I am considering buying a tablet style laptop but would like some advice.



I have to walk (unfortunately not drive in car) around city and town centres
(also rural locations) and enter Google Map co-ordinates into MS Access
database. The database application has a function where I simply click a
button on the screen and it launches a minimal browser style window with the
Google Map inside it. I then just click on the map to mark where the entry
actually is (browsing is made possible via Bluetooth to my 3G phone) and by
pressing submit, it then enters the latitude and longitude into the
database. Ideally it would be great if I could do this on a small IPAQ size
device but there isn't a version of Access that runs on Pocket PC 2003.



I need something with the following spec:



a.. touchscreen so I can use stylus for quick point and click
b.. over 3 hours battery
c.. under 1.5kgs
d.. built in Blue Tooth
e.. capable of running XP Pro
f.. Under £250
No need for a keyboard or internal cd/dvd drive.



I have been looking around (mainly eBay) but it doesn't seem I am going to
get the combination of price, battery life and anything weighing less than
2.5 kgs.



Be grateful for any advice on what models to look for. Perhaps I've some
good candidates?



Cheers



Phil

"Phil Latio" <phil.latio@f-in-stupid.co.uk> wrote in news:gA0yl.229516
$RD2.1943@fe08.news.easynews.com:

> a.. touchscreen so I can use stylus for quick point and click
> b.. over 3 hours battery
> c.. under 1.5kgs
> d.. built in Blue Tooth
> e.. capable of running XP Pro
> f.. Under œ250
> No need for a keyboard or internal cd/dvd drive.
>

Phil, let's move our thinking around a bit......

Let's leave the applications running on the desktop at home or office
and operate the applications using Remote Desktop to a little handheld
Nokia N800 Linux tablet from your coat pocket.

Setting up Remote Desktop on WinXP is easy and quite safe. Tell it to
use an odd, high port number, instead of the default remote desktop port
to stop the bot scanners from finding it. That will reduce the load on
the calls. It did mine. Create a separate secure user to WinXP logon
screen.

I paid $75 for my last Nokia N800 tablet in fine condition used. Don't
worry about its software as even the OS in it is installed from a WinXP
software loader free from Nokia.

Ok, now we'll need to install a remote desktop app for the N800:
http://maemo.org/downloads/product/OS2007/rdesktop/
When you get your little Linux tablet, just return to this webpage on
the maemo tablet software website and click that green arrow to
autoinstall it on the tablet. Default the location and OK the warnings
when it installs. That's real easy to install software on this little
Linux box...

Now, when you run rdesktop it doesn't know who to connect to, so a popup
window will come up asking you to fill in the address, access password,
port number, etc., from your WinXP box, so be sure you note that
information. When you connect, the tablet screen will become the
desktop screen of your WinXP box back home...from anywhere on the planet
with internet access. You can run the programs that do what you want
remotely. As you've said you don't need a keyboard to type on, it's
just right the way it is. I'm using a rubber rollup keyboard from the
UK plugged into a USB host adapter from Canada on my little N800 so I
can type on the WinXP box through the tablet. For casual input, you can
also let rdesktop run the onscreen Windows Keyboard on the XP box by
clicking START - PROGRAMS - ACCESORIES - ACCESIBILITY - ONSCREEN
KEYBOARD with your stylus to put the XP's onscreen keyboard on the
tablet's screen. It's ok for URL typing, etc., but I wouldn't want to
write a book on it.

Let the big XP box do all the heavy lifting and run it remotely from a
tablet that DOESN'T cost $2400 like you're thinking about. The N800
screen is 800 x 600 pixels, a real screen, and the stylus touchscreen is
very fine and accurate to click that button. With the programs running
on your desktop back home, storage is right where you need it...those
big hard drives on your main computer. No syncing, no copying, no
moving....it'll be there when you get home....

Will that work for you?................................cheep!

"Phil Latio" <phil.latio@f-in-stupid.co.uk> wrote in news:gA0yl.229516
$RD2.1943@fe08.news.easynews.com:

> a.. touchscreen so I can use stylus for quick point and click
> b.. over 3 hours battery
> c.. under 1.5kgs
> d.. built in Blue Tooth
> e.. capable of running XP Pro
> f.. Under œ250
> No need for a keyboard or internal cd/dvd drive.
>

Phil, let's move our thinking around a bit......

Let's leave the applications running on the desktop at home or office
and operate the applications using Remote Desktop to a little handheld
Nokia N800 Linux tablet from your coat pocket.

Setting up Remote Desktop on WinXP is easy and quite safe. Tell it to
use an odd, high port number, instead of the default remote desktop port
to stop the bot scanners from finding it. That will reduce the load on
the calls. It did mine. Create a separate secure user to WinXP logon
screen.

