Some tablets also employ touch screen technology although unfortunately mine doesn't.  Of course, you can also use a tablet just like a standard laptop - keyboard and screen location is as normal.  The key is that you have a choice on which format you'd like to use - tablet mode or laptop mode - this will depend on your task.

Besides Toshiba, other companies to produce tablets are HP and Dell although there could be more.  I don't think Apple have gone down the tablet path though - a pity.  Imagine what a cool machine that would be!

Source - DellVLog

http://www.uwe.ac.uk/elearning/

We are an academic unit based in the central IT Services of the university. The unit was created in 2003 just as the institution adopted a VLE (Blackboard). Our main remit is to identify, develop and disseminate good e­learning practice across the university. The unusual approach of locating an academic e­learning unit in IT Services has worked really well for us. IT Services staff perceive us as members of the service and are very receptive to our ideas and initiatives. On the other hand, academic staff from the faculties perceive us as academics and are very receptive to our advice.
2. Use of Tablet PCs at UWE: Redesigning the Research Methods Curriculum

http://hptft.uwe.ac.uk/

This project aims to redesign the research methods curriculum for the disciplines of mathematics, statistics and information technology (IT) by integrating online learning support into the classroom. In most online learning environments learning materials are generally provided in one context. Limited customisation is often possible, e.g. changing text colour, but there is little opportunity to change more conceptual elements of the learning context; choosing between graphic, metaphoric or textual modes of navigation, for example. Current research and development work at UWE has created an online e­learning resource, the Research Observatory (RO) that seeks to address this issue.
The RO does enable students to choose the context in which they study materials without requiring duplication of the materials themselves. This curriculum redesign project focuses upon enabling the students to use the online curriculum content in the RO in classroom sessions, and to take an active part in designing appropriate learning contexts for further development of the RO. The pen interface of the tablet computers is the ideal medium for these activities as the students can draw and sketch their ideas, and keep handwritten notes and diagrams in electronic form. The project is funded by Hewlett Packard as part of their Global Technology for Teaching grant scheme. We received our award in 2007.

Tablet PCs used for the project:

• HP Compaq 2710p
• Intel Core 2 Duo CPU @ 1.20 GHz 1 GB RAM 60 GB HDD Windows Vista OS Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset graphics
• Classroom management software: SynchronEyes

---------------------------------------
Using podcasts and tablet pcs in computer science

Kurtz et al., (2007) in ACMSE March 2007, pg 484-489.

I'm going to focus on the tablet PC aspect as the use of tablet pcs in higher education is the topic of under discussion at the WEET-HE meeting this afternoon (West of England e-Learning Teams in HE).

The authors report on a programme which had been re-structured. They replaced the didatic lectures with video podcasts which the student need to watch before attending the small group problem solving classes.

In these problem classes the students were divided into groups of 4. Each group had a tablet pc. These were connected to the wireless network, and they used classroom presenter and microsoft onenote to share and work collaboratively.

A method commonly adopted in the face to face sessions was for the lecturer to provide a presentational slide which included some leading questions. The the groups would need to discuss and annotate these slides (using the pen option with tablet pc). After which they then shared these with the lecturer. The lecturer would then select one to discuss in more length as a context for further discussions.

They also used onenote in a very interesting way - I don't know enough about onenote to see if this is really obvious. It sounds like it was used as a wiki. They all shared a document, where each group was assigned a page or group of pages. Then they'd create and annotate diagrams and sketches on the tablet pc and share within this one document.

They would also use Camtasia on the tablet pc's for when the students worked through the solutions. This would capture the visuals and the audio. This was then made available to all students as a set of podcasts.

They suggested that overall the use of tablet pcs to help facilitate a shift to collaborative problem solving was a great help. Infact, they have now doubled the number so studnets can work in pairs.

A few thoughts I had while reading this included;

yes, I like the idea. I think it would work really well in most disciplines. I'd like to bring this approach into some of the one of workshops that we run. I'd imagine that it would be very liberating. For instance, there is no reason why we'd need to be in pc labs. However, I wonder just how easy it is to master the tablet pc in pen mode so that this apporach would be effective. This is opposed to getting stuck on a technology barrier.

Also, I'm not sure that this would scale particularly well. Therefore, it would be very interesting to see how it works when students work in pairs as opposed to groups of 4. I'm thinking that so much learning will be going on within the gropups that reducing the size might dilute the learning experience. Also, this ey is a lot more material that has to be managed by the lecturer and students. Perhaps this is a case when "fewer is better".

