Are you going to CES in January? Lots of folks around the Tablet PC and UMPC space are planning on going, including, hopefully, the entire GBM team. It is always a good time to put faces with names, compare tablets, meet with OEMs and ISVs, etc. You can expect a lot of news and video reporting from CES this year as we span across the multiple venus gathering up as much info as possible!

Lora Heiny is hard at work behind the scenes getting a meetup going.  Some great sponsors are getting behind the meetup, so it should be a whole lot of fun.

Place, date, and time are still getting worked out, but we'd like to get a handle on the number of folks to expect. If you are planning on attending, send me an email ( rob@gottabemobile.com ) or leave a message on this post. You can also leave a message on Lora Heiny's blog here.

We've just launched a new menu bar to make it a bit easier to navigate the growing GottaBeMobile.com website. We designed this menu to be touch and pen friendly, and we hope that it helps you find the Tablet PC and Ultra-Mobile PC resources you need.

We'll be making more tweaks as the days go by, but if you have any suggestions / feedback, please feel free to leave it.

Rob Bushway
Dennis Rice
Warner Crocker
Matt Faulkner

This certainly doesn’t look mobile but it sure looks interesting. Engadget is reporting about what they call the first desktop touchscreen PC, the HPIQ770 Crossfire. According to the article it is targeted for a big splash at CES and the entertainment market. With what looks like a UI designed for touch it looks to come fully loaded with a host of specs to make your eyes pop.

• AMD Turion 64x2 Dual Core TL-52 processor
• 2GB SDRAM
• 320GB HD
• NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• 1.3 megapixel camera
• Integrated FM and ATSC HDTV tuners
• DVD RW/DVD-Ram burner
• Pocket Media Drive Bay,
• Wireless Keyboard
• Mouse
• Stylus
• Media Card Reader
• Two FireWire ports, along with six USB 2.0 ports, ethernet
• 5.1 digital audio out
• FM Coax, TV Coax, ATSC and two s-video

Looks impressive and according to the article the target price is $1799–$1899. Engadget has a bazillion more photos.

The holidays bring out the best and the wackiest of the marketing mavens as everyone tries to win you hearts, minds, and dollars. Very seldom in the past have we seen efforts aimed at Tablet PCs, and of course this is our first UMPC Christmas. Well, Samsung upped the ante a bit with a clever little promotion that they have running. If you want to know more about how the Samsung Q1 can help you survive in a fast-paced world, just head on over to the site, enter a question, and let Sam the St. Bernard give you an answer.

Not only that but you can enter to win a Samsung Q1 as well. They are giving two Q1s away each week until December 17. And make sure you catch some of  Sam’s clever videos as he helps wayward mobile warriors solve their issues.

Hat tip to jkOnTheRun

Today is Nov 30 and it is "Ready for a new day" for Microsoft as they officially unveil Vista, Office 2007, and Exchange Server 2007.

Listen to Steve Ballmer's keynote here.

Thanks for letting me know, Lora.

GottaBeMobile.com's Classifieds has got to be one of the best places to check out deals on used Tablet PCs and Ultra-Mobile PCs. In the forum right now is a Samsung Q1, Toshiba M4, Lenovo X41, Motion Computing LE1600's, and much more. If you are looking for some good deals on used Tablets, UMPCs, and accessories, check it out.

And while we are on the topic of great deals - don't forget our Forms2Base Contest - tell us how you would use this forms automation software, and you could be walking away with a $499 piece of software! Contest ends Sunday at 9:00 pm, so get your entry in! We've got 3 licenses of Forms2Base and 3 Forms2Base polo shirts to give away, so your chances are pretty good.

Tom Bishop has created a new blog, Law & Tablets, The Blog. His aim is to provide a place to discuss the use of Tablet PCs and Ultra-Mobile PCs in the legal profession. He is the Vice President and Associate General Counsel for one of America's largest investor-owned utilities. Tom also participated in Microsoft's MVP program for 2 years in the Tablet PC group and has always had some unique insight about using Tablet PCs, so if I was you, I’d subscribe to this one. I have.

A lot of folks have been excited for quite some time about the Optimus Keyboard. It certainly has a coolness factor with every key being a stand alone display displaying what the key does. But up until now it has been one of those promises from afar (can you say vaporware.) Then word came that the cool colored display keys would only be black and white, and then there was some confusion on release dates (when and if) and now there comes word about the price. Try $1200. Ouch! As the Slashgear article says, that’s enough to make geeks squeal.

I guess the makers of the keyboard are aiming for the status market as the first batch of the elusive keyboards to be released on December 12 will be a limited number of 103. Odd? The next batch is scheduled for release in September 2007 and that batch will only set you back $1000.