I paid $75 for my last Nokia N800 tablet in fine condition used. Don't
worry about its software as even the OS in it is installed from a WinXP
software loader free from Nokia.

Ok, now we'll need to install a remote desktop app for the N800:
http://maemo.org/downloads/product/OS2007/rdesktop/
When you get your little Linux tablet, just return to this webpage on
the maemo tablet software website and click that green arrow to
autoinstall it on the tablet. Default the location and OK the warnings
when it installs. That's real easy to install software on this little
Linux box...

Now, when you run rdesktop it doesn't know who to connect to, so a popup
window will come up asking you to fill in the address, access password,
port number, etc., from your WinXP box, so be sure you note that
information. When you connect, the tablet screen will become the
desktop screen of your WinXP box back home...from anywhere on the planet
with internet access. You can run the programs that do what you want
remotely. As you've said you don't need a keyboard to type on, it's
just right the way it is. I'm using a rubber rollup keyboard from the
UK plugged into a USB host adapter from Canada on my little N800 so I
can type on the WinXP box through the tablet. For casual input, you can
also let rdesktop run the onscreen Windows Keyboard on the XP box by
clicking START - PROGRAMS - ACCESORIES - ACCESIBILITY - ONSCREEN
KEYBOARD with your stylus to put the XP's onscreen keyboard on the
tablet's screen. It's ok for URL typing, etc., but I wouldn't want to
write a book on it.

Let the big XP box do all the heavy lifting and run it remotely from a
tablet that DOESN'T cost $2400 like you're thinking about. The N800
screen is 800 x 600 pixels, a real screen, and the stylus touchscreen is
very fine and accurate to click that button. With the programs running
on your desktop back home, storage is right where you need it...those
big hard drives on your main computer. No syncing, no copying, no
moving....it'll be there when you get home....

Will that work for you?................................cheep!

"Larry" <noone@home.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9BD88D064E707noonehomecom@74.209.131.13...
> "Phil Latio" <phil.latio@f-in-stupid.co.uk> wrote in news:gA0yl.229516
> $RD2.1943@fe08.news.easynews.com:
>
>> a.. touchscreen so I can use stylus for quick point and click
>> b.. over 3 hours battery
>> c.. under 1.5kgs
>> d.. built in Blue Tooth
>> e.. capable of running XP Pro
>> f.. Under o250
>> No need for a keyboard or internal cd/dvd drive.
>>
>
> Phil, let's move our thinking around a bit......
>
> Let's leave the applications running on the desktop at home or office
> and operate the applications using Remote Desktop to a little handheld
> Nokia N800 Linux tablet from your coat pocket.

What an excellent idea. I could even do this from my IPAQ.

Cheers

Phil

"Larry" <noone@home.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9BD88D064E707noonehomecom@74.209.131.13...
> "Phil Latio" <phil.latio@f-in-stupid.co.uk> wrote in news:gA0yl.229516
> $RD2.1943@fe08.news.easynews.com:
>
>> a.. touchscreen so I can use stylus for quick point and click
>> b.. over 3 hours battery
>> c.. under 1.5kgs
>> d.. built in Blue Tooth
>> e.. capable of running XP Pro
>> f.. Under o250
>> No need for a keyboard or internal cd/dvd drive.
>>
>
> Phil, let's move our thinking around a bit......
>
> Let's leave the applications running on the desktop at home or office
> and operate the applications using Remote Desktop to a little handheld
> Nokia N800 Linux tablet from your coat pocket.

What an excellent idea. I could even do this from my IPAQ.

Cheers

Phil

Larry <noone@home.com> wrote:

>Setting up Remote Desktop on WinXP is easy and quite safe...
>...When you connect, the tablet screen will become the
>desktop screen of your WinXP box back home...from anywhere on the planet
>with internet access.

Does this work when your ISP uses dynamic addressing? If so, how does
the tablet know what the address is if the address of the box back
home changes?

Larry <noone@home.com> wrote:

>Setting up Remote Desktop on WinXP is easy and quite safe...
>...When you connect, the tablet screen will become the
>desktop screen of your WinXP box back home...from anywhere on the planet
>with internet access.

