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Analyzing the Microsoft Tablet PC
An anonymous reader writes "ZDNet UK has an amusing - but accurate in my view - review of the Microsoft Tablet PC. It may not be the first, but it is the most incisive because of the way it dissects the many fundamental flaws in Microsoft's latest creation."
I've seen lots of posts complaining that the Slashdot editors aren't paying attention to what they post, and for the most part I just laugh and move on. But here's an egregious example - the web page referenced is indeed a review of the ViewSonic V150 AirPanel, but a Microsoft Tablet PC it is not. Rather, this is a "Mira" remote display device that requires a separate Windows XP system that actually runs the programs.
The anonymous contributor can perhaps be forgiven for making the error, but the editors should know better. Perhaps the editors need to first count to ten (or a hundred) the next time they want to post a "Microsoft is lame" article?
Man, those batteries are heavy ...
> --- All Of The Above --- >
Take two and call me in the morning.
graspee
this idea was concieved in good intentions but really just turned out to be a huge PDA. I'm gonna predict in 4-6months microsoft will pull Tablet pc's all together and hopefully offer bigger screen PDAs.
For The Best Jazz/Hip-hop fusion > COlD DUCK
You could have at least read the article and determined that this is NOT a TabletPC, but rather a wireless LCD panel.
Dumbass.
What part of "shall not be infringed" is so hard to understand?
A SmartDisplay is Windows CE with Remote Desktop and a Tablet PC is Windows XP.
See more at MS's faq.
The absolutely scary part is you just have to read the name to know it isn't a tablet PeeCee since they are required to have the word tablet somewhere in their product name.
--- I do not moderate.
But I don't think I'd buy an M$ branded one. And what of the small screens? I'll wait until 15 inches become popular / cost effective.
-- (Score:i, Imaginary)
This is not a review of "the Microsoft Tablet PC." It is a review of the ViewSonic Airpanel V150, which is a peripheral. Do the submitters actually read the fucking articles they submit? Because the "editors" don't.
OK...the first words i saw when I went to the link...windows CE....So right away I knew-this is no tablet.
Hello! *knock knock*
anyone home?
I'd insult them more, but my co-worker is reading a dilbert to me.
They had a tablet for demonstration at the MS student tour across Canada. I was at one of the demonstrations where they showed an "informational video of a survey conducted by students at MIT, not an ad," as the presenter tried to claim as we chuckled at the attempted brainwashing.
Despite MS evil intentions to force yet another PDA device into our lives, these looked actually useful, because of the advanced handwriting recongnition software. You can literally handwrite your notes, and either save them as plain text, small picture files, or move them to another PC. You can even do a text search through handwritten files. The angle you write at doesn't always stop the words from being found even. Truely an innovation in PDAs.
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
After reading the review, this thing sounds like a nightmare.
I don't get it, it costs more then a basic laptop, its much more difficult to setup, it has a very slow processor compare to a lappy, and it doesnt do nearly as much as a laptop.
This reminds me of those portable personal DVD players. They cost about $1000 for a 7" screen and all it does is play DVDs, for the same price you could buy a notebook computer with a 14" screen that plays DVDs and does a whole lot more.
This isnt some easy to use Internet Appliance like the i-opener, it is not priced like one, so just who is this targeted towards?
I would love a tablet PC, I hope they get better and better and cheaper. This appears to be pretty worthless though.
in the country who works in a warehouse or stockroom can look at pr0n while they take inventory. You know, I don't think I'll every look at the Best Buy and WalMart employees the same again.
sig
In fact, NetBSD was out so quickly for that platform that Microsoft developed and built their system using NetBSD.
Gotta love it.
Wouldn't that rely upon your definition of fundamental?
Has a processor, an OS, and memory, but needs a host-pc to run?
It requests that you change your OS to a particular version?
No, it's not really a TabletPC, but it's still something I'd never subject myself to.
Nikkos
No, it is you who is wrong. The review is for a Microsoft Smart Display which is not the same thing as a Tablet PC. The only reason this article got past the editors was because of its blatantly anti-MS spin.
Viewsonic Specs
THIS IS NOT A TABLET PC.
This lameness filter sucks.
1) Create anti-Microsoft geek community site
2) ???
3) Profit!
I read it. Three times. I don't think you did...
There is nothing in this article about a Tablet PC.
(From the review: Whatever the thinking behind Microsoft's Smart Display technology -- a battery-powered notebook screen without a notebook, linked to a PC by wireless networking and taking stylus input -- it doesn't seem to have included what users actually want. Emphasis added.)
-austin
Ni bhionn an rath achx mar a mbionn an smacht (There is no Luck without Discipline)
While blinded by Torvald's hands over your eyes you may have understandably FAILED to realize that the reviewed product is not a self-contained tablet but a wireless viewscreen, it is nonetheless obvious to the rest of us that YOU FAIL IT!
Am I being Offtopic for discussing TabletPC, but that was what the headline said....?
anyway - having seen Tablet PC, it is the most half-assed bit of design I've seen in ages. One thing struck me right off. Considering the tablet concept is intended to be used in portrait mode, why do precisely zero of the UI elements reflect this? The task menu is a tiny strip along the bottom of the screen and it's proposterously hard to hit with the stylus.
of course, the handwriting recognition is abysmal, but that goes without saying.....
'This writing business. Pencils and what-not. Over-rated if you ask me. Silly stuff. Nothing in it' - Eeyore
... as has already been pointed out. However more importantly, editors please update the headline to acknowledge the mistake. Lots of people may read the comments, see a single +5 comment pointing out this isn't a Tablet, next to dozens of Anti-MS comments and assume the +5 guy is a crackpot. He is not. This is a Windows Terminal Server device used to control your Windows desktop while walking around the house. It's isn't remotely Tablet PC.