They make reference to another article which looks interesting;

B. Simon, R. Anderson, C. Hoyer, J.Su, Preliminary expereinces with a tablet pc based system to support active learning in computer science courses, ITICSE 2004, pp 213-217.

Utilization of tablet PCs in Electromagnetics education

iJET International Journal of emerging technologies in learning, 2007 Vol 2 (2)

This paper reports on student perceptions of the effectiveness of tablet PCs as a teaching and learning tool, as recorded in an online survey of students of electromagnetics at Princess Sumaya University for Technology in Jordan. It starts by giving an overview of tablet PCs and some examples of their use in university teaching. It then focuses on use of a Tablet PC by instructors as a presentation device linked to a projector. This allows them to annotate Powerpoint slides thereby making their presentations more dynamic, spontaneous and interactive. This was the most highly rated application by students in the survey. The tablet as a presentation device was felt to be particularly useful in courses or topics which required drawing of diagrams, images or charts as well as those using mathematical symbols and equations. Almost 60% of the students agreed that the use of the tablet PC increased their interaction with the instructor. It doesn’t appear that students themselves used tablets but unfortunately the paper does not go into detail about the nature of the interaction.

A New Face for Time-Honored Ideas – Lessons from the Tablet PC Project at the University of Virginia

The following relates to a presentation delivered at the Tablet PCs in Higher Education Workshop in 2005, in Seattle, Washington. Whilst the presentation is nearly three years old, it provides some useful information and data that is [still] relevant for an institution investigating the use of Tablet PCs in HE.

The presentation, A New Face for Time-Honored Ideas – Lessons from the Tablet PC Project at the University of Virginia, details a pilot of Tablet PCs in three different classrooms. Four hundred Tablet PCs were deployed in three courses: Statistics, Cognitive Psychology and Biochemistry. The following key points were highlighted during the presentation:

• The pilot programme was a partnership between Thomson, the University of Virginia, Microsoft and HP.
• Hybrid print and digital solutions were developed in consultations with teaching staff. All students bought the course text at the beginning of the course, but the teaching staff used digital solutions to teach at least part of the programme.
• Microsoft PowerPoint slides were embedded within Microsoft OneNote files and made available for download. In lectures:

• o Instructors annotated slides
• o Instructors recorded voice clips to be attached to slides
• o Students annotated slides using their Tablet PCs
• o The Instructors annotated, recorded slides were made available for download by students following the lecture

Pilot highlights

• Response to the Tablet PCs was overwhelmingly positive, learning to active learning within lectures.
• Extent of student use of Tablet PCs and response of students to Tablet PCs correlated strongly with instructor engagement
• Instructor engagement was catalytic – spurring students to use Tablet PCs in their other classes
• New technology increased options to develop individual learning styles – “hand to head practice builds long term memory”
• HP established a discounted price for Tablet PC purchase by students and departments
• Tablet PC seminars were developed for several other areas, with hands-on workshops arranged for both staff and students

Tablet PCs in Higher Education Workshop in 2005: http://tinyurl.com/2zvec8
Presentation URL: http://tinyurl.com/4ebxwn

Follow up comments (NRP)
• Were Tablet PCs used to facilitate collaborative activities, for example, for group course work?
• In addition to the Microsoft PowerPoint/OneNote combination, was any additional software (for example, a graphical wiki) used for either individual or collaborative working?
• Could Tablet PCs have been used in conjunction with other technologies such as audience response systems or mobile phones to enhance collaborative working?

I note that this study took place during 2005, and that technology has moved on since then e.g. the introduction of wireless networking on University campuses.

Beyond the tablet PC: using the tablet PC in a collaborative learning environment

http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1292428.1292445
Source Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges archive Volume 23 , Issue 2 (December 2007) table of contents Pages: 84 ­89 Year of Publication: 2007 ISSN:1937­4771
Author Jean H. FrenchCoastal Carolina University, Conway, SC
Publisher Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges , USA

This is a short and useful entry level article about the use of Tablet PCs in education. It gives descriptions about the technology and its potential for use in education. It points out that the main advantage of a Tablet PC is the additional use of a stylus for input. This might not sound like a significant difference (e.g. when compared to a laptop) but in reality it changes completely the way you interact with the machine, making it more flexible and personal.

