http://news.com.com/Microsoft+dreams...ml?tag=st.prev

"Microsoft on Monday plans to show off pretty much the dream portable
computer--a tiny tablet computer as thin as 10 sheets of paper with a
camera, a battery that lasts all day and a price of about $800.

The only problem is that it's still several years from reality.

Microsoft commissioned the 6-inch-screen prototype, but still doesn't know
exactly when it will be commercially feasible. It will probably come at
least a year or two after the arrival of Longhorn, the new version of
Windows set to ship at the end of next year.

Microsoft said it is starting to see some progress in sales of current
tablets, too, following the release of a new version of the Tablet PC
operating system last year. In the March-ending quarter, the company saw
Tablet PC sales increase 64 percent versus the year earlier. "

In article <uvtJxpaSFHA.3496@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl>,
not_monitored@example.com says...
> http://news.com.com/Microsoft+dreams...ml?tag=st.prev
>
> "Microsoft on Monday plans to show off pretty much the dream portable
> computer--a tiny tablet computer as thin as 10 sheets of paper with a
> camera, a battery that lasts all day and a price of about $800.

Drop the camera out of that and I would be at the door ready to buy one!

Why has everything got to have a camera in it nowadays? Where is the
benefit for a tablet?

--
Woody
http://www.alienrat.com/games

Woody wrote:
> In article <uvtJxpaSFHA.3496@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl>,
> not_monitored@example.com says...
>
>>http://news.com.com/Microsoft+dreams...ml?tag=st.prev
>>
>>"Microsoft on Monday plans to show off pretty much the dream portable
>>computer--a tiny tablet computer as thin as 10 sheets of paper with a
>>camera, a battery that lasts all day and a price of about $800.
>
>
> Drop the camera out of that and I would be at the door ready to buy one!
>
> Why has everything got to have a camera in it nowadays? Where is the
> benefit for a tablet?

If you're in a meeting, then a camera can capture whiteboard contents.
OR you might be in a field location and want to capture an image. It
might also be a Vaio-style webcam which is great for simple chat.

Of course you might prefer a USB camera that gives more flexibility, or
simply BT access to another image-capture device.

Mike Williams <mikew@Nospam.mvps.org> wrote:

> Woody wrote:
> > In article <uvtJxpaSFHA.3496@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl>,
> > not_monitored@example.com says...
> >
>
>>http://news.com.com/Microsoft+dreams...blet+PC/2100-1
012_3-5681655.html?tag=st.prev
> >>
> >>"Microsoft on Monday plans to show off pretty much the dream portable
> >>computer--a tiny tablet computer as thin as 10 sheets of paper with a
> >>camera, a battery that lasts all day and a price of about $800.
> >
> >
> > Drop the camera out of that and I would be at the door ready to buy one!
> >
> > Why has everything got to have a camera in it nowadays? Where is the
> > benefit for a tablet?
>
> If you're in a meeting, then a camera can capture whiteboard contents.
> OR you might be in a field location and want to capture an image. It
> might also be a Vaio-style webcam which is great for simple chat.
>
> Of course you might prefer a USB camera that gives more flexibility, or
> simply BT access to another image-capture device.

I would love a USB camera, as it gives me the flexability to take the
machine into my workplace or the workplace of my clients, rather than
one with a camera which means I have to leave it at home!



--
Woody
Alienrat Design Ltd

Woody wrote:

> I would love a USB camera, as it gives me the flexability to take the
> machine into my workplace or the workplace of my clients, rather than
> one with a camera which means I have to leave it at home!

They're so cheap, there's no reason why you can't have both.

If BT worked better then I'd simply be transferring images from my
cell-phone in real-time.
--------------------------------------
http://msmvps.com/thinice/

Mike Williams <mikew@Nospam.mvps.org> wrote:

> Woody wrote:
>
> > I would love a USB camera, as it gives me the flexability to take the
> > machine into my workplace or the workplace of my clients, rather than
> > one with a camera which means I have to leave it at home!
>
> They're so cheap, there's no reason why you can't have both.

Both? I meant that if there was one with a built in camera I would not
be able to take it to work or into the workplace of most of my clients,
which means it would become a paperweight (and not a very good one as it
is too light!)

> If BT worked better then I'd simply be transferring images from my
> cell-phone in real-time.

Well, that is my major gripe - getting a phone without a camera, there
is a bit of a shortage of good phones without them now (so I can take
those onto a cusomers site or to work too!)

I have a camera - it takes very good pictures and doesn't do anything
else. I like that feature!

--
Woody

www.alienrat.com

"Woody" wrote:

> In article <uvtJxpaSFHA.3496@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl>,
> not_monitored@example.com says...
> > http://news.com.com/Microsoft+dreams...ml?tag=st.prev
> >
> > "Microsoft on Monday plans to show off pretty much the dream portable
> > computer--a tiny tablet computer as thin as 10 sheets of paper with a
> > camera, a battery that lasts all day and a price of about $800.
>
> Drop the camera out of that and I would be at the door ready to buy one!
>
> Why has everything got to have a camera in it nowadays? Where is the
> benefit for a tablet?
>
> --
> Woody
> http://www.alienrat.com/games

Great concept, hope it doesn't prove too difficult to engineer in reality.
Interesting he talked about a weight of 1-2 lbs, so I suspect the first ones
will be bigger that the prototype he showed.

Portable video conferencing!

"Woody" wrote:

> In article <uvtJxpaSFHA.3496@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl>,
> not_monitored@example.com says...
> > http://news.com.com/Microsoft+dreams...ml?tag=st.prev
> >
> > "Microsoft on Monday plans to show off pretty much the dream portable
> > computer--a tiny tablet computer as thin as 10 sheets of paper with a
> > camera, a battery that lasts all day and a price of about $800.
>
> Drop the camera out of that and I would be at the door ready to buy one!
>
> Why has everything got to have a camera in it nowadays? Where is the
> benefit for a tablet?
>
> --
> Woody
> http://www.alienrat.com/games
>

Yeah this has been discussed for some time, and it is a good idea. But i
think as peoples eyesight gets worse its better to make thinner, lighter but
larger (in terms of its screen width) tablets.

Good work MS

Quintin

"Mickey Segal" wrote:

> http://news.com.com/Microsoft+dreams...ml?tag=st.prev
>
> "Microsoft on Monday plans to show off pretty much the dream portable
> computer--a tiny tablet computer as thin as 10 sheets of paper with a
> camera, a battery that lasts all day and a price of about $800.
>
> The only problem is that it's still several years from reality.
>
> Microsoft commissioned the 6-inch-screen prototype, but still doesn't know
> exactly when it will be commercially feasible. It will probably come at
> least a year or two after the arrival of Longhorn, the new version of
> Windows set to ship at the end of next year.
>
> Microsoft said it is starting to see some progress in sales of current
> tablets, too, following the release of a new version of the Tablet PC
> operating system last year. In the March-ending quarter, the company saw
> Tablet PC sales increase 64 percent versus the year earlier. "
>
>
>