... by the Iraqi Information Minister. In the summary I was expecting it to say:
"This is a tablet pc, any who claim that it is not is an infidel. You can see it is shaped as Allah intended, a tablet. This "AirPanel" does not even exist. It is a figment of the imagination of the dogs of the oppressors."
I think this review is VERY biased. For one, its not even a Tablet PC as defined by Microsoft. A tablet PC is a fully functional computer, period. In fact, I just got a Toshiba Portege Tablet PC and use it frequently in tablet mode (it converts to laptop mode for all the wienies that cry about using a pen). Its handwriting recognition is second to none, able to read cursive and messy hand writing. Voice recognition is really good as well, though I am sure there are better products available.
It has builtin WiFi and Bluetooth, 1.4 Gb P3, %12 Mb RAM, and a 40 Gb hard drive. Its a computer and very well adapted to the medical and sales professions.
In all, my experience has been very good with tablet pcs and I wonder when the open source community is going to think about developing such a product. If the open source community does not begin innovating instead of playing catchup to microsoft, it will never succeed. Here is something (the tablet pc) completely new that everyone I show asks "where do I sign to get one"? All of the features are there but the price is still a bit steep. But you have to recoop R+D.
In my opinion these panel things are gay. Tablet PCs rock. Where are the voice recognition and handwriting recognition in the open source community? Are there any efforts? Are we going to let microsoft reinvent the pc while we sit back and simply say... ah... they'll pull it in a year. BTW, they spent millions in R+D and they are not going to simply kill it. They may thorw millions into marketing though which they haven't yet.
Do your homework before advocating decisions for the open source community.
CmdrTaco is malicious idiot in his stupid sandals together with his Linux extremist's gang.
Huh! This is my immediate and uncontrolled reaction after seeing phrase "...the many fundamental flaws in Microsoft's latest creation...", which means, "let's go bash Microsoft"!
From article: "Tablet is the wrong medicinal analogy: suppository more adequately describes the Smart Display experience."
Hmmm...a suppository goes up into your backside, doesn't it? That thing seems pretty big, I would imagine some chafing to occur.
IGB: More fun than eating oatmeal!
Sounds like they managed to screw up the best idea they've had in a long time (although terminal services isn't new). I thought Mira might have a turned into a killer app for the home...small simple terminals in the house around a super-fast PC.
And what's this crap about locking out the "server" from being used? Why a licensing issue, if you've paid for both copies of Windows?
I've used LTSP, and it's simply awesome with just the smallest amount of tweaking. Definitely an area where linux wins hands down.
I'll wait until 15 inches become popular / cost effective.
Well then, you'll be waiting a long time. It is not on any of the manufacturer's visible horizon for even pre-production evaluation. At my company (one of the big 5 tablet pc makers) we're looking at 14.1 as being the largest display, and that seems pretty standard for the forseeable (sp?) future. Don't like it and think we're all wrong? Well lots of marketing time and dollars by many companies indicate otherwise.
Sorry bub.
It's weird and clunky, the battery lasts no longer than a notebook's, it weighs like a laptop, and forces you to jump through hoops during installation. I don't see why this would ever be considered worth buying. If you get a nice PDA for less money, the battery lasts way longer, it's more portable, and you can use whatever O/S you want on your main system.
Just get a Sharp Zaurus. Or a Vadem Clio if you want to be flashy. I got a Mobilon Tripad for a hundred and fifty bucks or so on Ebay...
Farewell! It's been a fine buncha years!
The worst bit about this terrible submission is that Taco will dupe the post in about 3 hours.
Trolling is a art,
The review hammered the thing. Yet it got a 6.6/10?
What kind of hardware is a 8 or 9 gonna get you?
Open source- the greatest equalizer mankind has ever seen.
You don't even have to read the parent article once to realize that, as the original poster said, it is not a tablet PC. It's not ANY kind of PC. It's just a remote-display monitor. It doesn't run any programs, it just shows you what your main computer is doing.
Kinda funny seeing major business plans aorund doing remote displaying with all the comments going around on the X-Windows topics saying how remote displaying applications in X is supposedly never used and the root of all slowness in X.
Anyways, just because this isn't a tablet PC doesn't make it not cool. I'd often like to have the power of my desktop machine anywhere in the house.
before you submit. This is a MIRA device, and not a tablet PC. Sure, MIRA devices blow primarily because they are underpowered and over priced. You are better WINVNCing into your desktop that uses one of these contraptions. They do have potential however, and I would hope Tablet PCs that are far better devices would gain the MIRA capabilities. I would use that daily from my couch.
ignorance is bliss. googlefiberatx.com
that just about covers it
Reading the lengths to which you must go to get a remote display on your Windows machine amazes me.
Give me the same basic hardware, but rip WinCE out and put a lightweight X server into it, and I could remote the display on my workstation without any software changes on it at all (except perhaps for adding a line to my X0.hosts file).
AND if the table spoke SSH, I wouldn't even have to do that.
AND the fact that I could also redirect the displays of my SGI, my other server, my service monitor, and anything else that spoke X Windows system protocol.
For all you naysayers who poop-poo the need for network transparency in your GUI, I say:
BEHOLD
www.eFax.com are spammers
I now inform you that you are too far from reality.
Toronto-area transit rider? Rate your ride.
I'm a college student in Biochemistry. I have an Acer Travelmate 100 Tablet PC. I LOVE it. I can take graphical notes in chemistry class, my entire campus is wirelessly enabled, and I can't imagine going back to my days without it. Tablet PCs aren't bad or useless. They have customers who love them and use them everyday. Get over yourselves and make a Linux Tablet PC for me to use. Secondly- This review ISN'T for a tablet PC. Check your facts, please.