The article states that Tablet PCs are used in education as tools of convenience and collaboration both in and out of the classroom. From a staff perspective they can be used to mark assignments visually. Students can take electronic notes without having to type, and they can also annotate files provided by the lecturer.

The article concludes that the use of Tablet PCs together with classroom management software can provide increased student interaction, immediate feedback and integration of student materials into face ­to­ face sessions.

Could people please use the comments area to outline their ideas. The format shuould be title (the idea), then description (the use, or case study). If these cross reference to the literature review then state this. All evidence to support these ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Some of the attendees will be presenting about the use of Tablet PCs at their institutions, and I hope to share my reflections sometime in the next couple of days.

In preparation, colleagues have been asked to prepare a short overview about an article about the use of Tablet PCs in Higher Education - I've chosen a presentation, I'm afraid! My overview appears below.

The following relates to a presentation delivered at the Tablet PCs in Higher Education Workshop in 2005, in Seattle, Washington. Whilst the presentation is nearly three years old, it provides some useful information and data that is [still] relevant for an institution investigating the use of Tablet PCs in HE.

The presentation, A New Face for Time-Honored Ideas – Lessons from the Tablet PC Project at the University of Virginia, details a pilot of Tablet PCs in three different classrooms. Four hundred Tablet PCs were deployed in three courses: Statistics, Cognitive Psychology and Biochemistry. The following key points were highlighted during the presentation:

• The pilot programme was a partnership between Thomson, the University of Virginia, Microsoft and HP.
• Hybrid print and digital solutions were developed in consultations with teaching staff. All students bought the course text at the beginning of the course, but the teaching staff used digital solutions to teach at least part of the programme.
• Microsoft PowerPoint slides were embedded within Microsoft OneNote files and made available for download. In lectures:
  • Instructors annotated slides
  • Instructors recorded voice clips to be attached to slides
  • Students annotated slides using their Tablet PCs
  • The Instructors annotated, recorded slides were made available for download by students following the lecture

Pilot highlights

• Response to the Tablet PCs was overwhelmingly positive, learning to active learning within lectures.
• Extent of student use of Tablet PCs and response of students to Tablet PCs correlated strongly with instructor engagement
• Instructor engagement was catalytic – spurring students to use Tablet PCs in their other classes
• New technology increased options to develop individual learning styles – “hand to head practice builds long term memory”
• HP established a discounted price for Tablet PC purchase by students and departments
• Tablet PC seminars were developed for several other areas, with hands-on workshops arranged for both staff and students

Tablet PCs in Higher Education Workshop in 2005: http://tinyurl.com/2zvec8
Presentation URL: http://tinyurl.com/4ebxwn

Follow up comments (NRP)

• Were Tablet PCs used to facilitate collaborative activities, for example, for group course work?
• In addition to the Microsoft PowerPoint/OneNote combination, was any additional software (for example, a graphical wiki) used for either individual or collaborative working?
• Could Tablet PCs have been used in conjunction with other technologies such as audience response systems or mobile phones to enhance collaborative working?

I note that this study took place during 2005, and that technology has moved on since then e.g. the introduction of wireless networking on University campuses.

While the world is slowly moving away from the need for printed documents, it will still be some time before we can ditch our printers altogether. In fact I really only use mine for printing the occasional ticket or other travel documents, which is what the Printstik from Planon seems ideal for. At just 1″ x 10.75″ x 1.9″ it’s small enough to be stored in the bottom of your laptop bag for when those random ‘print emergencies’ come up while on the road.

It features a USB port for connecting to a laptop as well as Bluetooth for printing documents directly off of a smartphone or PDA. One thing I particularly like is that it uses replaceable thermal paper cartridges instead of ink. Each cartridge contains 20 pages, which means everything is self-contained in the Printstik. On a single charge you can expect to run off about 40 pages at 200DPI, and it has a print speed of about 3 pages per minute. The Printstik itself is available from the Planon website for $299.99, while a three-pack of replacement paper cartridges runs $24.99.

Pic from SlashGear

Chris Davies over at SlashGear confirmed that ASUS is going to roll out the touchscreen slate for their new line of Eee PC. It was also reported that the slate could be launched as early as the Taipei’s Computex show, which kicks off June 3rd, the same show that the original Eee PC debuted at last year.

