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TabletPCBuzz.com - The new M1400TC by Motion Computing
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A mobile thin client tablet computer was introduced today by Motion Computing(R), a leader in ultramobile computing and wireless communications.
Thin client computers allow organizations to provide software applications and updates to their users while protecting sensitive information stored on secure network servers.
Priced from $1,649 and shipping now, the Motion M1400TC Tablet Client runs the Windows(R) XP Embedded operating system. It comes loaded with Microsoft(R) Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Citrix(R) ICA(R) Client and Microsoft(R) Internet Explorer with the Sun Microsystems(TM) Java(TM) Runtime Environment. Because thin client computers do not store data locally like traditional PCs, these applications connect the device to software managed and data stored on an organization's network.
The Motion M1400TC Tablet Client uses the existing Motion M1400 slate tablet PC chassis and has many of the same features including its award-winning wide viewing angle display and an integrated fingerprint reader. The tablet's traditional hard drive is replaced with 512MB solid-state flash storage, allowing storage only of the operating system and essential applications.
I've reviewed the specs on the Motion site. The specs on the webpage don't appear to be entirely accurate, but the PDF version contains a more accurate version. In essence, it looks just like their Celeron tablet, with the OS being Windows XP Embedded and the storage being the 512mb flash disk.
I can see where this kind of solution would be a real benefit to large vertical installations like hospitals, and it continues to show where Motion has their ear.
USA
322 Posts My Tablet PCs: M1400VA and Toshiba M205
Posted - Jan 25 2005 : 4:28:03 PM
My company is one of the authorized resellers for the TC and I've been trying to identify opportunities for it. It is a very narrow space, but for the right company is a great fit.
One of the limitations is that when using the Microsoft RDP client, you can't use the latest version of the TIP. This reduces the usefulness mostly to applications where a company wants to allow picklists, drop down menus, etc. along with notes that will stay in handwritten format. Also, we were told that having a Citrix environment is highly recommended due to the speed of the network.
At first, I thought that it wasn't such a hot idea, but in healthcare especially, it can be great. One of my clients is a chain of physical therapy practice who runs a server based software program on a Citrix server over a wireless 802.11g environment. For the TC, this is "hitting the trifecta". Having it would provide a true tablet computing environment with a nicely sized screen, no need for local processing and providing the security of HIPPA (if it leaves the building, no information goes along). Since the USB ports are disabled, you can't steal data with a flash drive.
Another potential vertical market is auto dealerships. They run server based software, use more forms than a doctor's office and remain in close enough proximity that an indoor/outdoor wireless network would satisfy that requirement.
I'd be curious if anyone has other ideas for markets that would meet the narrow requirements for the M1400TC.
USA
230 Posts My Tablet PCs: Acer TMC 102Ti, Toshiba M200, NEC Litepad
Posted - Jan 25 2005 : 6:14:27 PM
but does windows xp actually fit into a 512MB space? much less the support for the tablet/ink features? this is a little confusing. and does that mean there's no other storage, or just that the OS is flash based? seems like a 512 limit would suck for the vertical market they're trying to tap... imagery (xrays, patient sheets, etc) alone would take up tons more space than the 512... hopefully time will answer these questions!
The OS is XP embedded, not the full version of XP. 512 MB is plenty for this device, as it is a THIN client- all software, storage, and computing power resides on a central server cluster.
If you have ever used PC Anywhere or VNC then you have an idea of what thin client computing is about.
That said, it should be apparent that this device is not targeted towards the consumer in any way. It only works as long as the user is tethered to a central server.
USA
308 Posts My Tablet PCs: M1200,
M275(1.4),
M275(1.5)D,
M200(2.0)D,
NEC (LitePad)
Posted - Jan 25 2005 : 9:00:53 PM
Thanks RBushway...
I recently made almost the same comment to kilar; he/she has a randomly changing character holding up a sign with the reader's IP, OS and Internet subscriber.
Xevious, I must of started writing when you posted your reply. Reading my post directly beneath yours makes me seem as if I didn't understand a word you wrote--which is almost correct
USA
35 Posts My Tablet PCs: M1300 1gig ram (go fast)
Posted - Jan 25 2005 : 11:26:31 PM
I think that the EMS market could be tapped. When I first saw the tablet platform, immoderately wanted to have one on my Ambulance, The HIPAA Protection is essential. I Think that a docking solution built into Ambulances could really improve paperwork and insurance submission. I think ambulance companies and manufactures would be the point of contact.
I think that the EMS market could be tapped. When I first saw the tablet platform, immoderately wanted to have one on my Ambulance, The HIPAA Protection is essential. I Think that a docking solution built into Ambulances could really improve paperwork and insurance submission. I think ambulance companies and manufactures would be the point of contact.
The TC (thin client) is probably *not* suited for such use. Being that it is a thin client, it doesnt have a 'working' OS of its own. The installed OS (XPe) has one purpose, and one purpose only: to load the destop of a remote server. As was said earlier, if you think 'hardware-based VNC', you'll get the idea. The TC provides *no* processing of its own, it requires constant access to a remote system.
For Emergency Vehicle (or any fleet vehicle, for that matter) purposes, it would required either an in-vehicle dedicated server system, or full-time wireless connection to central server (with decent throughput, 64kbps nominal). Both of these option boost the TCO and ROI way higher than is practical. Implementation of a full-blown TPC, with good HIPPA policies, would be *much* more cost effective and robust. Centralization of data can be handled by batch or other means, relieving the need for high-throughput, high-dependability radio pathways, significantly improving ROI and lowering TCO.