Curious.

I’ve been quite busy doing real life stuff using the Lenovo Thinkpad X60 Tablet PC since I started walking the bleeding edge and installed Vista RTM on my Toshiba M200. Now that things are evening out a bit, I’m getting back to testing and tweaking and finding out what works and what doesn’t on this soon to be legacy Tablet PC (assuming you are Vista bound.)

After coming back to the M200 with Vista RTM installed I’m enjoying working with Vista and looking forward to giving it a try on the X60. (Hopefully tonight.) The M200 indeed performs snappier, but of course that is without a lot of Toshiba’s utilities and drivers loaded. Alas, there are still a number of those driver related issues that keep me from full functionality on the M200, and as I’ve said before, M200 users need to get used to that fact, as Toshiba is not going to support the M200 under Vista.

Although I haven’t installed them yet, (and may not-given that things are working well at the moment) Laptop2Go has a new set of NVidia drivers that I’ve seen some good and some so-so reports about. Suffice it to say, with the drivers I’ve installed (see this post) now that I can put the M200 to sleep (that just sounds weird) and I can achieve screen rotation through the Mobility Center, I can basically accomplish everything I need to on the M200, except play any video at all through Windows Media Player, and use the hardware buttons.

Something I did not have a chance to test until recently is how the Windows Mobile Device Center works with syncing on my PPC 6700. The Mobile Device Center is not included as a part of Vista RTM and in fact is still listed as Beta 3. (Download located here.) Beta 3 did work under Vista RC1 but with issues (it would eventually sync after a few retries) but after downloading and installing WMDC Beta 3 and installing in under Vista RTM, those issues seem to have gone away in my case. I have been able to sync successfully each time on the first try and the process seems much quicker. I’m still puzzled that the WMDC window requires me to manually open it after I’ve connected, but the syncing behavior works just fine.

Of course that points to the question in the headline of this post. Vista RTM is scheduled to be released to business clients tomorrow, November 30. Will we see a host of new drivers become available immediately, or will they dribble out as we wait for the consumer launch at the end of January? I don’t know and don’t have any real hints. What I do know is that regardless of how quickly new drivers, updates, and the like appear, those of us on the bleeding edge will be looking ahead to the constant update process. It sure will be nice to not have Beta this and Beta that on a system for awhile.

TabletPCReviewSpot has an interesting article outlining some steps to take if you, (heavens forfend) spill liquid in your Tablet PC. (If the picture here doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what will.) They begin the article by saying that you don’t need to read it if you own a Panasonic Toughbook or other ruggedized Tablet PC. I’m still waiting for one of the ruggedized Tablet PC makers to send GBM a unit to try out. I’ve got a few paces I’d like to put them through. (I haven’t yet tried the Lenovo Thinkpad X60’s drip proof keyboard, and I don’t think I’m going to either.)

For those of you waiting to order a Lenovo X60 Tablet PC so you could customize it to your hearts content, your wait is over. Head over there now.

Thanks for the tip, Benjamin.

Eric Mack, a well known productivity guru, picked up on my post on business applications that should be ink-enabled for Tablet PC support.

Not only is Eric a productivity guru, he lives and breathes Lotus Notes. He also knows the productivity benefits that a Tablet PC can bring to a person and a company. In a comment to my post and on his blog, he said that Lotus Notes, Acrobat, and IBM Sametime should be ink-enabled. Well, Eric received a comment from one of his readers asking "why should any application be ink-enabled".

Here is the reader's question:

Why should any application be ink-enabled

Seriously. Why?
The way Microsoft have approached the Tablet PC is all wrong in this regard: ink-enabling should be an OS-level abstraction. Applications should just take advantage of what the host operating system offers, using its input managers and what-have-you. It seems crazy to me that the OS vendor is relying on application developers to push *their* technology in this way.
I'm sure MS have their reasons for tackling the Table PC like this, but I must be missing something big time...

And this is where it gets real good. Eric posted a blog entry in response to the question and it is a fabulous argument on why any application should be ink-enabled. I highly encourage you to read the article, and post a comment here or at his blog suggestion other reasons why an application should be ink-enabled.

Developers and software companies: are you listening?

Yes, a new Tablet PC is enough to make anybody smile, and here’s proof. Even though it took awhile, we finally received (and finally got a chance to post) some pictures of GBM’s Make Me Mobile With Motion Contest winner KathieEM22 and her new Motion LS800 Tablet PC. Not only did Kathie send along some great unboxing pictures, but she also sent along a short video file (1.46mb, wmv format)  of her and her new Motion Tablet PC. I know Kathie is enjoying her LS800 and the GBM Team thanks her for sending along the pictures. I don’t know why it took so long for her to open the box though, given that despite protestations to the contrary, I’m sure Dennis opened it up for at least a sneak peek. In any event, enjoy the unboxing. Make sure you check out the short video here and make sure you check out Kathie’s winning smile!

