PCM 044, Tablet PC insert 3/12/02 10:11 AM Page 3 Tablet PC Update The TPC Team TPC Technologies Hardware OEMs What’s next?

www.tabletpcmagazine.com spring 2002 volume 1 issue 1

IN THIS ISSUE: HOW WILL THE TABLET PC 2002 Technology update Convertible vs “Pure” Tablet WORK FOR

Compaq Tablet PC YOU? Prototype

Interviews with Tablet PC movers and shakers

POWERED BY PEN COMPUTING How is the Tablet PC MAGAZINE different from the COMING SOON TO A NEWSSTAND Notebook?Notebook? NEAR YOU PCM 044, Tablet PC insert 3/12/02 10:11 AM Page A2 UPDATE By Geoff Walker

Tablet PC Update

Lots of CHANGES AT A GLANCE MANY CHANGES HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE TABLET PC publicity, PROJECT DURING THE EIGHT MONTHS SINCE THE FIRST yet ARTICLE. The important changes can be summarized as follows: Microsoft has made minor changes in the Tablet PC positioning

plays it close More OEMs and ODMs have joined the project and announced to the vest. their intentions A number of OEMs and ODMs showed hardware prototypes at Here is Comdex 2001 what has “Windows XP Tablet PC Edition” was announced at Comdex 2001

happened XP Tablet was promoted from an “add-on” to a full-fledged with the version of Windows The Beta-1 version of XP Tablet and the associated SDK were Tablet PC released in October since the Microsoft published the Tablet PC Hardware Require- ments document initial Tablet All of the changes can be grouped into four major categories: (1) marketing, PC feature (2) the Tablet PC OEMs & ODMs, (3) , and in the (4) hardware. July 2001 Tablet PC is now positioned as a MARKETING “pure superset of today’s PCs.” The Tablet PC marketing issue of Positioning team is making sure that the The Tablet PC is still the “evolu- Tablet PC is not seen as a “laptop Pen tion of the laptop,” but there have without a keyboard,” as I de- been subtle changes in scribed it in July 2001. The Tablet Microsoft’s messaging. The PC is now clearly identified (e.g. Microsoft’s Eddie Wu and Robert Williams Computing

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in the FAQ on the Microsoft ing pure tablets. In retro- PCs to sell in the range of $1,600 website) as having “attahced or spect, perhaps Microsoft to $2,300. detachable keyboards.” The should have tried even • In a story in eWeek, Ted following extract from the Mi- harder than they did to get Clark, vice president crosoft Tablet PC website clearly more OEMs to build convert- of the Tablet PC illustrates the new positioning: ibles. (See the sidebar on group at , “First and foremost, the Tablet convertibles for a brief history said that he PC is a pure superset of today’s of the convertible genre.) expected Compaq’s laptop PCs. In fact, many Tablet Tablet PCs to cost several hundred PCs will look exactly like today’s Target Market dollars more than a comparable traditional clamshell designs In Alex Loeb’s Tablet PC strategy laptop. complete with a full keyboard but presentation at WinHEC 2001, she • A story on ZDNet reported that will have a mechanism that identified the “corporate worker OF INTEREST Tablet PCs are expected to cost converts the hardware into a [who] spends a significant about $2,000 and may come down slate form. Others will have a amount of time away from [their] “We see the in price as manufacturers increase pure slate form factor. Regard- desk in formal or informal meet- volumes. less of the design, Tablet PCs will ings” (a corridor cruiser) as majority of • , in an interview with be among the most mobile PC “Microsoft’s first focus.” In light Information Week, said he expects ever made, with exceptionally of Microsoft’s current emphasis portable PCs that most computer manufacturers long battery life, light weight, and on the Tablet PC as a “pure will price their Tablet PCs in rough- many with built in wireless capa- superset of today’s laptop PC,” I ly the same range as today’s busi- bility. But the Tablet PC is more believe that Microsoft’s “first shipped to be ness . than just a great laptop. It also focus” has shifted to the road Based on all available informa- enables users to run Windows warrior who wants to replace Tablet PCs within tion, it seems very clear at this and Windows applications using their existing ultraportable lap- point that essentially all of the a pen, annotate documents, tops. This belief is supported by five years.” Tablet PCs currently under devel- create handwritten documents Alex’s statement in the Q&A on Alex Loeb, Microsoft using “digital ink” for later refer- page A13 that “many will see ence or even conversion into the value in replacing their text. Just like today’s portable current laptops [with Tablet PCs, Tablet PCs can be put into a PCs] right away.” docking station at a desk to support a large screen monitor, Pricing mouse and full size keyboard. When asked about pricing, Either as a pure slate or as a Microsoft always says that convertible model the Tablet PC Tablet PC pricing will be deter- is the evolution of the laptop – all mined solely by the OEMs the functionality of a laptop with (which of course is true). A few added Tablet functionality.” relevant comments on pricing The positioning is especially appeared in the media shortly obvious when Microsoft market- after Comdex 2001, as follows: ing managers use the Acer proto- • In a story in Computerworld, type convertible (first shown by David Lee, director of mobile Bill Gates in his Comdex 2001 product marking at Taiwan- keynote) as their primary demo based Acer, said he expects machine. A single sample of that the machines to sell for less prototype is worth thousands of than $2,000. A story in PC World words. It’s so obviously a laptop, said that Acer expects to price and yet, when the screen is its convertible Tablet PC at flipped around, it’s a pure tablet about the same as a laptop with (slate). It brings home the “super- a 10-inch display. set of the laptop” message so • In the same story in Comput- strongly that it makes me feel a erworld, Kyle Thornton, a prod- little sorry for the majority of the uct marketing manager at Mike Hockey shows Compaq Tablet PC concept at Fall Comdex 2001 Tablet PC OEMs who are creat- Fujitsu, said he expects Tablet

