Just back from the Launch event at the Boston Sheraton Hotel... Here are my findings. I have pictures of some devices but I dont know how I'm gonna put them up... Spencer, maybe you want to get this post and my images (i'll e-mail them to you right now) onto a webpage and just put a link to the whole thing...?

My ideas about shows really changed. Many people at booths knew very little about the stuff... Other were really helpful and knowledgeable...

Some manufacturers had a whole bunch of demos (More remarkable Fujitsu had several going around), on the other hand, there was only one toshiba (which was one of the most popular)... Event people are also weird... They are really rude, and the people who were AT the event (mostly regular joes, I thnk, and a WHOLE bunch of developers), they just kinda snatch things out of your hands! really annoying! I was trying to get pics, and they kept getting the tablets! And finally: when trying to talk to someone, this person would frequently turn around and walkaway before you have a chance to speaking (this happened with many people, when I was waiting for my turn to ask a question. They were talking to someone, they finish and walk away without giving anyone a chance of talking!)


What was there?
- Toshiba Portege 3050
- Acer Travelmate 100 Series
- Viewsonic Viewpad
- Electrovaya Scribbler
- Compaq/HP EVO Tc1000
- Fujitsu Stylistic
- Motion Motion M1200
- InfoCater Acer Slate-mode case

KEY:
Nicest
Liked what I saw
Nice Design
Not for me
Didn't like


Toshiba - Portege 3505
Form: Hmm.. This is a convertible, the way I like them! The conversion mechanism is VERY sturdy, unlike the Acer's. For thos who already have an acer, or are familiar with it, the higning mechanism is practially identical (except for the bulging part on the outside) except that the toshiba doesnt have the side latches. It kind of just locks in place, but isn't ever really "locked"... It latches by a pretty nice mechanism which is shown in the pictures. It is a sort of little tab that goes into the lock and that can be rotated to go into the same lock when the scren is rotated... (see pics) The buldge part which can be seen on some pictures used to bother me, but after having the unit in hand I think it is really pretty!!!
OK, it is quiet heavier than the Acer, which is why it is in the same "rank" as the acer (look at my Smile Ranking! heehhe), it is also bigger, which increases keyboard size but also increases bulk significantly...

Shows latches that lock the computer either closed or in slate mode. (You can bearly see the side, but it just flips over from side to side).

This is where the pen goes... This is missing in the acer (sorry about the focus.... Someone snatched the tablet as I took the pict... see introd for comments)


Perfomance/Screen/Etc: Best performance... Didnt do anything intensive, but it opened Journal and everything at BLASTING speeds... I guess 512mb and a PIII 1.33GHz is a difference! The screen is huge! wonderful! and very bright!!! It was also remarkably cool, for a device that had been on for many hours! (They only had one which was on from at least 8am onwards, although they claim it was on at 6am)... The screen is a bnit similar to the acer, except it is easier to read, and does not distort as much (that problem when pressing the pen, even lightly on the screen), although it DOES press onto the lcd with a moderate-to-low strength push of the pen.

Overall: Acer is significantly smaller, and lighter. This makes a HELL of a difference when carrying it around in Slate mode... The toshiba, on the other hand, is prettier, sturdier, and bigger, which is good not only in the Keyboard aread but also because it allows you to hold on to it better (Bigger=more to hold onto).


Acer
Wont say anything about this unit because it is already known... Just some minor things:
- The hardware buttons on the keyboard (Mail/Web/P1/P2 and WiFi On/Off button) are practical.. I have programmed and used them
- Combination of IR, USB, Firewire, PC Card, etc, proves good expandability
- Light and Small
- Good bat. life (I get 3 - 4 hours on each battery)



ViewSonic / Motion / Electrovaya
Form: These are all pretty similar devices in my opinion so I will review them together. I also do not have pics of these except for the brochures... The scribbler is ugly... they didnt have one on, so I dont know much else... It looks like an old Gameboy and not like a computer. It looks like it has a small "mini-joystick" type pointing device (Like the Sony Ericson T68 celphone has) on it, dunno if it is usefule if a Pen is just pointing and tapping!.. It is SQUARE... Dont like it at all. Small screen.
Motion: Motion was a very nice device! Very pretty housing with a bright 12.1" screen. Very light too!
Viewsonic: Hated the screen writing feel... it was very irregular feeling...

Overall: Motion's M1200 was the nicest of these three. The viewpad came right behind it, and the Scribbler tagged far off...


Compaq/HP EVO TC1000
Form: Slate. I consider it a slate after seeing it. The keyboard does fold into the unit (not inside, but together), and results in what looks like an acer in Slate-mode... Pretty useless, IMHO, the convertible type would provide protection due to the clam-shell design, if it only closes with the screen upwards there is no protection. (See pictures for hinge mechanism and attachment)

Perfomance/Screen/Etc: Believe it or not, I found this unit really sluggish when compared to the others! I don't know if it was the processor, or if they had some extra stuff running but it was sluggish even running Journal and etc... The screen is nice and birhgt, but the screen has NO pressure sensitivity. This is terrible, as even when you turn off pressues sensing in journal, it still uses pressure sensing to make your ink look nicer. The Stylus is also a bit heavier than usual (this is good) but the tip is a "pressing" tip, that is, it has like a switch in it. You have to press the pen down, for it to sense. I guess this is good because the "click" you feel of the pen's tip "switching on" indicates that it is pressed, which makes it easier since it does not detect pressure, only on/off. The device is very pretty, otherwise, and the keyboard is pretty, although I hate the pointing device they use.

Overall: Wouldn't buy it for my preimarily due to the sluggish performance, and feeble digitizer abilities... It is competetive though! (Maybe this is why it produced worse performance and a worse digitizer)

Keyboard, no tablet

Converting.... (It can also be closed this way, to look like a slate-mode Acer or Toshiba, with the KB underneath)

It twists like a convertible

(like a laptop)


Fujitsu Stylistic
Form: Slate. Slim, very slim and beautiful!!! Very light, and perfectly balanced weight. The weight is somehow near the bottom of the unit, and it feels just right when in hand! It is really light (WOW! I just looked at the brochure to double-check and it is 3.2lbs!!! but it felt really light!!!)

Perfomance/Screen/Etc: Screen was beautfil! It is only a 10.4, but looks bigger, maybe because it is so slim, or something. Perfomance was really good.

Overall: If I were to get a slate I would go with this one! definately! The first tablet-slate that truely caught my eyes!

Front... The poky thing sticking up is a Pen not an antenna, as it seems...
Here the pen can be seen more easily. It is not all the way in.


InfoCater CarryingCase for Acer
Form: A very rugged case that covers the unit while the unit is in slate-mode. It costs 90 bucks, according to Geoff (who showed it to me), actually, he didnt show it to me, he just gave it out to me, and let me see for myself. He was not really nice to me, apparently instead of focusing on one person at a time and making a good impression, he was just talking to everyone at the same time, and giving half-answers, and what-not... To his credit, I was at that stand when there were many people around, and people were firing off at him incessantly... His assistant (I think it was a co-worker or something...) was standing behind their table, and it didnt look as though he was doing much!

Overall: Would buy for 50$? 60$? And it also lacks a way to cover the screen. It has potential, but needs to be worked on! It should have velcro somewhere to attach a "bag" for charger, cd, etc, and which can be detached. It should also have a detachable (velcro) cover over the screen. Preferably a hard cover, in the same material as the rest of the case which is really rugged and seems high-quality!