Why aren't there more double screen devices for academic readers?

[dapriuk]

Originally Posted by darknessangel

How about the Toshiba libretto? Of course it's pricey but it has sexy written allover it and win7 based = you can use OneNote. For just reading the new Pocketbook 902 and 903 look cool.

GJMS

The Libretto looks an interesting idea. The trouble is it doesn't support the screen size I'd need. Like a lot of new devices, slates and iPad included, it seems more oriented to media consumers than professional/engineering/academic use.

It is heartening to see manufacturers willing to experiment and take new directions though.

[harryE123]

Originally Posted by dapriuk

I need a solution that provides me the equivalent of a lab notebook and the means to read technical documents typically A5 or A4 in size. I need to be able to share documents between various devices, print and email them and back them up. I have a number of Windows applications I need to use and I do small scale Java development.

So, for reading I 'd like an ePaper display of at least 9" (10-11" preferably) to cater for A5 and possible A4 technical material. I don't need a media player but something that can handle diagrams such as circuits and network diagrams.

For my notebook I need to run OneNote so I can re-use my existing notes and share notes between various devices. I also want support for various authoring tools and Lightroom 3. Windows 7 continues the improvements in handwriting recognition and tablet support introduced in Vista and improves the usability of OneNote

A Windows 7 Slate would fit the bill but an IPad would not, the latter can't run the apps I need and doesn't allow straightforward access to documents nor SD cards nor the range of USB peripherals I have. I am already familiar and comfortable with how Windows tablets work, I don't need or want to change all that just to accomodate the more restrictive iPad.

As far as reading books is concerned I find the backlit LCD/LED panels to be very tiring and they simply cannot compare with the ePaper displays on dedicated eReaders.

In the absence of a suitable slate I am looking at the new HP tablet (TM2-2050) which has a battery life of 7-8 hours, more than enough for me.

So you are basically doing your note taking on those windows tablets? If you are used to them I guess it's the way to go. As far as sd card slots and peripherals go, and the ipad being more "restrictive", I would of course disagree as the ipad can access any sort of server or external wifi enabled card slot, but that's another story. And I wonder what kind of periferals you might want on a tablet, I can't think of any: printers print via wifi these days, cameras are handled by the ipad anyway...

Btw, there is no windows 7 slate (slate in the sense of the new breed of tablets) nor will there be one, since all the new tablets are mobile os devices. Of course there are the traditional tablets from microsoft that have been around dragging their feet for years.

That said although reportedly apple has the best handwriting recognition available in their labs (since they were the first to perfect it really with the newton) they seem to be averse so far to developing it for the ipad. Might have something to do with the way capacitance screens don't lend themselves that well to it, or the paradigm shift that they are trying to push through with touch. I am not aware of how good ms tec is there, but I ll take your word for it that it works. There are a lot of ipad apps currently developed of course for handwriting recognition.

I still don't see why you would need dual screens though, and with the horsepower on x86 that windows needs any windows + ereader combo will be a very dismal affair.

[dapriuk]

Originally Posted by harryE123

Btw, there is no windows 7 slate (slate in the sense of the new breed of tablets) nor will there be one, since all the new tablets are mobile os devices. Of course there are the traditional tablets from microsoft that have been around dragging their feet for years.

I use the term "slate" to refer to a tablet pc without keyboard. Can't use "tablet" anymore as it's been repurposed by the MBA's to mean dual touch web browser/media player with a small display ...

Basically, I'd like to get away from a convertable but still be able to plug a USB keyboard in when needed, which is quite rare now.

That said although reportedly apple has the best handwriting recognition available in their labs (since they were the first to perfect it really with the newton) they seem to be averse so far to developing it for the ipad. Might have something to do with the way capacitance screens don't lend themselves that well to it, or the paradigm shift that they are trying to push through with touch. I am not aware of how good ms tec is there, but I ll take your word for it that it works. There are a lot of ipad apps currently developed of course for handwriting recognition.

My daughter has an iPad, I'll wait and see what she thinks of the notetaking, and then wait and see what version 2 is like.

I still don't see why you would need dual screens though, and with the horsepower on x86 that windows needs any windows + ereader combo will be a very dismal affair.

I typically have multiple documents open concurrently on multiple wide screens, some for reference with one or more for editing. Compared to dynamic media such as video and flashy web pages most document display needs little cpu - my tablet is a fairly low power intel already. If I could afford it I'd have more than two readers/displays since switching between books and finding pages is a pain on eReaders.

[ctol]

Btw, there is no windows 7 slate (slate in the sense of the new breed of tablets) nor will there be one, since all the new tablets are mobile os devices. Of course there are the traditional tablets from microsoft that have been around dragging their feet for years.

Just add my 2 cents worth to this discussion. HarryE123, how can you make such an uninformed blanket statement like this. Especially since Windows Mobile 7 has just been released to manufacturing this past week. Many tech bloggers who have used it think its implementation has been quite good. I think you should have waited to see if it will indeed be ported to a new tablet device. Just because the full blown version of Windows 7 is not fully suited for a mobile tablet device does not mean the mobile version will not work as well.

[harryE123]

I stand by what I said, which was accurate.

There will not be a windows 7 slate, there might be a windows 7 mobile slate, but not a windows 7 slate. And windows 7 mobile hasn't much to do with Windows 7 as it is an offshoot of windows mobile with little resemblance to Win 7, but a marketing name, a rebranding. So where was what I said a blanket statement? I am afraid to say it's not I who is uninformed here.

And Windows 7 can't be said to "not be fully suited" for modern mobile tablets, it's not suited at all: it doesn't run on arm that all these devices run on and it isn't multi touch, precisely the two prime elements of a modern mobile tablet.

btw, tech bloggers have been lauding Microsoft's mobile segment for years, and Microsoft's mobile segment has always been so far laughable: segmented, buggy, unintuitive, etc. etc. Of course this might change, and I think will change, but at the moment they are the last to the party and hoping that there are still some drinks and broads left.