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opment can be categorized as TABLE 1: CONVENTIONAL ULTRAPORTABLE LAPTOPS “ultraportable laptops” from the viewpoint of size, weight, CPU MODEL THICK (IN.) WEIGHT LCD (XGA) CPU STREET PRICE MHz and screen size. Table 1 lists ten ultraportable (business) Compaq Evo N200 0.8 2.5 lbs 10.4" 700 MHz ULV P3 $1,821 laptops currently on the market, Compaq Evo N400c 0.9 3.5 lbs 12.1" 850 MHz P3 $2,110 along with their basic specifica- Dell Latitude C400 1.0 3.6 lbs 12.1" 1.2 GHz P3 $2,638 tions and street price as of Dell Latitude L400 1.0 3.4 lbs 12.1" 700 MHz P3 $2,296 January 2002. The average of Gateway Solo 34350 0.8 3.8 lbs 12.1" 750 MHz P3 $1,878 these ten ultraportable laptops is a 0.9-inch thick unit weighing HP Omnibook 500 1.0 3.5 lbs 12.1" 700 MHz P3 $2,623 3.3 pounds with a 12.1” LCD and KDS ThinNote 376CH 1.0 3.2 lbs 12.1" 600 MHz P3 $1,326 a 770 MHz Pentium III, costing Sharp PC-UM10 0.7 2.9 lbs 12.1" 600 MHz ULV P3 $1,758 $2,083. This average is a very Sony PCG-R505 1.0 3.8 lbs 12.1" 850 MHz P3 $2,135 reasonable target expectation Toshiba Protege 2000 0.7 2.6 lbs 12.1" 750 MHz P3 $2,199 for the first crop of Tablet PCs. Average 0.9 3.3lbs 12.1" 770 MHz P3 $2,083

Notes: All laptops are configured with 20 GB HDD and 256 MB DRAM Volume Estimates Street prices are midpoint of range reported by search engines as of 1/21/02 Anticipated volumes are harder Some adjustments could be made to the average cost shown above. For example, while the con- to nail down than anticipated tract price of a 12.1” XGA LCD in Taiwan today is about $170, the contract price of a 10.4” XGA LCD pricing. Synthesizing all the is about $200 (that’s right, it’s $30 higher, even though it’s smaller, due to much lower production information I’ve collected over volume). In addition, the contract price of an active digitizer is around $50. If the Tablet PC is a the past eight months from convertible, there might be a few extra dollars for the special hinging mechanism. All told, there’s OEMs, ODMs, ISVs, Microsoft probably roughly $100 incremental material cost for a 10.4” Tablet PC compared to the ultraportable laptops in the table. If the Compaq Evo N200 (for example) were to be turned into a Tablet PC, that and many other sources, I would mean a street price of about $2,000. Gee, sounds about right! believe that a realistic estimate SPOTLIGHT: MICROSOFT TABLET PC EXECUTIVES It’s been said for years that the pen tablet (now Tablet PC) is one of Bill Gates’ favorite “holy grails of personal computing.” Apart from Bill Gates, however, there are two other key Microsoft executives driving the Tablet PC project: Dick Brass and Alexandra (Alex) Loeb.