This statement is solely an opinion. Kindly take it as such in all cases.
How about anytime there's an obviously biased "review" article posted (and misinformed - MIRA is not a TABLET PC it's a remote terminal) that the poster be required to forfeit all Karma if the article is:
1) Not what it says it is
2) not accompanied with a comparison piece on a similar Linux product.
We can all sit around and pick apart MS and their "innovations" all day long but unless there's something comparable or BETTER that someone else is doing then you're not going to get many converts to your point of view. (Damn long sentence).
"Do not be swept up in the momentum of mediocrity." - anon
2) Sell ad space to Microsoft
do not read this line twice.
can you contrast this to any other day you visit slashdot?
According to the review, this thing costs £999.99 (US$1,572.33) for the unit and £179 (US$281.73) for the docking station. That pricing seems a little high for what the unit really is. A quick search on pricegrabber.com turned up the Acer TravelMate C102Ti for just US$1299.00.
Why wouldn't someone just spend the same amount of money (or in this case less) and purchase a tablet PC. That way they could have a full fledged portable computer to take with them anywhere. In addition, since the tablet PC runs Windows XP Pro, they could use remote desktop sharing to control their Windows XP desktop, not just from anywhere in the building, but anywhere in the world.
The whole idea of this thing just seems a little absurd, IMO, when a seemingly better solution exists.
I can always count on slashdot for the fairest and most accurate reviews of Microsoft products!
1) Create anti-Microsoft geek community site
2) ???
3) Profit!
I don't think it's exactally working out that way, more like...
1) Create anti-Microsoft geek community site
2) post an article
3) repost article within 20 hours (bonus if within 4) or post a new article with a misleading title
4) wait, and wonder why you aren't making "Profit!"
Ah, the double standard - a common indicator of FAILURE. Are you implying that one should judge Linux by different criteria than one judges Microsoft? Perhaps under your inconsistent scrutiny it is less obvious that YOU FAIL IT!
ViewSonic products mistakenly portrayed as Microsoft products analyze you!
"Oh, you hate your job? There's a support group for that, it's called everyone, they meet at the bar."
Well, for a lot less money I can get a device that runs Pocket PC 2002, does handwriting recognition just as well as this device (and with all of the functionality you mention above) and is not tied to a desktop somewhere (via 802.11b) to provide the functionality.
.15 of the tablet.
Having used such a device in the real world for a few months now, I have to admit that I love it for its multifunctionality (mp3 player, book, game machine, and as much of a notepad as I ever need for meetings, and all the wireless I need with 802.11b)... but all this can be had for way less than the device reviewed. And the battery lasts just as long. And it weighs
So I fail to see why I would want a tablet. Not only is it not an innovation (CE has the functionality, and took it directly from Newton code IIRC) it is a step backward in key areas of portability and overall utility. Why bother?
I'm sure this article is just someone using the system to point out the editors' bias.
translation: "when someone uses anything from microsoft, everyone knows its very bad"
Er, I just wanted to say something different - it seems that every single >2 post so far simply points out that this is not a tablet - ok, we got it. It doesn't make it any more of a "not a tablet" if everybody mentions it.
sic transit gloria mundi
Since when does a Unix/Linux buff not like the idea of a dumb terminal? Especially a cordless one with a touchscreen!
Certainly the current iteration of this product has flaws, but I'd expect some support for the basic concept.
[PowerPoint] is a tool for capitalist presentation
...it's good because it bashes Microsoft.
Just checking to make sure I'm properly in tune with the hive mind.
"Ask not what your country can do for you." --John F. Kennedy
"Tablet is the wrong medicinal analogy: suppository more adequately describes the Smart Display experience."
Lawrence Person (lawrencepersonh@gmailh.com (remove all "h"s to mail)
http://www.lawrenceperson.com/
...why it is so hard to make a JUST a wireless display + keyboard/mouse that works with the EXISTING system. Just plug into the vga/dvi out, the keyboard/mouse or usb ports, and there you go. Works with any OS, and any existing platform. I'd pay good money for such a thing.
First let me say that Rupert Goodwins seems to have some serious issues, particularly harboring a pretty nasty attitude against Microsoft.
:
From the article
>Tablet is the wrong medicinal analogy: suppository more adequately describes the Smart Display experience.
Wow - zing.
>The stand doesn't allow you to tilt and swivel the display, which contravenes the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, which state: "The screen must swivel and tilt easily and freely to suit the needs of the operator or user".
Umm given that it is a hand held device, bagging on the fact that the cradle doesn't tilt and swivel (pretty much like every other palm pilot cradle on the planet) is grasping at straws to try and break a camel's back.
The device comes with a 802.11b hub in case you don't already have one. Already testing with the device and works.
>This is a bad idea: one of the biggest headaches for network security people is the proliferation of 'rogue' wireless access points, and there's nothing in the Smart Display specification to encourage consideration of security aspects.
Dumbass - that is like saying that since knives can be used to stab people and are made of metal and frying pans are made of metal it is obvious that frying pans are very bad.
CaseyB is pretty much right about this generation not being 'on the money.'
Want to know how they can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat? Simple. Scrap the proprietary TermServer client wannabe software and install the real TermServer client. Forget dedicating it to a specific machine and let it connect to any TermServer on the network. Let it run regular WinCE or whatever the current generation of OS for handhelds is running. Keep the 802.11b and let the user also surf the web using the WinCE or whatever version of IE6.0 Price it about half what it is currently listing for, at around $600 this thing would be head and shoulders above any of the current generation handhelds out there.