One of the many ways to known Christmas is just around the corner is when Linda Epstein publishes her Annual Christmas List for Santa on Tablet PC2.com. Full of wonderful photography and bountiful Tablet PC and gadget goodness, the list is enough to elevate any geek’s gadget lust to new levels. The 4th Annual List is no different and contains more than a few stockings full of great gear. Check it out here, just make sure you put your credit cards far away from you as you take a gander at the list

.

Just got this in from Mindjet announcing a great Word 2007 for MindManager support - built especially for those who don't have MindManager but need to edit them.

You can download this add-in for Word 2007 here.

Mindjet Corporation, the global leader of productivity software for visualizing and managing information, today announced in conjunction with the Microsoft Office 2007 introduction that it has released its Word 2007 Map Editor for Mindjet® MindManager® (at http://mindjet.com/office2007). The free add-in increases the productivity of business teams. It combines the benefits of MindManager, the most effective way to quickly capture, organize, and share unstructured information, with the widespread usage and familiarity of Microsoft Word. The new Map Editor removes a key barrier to collaboration by enabling efficient information flow between applications.

"This is brilliant!” said Marc Orchant, VP of Marketing at Foldera, Inc. (www.foldera.com).  “I can already think of half a dozen projects I'll immediately be able to put this to use in. Based on what I've seen in the many months I have been working with the new Office beta, this is far and a way the best integration play from any third party. Bravo!"

Word 2007 Map Editor for Mindjet® MindManager® enables business team members who do not yet use MindManager to use Word 2007 to access and edit information captured in MindManager visual “maps.” They can then send the edited Word document back to MindManager users, who will see these changes reflected in the original map.

The add-in extends to Word 2007 users the ability to edit more than just text. Word users are now be able to communicate complex information quickly by inserting into the Word document a predefined set of MindManager icons, images, priorities, resources, and hierarchical structures. Microsoft Office users, representing millions of users in total, will now be able to better visualize and share ideas and information, make decisions and take action.

“This announcement represents a key step in our continued strategy with Microsoft to deliver valuable tools that address the complete business and planning needs of our combined customer base,” said Scott Raskin, CEO of Mindjet. “Microsoft’s adoption of the new Office Open XML file formats will bring about a sea-change in how people share information. The ability to effortlessly pass content from one application to another, as we have demonstrated with our new Map Editor, will significantly improve productivity and collaboration.”

By exposing the capabilities of one application to the users of the other, the new Mindjet add-in gives users the freedom to work in the application they prefer (MindManager or Word 2007) while still having access to the unique strengths of the other application.  This “round-trip” integration is a key facet in allowing the two-way sharing and editing of visual maps from either application.

Microsoft’s adoption of the Office Open XML file formats enables Mindjet to improve its Microsoft Office integration for faster exports and better information exchange with to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio.

“Microsoft users will now be able to create highly interactive visual maps of information they would otherwise see simply as text-only outlines,” Raskin said. “The combination of MindManager rich visual interface and the familiarity of Word 2007 give business users an excellent new way to create and manage information and ideas.”

The Word 2007 Map Editor for Mindjet® MindManager® is free and available immediately at http://mindjetlabs.com/cs/files/folders/mindjetlabs/entry72.aspx.

Allegiance Technology Partners was kind enough to send us an evaluation unit of the new Fujitsu Core Duo ST5112 Tablet PC!

This awesome slate is on its way to GBM's Matt Faulkner who will be producing an InkShow on the only Core Duo slate Tablet PC on the market today.

For more info on the Fujitsu ST5112, check it out at AllTP.com

Last week, Field2Base announced the availability of their new Tablet PC forms software Forms2Base. Forms2Base comes in three flavors: Lite ( free ), Pro ($499), and Enterprise.

To add to that good news, Field2Base has generously donated 3 licenses of their Forms2Base Pro application ( valued at $499 each ), along with 3 Forms2Base polo shirts. So, we have 6 prizes to give away and it is very easy to enter.

What do you have to do to win? Go to this contest thread, and submit an entry telling us how you would use Forms2Base in your business or personal life. We'll pick 3 random winners for the Forms2Base software, and 3 random winners for the polo shirts, so there will be a total of 6 winners. This contest is open to everyone over the age of 18, but due to shipping, polo shirt winners must reside in the U.S. This contest is open until Sunday, December 3 at 9:00 pm ET. Winners will be announced on Monday, December 4 and will be notified by the forums Private Messenger, as well as an announcement on the site.