Dick Brass Brass is an anomaly in Microsoft hothouse hacker’s culture, A little over a year ago, John Markoff of the New York Times wrote because he is probably known more for his love of good food and a profile of Dick Brass entitled “Brass in the Middle of Microsoft’s wine and his passion for yachting than for his technical accom- Cultural Shift.” The remainder of this sidebar is abstracted verba- plishments. And yet Brass may be the best evidence that Microsoft tim from John’s article and combined with additional information is in the midst of a fundamental cultural shift. Brass’supporters say from Dick Brass’ executive biography on the Microsoft website. that he has the vision and leadership that Microsoft badly needs as Dick Brass, Vice President, Technology Development Relation- it searches for new directions. ships (responsible for the Tablet PC, e-book software and e-book In 1979, while Brass was a features editor for the Daily News of devices), has been at Microsoft for four years. He came to Mi- New York, it dawned on him one day that it might be possible to turn crosoft in order to pursue his personal mission of introducing the a thesaurus into a computerized reference. He did just that and world to a new kind of computer: a fully powered Windows tablet, today is still credited as the inventor of the first electronic the- unfettered by keyboard or cables, saurus (The Random House Electronic Thesaurus) and the first that would always be with its own- dictionary-based spelling checker software. In 1983, his firm, Dic- er, always turned on and always tronics Publishing, acquired the exclusive electronic rights to many wirelessly connected to the Inter- of the world’s most important reference works, including The Ran- net. Just two weeks after he came dom House Dictionary, Roget’s International Thesaurus, Black’s to Microsoft to work on electronic Law Dictionary, the Manual of Style, and similar works books in 1997, he was able to con- abroad. Wang Laboratories purchased Dictronics in 1983, and vince Bill Gates of the importance Brass then served as director of Electronic Publishing at Wang. of his idea after showing him an Brass moved to Seattle in the mid-1980s with a friend to start a ultra-slim wooden model of the company called General Information, which created the first PC- dream machine that had been put based telephone directories. It was an idea that would blossom a together by a cabinet maker who decade later, but General Information was ahead of its time and the had worked on Brass’ yacht. two men were eventually forced to sell the company without a profit.

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for the total volume in the first volume. That feels like a reason- Chinese-language newspaper, twelve months of all Tablet PC able number for the first year of and translated in a story on shipments is somewhere be- a new form factor with a new DigiTimes.com). That would be at tween 500,000 and one million OS (note that volume at this least 2.6 million units, which is units. This volume will be spread level would significantly outper- completely impossible, given that over twelve to 14 OEMs. Calcu- form the first year of Windows the Tablet PC isn’t even going to lating an average volume per CE 1.0 products!). IDC analyst start shipping until the second OEM isn’t meaningful, because I Alan Promisel’s estimate of the half of 2002. Acer is even more believe what will happen is that Tablet PC’s first year volume is optimistic for 2003, predicting a few (perhaps three) OEMs will 1-3% of the laptop market, a that Tablet PCs will represent up “get it right” and sell 100 to 150 slightly less optimistic. to 25-30% of the overall laptop thousand each, while the re- Acer, on the other hand, is market in 2003. maining OEMs will sell 25 to 50 predicting that Tablet PCs will Reporting on spoken com- thousand each for a total of account for about 10% of the ments by company executives, around 750K units. By “get it laptop market in 2002 (as report- combined with translation from right” I mean the right combina- ed in the United Daily News Chinese to English, can be a tion of look and feel (industrial tricky business. It’s possible that design), CPU horsepower, Acer meant that the Tablet PC battery life, dockability, weight, would account for 25-30% of the screen size, ease of use, etc. ultraportable laptop market in According to IDC, the total 2003 (the first full year of ship- number of laptops (of all sizes) ments). According to IDC, ultra- sold in 2001 was about 26 mil- portable laptop shipments in lion. A volume range of 500,000 2003 are forecasted to be 4.6 to one million means that the million units. 25% of 4.6 million is Tablet PC would account for 1.15 million, only slightly above

about 2-4% of 2001’s total laptop the one million upper-end esti- VIA reference design