It would be a Handheld (like a big iPaq) whenever there wasn't a TermServer it could connect to, and when it connected to a TermServer it could be anything you wanted it to be (quad Xeon with four Gigs of RAM and a T3 connection to the Internet, or whatever.)
Now THAT would be something I am interested in.
Glonoinha the MebiByte Slayer
This would be funny if it wasn't so true. This is highly offensive to republicans everywhere... wait... that's a good thing.... okay... *goes back to his hole*
Everyone knows when you post AC, CaptnTycho. (or whatever the hell your handle is)
Porquay le illustrando y Microsoft salve griecos.
"Cuando tiene usar algo de Microsoft, todo sabe muy mal."
Me pregunto cuando dejarán de usar los estúpidos traductores al español que crean frases tan idiotas como esta.
English translation:
This is shit.
Dumb Editor
Are you as dumb as you sound or are you trying out to be the poster child for abortion?
At least CmdrTaco spelled "Tablet PC" correctly...
hahahahahaha
"... leave the Internet to thinking folks."
hahahahahahahahahahahahaha
you moron
So we've all figured out that this isn't a Tablet PC thingy - anyone know where we can find that reviewed?
I guess I'd like to see what (if anything) stands in the way of a Linix Tablet on that hardware.
This is sort of confusing though - I don't see why you'd want this "Smart Display" instead of a Tablet PC? Weird. (But then I guess I don't quite understand why you'd want a Windows PC anyway... games perhaps, though PS2 and GameCube seems more than enough for anyone...)
If I wanted to read crap from people who don't know the differrence between a monitor and a PC, I would just read CNN.
Perhaps it was the sight of Captain James T Kirk scribbling away on his executive starship tablet...
I remember we actually got a look at that tablet in one of the episodes. About 20% of the space on one side was dedicated to a light labeled 'System Failure' (which was not on at the time). That's right, about 10% of the total potential screen space was dedicated to a light telling you it was broken, implying that this is a 'feature' that is required often. Looking back, I wonder if this is what MS used as a prototype...
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
This isn't a tablet - it's some ... obtuse bastard child of a network computer and a tablet.
if you're going to make light of someones tech aspirations, make light of ViewSonic, the silly tarts. MS only sold them the rope by which they're trying to hange themselves.
calling this thing a tablet is like calling my graphing calculator a palm.
// "Can't clowns and pirates just -try- to get along?"
Wish list item 3 (after PPC970s and 10.3) for summer fun:
An AirPort G4 tablet with 6hrs of battery life, an 11" 1024x768 screen, slim/nimble version of OS X, slot-load cdrw, 20GB/512MB/QuartzExtreme, and brushed metal everything.
Wait, scratch that: roll-out 16x9 organic touch-display, 4TB holo-storage, true voice-recog, 10GB memory sticks, gigabit wireless, fuel-cell powered uptime of 3 weeks between butane refills, and OS XII-- for under $1K.
Thanks.
Damn those pesky terrorists
The next generation, the Caplet PC, will be easier to swallow and won't leave such a bad taste in your mouth.
_-=^=-_-=^=-_-=^=-_ Can you imagine a world without hypothetical situations?
OT, and yes, this sounds suspciously like the old Stephen King troll, but there are reports that the guy committed suicide. Not that he's necessarily a good guy like his son says, because he apparently threatened to slash a Jordanian journo's hands off if he reported the truth.
Sorry, this has no business to be in a thread talking about MS, or (the lack of) Tablet PC's. Just thought I'd point this out before we continue to make al Sahaf jokes.
More than mere navel gazing.
In the interest of full disclosure, this review is about neither a Tablet, nor a Wireless Display. The product reviewed is actually a bastardized combo of the two.
It's really more of a Pocket PC with a larger-than-normal screen that can access Terminal Services on your desktop (ala XP Pro).
A true wireless display would work with any OS and would be a far cooler appliance - IMHO.
is if they'd come up with an 802.11 X11 over SSH with public keys version of this. Of course, it wouldn't need much processor at all, just some display ability and networking. It should be inexpensive, no?
it costs more then a basic laptop
then - "at that time", "next in a series"
than - "used as a function word to indicate the second member or the member taken as the point of departure in a comparison expressive of inequality; used with comparative adjectives and comparative adverbs" (Both from www.webster.com)
Simple rule, if it deals with a point in time, use "then." If you are comparing things, use "than."
Thanks you
Off-topic - Yes - but I have to say that part of me feels bad for him. You have to wonder how much he was a victim of the regime. I mean supposedly Saddam's son beat the shit out of a boxer for losing a match. Imagine what he would do if this guy admitted they were losing the war.
Microsoft, nuff said
"Peace is a cry for those who can not defend themselfs" Unknown
This is just another example. The "Micro$oft Office XML fiasco" is another recent one, off the top of my head. This place is becoming more of a Microsoft bashing arena than a place to discuss and learn about open source.
But hey, it sells ads. "Page impressions" I think they call it. Don't get many of those if the story is about some obscure (but interesting) part of the BSD kernel - but virulent anti-Microsoft shit? Ahhhhh. That's where the profit is!
"Cuando tiene usar algo de Microsoft, todo sabe muy mal."
I'm a little surprised this clever bit of satire was modded as troll. It's a reflection of the anti-MS crap that flies around here. What's clever about it is when you translate this into literal english, it sounds like "When he uses something of Microsoft, everybody knows it's very bad." That's what Cmndr Taco sounded like in this flamebait article.
100% Troll for 100% you!
B) Go away, pro-Microsoft lacky of the imperialist running-dog company :-).
That is all.
I think this might not be a Tablet PC.