Meanwhile, you can learn more about Forms2Base and download the free Lite version here.

Well, after Warner's excellent update on life with the Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet PC, I knew I needed to do the same. I have had this machine for a little over 3 weeks now, and really think I have a very good handle on using it for my style of work. If I may just ramble a bit, let me share my experiences this far.

Just as background here, in my day job I am a Microsoft MCSE working as a consultant to small and medium business on network design, implementation and support. My typical client has 10-25 computers on a Microsoft Small Business Server network, and little or no on site technical expertise. I may very likely be in 4 or 5 places a day, since I have 30-40 of these clients I either directly support, or provide technical backup or design for. I also by the way have a good deal of responsibility each day on a very cool web site called GottaBeMobile.com. :)

I am a pretty early riser. A typical day for me starts with that first cup of coffee, checking my email, RSS feeds, etc. This is all done in my home preferred corporate office location (my bed). My wife is doing the same. A Tablet PC is a must have for this activity. I then get ready by planning my day with a Mind Manager template I have developed that encompasses my work plan. Once planned, I get on the road to client sites, and move from place to place, using my tablet as both my notetaking tool as well as my laptop computer to attach to networks, etc. handling technical tasks. I am in laptop mode one minute, in tablet mode the next. At the end of a day, I typically end up back where I started -- in bed with my tablet.

Let me explain how the features of the X60 Tablet PC have enhanced this experience.

Size:
As an owner of a Toshiba M200 for several years, I have to admit that I lost a lot of my notetaking process. I used a TC1X machine for a long time, and took lots of notes. The M200 just felt too big, was too heavy and thick, and just was not as conducive to carrying around. The X60 has changed that for me, and I am once again using the awesome features of OneNote as I move through my day. It is small enough to carry comfortably, but large enough to work well for notetaking. Weight is most acceptable.

Screen:
As you may be aware, I have the MultiTouch indoor/outdoor touchscreen display. I really don't use the touch functionality much, to the point that I forget it is there at times, but the viewability of the indoor/outdoor screen helps a lot! As I mentioned, I may be in 4 or 5 different environments in a day, and I never know what the lighting will be like. Yesterday I was sitting next to a bright window, programming a managed network switch in laptop mode, and had not really paid that much attention to the light I was in. Then it struck me that if I had been using my M200, I would not have been able to see the screen. I have stated before that this screen does not appear to me to be as bright as the M200, but it simply is not an issue to me. In a portable device, mobility is key, and being able to have a consistent view no matter the lighting is a huge plus for me.

Performance:
I know, I know, it would be nice if Lenovo was announcing a Core 2 Duo version of this machine. I too would like the extra millisecond or so it gives me as I move through tasks, but in all honesty, this machine has run well for me. I basically have the bottom line performing model, with the 1.66mhz processor and the 5400 RPM drive. Guess what folks? No issues here, and I am one that uses my machine all day long. As you may have seen, I also have installed Windows Vista RTM now, and it is running even faster under Vista (although it is possible that the absence of a lot of memory hogging utilities, etc. is helping as well). I am most happy with the performance. Get over the Core 2 Duo thing, okay?

The Ultrabase mobile dock:
Once again, this has fit well with my style. I do not carry the dock in my bag, I leave it in the car. Last week I discovered that I needed a serial port in my work in order to attach to the console port on a managed network switch. With my M200, I would have been out of luck. With the X60? No problem, just a short walk out to the car, grab the dock, attach it and do the job. You corporate guys are really gonna appreciate that dock. I really do not often have to use a CD/DVD, but having it available when needed is very nice. Not having to plug the dock into power is also nice, since I am not always conveniently located next to a power plug, or want to haul out the AC adapter. The mobile dock is a nice concept.

Battery:
I cannot echo Warner's comments on his battery experience enough. I have no problem making it through the typical day on one 8 cell battery charge. I have my settings set at a typical level, and do not keep brightness turned up or down, but do tend to set my tablet down more often, whereby it obediently goes into sleep, then hibernate mode. I have the settings tuned to my style. Time to turn on is most acceptable, and has yet to fail me. I have had no issues returning from standby or hibernate, and I do nothing typically between clients except shut the lid, put it in my bag, and move on. When I get to the next client, I open the lid and go back to work.