For full article, click here for SlashGear's post.

Source - SlashGear

Hier sehen Sie einen Stylistic von Fujitsu-Siemens, ein typischer Tablet PC:

Technisch gesehen ist der Tablet-PC ein vollwertiger Arbeitsrechner, auf dem Sie Windows, Linux etc. installieren können. Vorinstalliert ist in den allermeisten Fällen Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. Hierbei handelt es sich um das vom Heimrechner gewohnte Windows XP, das mit speziellen Funktionen zur Stifteingabe erweitert wurde.
Als Convertible wird ein Notebook bezeichnet, das mit einem Touchscreen ausgestattet ist. Es kann gemeinsam mit der Tastatur als Notebook eingesetzt werden, oder aber durch Umklappen des Bildschirms und versteckter Tastatur als Tablet-PC. Beispiel: Toshibas Portégé M200:

Compaq/HP geht einen Mittelweg und bietet mit dem TC1100 einen Convertible, der von seiner Tastatur getrennt werden kann und so zu einem vollwertigen Tablet PC wird. Voraussetzung dafür ist natürlich, dass der PC-Part im Displayteil sitzt, sonst wäre das Display beim Abtrennen ja "tot". Bei typischen Convertibles wie dem oben gezeigten M200 hingegen sitzt die Rechnertechnik im Tastaturteil (wie bei einem Notebook).

Übrigens: Displays von Tablet PCs sind in den allermeisten Fällen so konzipiert, dass Sie den Stift zur Eingabe benötigen. Mit dem Finger können Sie nicht versehentlich auf dem Bildschirm herumdrücken, weil der mitgelieferte Stift die Signale batterielos über Induktion zum Display überträgt. Mehr...

Definition laut Wikipedia.org:

Tablet PC (engl. tablet - Schreibtafel, US-engl. tablet - Notizblock) bezeichnet einen tragbaren stiftbedienbaren PC, der unter anderem wie ein Notizblock verwendet werden kann. Der Benutzer kann dabei Eingaben per Stift oder Finger direkt auf dem Bildschirm tätigen, was einem natürlicheren Umgang mit Computern dienen soll und eine Bedienung mit einer Hand im Stehen ermöglicht.

Nun Harlander.com erweitert stetig sein Angebot und Auswahl. Unter anderem empfehlen wir Ihnen:

IBM ThinkPad X41Tablet CENTRINO / Pentium M

schon ab 639,00 €*

Tablet PC Toshiba Portege 3500 Pentium III M

schon ab 309,00 €*

Tablet PC FSC Stylistic ST4121Pentium III M

schon ab 349,99 €*

Though I've not spent much time using the Portégé yet, I've been impressed with what I've seen so far. The display is bright and clear, applications open in milliseconds and I've got it connected to a variety of wireless networks, VPNs and printers without any problems. Whilst getting to grips with Microsoft Windows Vista Business Edition has proved to be a little challenging - mostly in the form of Windows updates! - on the whole, it has been a case of so far, so good.

I understand that Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 is the application that I should be using when it comes to using the pen, but I've not been particularly adventurous so far with it, preferring to stay to the time being with the keyboard. I'm also intending to install SMART Notebook software to see how the Tablet PC can be used in conjunction with an interactive whiteboard.

If anyone reading this has any experience of Tablet PCs in a learning and teaching context, and has any tips or advice to share, please do get in touch!

Pic from TabletPCReview

The user review on the Dell Latitude XT Tablet PC is out on TabletPCReview.  Noted that it cost a bit more in the US.  The current standard config in Hong Kong which includes the following goes for HK$16,688, very attractive indeed.

As reported in my earlier post, First Look - Duosense, Dell had the technology in place and multi-touch would be available once applications supporting it starts appearing.  All-in-all, a very solid Tablet PC which promises much.  One thing to note is that 2GB memory is almost a must for the Tablet PC running Vista, so make sure you add in that option.

Axiotron, Inc., a leading proprietary high-tech hardware solution provider, announced today (31 Dec) that its flagship product, the Modbook, the first fully functional Apple-authorized tablet Mac solution, is now shipping to its retail channel.

The only Mac-based tablet computer on the market, Axiotron’s Modbook seamlessly integrates a state-of-the-art Wacom® digitized pen-sensitive LCD slate-style display with Apple MacBook’s legendary ease of use and design sensibility, giving artists and design-oriented professionals enhanced onscreen writing and drawing functionality when they need it most.

