Review of the 8 Hour Tablet: Electrovaya Scribbler

Lisa Gade, the chief geek over at MobileTechReview.com, reports that they've just published an in-depth review of the Electrovaya Scribbler SC2200. "It's a Windows XP Tablet Edition with lots of the features you'd expect on a high end slate machine like a 12.1" screen you can write on, a Dothan 1.4GHz processor and WiFi. But its real claim to fame is the huge capacity 10,200 mAh SuperPolymer battery which will get you through a work day without a charge."

Comments

Electrovaya... sounds familiar

[rsborg]

I looked around a bit, and found . These guys used to sell a battery that I really wanted (claimed 16 hour charge). However, my boss at the time wouldn't shell out. Now a bit later (4 yrs), I realize that it was probably not worth it, since I didn't travel as much.... but it still would have been nice, since

1. I have cycled through about 6 laptops in the past 4 years and
2. I still travel once in a while.

However, I did hear that the charge runs out pretty quickly (i wonder if I'd get as much as 3 hours from that pad these days), and the external batteries can be annoying (warm, and extra gadget to pack).... but some of my coworkers swear by their 2nd or 3rd spare battery for the long haul trip.

I wonder if buying the external battery might be a better investment than this new tablet?

I didn't see any mention of heat...

[PornMaster]

Given that a tablet is probably meant to be written on while held in one arm... are there hotspots on these things that slowly cook your arm?

Re:Not bad

[lucabrasi999]

One of our companies' apps takes a half hour or so to compile on my 2.4ghz P4M laptop, that's an long, awkward, span of time to sit there drumming your fingers in front of a client.

Since most corporate desktops are rarely 3.2GHz gaming machines with 1 Gig of RAM (in fact, most of the corporate desktops I use are barely more powerful than your laptop), I would first guess that you are running on a wireless network or cable modem. A cable modem is not a T1 line, after all. And, since it is not a T1 line, it takes much longer to compile.

Re:Tablet PC's?

[Rac3r5]

Actually there are a couple of uses. When I was in class in school, taking notes after notes, it would be nice to be able to take these notes down in digital format and not having to carry a big heavy binder. But wait, I can also search through my notes for stuff now. I don't have to worry about pages falling apart or carrying a binder for each class. Suppose im on the skyTrain or bus or sitting on my bead studying, I can go through my notes with relative ease... actually search through the stuff etc.. Thats just one instance. There are so many more... Now I just wish I had a tablet PC when I was in uni... btw,I use handwriting recognition software on my PocketPC and it works just great.

Ah, you ever hear of PEN COMPUTING?

[Infinite Entropy]

Judgeing by your comment I wonder if you realize that Tablet PCs are fundamentally pen-based computers. And the pen functionality is VERY slick indeed. I have a Toshiba M200 and its I never get tired of whipping it out in class and using it to take notes. Its really helped my to improve my note taking.

Re:Tablet PC's?

[Webtommy88]

I wish i had mod points to mod you up.

This is especially useful because all my notes come in PDF format so it works incredibly well by opening the pdf in acrobat and editing it straight.

Also, being a CS/Math major, writting complex equations is alot easier then on a keyboard.

Re:Not bad

[IAMTHEMEDIA]

Unless your just planning on using spreadsheet and word I would see most sales in the near future going toward those who want the entire multimedia deal, I would use it as my computer of choice given the oppertunity to trick it out, and of course, run Suse 9.1. New battery technology will help make more then just this lameass product run for long periods, it will help fuel the convergence so I can make a call, organize my stocks and play Doom 3 while riding the A train at the same time. Good deal on the battery but the product its self just issint impressive enough to buy.

Re:Tablet PC's?

[larryj]

At least at my office, pecking away at a keyboard during a meeting is a bit rude.

I sit in meetings and quietly take notes. I have 2 years worth of notes that I can search in seconds. That's my handwriting that I'm searching through too. If I want, I can convert it to text but I've never really found a need to do that. I can also record the audio of the meeting and my notes are highlighted at the appropriate time during playback.