In 1989, Brass bought a Mac- intosh computer for a friend so Alexandra Loeb that the friend could produce a Alex, who works for Dick Brass and is responsible for about 200 proper business plan for his new people, has been at Microsoft for 13 years.Her initial assignment venture, Omnipoint, a wireless telephone network that was eventu- was as a member of the Network Business Unit, where she was ally acquired by Voicestream for $2 billion. Because he was given a the program manager in charge of shipping Microsoft LAN Man- one percent stake in Omnipoint in exchange for the Macintosh, the ager 1.01 and 2.0 Later she shifted her focus to developing techni- favor made Brass a millionaire many times over. cal information for internal and external field product support for Brass was hired by Oracle in 1989 after persuading Larry Ellison various high-end products such as LAN Manager, Microsoft SQL that there was money to be made from broadcasting the content of Server” and Windows NT. She spent two years in Microsoft’s newspapers to PCs. Brass stayed at Oracle for eight years, first as Sales and Marketing Division, launching Microsoft TechNet and president of Oracle’s Data Publishing subsidiary, and then as senior TechEd and expanding Microsoft’s Certified Professional Pro- vice president for Corporate Affairs. In the latter position, he was gram. involved in strategy and writing speeches for Ellison — who is In 1994, Alex returned to the product side of Microsoft, where known for having publicly taunted Gates. Brass even acknowledges she became product unit manager for Microsoft Publisher and the being an accomplice to the group of Silicon Valley executives that Media Store until joining Microsoft Research in 1997. At Microsoft worked behind the scenes to help persuade the Justice Department Research, she initiated what became the Docu- to bring its antitrust suit against Microsoft. In this context, Brass’ ment Imaging project. move from Ellison to Gates was a change of allegiance worth of the Since 1999, Alex has been leading the Tablet PC project as novel “Shogun.” General Manager, responsible for all development, design and Dick Brass works for Jeff Raikes, Group Vice President for Pro- marketing of the Tablet PC. Most recently, in January of this year, ductivity and Business Services. Jeff Raikes works for Steve Alex was promoted to Corporate Vice President, Tablet PC Divi- Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. It’s interesting to note that Jim Allchin, sion. Alex becomes the eleventh female VP at Microsoft. Her the Group Vice President for Platforms (i.e., responsible for all elevation to vice president is a sign that Microsoft is placing in- versions of Windows) is not in the chain of command for the Tablet creasing importance on the Tablet PC project.“It does send a PC, even though XP Tablet is in fact a version of Windows. This is signal that the Tablet PC is a pretty big bet,” a Microsoft because the Tablet PC is still considered an “emerging technology” spokesman was quoted as saying in a Reuters News Service story rather than a standard Windows product. on January 17.

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IBM ThinkPad 360PE CONVERTIBLES

A convertible can be defined as a portable, notebook-style com- puter built in a way that allows it to be used as either a tradition- al notebook (with an integrated keyboard) or a pen tablet (with a pen in- terface). Historically, a number of different methods of constructing a 4. The screen is hinged at the back like a normal notebook, but it can convertible have been used, as follows: also be unplugged entirely, rotated 180 degrees, then plugged back in and closed, leaving the screen facing upwards. (This is an early variant of #3.) 1. The screen is supported on a single hinged Examples: NEC Versa 50ECP and Panasonic CF-V21P in 1995. arm that connects the rear of the notebook to the midpoint of the back of the screen. The screen 5. The screen opens like can be positioned similar to that of normal note- a normal notebook, then con- book (with the keyboard forward), or the bottom tinues opening until it has ro- edge of the screen can slide forward until the tated through 360 degrees and screen is lying flat on top of the keyboard. Exam- is folded underneath the note- GRiDConvertible ple: GRiD Convertible in 1992 (the first convertible. book (this is usually called a “foldback” design). Examples: 2. The screen is supported on two hinged arms that connect the rear Fujitsu INTERTop in 1998; corners of the notebook Sharp HC-7000 (also current- to each side of the mid- ly marketed by Intermec as point of the screen. The the 6651 Pen Tablet). Fujitsu INTERTop screen can be positioned similar to that of a normal The above five methods are the only ones that have been used to date notebook (with the key- that result in a “true” convertible, i.e., a portable computer with both a board forward), or rotat- pen interface and an integrated keyboard. Pen tablet vendors have used ed 90 degrees around its two other methods to accomplish a similar purpose, as follows: horizontal center axis and laid flat on top of the Vadem Clio A pen tablet built with a detachable keyboard keyboard. (This is a vari- so that it works like a notebook when it’s on a desk. ant of method #1; Vadem dubbed it the “SwingTop” design.) Examples: Va- Examples: Compaq Concerto and Telepad-3 in 1995. dem Clio in 1998 (also marketed by Sharp as the Mobilon Tripad); IBM A pen tablet and a keyboard packaged to- ThinkPads 750P and 360PE in 1993 to 1995. gether in a “portfolio” carrying case. Examples: Compaq Concerto current Fujitsu PenCentra and Stylistic LT; Dauphin 3. The screen is hinged at the back like a normal notebook, but it can DTR-1 & 2 in the mid-1990s. also be rotated 180 degrees Acer TravelMate TM100 around its vertical center axis and then closed, leav- ing the screen facing up- wards. Examples: Acer TravelMate TM100 Tablet PC; Hewlett-Packard’s “Concept PC 2001” (see Popular Science, February 2002, page 13).