Connectivity:
As I said, I am attached to a number of different networks in a day. I have had few issues trying to get onto either wireless or wired when I need to. Now that I am on Vista I am fighting some User Account Control and security issues, but that is not an X60 issue. When I need it, I have my Verizon Aircard slipped into the card slot, and all works there as well. I love the way I move through my day, switching connectivity options at will, and the X60 adapts to each one with style. I would prefer the integrated WWAN, but that has the negative impact of only being able to be used in one machine. My Aircard goes into my wife's TC1100 on a long card trip as well, which is an added plus.

Inking:
I really enjoy writing again with the pen. The M200 has a very good ink experience, but the X60 seems more fluid to me, part of which I think is a performance issue. I never feel like my ink is lagging behind, which I did experience with my M200 periodically. I have to agree with Warner though about the pen button. It is just hard to find in my hand when I want it. Maybe it will get better with time. The addition of the eraser is a plus for sure though, since I was used to having that with my M200. It is very natural to just flip the pen around to erase. There is practically no "drift" of the pen cursor at the edge of the screen either, which has been something a lot of tablet PC's have suffered from. I do not use touch to ink at all, and have in fact experienced some vectoring issues if I happen to set the pen down and accidentally rub my fingernail or ring across the screen while it is in my lap.

Touch:
Touch is just not a necessity to me, and in fact interferes at times. I have grabbed the X60 off a desk, walked down the hallway with it tucked under my arm, and when I looked at it at my next destination, found 2 or 3 programs opened, or some other stray and strange window open as a result of "touching" the wrong icons in transit. I really do see the need for this in a lot of vertical applications where using a finger will be much more convenient, but I just do not have that need, so am better served with it turned off. I really like the Windows Vista touch interface though. Once you learn how it works, it is a much needed assistant to your finger if you choose to use it.

Keyboard:
What can I say, the ThinkPad keyboard feels great to me. Keys are solid, not too noisy, feel spaced right, etc. I still wish they did not have that FN key on the far left though, I miss the CTRL key a lot, since it SHOULD be in the lower left. The addition of a couple extra keys for page forward / page back in IE is also a nice addition, I use those a lot.

The mouse "Wart":
The thing I still dislike the most is that touchstick thing in the middle of the keyboard. I am over it, but still would prefer the touchpad. It actually interferes with my typing at times, and is just harder to hit a small target. I do like the addition of the center mouse button for scrolling though, and use it a lot.

Overall:
I just do not have any major issues with this machine, and am in fact quite enamored with it. The one area that is a big change for me though is the desktop dock scenario. With my M200, I would come home, take it out of my bag, and plunk it into my desktop dock. I instantly had it charging, connected to all my desktop peripherals, network, etc., had a full size keyboard, monitor and mouse, all the desktop goodies. When I left, I would grab and go. It was easy, it was simple. the concept of the mobile dock is one I like and enjoy, but I still want to dock with the mother ship when I get home without having to go through a bunch of cable plugging, etc. I have to check more into this, I find it hard to believe that this will not be supported, especially in the corporate environment. Maybe it is there and I just do not know about it, if so, someone educate me!

I'll ask the same question Warner did, but not answer it. Is this my next Tablet PC? I'll let you use your own powers of deduction to come up with the response. :)

If you’re interested in getting a copy of Windows Vista Business Edition or Office 2007 for free (naturally there is a catch), you might want to check this out. If you register with the Power Together Campaign and participate in at least 3 qualifying webcasts (for each product). Here are some of the details:

* The Power Together Campaign consists of two (2) offers, the Windows Vista Business Offer and the Microsoft Office Professional 2007 Offer, and is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States (includes District of Columbia) 18 years of age or older. You are not eligible to receive these offers if you or your employer is a participant in the Microsoft Partner Program or the Microsoft Developer Network. To be eligible to receive Windows Vista Business, you must register at www.powertogether.com and participate in at least three (3) qualifying web casts and/or virtual lab sessions within 30 days of registration. To be eligible to receive Microsoft Office Professional 2007, you must register at www.powertogether.com and participate in at least three (3) qualifying web casts and/or virtual lab sessions within 30 days of registration.

Here’s the site link with much more info

Via GBM reader Fred Beiderbecke.

Samsung has released several models of the Samsung Q1 Ultra-Mobile PC since its original launch. We haven’t heard much about the Q1B, which is the model that deviates from the Intel platform and uses the Via chipset. Hugo Ortega takes a look at the differences between the two models and discovers that there are more differences between the two than just the chipset. Good information to know if you are looking at the Samsung line of UMPCs. Check it out here.