... ARM Linux on the 400MHz CPU and do netboot and net-mounted filesystems..
If there's drivers for the display and HWR available, of course..
Personally, I wouldn't mind essentially a largish color Newton tablet, particularly if its screen had nice multi-level pressure sensitivity so I could draw and sketch on it..
Still, it looks rather expensive, perhaps an OLED version someday will be cheaper and more durable..
(Maybe Apple's version will do better?)
Lameness filter encountered. Post aborted!
Nice job rugurgitating more anti-MS lies. True to form. Even nicer job not correcting your mistakes when they are pointed out. As much as I like many of the posters and discussions on this site, the editors' one-sided anti-MS FUD is about to send me packing for good. I have a hunch I'm not the only one that feels this way.
"but it is the most incisive because of the way it dissects the many fundamental flaws in Microsoft's latest creation."
/. is to have something derogatory to say about Microsoft. So much for unbiased journalism. Too bad the Linux community wouldn't know a real OS if someone shoved a 4-color palette up their ass...
Whatever. I expect this to be another MS bash-fest. I guess all it takes to get a post on
"Your CPU came with a keyboard? What kind of ghetto deal is that?" -McSuede
this is a very poor example of these devices. 2.6kg??? what's the point. a full fledged tablet PC with a real processor running XP Professional itself currently weighs in the 1.4-2kg range and includes a built in keyboard.
look at the next -real- generation of Mira-ish wireless display devices to be closer to 1kg and have a real CPU in them.
I dont see anything gay about these devices. If they were gay they would be more stylish, have more accessories ,and know how to throw a party.
Wow. You are dumb.
What the hell does this have to do with anything?
Pills are rolled in production, tablets are pressed. Clearly, Taco is busy rolling....
The best way to do is to be.
... I don't mind dupes. I don't mind beowulf honey nut clusters in my hot grits. I don't mind GTA apologia.
BUT This Isn't About a Tablet PC.
Not. About.
Come on! I don't even mind if you don't have time to read stories you reject. But stories you accept? And it's clearly not a tablet in the first paragraph.
This is overly sloppy, not the endearing nerdy we're all freinds here kind of sloppy. More like, we're still riding the dot bomb and we don't know how lucky we are so who cares whatever kind of sloppy.
At least that's how it looks from here.
-pyrrho
HuuHuuHuuuu! SLOTH LOVES CHUNK! This isn't a Tablet PC, YOU GUYS! SLOTH LOVES CHUNK! HEY YOU GUYS! Point taken. Let's just ignore the M$ bashing article now, 'kay? Kay.
OMG! Wau!
He said "gay."
(What are you, fourteen?)
"Tablet is the wrong medicinal analogy: suppository more adequately describes the Smart Display experience"
from their description of things, i think a folley would a better description of the experience.. i mean the default setup is to connect to other networks first? c'mon!
Yes yes, it's not a tablet PC... You'd think after people post about a hojillion comments saying that people would stop mentioning that fact! How come nobody took the opportunity to point out this little gem?
The V150 comes with a USB wireless hub for the host PC, in case you don't already have 802.11b wireless networking. This is a bad idea: one of the biggest headaches for network security people is the proliferation of 'rogue' wireless access points, and there's nothing in the Smart Display specification to encourage consideration of security aspects.
Look, I'll even get the ball rolling... Microsoft? Insecure?! Who woulda thought!
There are only 10 kinds of people in this world... those who understand binary and those who don't
Stop giving CmdrTaco hell. This article passed the stringent Slashdot tests for posting:
1. It busts on Microsoft.
2. It busts on Microsoft.
3. errr...uhhh...
Tired of being "punished" by the Slashdot $rtbl since 2002. I'm now over at http://soylentnews.org/ .
Yeah, I've seen one or two troll posts like that. The ignorance displayed is a work of art. X is not slow. People use X forwarding everyday and it kicks ass. I'm using X forwarding through ssh right now to post this. It's very nice to see Mozilla displayed with good speed through a 10 mbs ethernet onto a 90 MHz Pentium laptop. My wife could export the same program off a dinky 400 MHz K6/2 without much slow down for me. I use Star Office on her machine to get at pesky M$ formats. From the desktop perspective, any of them can share the PCIMCIA adaptor and so look at and store pictures from the compact flash cards I use. One day soon, I'll rig up a wireless card in one of my boxes and I'll be able to cut the ethernet cable.
Thanks for bringing up X, it's a clear example of how free software is much better than nonfree. X was designed to do this kind of thing back in 1993. M$ has decided that they can't tollerate more than one person at a time using their junk so they have never adopted the technology and they never will. They have struck out against VNC, forbiden such use in their EULA, and this is what we can expect from them. Using X, I could care less. As it is, I have the combined power of all of my computers on any of them. Soon enough, someone will port a reasonable OS to those tablets and I'll be able to buy one off ebay for $40. Cool enough for me, it's got a much nicer processor than my laptop does and might be able to run things without much help. You have to wonder why anyone would cripple such a machine with something crappy like WinCE or XP stripped of everything (even the browser? impossible). Crippled, that's the world of closed source software for you.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
In their haste to bash Microsoft, both the anonymous submitter and the slashdot editor failed to notice that the article doesn't even review a tablet pc. This is what slashdot has come to...
- A real programmer uses $ cat > a.out
This brings a whole new meaning to "assraped by Microsoft"!
If you're happy and you know it read my blog
All he did is quote a line from the article, and he was like the 100th person to do so.
Moderators fucking BLOW!!
I have a Fujitsu Stylistic 1200. They cost ~$250 second hand.