CONVERTIBLE VS PURE TABLET

CHARACTERISTIC CONVERTIBLE PURE TABLET KEYBOARD Internal External (direct connect or IR) WEIGHT Heavier due to keyboard and extra layers of housing Lighter THICKNESS Thicker due to keyboard Thinner RUGGEDNESS Less rugged due to hinge More rugged COST Slightly higher due to hinge and keyboard Slightly lower DOCKABILITY May be compromised due to screen hinge and movement No compromise LCD More likely to use 12.1” to compete with ultraportables More likely to use 10.4” for smallest size and weight COOLING Less need for a fan due to more heat dissipation surfaces More need for a fan due to fewer heat dissipation surfaces

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mate suggested previously. The Table 2: Announced Tablet PC Hardware and Software Participants fact that Acer is developing a convertible Tablet PC, a form HARDWARE BUSINESS ROLE factor that’s likely to be much COMPANY MODEL more popular than a pure tablet, can easily account for the Acer OEM Tablet PC hardware vendor using Wistron as ODM difference in optimism. Compaq OEM Tablet PC hardware vendor using LG Electronics as ODM Microsoft seems very com- FIC ODM Building Tablet PC for ViewSonic fortable with the one million Fujitsu PC OEM Tablet PC hardware vendor building own products number for the first year (a LG Electronics ODM Building Tablet PC for Compaq million seems to be a “threshold NEC OEM Tablet PC hardware vendor building own products of interest” for Microsoft on any PAD Products OEM Tablet PC hardware vendor using an unnamed ODM product – volumes less than a Tatung ODM Tablet PC builder seeking OEM customer million just don’t interest them). Toshiba OEM Tablet PC hardware vendor building own products However, the growth rate for ViewSonic OEM Tablet PC hardware vendor using FIC as ODM the following four years is any- Wistron ODM Building Tablet PC for Acer; seeking OEM for pure tablet one’s guess. Starting from a base of 750,000 in the first year, SOFTWARE COMPANY PRODUCTS ENABLED FOR TABLET PC a compound annual growth rate Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat (network publishing solutions) of 80% (an arbitrary number) Allscripts Healthcare Solutions TouchWorks (point-of-care decision support for physicians) yields a volume of almost eight Amicore Physician office software and services million in the fifth year, or about Autodesk AutoCAD, Inventor, Streamline, etc. (design solutions) 16% of the projected 50 million Corel Graphics and business productivity applications total laptop market in 2007. Groove Networks Web-based collaboration solutions Again that seems within the Microsoft Office XP (office productivity); Visio (business diagrams) realm of possibility if convert- LexisNexis Decision support and research solutions ibles are included. Zinio Systems Digital magazine technology and services Microsoft’s target is for the penetration of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition to reach 50% year, Tablet PCs are going to be of all laptops in 2007. Note that purchased largely by IT depart- this is the OS penetration rate, FIC Tablet PC prototype ments, the same way that busi- not the Tablet PC hardware ness laptops are purchased volume. Microsoft’s prediction today. IT is going to have to is based on the belief that the support XP Tablet, and the pen Tablet PC will cause the use of already has a bad reputation a pen to become so compelling from the pen computing craze of that pen support will be added the early 1990s. The result may to at least half of all laptops be many “evaluation” purchases within five years. XP Tablet by enterprise, but no big rollouts will thus become the “new to thousands of knowledge mobile OS.” At that point, the workers during the first year. difference between a Tablet That could put a severe crimp in PC and a standard laptop will everyone’s expectations. be so blurred as to be mean- ingless – the Tablet PC will truly have become the “evolu- which), and enterprise is notori- dows XP Tablet PC Edition Press Reaction at tion of the laptop.” ous for being very slow to adopt is a full-fledged new version of a new Microsoft operating Windows, not just XP Pro with a Comdex 2001 system. For example, Fujitsu, the few files added on top (more on In general, the press reaction to OS Adoption Rate current leader in pen tablets for this later). What’s going to cause the Tablet PC announcements One flaw I see in all of the above corporate project-based applica- enterprise to suddenly throw and demos at Comdex 2001 was volume projections is that they tions, hasn’t yet shipped even caution to the wind and buy a not significantly different from totally ignore the issue of OS one copy of Windows XP to a million copies of XP Tablet in the that following Comdex 2000. adoption rate. The Tablet PC is pen tablet customer in North first year? Will the hardware Overall, it was negative to neu- initially targeted at enterprise America. Fujitsu says that enter- alone be so compelling that it tral. The single most common (corridor cruisers or road war- prise simply isn’t ready to even will totally drive sales of the new theme in the press coverage riors, it doesn’t really matter think about moving to XP. Win- OS? I don’t think so. In the first was that there simply isn’t a

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TABLET PC VISIONARY: FIC’s Dr. Gene Sheu (by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