I’ve been a bit absent from the site for the last week or so because of work concerns in my real life as a theatre producer and director. During that time I’ve been using the Lenovo Thinkpad X60 as my main machine throughout rehearsals and also while we prepared for a ground breaking ceremony for Wayside Theatre’s new capital expansion. I’ve chronicled before how I use a Tablet PC in my creative and management process (here, here, here, and here) so I won’t go into great detail on the process. This effort was about adapting to a new Tablet PC, and finding out if the X60 was really the next Tablet PC for me or not. Since the launch of the X60 (Configure to order begins today, November 28) and GBM’s coverage of it, we’ve received, oh, about three and half million questions on the X60s that Dennis and I are working with. While I’m sure I won’t touch on all 3.5 million, hopefully this will answer some that have been asked. Note that I used XPS2 on the X60 for the duration. I am also using Microsoft Office 2007 and OneNote 2007 RTM.

Battery Life: One of the things I was most anxious to check out was battery life. With my Toshiba M200 I would alternate two batteries and in an 8 hour rehearsal day I could usually get through using both batteries. Although as they have aged, that began to be problematic. With the X60 engineering sample I am using, I have the 8–cell battery which is rated as having a battery life of up to 7.5 hours. Of course to get that kind of life you need to make some profile adjustments and not run everything quite at full. In rehearsal many times I am sitting in a darkened theatre taking notes. Turning off WiFi (Bluetooth was also turned off) and dimming the screen all the way down, I was able to get a report of 9 hours of battery life, which is quite an amazing statistic. Now, I did not run the X60 straight through for 9 hours, so I have no way of knowing if that is accurate in that setting. But I was able to use it on one battery with a full charge through an 8 hour rehearsal day, plus a couple of hours of work before hand. Now before the mathematicians start counting up things, there are periods in rehearsal when I would have the X60 in suspend or sleep mode, and also rehearsal breaks. The end result here is simple. A fully charged 8 cell battery can get me through a long day without an issue.

Inking: This is without a question one of the best inking experiences I have had with a Tablet PC. The pen moves smoothly over the screen and lays the ink down exactly as one would expect. An exceptional experience. Using the scratch out gesture or the eraser on the pen is also equally nice.

The Screen: A number of GBM forum readers have asked about the screen in terms of viewing angle and how it works under fluorescent light. The viewing angle is superb and I have no issue there. Our costume shop has fluorescent lighting and there were no issues working with the screen in that environment (that is where we hold our production meetings.) More importantly in my usage, I am frequently giving notes from the stage with stage lights on. With the screen dimmed all the way, it is indeed tough to see the screen, but adjusting the brightness upwards made it imminently readable under stage lighting. This is a vast improvement over the Toshiba M200. Although I do not have an indoor/outdoor viewable screen on the X60 I am working with, I find that it is much easier to read the screen outdoors than than the M200. That’s not something you are going to want to do in bright sunlight, but in a car, it is usable if you need it to be.

Lenovo Utilities: There are a number of ways to access certain utility functions, such as dimming the screen, muting the sound, turning off wireless, etc… Using the Toolbox hardware button to access these utilities at the moment is my preferred method of doing so, and I find it quite handy. This button is located on the screen and is easy to access while in portrait mode. That said, given the rich black color of the case and the same color for the button, I wish there was some way to make this and the other hardware buttons stand out. The tiny logos for the buttons are all but unreadable in a darkened situation, and also when I have the X60 open on my desktop or lapdesk, unless there is light behind me.

Suspending and Waking Back Up: Waking up from suspend mode would average 10 to 12 seconds before I was ready to ink again. This is important to how I work and is a considerable improvement over the M200. It certainly isn’t instant on, but it gets closer. I’m anxious to see how this works with Vista, as I see a significant improvement under Vista with the M200. I really like being able to wake the X60 up by simply removing the pen from the garage. This is a neat feature and works very well for me.

Speed and processing power: The apps I’m mostly using are OneNote 2007 and Microsoft Office 2007 (no small ‘s’ here.) There has been some consternation expressed about Lenovo not releasing a Core 2 Duo X60 Tablet PC so far. I don’t find that to be an issue given the applications I am using. Everything was speedy and responsive and compared to the 1.5mhz Toshiba M200 (with 1gig of memory and a 7200rpm HD) quite an improvement. (This engineering sample X60’s processor is rated as 1.66mhz and this unit has 1gig of memory and a 7200rpm HD.) Of course that is to be expected.

The acclerormeter and active rotation: The active rotation that enables the screen to rotate depending on which orientation you are holding the device is a nifty feature but in my work flow it is not for me. It is fine when I am sitting still, which I don’t do all that often. I am frequently moving around the theatre checking sight lines and audibility. When I am giving notes to a cast I am moving quite a bit. Having the screen rotate unintentionally when I am moving got to be an inconvenience, so I deactivated the feature. I would think that if you’re more stationary than I am, this would not be an issue. Of course using the rotation hardware button makes rotation easy to do if you disable active rotation.