“After introducing the product earlier in the year, we have experienced a tremendous amount of positive response to the Modbook as its exclusive modular design and superior functionality provide the best tablet solution on the market for artists and designers,” said Andreas Haas, President of Axiotron. “The Modbook’s recent designation as an Apple-authorized product has allowed us to better meet the needs of our extremely patient customers and we are proud to be able to ship a product that resets the bar for Mac users everywhere.”

Named Best of Show at Macworld 2007, Axiotron’s Modbook melds Apple MacBook’s speed, power, superior strength and elegance with Wacom’s leading digitizer technology to provide an unparalleled 512 levels of pressure sensitivity for a fast, accurate and intuitive user experience. Offering twice the pen sensitivity and control of any tablet PC on the market, the Modbook gives artists and design oriented professionals the increased freedom, flexibility and precision control to create and edit digital art using a variety of specially designed pen tips that are included with each Modbook.

A perfect blend of style and functionality, each Modbook comes pre-installed with Mac OS X Leopard™, the award winning OS X’s built-in Inkwell® handwriting recognition, a 2.0 GHz or 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a built-in iSight® camera and an integrated 24x DVD Combo drive or 8x DVD SuperDrive. Also, every Modbook features a built-in Global Positioning System (GPS).

In addition to all of the features of the powerful Apple MacBook base system, the Axiotron Modbook’s largest-in-class wide angle 13.3" widescreen display offers wider viewing angles and a higher contrast ratio, resulting in darker blacks and more vivid, saturated colors while maintaining the same resolution and aspect ratio of the original MacBook display.

According to GottaBeMobile, it is available via Other World Computing starting at US$2279. Here's an old video on the Modbook.

Source - Axiotron's Press Release, GottaBemobile

Just when I thought I had the coolest Tablet PC, the Fujitsu T2010, the DuoSense technology pops.  Surprised the new Dell Latitude XT is not supporting it as Gizmodo reports "N-Trig makes the DuoSense technology that powers the Dell Latitude XT's touch-sensitive and pen-enabled display. This is the only input device in the market that combines a pressure-sensitive pen with multitouch into a single surface, which allows for seamless iPhone-style finger interaction—perfect for broad, direct object manipulations—and precise stylus for electronic ink input and drawing."  Read on to find out why, link to Gizmodo's report here.

Discussion of the Week

The following Tablet PC comparison from our contribution writer Emmanuel Jouanne. What are your thoughts? Leave your views under the comments section.

All config include 2GB RAM

(1) With power saving settings
(2) http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=918
(3) http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=868
(4) SXGA model too expensive for this comparison
(5) Provided the SXGA screen is available again

[Updated: 4 October] From Emmanuel,

I am a little bit confused now as the following article (http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=963) says that the T2010 has 1,707 PCMarks vs 2,453 PCMarks for the HP 2710p! (difficult to explain why that would be the case)

And in the following article (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/silverman/5180111.html), the journalist explains that the HP 2710p is the "best Windows Vista notebook I've tried this year".

Only one advantage for the X61T:  the 2710p is "not quite as fast as the X61".

Many advantages of the 2710p:
The X61T has a battery life of "more than four hours per charge" with the 8-cell
The X61T has a "dim screen"
The 2710p has handwriting recognition "noticeably better than even that on the X61. I'm not sure why there would be such a difference — both use Vista's recognition engine — but it was striking."
The 2710p is a little lighter and has a 12.1-inch widescreen display, which means when it's in tablet mode; it's perfect for reading Web pages or other documents.

Any thoughts?

UX-27GN on top, Fujitsu U1010 underneath

Top view, again the UX-27GN on top, Fujitsu U1010 underneath

UX-27GN, Fujitsu U1010 and the Fujitsu U2010

The side comparison of the three

Double user login on the Fujitsu U1010

James Kendrick over at jkOnTheRun posted his unboxing vid on the HP Compaq 2710p, he also covered the ultra-thin battery and the expansion dock in the video.  Check it out and enjoy.

My new entry over at CNET Asia Community Blog is up. This week's topic, "Blogging in Ink". Click here for the link.

Photo from GBM

The long-waited duel of the two TabletPC, the HP Compaq HP2710p vs Fujitsu T2010 is out on GottaBeMobile's InkShow. Click here for the video link.