The TC is much more indicated for use in a geographically contained system (campus, office building, etc)
True, a thin-client, needs the right infrastucture, the right network, and not ideal on an overall ROI scale for fleet management, (case by case however), but on-site Citrix environments are plentiful. This is just making a thin-client more Tabletisitic, I see nothing wrong with this, only upsides. Although, the ‘evolution of the notebook’, takes many steps down, to a de-evolutionary state, not exactly what the vision was, Tablets now as thin-clients. But you can also take the view, of thin-clients as evolutionary stepping-up to the Tablet level, in terms of hardware. Half full, half empty, depends on your viewpoint. ;)
But what I seek is freedom from the ‘suspend-hibernate-coma-reboot-wait’ scenarios. No thin-client, no stripped down Embedded limited-use OS'es, the full thing on solid state, for instant-on. Long way off, yes. But what the Tablet really needs. Full OS and fully ‘ROM embedded’. Or maybe a 6 gig Flash or NVRAM stick at consumer prices. And oh yeah, throw in fuel cells too. Instant on and non-stop 24 hour battery life, Ok, yes, I am dreaming. ;)
Here's my ‘evolutionary scale’ (with notebook in dead center)...starting with highest order first:
• Tablet as ROM • Tablet as Tablet • Tablet as touch-screen • Tablet (Notebbook) as embedded thin-client • Notebook • Graphics Pads • PDAs / Nintendo DS • Logitech (and others) digital pens • Magnetic ‘ink’ drawing pads (Toys)
USA
322 Posts My Tablet PCs: M1400VA and Toshiba M205
Posted - Jan 26 2005 : 2:57:09 PM
DNAtes,
I've been in EMS for 20 years and still work as a medic in the Philadelphia area. we use Panasonic Toughbooks (yuck!) and they don't get utilized much due to Kilmerr5's reason: without "instant on" it takes too long to get the software up and be effective. Anyway, as was said, there really needs to be a contained wireless environment to be able to use thin client architecture.
I talked to a pediatric group today who has the perfect environment : Citrix, wireless, sewer based software.
Only problem is the docs want to take TPCs out of the office & VPN in and then you can't use a thin client.
Only problem is the docs want to take TPCs out of the office & VPN in and then you can't use a thin client.
Why not?
Not trying to be flip here, but if the doc has WiFi at home (or is willing to be tethered), doesn't XPe allow for some form of VPN? It *does* have a full TCP/IP stack, so tunnelling should be supported. Perhaps VPN isn't yet something that's *fully* available in the embed code, but the frameworks are there...*someone* has to have extended the XPe codebase to allow VPN.
My company is one of the authorized resellers for the TC and I've been trying to identify opportunities for it. It is a very narrow space, but for the right company is a great fit.
One of the limitations is that when using the Microsoft RDP client, you can't use the latest version of the TIP. This reduces the usefulness mostly to applications where a company wants to allow picklists, drop down menus, etc. along with notes that will stay in handwritten format. Also, we were told that having a Citrix environment is highly recommended due to the speed of the network.
At first, I thought that it wasn't such a hot idea, but in healthcare especially, it can be great. One of my clients is a chain of physical therapy practice who runs a server based software program on a Citrix server over a wireless 802.11g environment. For the TC, this is "hitting the trifecta". Having it would provide a true tablet computing environment with a nicely sized screen, no need for local processing and providing the security of HIPPA (if it leaves the building, no information goes along). Since the USB ports are disabled, you can't steal data with a flash drive.
Another potential vertical market is auto dealerships. They run server based software, use more forms than a doctor's office and remain in close enough proximity that an indoor/outdoor wireless network would satisfy that requirement.
I'd be curious if anyone has other ideas for markets that would meet the narrow requirements for the M1400TC.
>>This reduces the usefulness mostly to applications where a company wants to allow picklists, drop down menus, etc. along with notes that will stay in handwritten format.<<
I seldom use the TIP. I prefer Pen Office so I can just start writing, like the old Write Anywhere. I wonder if PO would work? Apparently ritePen is the embedded recognizer that works with EverNote. I wonder about 3rd party applications like EMRs? I thought Citrix fixed the hand writing issue long ago? I wonder if this obviates DNS as well?
Chris M. Wilkerson, D.C. Editor-in-Chief www.MedicalTabletPC.com MVP/TabletPC
I can't seem to find any reference to what I'm about to talk about, but I'm fairly certain it does exist. I remember MS describing a tablet-like product that would basically allow a user to use the display from his desktop computer as a tablet. The display would connect back to the desktop via wireless and would be touch sensitive, etc.
It's the same concept as the thin client but in a household setting instead of the corporate world. Obviously this hasn't taken off.
Generally, I disagree with the idea of thin clients. The only real reason you would use a thin client is for support reasons. My argument is that in a corporate environment, the desktop/laptop/tabletpc already is an 'appliance' that can be rebuilt, and swapped at will. You get the same level of support. Costs are nearly identical. There is a much heavier reliance on the network when using a thin model. It works well for the data server/workstation topology, but I don't think it works well at all at the functional-workstation level.
Actually, the "idea" is actually a pretty widely used one in the corporate world. Many banks and hospitals use thin clients. Thin clients have their place.
brandor, I think you may be referencing the "Smart Display" that debuted along the same time frame as tablets. You are right, they didn't take off - but they were targeted mainly toward consumers.
The new M1400TC by Motion Computing 
Posted - Jan 25 2005 : 12:41:23 PM
Microsoft MVP - Tablet PC 