Handling: When we first started seeing Tablet PCs with extended batteries that protruded from the frame of the device I have to admit I was a bit skeptical of that design or form factor, thinking it would interfere with my handling of the Tablet PC. That is not the case. In fact, the balance with the 8–cell battery installed feels very natural. I must be an odd duck (save the comments, I know I’m odd in many ways) but I prefer the battery on the left hand side of the device in portrait or slate mode. this puts the screen in secondary portrait mode. I felt the same way about the Toshiba M200, keeping the slight curvature of the form factor on the left as well. This makes it a bit more difficult to use the Nav Dial to scroll the screen, but that is an adjustment I’m willing to make for my preference. Not once did I feel the X60 was too heavy or too large to be toting around.

The Pen: This is a real quandary for me. Although the pen is very comfortable to work with and hold, I’m just not a fan of the button. It has proven too difficult for me to find and use effectively and my constant fumbling with it leaves me frustrated. I would use the Cross Pen that I have and love, but that keeps me from using the return from suspend feature I like so much. A real quandary, but certainly not a show stopper.

The Intangibles: This is tough to describe really other than to say that holding and working with the X60 just feels right. The inking experience is excellent, yes, but just picking up and carrying the device feels right. There is not a second thought about it. Just grab and go. Another intangible, very seldom when I am in rehearsal do I flip the screen around to use the keyboard. But, on that rare occasion, the X60 feels very comfortable to use in my lap. That said, I’m finding myself having to really adjust to the track stick or thumb stick or the wart, as Dennis calls it. I’ve never been a fan but, I’m slowly getting accustomed to it. I have a feeling I’ll be going to a bluetooth mouse when I’m using the X60 at my desk, an accessory I was perfectly comfortable without on the Toshiba M200. Interestingly enough I find it easier to use with the X60 on my lap more so than on my desk or lapdesk.

The Verdict: So, is the Lenovo Thinkpad X60 Tablet PC my next Tablet PC? The answer is yes. It works and works very, very well for everything I need it to do in my day to day life at the theatre. These last 10 days or so have been quite hectic at work, and the X60 never let me down once. In fact, I found myself being more productive with it than I ever was with my venerable Toshiba M200. (Remember I was and am quite a fan of the M200, legacy device that it is about to become.) Now that I’m through the most hectic part of a crazy schedule, I’m looking forward to trying Vista on the X60 (thanks Dennis for being the trailblazer on that one.)

I hope this is helpful to some who are considering the X60. Leave comments or questions. I’ll be happy to answer them. Just remember, choosing a Tablet PC is a very personal choice, and my experiences in the theatre just might be quite different from yours. That said, Lenovo has once again set the standard for convertible Tablet PCs in my opinion.

Check out the GBM Inkshows on the Lenovo X60

• Lenovo X60 Tablet PC Multi-Touch and Ultrabase
• Lenovo X60 Tablet PC Video Review

And check out the Lenovo Thinkpad X60 Tablet PC site.

GottaBeMobile.com reader and forum member Steve S has been putting the FrogPad keyboard through some in-depth testing and has released a GBM User Review of the FrogPad keyboard.

As a Tablet PC user, Steve knows a thing or two about mobility, and he offers up just about everything you would want to know about this marvel of a keyboard. I've been evaluating it as well, and am astounded at the depths Steve has gone in this review.

If you are an Ultra-Mobile PC or slate Tablet PC user looking for an alternative keyboard, you should read Steve's review and determine if it could be for you.

• Read this GBM User Review of the FrogPad keyboard.

Pricing at www.FrogPad.com:

• Right & left white FrogPad - Bluetooth, $150
• Right white FrogPad - USB, $120
• Right & left black FrogPad (BlackFrog500) - USB, $130

Robert Scoble (in talking about those Apple Tablet rumors) links to a series of Vista Tips for Tablet PCs on the Tablet PC Team blog. Some things there I’m sure some already know, but I learned a few things checking this over this morning. For example, I didn’t know that the Desktop Windows Manager (DWM) a part of the new graphics engine, which allows for the smooth scaling of the desktop and applications, makes it easier to adjust your fonts on higher res screens. You need to be able to run Aero Glass for that to work, by the way.

Some other interesting tips:

• There is a registry hack to enlarge the caret (text insertion point.)
• How to improve battery life by setting some features to only run when you are hooked into AC power.
• How to turn off some functions of Aero Glass and keep others.
• How to prevent some issues with the new round Start button on lower end graphics hardware.

Check them out here.