Does this work when your ISP uses dynamic addressing? If so, how does
the tablet know what the address is if the address of the box back
home changes?

www.dyndns.org :-P

www.dyndns.org :-P

"Phil Latio" <phil.latio@f-in-stupid.co.uk> wrote in news:3Lbyl.229646
$RD2.186725@fe08.news.easynews.com:

>
> "Larry" <noone@home.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns9BD88D064E707noonehomecom@74.209.131.13...
>> "Phil Latio" <phil.latio@f-in-stupid.co.uk> wrote in news:gA0yl.229516
>> $RD2.1943@fe08.news.easynews.com:
>>
>>> a.. touchscreen so I can use stylus for quick point and click
>>> b.. over 3 hours battery
>>> c.. under 1.5kgs
>>> d.. built in Blue Tooth
>>> e.. capable of running XP Pro
>>> f.. Under o250
>>> No need for a keyboard or internal cd/dvd drive.
>>>
>>
>> Phil, let's move our thinking around a bit......
>>
>> Let's leave the applications running on the desktop at home or office
>> and operate the applications using Remote Desktop to a little handheld
>> Nokia N800 Linux tablet from your coat pocket.
>
> What an excellent idea. I could even do this from my IPAQ.
>
> Cheers
>
> Phil
>
>
>

Yep....Letting the mainframe do all the heavy lifting is an old idea, much
as I'd like to take credit for it...(c;]

"Phil Latio" <phil.latio@f-in-stupid.co.uk> wrote in news:3Lbyl.229646
$RD2.186725@fe08.news.easynews.com:

>
> "Larry" <noone@home.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns9BD88D064E707noonehomecom@74.209.131.13...
>> "Phil Latio" <phil.latio@f-in-stupid.co.uk> wrote in news:gA0yl.229516
>> $RD2.1943@fe08.news.easynews.com:
>>
>>> a.. touchscreen so I can use stylus for quick point and click
>>> b.. over 3 hours battery
>>> c.. under 1.5kgs
>>> d.. built in Blue Tooth
>>> e.. capable of running XP Pro
>>> f.. Under o250
>>> No need for a keyboard or internal cd/dvd drive.
>>>
>>
>> Phil, let's move our thinking around a bit......
>>
>> Let's leave the applications running on the desktop at home or office
>> and operate the applications using Remote Desktop to a little handheld
>> Nokia N800 Linux tablet from your coat pocket.
>
> What an excellent idea. I could even do this from my IPAQ.
>
> Cheers
>
> Phil
>
>
>

Yep....Letting the mainframe do all the heavy lifting is an old idea, much
as I'd like to take credit for it...(c;]

AJL <nomail@fakeaddress.com> wrote in
news:mtmis4hcr8va0jnr4jjdrl0dlhb1idkjma@4ax.com:

> Larry <noone@home.com> wrote:
>
>>Setting up Remote Desktop on WinXP is easy and quite safe...
>>...When you connect, the tablet screen will become the
>>desktop screen of your WinXP box back home...from anywhere on the planet
>>with internet access.
>
> Does this work when your ISP uses dynamic addressing? If so, how does
> the tablet know what the address is if the address of the box back
> home changes?
>

There are dynamic DNS registries available to bypass this ISP nonsense.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_DNS

AJL <nomail@fakeaddress.com> wrote in
news:mtmis4hcr8va0jnr4jjdrl0dlhb1idkjma@4ax.com:

> Larry <noone@home.com> wrote:
>
>>Setting up Remote Desktop on WinXP is easy and quite safe...
>>...When you connect, the tablet screen will become the
>>desktop screen of your WinXP box back home...from anywhere on the planet
>>with internet access.
>
> Does this work when your ISP uses dynamic addressing? If so, how does
> the tablet know what the address is if the address of the box back
> home changes?
>

There are dynamic DNS registries available to bypass this ISP nonsense.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_DNS

AJL <nomail@fakeaddress.com> wrote in
news:mtmis4hcr8va0jnr4jjdrl0dlhb1idkjma@4ax.com:

> Larry <noone@home.com> wrote:
>
>>Setting up Remote Desktop on WinXP is easy and quite safe...
>>...When you connect, the tablet screen will become the
>>desktop screen of your WinXP box back home...from anywhere on the planet
>>with internet access.
>
> Does this work when your ISP uses dynamic addressing? If so, how does
> the tablet know what the address is if the address of the box back
> home changes?
>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_DNS

Once you have your Dynamic DNS nameserver setup, the software in your home
computer keeps the actual IP updated by sending it to the server you call
at yourname.org, your system's name on the net. Read about it on
wikipedia.

AJL <nomail@fakeaddress.com> wrote in
news:mtmis4hcr8va0jnr4jjdrl0dlhb1idkjma@4ax.com:

> Larry <noone@home.com> wrote:
>
>>Setting up Remote Desktop on WinXP is easy and quite safe...
>>...When you connect, the tablet screen will become the
>>desktop screen of your WinXP box back home...from anywhere on the planet
>>with internet access.
>
> Does this work when your ISP uses dynamic addressing? If so, how does
> the tablet know what the address is if the address of the box back
> home changes?
>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_DNS

Once you have your Dynamic DNS nameserver setup, the software in your home
computer keeps the actual IP updated by sending it to the server you call
at yourname.org, your system's name on the net. Read about it on
wikipedia.