They're P120's with 24-80MB RAM and a 2+ GB HDD in them, and they run a full Windows 95 (upgradeable to 98, although there are a few issues, or to Linux).
The pen is easy to use, uses a tiny and long-lasting battery and is active, with a simple control for right click. Handwriting software is good but not brilliant.
The TFT model I have is bright and easy to use, the wireless network card I put it one of it's two PC card slots in works with no issues and you can plug a keyboard into the base unit if need be.
(if you want to plug a mouse in as well, admitedly you need the ~$40 port replicator, and the ~$30 wire stand is also helpful)
But I'll keep it. It has a ~3 hour battery life even with ye old battery in it (new batties cost almost as much as the base unit!), and it's a full and independent PC.
I'd have a lot more respect for the editors if they'd just come out and admit their mistakes (dupes, inaccuracies).
There's a Mercedes gap too. I want one and can't afford one, but it's not government's job to do anything about it.
Well at least we are sure of where the Iraqi Information Minister is now working...
Iz ther a skool wer i can lern to be jus lyk yoo?
Well damn. I spoke too soon. While all of you are deriding this product as stupid, a little announcement sneaks out that apple may be making the exact same thing. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/39/30239.html
I know, I know, it's the reg, but they're right some times.
It isn't that hard to tell the difference. Smart Displays are essentially wireless monitors while Tablet PCs are just laptops.
From what I have seen noone uses Smart Displays and Tablet PCs are being received quite well.
The handwriting recognition that was in the Apple newton was way ahead of it's time and in some ways is still better than what comes with PocketPC 2002 (the same recognition as the TabletPC and OfficeXP).
The Newton was the first consumer device I saw to use cursive handwriting recognition (and this was back in 1994-5 when I played with one). Also with MS handwriting recog. you have to pause between every word you write and wait for it to be processed. The Newton would buffer what you wrote (but leave it on the screen until it was processed) so you could write continuously and not wait for processing, AND you could write over parts of the screen that still had writing on it waiting to be processed.
Why Apple hasn't put H. R. into any of it's new products is beyond me, because it was the best I have ever used.
Everybody loves the Iraqi Information Minister!!!
Anyone notice how ZDNetUK absolutely hated the wireless display the topic links to, but gave it a score of 6.6 out of 10?
A big 7 for "features"?
Only a 6 for a product that mostly doesn't work and may require the installation of a new OS to mostly not work?
Seems to me I could get an easy 5.0 from these guys by duct-taping a non-functional USB cable to a lead pencil, and sending it in for review.
With a 400Mhz processor and 64MB of ram, this little display has quite a bit of power packed in it. Which begs the question, anyone gotten Linux to run on it yet?
Windows XP Professional is a Desktop/Workstation OS, not a Server OS.
XP Pro has the Remote Desktop and Networking support necessary for "Mira" to function
Not only did he label it a review of the Tablet PC, but he certainly must have read it closely because he declared it the "most incisive" review so far.
Of course, since it's not even a review of the Tablet PC at all, incisiveness must simply be a synonym for "critical of MS", as in "Slashdot posts are almost uniformly incisive."
"Those who have never entered upon scientific pursuits know not a tithe of the poetry by which they are surrounded."
And, going along with Slashdot form, the Spanish has grammar problems. A very incisive piece of satire indeed.
Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these...
Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
Friends of mine who are put off computers by lots of typing are amazed at the way the Tablet PC works. My girlfriend wants to do her next research paper on it. The Tablet PC will be well worth the investment for Microsoft.
/ overview/ 0,12069,561827,00.html
Open source and Linux is gaining some fantastic ground in desktop userland, ground that could be lost by Microsoft re-defining how you interact with your PC through dictation and hand-writing. This has the added benefit of opening up new potential uses for pcs. And new potential buyers.
I thoroughly agree with jkichline, I'm really enjoying the handwriting and speech recognition technologies of my Acer Travelmate. I looked at the Toshiba, which is a great tablet, but rather large, no firewire, no peripherals and overly expensive.
My Acer Travelmate came with WiFi, 800Mhz PIII, 256MB, 30GB, external CD and Floppy, and is a subnotebook with a 10" screen. Battery Life is phenomenal(or average for a subnotebook). The speech recognition technology has been near flawless. After a bit of training, I now dictate all my email. Sorry, but for office-ish desktop work, my tablet pc triumphs over my linux box.
Travelmate review:
http://www.zdnet.com/supercenter/stories
In response to this post and the feedback I received: I apologize for the use of the word "gay" to denote the Viewsonic panel. I do not mean to offend through the use of a word. I consider myself to be fairly open to ideas and lifestyles and do not want to come across as a close-minded, self-rightous know-it-all as that does not describe my general personality. The post was meant to foster action in the community and not to tear down those relationships. I guess its probably the stupid South Park culture that influences these choice of words. Perhaps its the sometimes childish comments I see on Slashdot and I am trying to appeal those people, or just try to fit in. I can now see that my post has enlived some discussion. I hope most of it has a positive effect as the ends are more important than the means. In all I think the open source community is quick to term anything that Microsoft does as a bad idea. I'm not sure if this is self-protection or what. In most cases I think its because we have so much to do as developers that there is little time to handle these other interfaces. Also, it begs to question if all that effort is worth it. So lastly, please accept a sincere apology and take heart that I will never run for public office. I would probably say the stupidest stuff on earth and end up holding public offense. :)
1. Bash Microsoft 2. ???? 3. Profit
Atlas Shrugged : Thematic Story
Besides being a cool little toy, I don't see much use for them. After all if you're going to write, why not use a note pad? If you want to type, better go with a cheaper laptop.