Dr. Gene Sheu: President, mainland China does not allow PCM: What are Networking and Information 802.11b and there is the matter the technical Group; First International of licensing spectrum in some issues you’re Computer, Inc. countries. You could say it is facing? While I was in Taiwan last the worst of times and the best Dr. Gene Sheu: December I had the opportuni- of times. The Tablet PC is a ty to meet with Dr. Gene Sheu, fascinating chal- president of First International PCM: What trends do you lenge. Microsoft Computer, Inc.’s Networking see on the application side? views the Tablet and Information Group. It Dr. Gene Sheu: Content will PC as a high end turned out that his wife had matter. Multimedia will be product, so peo- gone to college in Albany and important. Devices that can ple who want he was familiar with the Al- handle multimedia and easily more will buy bany/Troy/Schenectady area bring content to people will be Tablet PCs. These where I lived for 17 years important. products will not before moving to California. have fans, they Dr. Sheu presented what one PCM: What’s your view of will run cool, it’s might consider a holistic view Webpads and the Tablet PC? like a dream. Dr. Gene Sheu, FIC of technology: It does not Dr. Gene Sheu: They are Investing in the really matter whether the two different products and Tablet PC is an investment in Editor of PC Magazine, in his initial Tablet PC, or any one concepts. The Tablet PC defi- future technology. Most of the editorial “On Technology: What technology for that matter, nitely has its place. The Mi- technologies used in the to Expect in 2002,” in the Janu- succeeds. What matters is crosoft OS, the Microsoft Tablet PC are enablers. Work- ary 15th issue: “Many obstacles that its exploration furthers the name, plug and play, and the ing on them is an investment remain: Tablets break when overall state of the art, which maturity of Windows are in great future technology. dropped, drop-resistant tablets is good for everyone. definitely a plus. In Asian We’re looking at many as- cost too much, and cultures, especially, tablets pects, like backups for the laptop/tablet hybrids either PCM: FIC has shown some are a natural and tablet prod- active digitizer. expose the keyboard on the interesting Tablet PC proto- ucts will expand the overall underside in tablet mode or can types. What is your assess- market. A keyboard is not PCM: You have been show- only hide the keyboard with a ment of the current situation in creative. You cannot create ing prototypes based both on fragile hinge. I fear tablets are the desktop and notebook pictures with it. A pen and ink, Intel and Transmeta processor the answer to a question not industry? on the other hand, allow you to technology. Why? enough people are asking.” Dr. Gene Sheu: The PC era is do new things. Ink will be the Dr. Gene Sheu: We are clearly over. Unfortunately, killer app for tablet computers. looking at both and using our there is no clear direction as to I also believe in voice recogni- Crystal and Thunder Tablet PC Media Confusion what comes next and the tion. A combination of pen and prototypes to test them. From a Even now (March), six months situation is confusing right voice will add a new dimen- physics point of view, Trans- away from the launch of XP now. We finally have good, sion, although those products meta does not need many Tablet, there is substantial reliable networks, but we’re will still offer keyboards as an transistors to get the job done. confusion in the media about being confronted with too option. As for Webpads, FIC However, Intel pushes the what is and isn’t a Tablet PC. For many different standards. has some interesting products micron levels lower and lower, example, in the January 15 issue There are lots of devices, but there as well with our Aqua- and they just may pull it (a of PC Magazine, there’s a story how do we get them all to Pad line. Webpads must be as cool-running, power-efficient entitled “Tablet PC Makers Gear communicate? For example, small and light as possible. processor) off. Up” which is actually a review of ViewSonic’s ViewPad 100 market for Tablet PCs, that • People want an integrated • Jeff Hawkins, Handspring “SuperPDA” (a very solid web- nobody needs them. This theme keyboard (i.e., a convertible, Chairman and Chief Product pad). Some of the current pen was most aptly expressed by not a pure tablet) Officer, during his Comdex tablet manufacturers (such as Paul Thurrott, writing for WinIn- • Tablet PCs priced as high-end keynote: “Some ideas never die. ViewSonic again, not to pick on fo.com: “There’s a big gap laptops will be too expensive I can’t understand it. I’m sur- them) are already labeling their between cool and necessary.” • Handwriting is too slow prised [Tablet PCs have] come existing products as Tablet PCs. The specific concerns ex- and inaccurate back. It’s like bell-bottom ViewSonic’s data sheet on the pressed by the reporters weren’t Two of the more visible nega- pants.” [This, from the inventor ViewPad 1000 pen tablet clearly very surprising – they included tive comments in the press were of the first pen tablet!] labels it as a Tablet PC, even the usual things, such as: as follows: • Bill Howard, Contributing though (a) Windows XP Tablet