The Apple Tablet PC rumors are in full swing again, this time with SmartHouse.com reporting that Apple researchers have a full working prototype of a Mac Tablet PC complete with a docking station, and are looking at a launch in mid 2007.  Bring it on!

Thanks for the news tip, Timbo. You can discuss this in the GBM forums...

From SmartHouse.com:

Apple researchers have built a full working prototype of a Mac tablet PC and three Companies in Taiwan are now costing a product for a potential launch in mid 2007.

Sources in Taiwan have said that the focus has been more on the home and the education environment than the enterprise marketplace. Several months ago I was told that Apple was exploring a neat new device that is basically a touch screen that links to various source devices including a brand new media centre that Apple is planning to launch next year.

The Mac tablet has been designed to handle third party applications such as home automation software that will allow users to control lighting, audio, entertainment devices and security feeds. It also acts as a full blown PC has wireless linking for a new generation of Wireless Hi Fi speakers that are currently being tested by Apple.

Hugo Ortega and Dr. Neil Roodyn are talking Tablet PCs again on another podcast of Dr. Neil’s Notes. This time they take on What’s Cool in Vista. Take a look at the show notes, or grab the show here.

It looks like Hugo is also playing the role of Santa Claus for the Down Under folk, delivering a bundle of Samsung Q1’s to a number of his customers. Check it out here.

Mark Polino is discovering something I’ve known for awhile. Not only is OneNote a great tool for compiling lists and tasks, it is a great Christmas Shopping aid. He writes about in this blog entry, My First OneNote Christmas, telling about using a password protected tab for his shopping list, and also how he uses it to keep track of home Christmas lighting decorations. He’s using OneNote on a Samsung Q1 and seems to be having quite an experience. Read more here. Anyone else using OneNote for their holiday organization activities?

Mark “Sumocat” Sumimoto has been teasing for a few days that he picked up a new Tablet PC. The Tabletscape’s most consistent Ink Blogger has finally revealed his choice. It is the Toshiba Satellite R25 Core 2 Duo. He’s posted a Flickr photo stream and promises more info on his new purchase, including how he got the Core 2 Duo for the price of the Core Duo model. I’m certainly interested in seeing what Sumocat writes about the R25 given that it is showing up with such a low entry price at Circuit City.

Black Friday has become in many ways an American cultural tradition and also a shoppers and retailers’ nightmare. The feeding frenzy is certainly intense. Expectations dance like visions of sugar plums in kids’ dreams of Christmas morning. Long lines, tricky manipulative advertising, thronging crowds, and even a bit of violence thrown into the mix occasionally when things get out of hand. All to the tune of ching, ching, ching.

Well, now it looks like the same sort of thing has hit the on-line world as well. Apparently on-line retailers Walmart and Amazon.com suffered delays and outages with explanations of not expecting the large demand. Actually, Amazon’s problems came on Thanksgiving Day itself, when it put XBox 360’s on sale for $100 to the first 1000 customers. (They sold out in 29 seconds.)

Add to the mix, the release of new gadgets with manufacturers not being able to meet demand, (IMHO a part of the strategy), and things get tense and crazy. I’ve never understood that strategy (if it isn’t a hedge on balancing supply and demand with a new product, I don’t know what else you call it) and would love to see someone explain the economics that says it is better to leave customers ticked off and frustrated than it is to make them happy.

Now that the retailers are busy trying to create a frenzy around Cyber Monday as the big day for on-line Christmas shopping, I wonder how many more delays and outages we’ll see? Gadget manufacturers are famous for playing the hedge your bets game. Gadget geeks are famous for feeding the frenzy. And haven’t we all learned that the first units off the truck usually have problems?

I wonder if consumers will ever stop playing patsy puppets to the game that retailers and manufacturers play each year? I somehow doubt it. Here’s the question(s). Do you succumb to the madness in stores on Black Friday? Will you be sucking up bandwidth on Cyber Monday?

Many GBM readers are also avid users of Pocket PCs, smartphones, and other converged devices, so this should be of interest. Mobile-Review checks out the next version of the Windows Mobile OS, code-named Crossbow. From the review, it looks like there are indeed improvements and new features, although the review states several times that this isn’t the complete make-over that Windows Mobile 5.0 was, and that we’ll have to wait for the next version, code-name Photon. (There is still a dividing line between smartphones and and Pocket PCs.)

For Pocket PC folks, here’s what the review lists as the major changes:

• Revamped outlook, refined icons;
• Totally re-mastered sound theme;
• Increased interface speed;
• Bundled IP-telephony (VoIP, SIP standard);
• Smart Dial 2.0, fast search through contacts, call history; removable on-screen v