Let's see if I can help you out here. what the fcuk? sell ad space to microsoft, ha ha ha huh? like they are going to do that on an anti-ms site. oh that must be the funny part huh? you fcuking dork.
.NET?".
I'm not entirely sure where you're going here, but in fact the ad I got at the top of this story stated, in large white lettering on a black background, "Got
your nerdy sense of humor...you're such fcuking geeks
Um, yeah...and...? Is this your first day? Are you just noticing that?
how many of you are still virgins? com'on lets see those hands. you know it, your a social loser
You seem to be drawing the conclusion that people who have never had sex somehow don't fit in with the rest of society. Now, I'm fairly certain that you posted this as AC because you're just trolling, but how can you expect to have your opinions taken seriously when you say things like that?
do not read this line twice.
X windows manages to integrate remotely running applications seamlessly into a single desktop no matter where they run: you can drag-and-drop, cut-and-paste, resize windows individually, etc. (Gnome and KDE break this to some degree, but that isn't X's fault.)
It's also wrong to say that "VNC is just plain faster". VNC is faster for some things and slower for others. They just do different things.
Overall, X and VNC fulfill different and complementary functions. And the reason why VNC works so well on UNIX systems in the first place is because XVNC can use the X protocol.
In particular, sending the output of an app running on the slate to a large display for group presentation, similar to plugging a laptop into a VGA projector. Does anyone have something like this working?
Sure: you can send a live desktop to a projector using VNC. To do that, put a small Linux box on the projector, together with a WiFi or Bluetooth card (cost: <$200 total), and just have it run a VNC client with the "-listen" option on startup. Linux, Windows, MacOS, Palm, Zaurus, and other devices and portables can trivially connect to that and mirror their desktop.
If you like, you can also make it an open X11 display. Then, people can mirror individual applications to it, and there are a bunch of solutions for "typing" at the display without a physical keyboard connected to it (x2x, etc.). Linux users do this sort of thing all the time.
Alternatively, you can buy one of the WiFi-based presentation devices from Linksys and other companies; I don't know what protocol they are using, but it's probably less flexible.
Is this thing a Tablet PC or not? The comments so far are not clear enough on this point.
Um, "incisive" means "biting". Perhaps "insightful" is meant.
I think I would agree with everything the reviewer said about this machine. Who knows, maybe it will actually be useful in version 3 or 4 (like most Microsoft ideas).
But of course, 10 years ago, this would have been considered unbelievably cool, just like the amazing Apple Newton a guy brought to work. I still remember trying to push through the crowd to see that thing.
What's interesting to me is that the aspects of this product which would have seemed most magical then (internet, wireless networking, 15" flat panel touchscreen, handwriting recognition, USB) hardly bear mentioning today, while the things that are bothersome (network configuration, battery life, X-style remote terminal, Microsoft's participation) would have been just as familiar and bothersome then.
Machines take me by surprise with great frequency. -A. Turing
When this thing is a flaming failure, I'll be there watching for them to hit ebay, where I'll snap them up.
It would make a kickass linux/Xscale machine.
400 Mhz xscale CPU, 32Mb Flash, 64Mb Ram, built in 802.11. Big touchscreen. Yum!
Compare it to the ipaq linux machines and distribution at http://www.handhelds.org/.
I take /. out of my bookmark folder. This is ust retarded. They couldnt wait to poke fun at MS, but, oh crap, they got the WRONG PRODUCT....jesus.....this is retarded.
"The saddest words of mice and men, are not those which were, but should have been."
Sure it is. The silly tablet is crippled by it's software and that's what the article notices. It requires you to load up XP home addition and recomends that you back up all your files and dual boot your computer if you have older M$ software. Once you manage to make it work (it toook the authors hours), another software issue, no one else can use the desktop the screen hooks into. The authors noted that other software did let people share older versions of M$ in the past and that this is a serious drawback. About the only hardware information had in the article was screen resolution and that it was made less sharp by the touch screen.
If you really think X forwarding with Xfree86 is better than MS's terminal services then I've probably never heard of the drug you're smoking.
Funny, I've never heard of my drug use before either. Yes, for all the reasons I mentioned above I think X is far better than anything M$ puts out for the crippled GUI.
As for the smart display... X has not been doing this for years. X has nothing to do with hardware, let alone lightweight, portal LCD panels with a wireless connection in them.
That's right, X is not hardware dependent and that's why it works so well. X is a generalized interface, network aware, that can be piped through anything. It won't take long for the free software people to make this gadget useful. The authors described what they found in the box a pain in the ass.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
Suck or not... /. may bash it, but I read an interesting suggestion a week or so ago: business use of the Mira devices as a second monitor might be a great way to compromise between a desktop and a laptop for those who attend a lot of meetings (therefore needing a mobile device bigger than a PDA) but who don't travel (therefore not rating a laptop). Neat idea.
meh.
Reading it made me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. :-)
Looks like microsoft didnt send ZDNET Uk a test unit ;-)
Slashdot - The one stop shop for procrastination
ah, as usual at Slashdot, the senseless MS bashing continues. I love this statement- it at once opines that we do nothing to change anything, at at the same time bashes MS for doing something new.
How many original creations DONT have fundamental flaws? Things only get improved thru trial and error. Unless the poster is one of the perfect few who craps rose petals and does everything right on the first try.
Manipulate the moderator system! Mod someone as "overrated" today.
I am also disappointed in the lack of diligence demonstrated by the /. editors--usually I'm annoyed by dupes but it is starting to show up in the form of factual inaccuracies as well. However, I digress...
Not only isn't it a tablet PC (it's merely a wireless "intelligent display"), it is a very poorly executed implemetation of what it is.