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PC Edition is not available yet, won’t participate in the first for personal computing devices) the last eight months, as follows: and (b) the product itself has a round of Tablet PC products. • “We dabbled in some non-PC touch (passive) digitizer rather On the positive side, a num- devices over the last year, and • Windows XP Tablet PC Edi- than the required active digitiz- ber of additional OEMs, ODMs learned a lot from our tion : The Beta- er. This confusion is going to be and ISVs announced at Comdex customers. We feel the focus 1 version was released on CD at with us for the rest of 2002 and 2001 that they are joining the now is on networked PCs and the Microsoft Professional probably even longer. Tablet PC program. The list of low-cost notebooks that can Developer’s Conference in announced Tablet PC partici- [do] the job of a Tablet PC.” October 2001. Access to the pants is shown in Table 2 . (Gateway representative Lisa Beta software requires approval TABLET Emard) by Microsoft. Non-Participants • Microsoft note-taking pro- PC OEMs There are at least three big gram: The program was named OEMs who are conspicuous by Comdex 2001 “Microsoft Journal” and de- & ODMs their absence from the Tablet moed at Comdex 2001. It has no PC program: Dell, IBM and Prototypes new visible features since Announced Gateway. Each of these have Table 3 lists the Tablet PC proto- WinHEC; the beta version is not recently commented in the types that were shown at available yet. Participants press about why they’re not Comdex 2001. Some of the • Tools for software develop- Of the original five OEMs who participating, as follows: prototypes were shown only at ment: The Tablet PC SDK is on announced at WinHEC 2001 that • “We talk to our customers, a press conference (dubbed a the same CD as the Beta-1 they would be building Tablet and they haven’t been telling us “Tablet PC lovefest event” by version of XP Tablet. A substan- PCs (Acer, Compaq, Fujitsu, that this is something they eWeek) following Gates’ tial portion of the SDK documen- Sony and Toshiba), Sony is absolutely want to have. [The keynote speech on Monday tation is available in the MSDN conspicuous for the absence of Tablet PC] is an idea that’s been night, while others were shown Library. any visible activity during the around for a long, long time, and in the company booths at • Tablet PC Hardware Require- last eight months. The other four maybe this time it will work. But Comdex. Note that Table 3 does ments Specification: Posted on OEMs have all shown Tablet PC we like to bring things to market not include webpads, CE tablets the Microsoft website October prototypes at Comdex 2001 or in that are relevant.” (Michael or pen tablets that were shown 17, 2001 (many months later than press conferences. In fact, Sony Dell, Dell’s chairman) at Comdex (of which there were anticipated, but complete). seems to be going in the other • “IBM is not interested in at least 12, including ViewSon- direction. In a story widely developing an IBM-branded ic’s ViewPad 1000 pen tablet). XP Tablet published in the press during Tablet PC anytime soon. In light the week of January 14, it was of the current economic slow- Architecture reported that “due to weak down and other related condi- SOFTWARE When it was first announced at sales,” Sony is ending produc- tions, IBM sees the Tablet PC as Good Progress On WinHEC 2001, XP Tablet was tion of its desktop VAIO Slimtop an experiment that simply does described as a layer on top of Pen Tablet products and will not fit into IBM’s current back- Four Fronts Windows XP Pro. This concept cancel development of follow- to-basics approach to selling IT Good Progress On Four Fronts has now been abandoned, and up products as well. The Slimtop services and related hardware. I In the July 2001 article, I identi- XP Tablet has become a full- wasn’t a Tablet PC, but as a have yet to find a customer that fied four key elements of Mi- fledged member of the Windows pen-based desktop video tablet, has asked for a Tablet PC.” (Leo crosoft’s work on the Tablet PC XP family – a standalone version it’s a close cousin. It’s practical- Suarez, IBM’s vice president of program. Microsoft has made of Windows. The family will ly certain at this point that Sony worldwide product marketing good progress on all four during consist of XP Home for con- sumers, XP Pro for enterprise and XP Tablet for mobile. Re- TABLE 3: TABLET PC PROTOTYPES SHOWN AT COMDEX 2001 membering some of the difficul- ties that the “layer on top of COMPANY PRODUCT NAME FORM FACTOR LCD CPU Windows” approach caused in Acer TravelMate TM100 Convertible 10.4” XGA Intel P3 Windows for Pen Computing in Compaq (unnamed) Tablet 10.4” XGA Transmeta 600 MHz the early 1990s, this change is FIC Thunder Tablet 10.4” XGA Intel P3 ULV 700-800 MHz definitely a good thing. Howev- FIC Crystal Tablet 10.4” XGA Transmeta 800 MHz - 1 GHz er, it has resulted in a slip in the Fujitsu Stylistic 3500 (mod.) Tablet 10.4” XGA Intel Celeron 500 MHz scheduled delivery date for XP Intel (reference design) Tablet 8.4” SVGA Intel P3 ULV Tablet. Tatung Tangy 440 Tablet 10.4” XGA Intel P3 ULV 700 MHz When XP Tablet was simply Toshiba (unnamed) Tablet (unknown) (unknown) an add-on to XP Pro, Microsoft’s VIA (reference design) Tablet 10.4” XGA VIA C3 Tablet PC team was in more Wistron (unnamed) Tablet 10.4” XGA Intel P3 control of the schedule and the

