was experiencing a number of anomalies that were leading me to believe it was time to rebuild from scratch. I’m sure you’re familiar with some of them:

• Inconsistent issues putting the Tablet PC to sleep and returning from sleep.
• Interminable waits and the occasional crash when switching the screen between landscape and portrait modes.
• Disk thrashing that would never, never, never, never, never, never, never end. Never.
• The system reporting a wide discrepancy of disk space being used. When I say wide I’m talking one minute it would say 10GB available and the next time it would say 30GB available.
• Heat build up

Now that Intel has released the Centrino 2 platform, I’m expecting to see a series of new and refreshed devices coming down the pike. Fujitsu’s T5010, which we learned about courtesy of Virginia Tech, is now starting to get talked about openly, at least on Aving.

Also on Aving, it looks like HP is refreshing the 2710p with the Centrino 2 and a new model number, the 2730p. Now the question becomes when will be seeing these new models for sale, and which Tablet PC OEMs will follow suit.

Notable specs on the new HP 2730p that we are seeing pictured on Aving:

• 1.86 ghz processor LV processor
• New trackpad.
• Pictures seem to indicate an optional integrated DVD drive or SD card.
  • Update: our good buddy, James Kendrick, confirms that the 2730p Tablet PC will have an option for an integrated DVD drive.
• No scroll wheel. No on-screen buttons. Very disappointing to say the least.

UPDATE: I just heard from HP about this leak, and apparently Aving has a number of the specs wrong. We'll see what the 2730p actually turns out to be. It is exciting to see an update coming soon, though.

Businesses reap huge benefits when they are able to implement solutions like what Active Ink Software has demoed below. Using their form collection software and Motion Computing's Semi-Rugged F5 Tablet PC, Active Ink captures images real time using the F5 integrated camera, annotates them, and sync them to the home office using the F5's integrated WWAN. This is a great example of a software solution harnessing the power of the hardware to provide real value.

In the past few weeks I have been talking about getting my work issued computer and looking for a companion device.  Well, I have both of them - kind of...

The M4300 - It's been a while since I have had a 'normal' laptop.  Oh how I have missed the high res 1920x1200 - 15.4 widescreen!!! It's like heaven looking at that thing.  Sooo much screen real estate to have a bunch of applications open at the same time.  And the POWER - it has the C2D 2.5 GHZ 6MB L2 Cache 800mhz FSB that is processing data from 2 - 7200 RPM drives!!  It sure is nice to have things happen so fast!  With the applications I run daily - I have to refer to JK - "the right tool for the job". 

The LS800 - Perfect for what I want to do with a companion device - something small enough to carry to meetings, keep in my bag with the M4300, use for Power Point presentations and sit on my desk for quick notes.  I still need to have my Tablet PC (it's part of my work flow now) and unless something else comes out soon - the LS800 is the device I will have... and I almost did...  Thanks to John at AllTP I had a loaner LS800 for the past couple of weeks that I intended to buy but I had to send it back.  Why?  Well the money I had is going to fix a roof, get rid of mold and repair a bunch of dry wall...  Looks like the trusty x61 is going to stick around for a little while longer. Gotta put the roof over my family's head first before the toys. (the boss did still give approval for the iPhone if there is a little left)

What does all that mean?  It means that for the next few weeks/couple of months I will be using my M4300 and my x61 to do my job, get my Tablet PC fix and also have a sore shoulder...  Good thing the x61 isn't that heavy (cause the M4300 sure is!).  After funds add up for a while and I can make the purchase I will have my 'as close to perfect' setup to keep me productive and organized.

Does anybody else have a 'combo' system?  Desktop and Tablet PC?  Like me - the Laptop and small Tablet PC combo?  How is it working for you?

Fujitsu has announced today the availability of Centrino 2 processors for their LifeBook line of laptop computers. Heading the charge is Fujitsu's long-awaited update for the T4220, which finds life as the T5010, and the all new T1010 budget tablet. Details have been released for the top-of-the-line and entry-level tablets with both having the latest Centrino 2 processors. The T5010 will also have the option for Centrino 2 with vPro technology. Joining the convertible tablets in Fujitsu's LifeBook line will be the LifeBook A6210, LifeBook E8420, LifeBook S6520 and LifeBook S7220. All models are now available for order although Fujitsu's online store still does not reflect their availability.

