Acer TravelMate 100

When Microsoft wanted a notebook/ tablet hybrid to show off the potential of convertible devices, it turned to the Acer TravelMate 100, a 3.3-pound ultraportable (4.3 pounds road weight, with transformer) with a single-hinge screen that turns and folds into a tablet. Aside from the swiveling screen, the TravelMate 100 looks and feels like any ultraportable on the market today.

The TravelMate 100 is a good bet, especially if the shift to tablet computing does not happen right away. If you're not keen on the tablet, you still have an ultraportable, measuring 1.25 by 10.0 by 8.6 inches, with a 700-MHz Pentium III-M processor, a 20GB hard drive, and a 10.4-inch XGA-resolution display. Our prototype had near-final hardware with not-yet-ready Microsoft tablet software. (A shipping product would likely have a faster CPU.)

To change from the notebook to the tablet, press and release two locator catches holding the base of the LCD panel in place, rotate the panel 180 degrees clockwise, fold it flat over the keyboard, and secure the two locator catches and a front catch to hold the screen steady.

The long-term durability of such a complex hinge is questionable, though Acer says it has been tested through 18,000 cycles. Five programmable buttons on the lower right-hand corner of the LCD bezel supplement the tablet pen; you'd likely use them to rotate the image or as substitutes for the Enter key. A rubberized grip on what had been the back hinge of the notebook then becomes a grip on the left side when it's held vertically. To be Windows XP Tablet–compliant, all products must have a digitizer under the screen, as the Acer does, rather than a touch screen on top, as you'd see on a PDA.

Acer says it omitted a docking-station connector because of the added complexity and cost. But some users will miss the convenience of a docking unit or cradle to drop the TravelMate 100 into, if only to make recharging the batteries between meetings easier. Acer says the unit returns 3 hours of battery life, and the company is working to increase the battery life by its fall ship date. It's currently well under the desired 6 hours, but even 3 hours will be hard to accomplish with an 1,800-mAh battery, weighing just 7 ounces.

The TravelMate 100 will retail at about $2,500—a bit more than most vanilla ultraportables lacking tablet features. For companies that want to explore tablet computing with a pilot machine, the TravelMate 100 would be ideal.

Source : www.blogger.com