There was an old, much-heralded (in fact, many people used it to run Linux!) notebook called the Samsung Sens 810. http://www.atd.ucar.edu/homes/burghart/SENS810.htm l The keyboard split in the middle to make it similar to a Microsoft Natural Keyboard in functionality. While the days of Pentium-100 laptops are long gone, it's still a good design, and with 15" displays now prevalent, there's no reason some enterprising manufacturer couldn't integrate one.
If this kind of keyboard is a requirement on a laptop, you may be able to find a cheap Sens 810 on eBay (for the lazy, that link will do the search for you). It would probably make a good Linux box for basic word processing - and would definitely do well with VNC to that 1.3ghz Athlon beast you have stored away somewhere..
Ben
The Wacom tablets could be close to what you need... check them out at www.wacom.com. The Graphire is a cheap USB option, which can be had at your local Sam's Club store or at many fine online establishments. As you move up the scale, they have tablets such as the Intuos that can handle the "Intuos Inking Pen" (so you can sign a receipt at the same time you capture, if you so choose) and at the top of the line, the PL series, which is a LCD screen with a tablet on top.
If you need to slide in a receipt like they do at Circuit City, a bit of plastic cut to shape and glued to the tablet shoudl work beautifully. The Graphire comes with a plastic shield anyway - just cut three/fourths of a box out of it and slide the receipt right in.
Slashdot Mirror
What's the 25rd century again? :)
Ben
Actually, there are some interesting patents out there but none I could find from Samsung. Click here for one I found, which has a nice list of related patents below it Hope this helps someone.
There was an old, much-heralded (in fact, many people used it to run Linux!) notebook called the Samsung Sens 810.m l
http://www.atd.ucar.edu/homes/burghart/SENS810.ht
The keyboard split in the middle to make it similar to a Microsoft Natural Keyboard in functionality. While the days of Pentium-100 laptops are long gone, it's still a good design, and with 15" displays now prevalent, there's no reason some enterprising manufacturer couldn't integrate one.
If this kind of keyboard is a requirement on a laptop, you may be able to find a cheap Sens 810 on eBay (for the lazy, that link will do the search for you). It would probably make a good Linux box for basic word processing - and would definitely do well with VNC to that 1.3ghz Athlon beast you have stored away somewhere..
Ben
The Wacom tablets could be close to what you need... check them out at www.wacom.com. The Graphire is a cheap USB option, which can be had at your local Sam's Club store or at many fine online establishments. As you move up the scale, they have tablets such as the Intuos that can handle the "Intuos Inking Pen" (so you can sign a receipt at the same time you capture, if you so choose) and at the top of the line, the PL series, which is a LCD screen with a tablet on top.
If you need to slide in a receipt like they do at Circuit City, a bit of plastic cut to shape and glued to the tablet shoudl work beautifully. The Graphire comes with a plastic shield anyway - just cut three/fourths of a box out of it and slide the receipt right in.
Hope this helps!
Ben