Attention all Latitude XT owners: head over and download the multi-touch update for your Latitude XT Tablet PC! I'm installing it now.

(courtesy of Direct2Dell.com)

Discuss your experiences in our forum!

Here are instructions on installing the update:

Think there isn’t a demand for a Mac Tablet beyond the Modbook? The Unofficial Apple Weblog is linking to a Hack-A-Day article with some pictures and links to folks who have created their own Mac Tablets. Some fascinating stuff there.

Fujitsu is expanding its tablet line with the T1010 (see page 36). Announced at the same time as the T5010 that is to replace the venerable T4220, the T1010 serves as Fujitsu's budget tablet and is available now. Main features of the 5.2 pound tablet reviewed include the latest Centrino 2 processor, Windows Vista Home Premium, and a 13.3" screen displaying 1280x800 pixels of resolution. Unfortunately, the reviewer commented on a "murky screen," which runs counter to the magnificent displays Fujitsu has been recently known for. Other noteworthy characteristics are a dedicated screen orientation button (the screen doesn't automatically rotate) and a passive touch screen. A full review is to follow.

Via LAPTOPMag

Full LAPTOPMag Gallery

Fujitsu Press Release

Dell has announced that multi-touch will be coming to current Latitude XT customers via a software update beginning tomorrow, July 15. The update will be free.

If I'm not mistaken, this will make the Latitude XT the first laptop / tablet pc that actively supporting multi-touch through the screen.

The update will allow for the following types of multi-touch uses:

• Scroll – by placing two fingers on the screen and moving them horizontally or vertically customers can easily navigation in web browsers and productivity applications.
• Zoom – by touching the screen with two fingers and moving them together customers can zoom various content in and out, such as pictures or Web pages. 
• Programmable double-tap – customers can program a command, such as launching a Web browser or turning the screen off to save power, that will respond to two taps with two fingers.

This is very exciting! I can't wait to begin trying this out tomorrow. Update: LaptopMag has hands-on video of the new multi-touch update.

From the Direct2Dell.com blog - video demo below:

Since we introduced the award-winning Latitude XT tablet, capacitive touch capability is one thing that set it apart from the competition. Several weeks ago at the Wall Street Journal's D6: All Things Digital Conference, Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer highlighted upcoming multi-touch capability that Windows 7 will bring. Chris Flores' post and video kicked off a flurry of conversations in Techmeme, and we were pumped that they used a Latitude XT was one of the machines Microsoft used show off multi-touch in Windows 7.

But, Latitude XT customers don't have to wait for Windows 7 to use multi-touch. Tomorrow we will introduce a software update globally via support.dell.com for the Dell tablet that will bring multi-touch to both Windows XP and Vista. With this update, customers can use the functionality in several standard apps like Google Earth, Outlook and Microsoft Office, web browsers like Firefox and Internet Explorer 7, and XP's Windows Picture viewer and the Vista's Windows Photo Gallery. Take a look at this video from Hans Eilers and Roy Stedman from the Office of the CTO for a demo of how this works.

Toshiba has been in the Tablet PC space from the very beginning, coming to market with the Portege 3500 in November 2002, quickly updating it to the M200 / M205. Since that time, they have introduced various configurations and form factors, targeted at the consumer and the business person. Their current Tablet PC offering is the M700, introduced late last year, and the R400, introduced in January 2007.

In my opinion, because Toshiba was a major player in the space from the very beginning, they have been well positioned to tablet-enable their entire line of laptops, but have chosen not to. Instead of taking Tablet broad, they have chosen to keep it as a single option amongst their entire line. For the life of me, I can't figure out why their ultra-light R500 has never been converted into a Tablet PC - it begs for it.

I used to be a very happy Toshiba customer and seriously considered the M700 when it was announced. It is a powerhouse of a unit and would make any power-hungry user happy. For the money, the M700 is also one of the better buys out there compared to their competition. However, the bulk and weight of the unit ultimately turned me off, opting instead of thin and light.

What specific things is Toshiba doing right? If you used to be a Toshiba customer, but have since switched, what were the tipping points? What could Toshiba do to make their solutions more mobile friendly? If you had the opportunity to sit down with their product designers, what would you want to talk with them about? What have been your experiences with their customer service and warranty departments?