Firstly, it costs as much as my notebook did nearly two years ago--and it is a full computer. Not only does it not need a host PC--it can also be hooked up to a television and play DVD movies. Why would I pay the same amount for much less? If I want to surf the net untethered I'll throw a wireless PC card in my notbook, thanks.
Second, I am at a loss to figure out why it's so hefty and power hungry. It weights around 2.5kg's (that's over 5 lbs) and the battery life is also comparable to that of smaller sized but fully functional notebooks. Is this merely due to the large touchscreen? I don't get it--basically it looks like this unit is a big screen with the guts of a Pocket PC PDA in it. Why the heck does its WinCE and client software need 64M of RAM? Is the protocol so bloated that 64M is needed as cache to make the thing usable? So much for the "thin client" concept.
All in all, I think the review was overly generous in giving out it's rating--it's a half-baked implementation and thus barely merits a 5 out of 10. The concept is cool though--right now it is about as ready as Windows 1.0 was when it was released. Perhaps 2 versions from now it will be worth considering.
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Follow this link.
Tsunami -- You can't bring a good wave down!
Have you ever heard of TightVNC? It's using the VNC code base but it'd enhanced in various ways. There is a list of features that differ from VNC here (at the bottom). And when you use the actual client and not the browser version it's extremely smooth. Low bandwidth too.
I'm looking for a laptop/tablet PC right now. Really, all I'm going to do on it is watch DVDs or other video files, take notes and do school work. I'm mostly looking for as light as I can get with a linkup to my desktop to transfer files. I was looking at a tablet PC for it's smallness and ability to do handwriting. Anyone have any advice? Is the handwriting recognition as bad as ZDnet claims?
or...
B) You're opinion isn't mine and it makes me uncomfortable.
A colleague of mone OWNS a Tablet PC.... that certainly does not look like the one he has. I can see it right now if I look across the desk... I'm sure he'd agree that that review has got nothing to do with Tablet PC's
X is supposedly never used and the root of all slowness in X.
I use remote X all the time and it works fine. Only applications that need lots of traffic to the video card, like mplayer, don't work at normal speed. I sometimes use remote X applications over my cablemodem, which is capped at 8kB/s upload. That is a bit slow, but not unworkable. And it is very convenient to be able to see the application the way you always see it.
Anyways, just because this isn't a tablet PC doesn't make it not cool. I'd often like to have the power of my desktop machine anywhere in the house.
This power is cool indeed. Welcome to X.
"I truly feel stupid for visiting slashdot today. "
-1 redundant...HAHAHAHAHA
I guess a lot of people are feeling that way...
"B) Go away, pro-Microsoft lacky of the imperialist running-dog company :-).
"
WHO LET THE COMMIES OUT!! WHO! WHO! WHO! WHO-WHO!
I tried to make it look like a stupid translator by writing utterly incorrect crap. If you insist on correct grammar, it should read, "Cuando tiene que usar algo de Microsoft, todo sabe muy mal," which, if loosely translated, would mean that Microsoft leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The verb saber, "to know," when used in conjunction with food, means "to taste." In my aforewritten grammatically incorrect sentence, this is not obvious. That was the whole point: Infinite monkeys pounding away at infinite keyboards for all eternity will eventually produce the works of Juan Ramn Jimnez.
I thought I'd reply to some points of yours just
for information.
[RDP over VNC]
it's much more responsive. screen updates are faster. the mouse movement and cursor changes are handled better.
Have you tried the shim video driver for VNC on windows? The original VNC had to use all sorts of tricks to be able to get screen updates without replacing windows dlls (like PC anywhere has to do). There's now a dummy video driver which intercepts all video calls and passes them to VNC and your 'proper' video driver. This has improved performance a hell of a lot. VNC also now does local cursor handling, so the cursor image isn't passed as it used to be, resulting in smoother cursor movement and less bandwith...
it uses much less bandwidth.
Not much in it, to be honest, if you try some of the compressed versions of VNC.
better handling of different bit-depths. whereas VNC just munges the graphics down to a lower bit depth, RDP actually changes the bit depth of the server so applications use the appropriate bitmaps/palettes.
This is a pro? Many apps won't run in (say) 256 colors, and I don't think the person who's at the other end would be too happy for the display to be downgraded so that somebody can have remote access. Ditto for your next point re resolution, and VNC can scale the viewing window to match the server (not the other way round, which seems a bug). You can tile dozens of VNC viewers on one PC, viewing dozens of servers
the windows key and combos such as 'ctrl-shift-esc' are not supported on VNC
Erm, yes it does. Check the docs for modifier keys. You can send any key combos.
RDP supports piping sound back to the remote client
Ah, now this VNC doesn't do, nor attempt to do. ditto for device sharing. Try doing all that crossplatform and you'll soon see why it hasn't been tried!
No, not a double standard.
I'm saying that, in my world, a poor interface is a fundamental flaw. But then I'm a designer, and good design is one of my standards. In this case, however, both linux (okay, I haven't checked out KDE3 yet, sue me) and windows fail, at least the default configurations.
However, suppose someone's fundamental baseline by which they chose to judge all operating systems is security. Doesn't OpenBSD win out over all of them?
I suppose that what I'm trying to say is that it's all a matter of perspective. From a business perspective it makes sense for one to choose windows. When it comes to the user's experience, I hear Macs are the way to go. But if we want to say "fundamentals" of an operating system, which is what the parent of my post seemed to imply, then I believe GNU/Linux flavors, the BSDs, and MacOS X win out when it comes the stated functions of an operating system.
The buffalo isn't as dangerous as everyone makes him out to be.
Statistics prove that in the United States more Americans are killed in
automobile accidents than are killed by buffalo.
-- Art Buchwald
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