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expected delivery date was cation-defined properties. At the Tablet PC History June 2002. Now that XP Tablet most basic level, this allows ink must go through the standard to be bolded, italicized or under- 1989 release and distribution method lined just like regular text. In The first pen tablet (the GRiDPAD, from GRiD Systems) is invent- for a full version of Windows, advanced ink-enabled applica- ed by Jeff Hawkins, the future founder of Palm and Handspring. the expected delivery has tions, this allows ink objects to slipped to the fourth quarter of be re-flowed and overlayed in 1991-1995 2002. Another reason for the slip ways similar to other text, The pen computing craze, fueled by Microsoft’s Windows for is that XP Tablet has become graphics, vector shape and Pen Computing. For a fascinating view of this period, read Start- dependent on some of the code multimedia objects. up: A Silicon Valley Adventure by Jerry Kaplan, the founder of GO that will be in Windows XP Microsoft has a plan for (available in paperback for $11 from Amazon). Service Pack 1 (scheduled for extending “ink as a data type” release in the second half of beyond XP Tablet if the Tablet August 1999 2002). Microsoft has not yet PC is well accepted by the Microsoft starts development of the Microsoft Tablet PC. committed to a firm shipment marketplace and XP Tablet date for XP Tablet. The official actually becomes “the next November 2000 Microsoft line is that “the Tablet mobile OS.” The first level of the Bill Gates shows the Tablet PC prototype at Comdex 2000. PC will ship in the second half of plan is to provide a “reader” for 2002.” Most analysts and ob- ink documents, similar to the February 2001 servers currently expect ship- way that Adobe provides a Microsoft unveils the technical details of the Tablet PC prototype ment in the fourth quarter (“by reader for PDF documents. at WinHEC (Windows Hardware Engineering Conference) 2001. year’s end”). The shipment date Using the reader, a user of any could be delayed even further other version of Windows will June 2001 by Bill Gates’ recent directive be able to read ink documents Microsoft holds an invitation-only conference on the Tablet PC in that all Microsoft developers created on a Tablet PC. The Seattle, Washington. About 200 people attend, representing a should focus on security. second level will be to provide wide range of OEMs, IHVs and ISVs. Development of Tablet PC Since most of the Tablet PC add- products starts in earnest. OEMs plan to wait to ship their first product until the October 2001 release of XP Tablet, The Beta-1 version of the Tablet PC operating system further schedule slips and the related SDK (Software Development Kit) is could become very released at Microsoft’s PDC (Professional Developer painful for the OEMs Conference) 2001. with regard to revenue and hardware competi- November 2001 tiveness with standard Microsoft announces “Windows XP Tablet PC Edition” at laptops. Comdex 2001. First hardware prototypes of Tablet An often-asked PCs are shown by Acer, Compaq, FIC, Fujitsu, Intel, question is “what is the Tatung, Toshiba, VIA, and Wistron. basic difference between XP Tablet and the other versions of Windows XP?” The essential in libraries sage generated by the Development – Tablet PC – SDK difference is XP Tablet’s support for other versions of operating system or an Documentation – Microsoft for “ink as a data type.” What Windows that allow applica- application with just a pen. Tablet PC Platform SDK. There this means is that when the user tions to create and manage ink are more than 100 pages online, creates ink, instead of the ink documents. The third level (a without even counting the being stored as a bit map or as long-term goal) is to make “ink User Interface detailed Tablet PC API Refer- just a series of point coordi- as a data type” a fundamental XP Tablet’s user interface is still ence.) nates, it is stored as a data type part of all versions of Windows. being tuned and tweaked. While User documentation covering with a set of properties. Ink data Beyond “ink as a data type,” there is a substantial amount of the basics of using Windows can include per-point properties the second major difference SDK documentation available with a pen doesn’t seem to exist (e.g., x, y, pressure, angle, time), between XP Tablet and the online in the MSDN Library, it’s yet. However, by reading the per-stroke properties (e.g., other versions of XP is its ability mostly aimed at helping ISVs SDK documentation you can get color, anti-aliasing, curve fitting, to be used with a pen as the write good pen-centric applica- an idea of what it’s going to be content description), global ink only input device (no keyboard tions. (To access the documen- like. For example, an SDK docu- properties (e.g., background or mouse). The user will be able tation, go to http://msdn.mi- ment entitled “Making Windows recognition results and alterna- to respond to every request for crosoft.com/library and then Work with a Pen” includes a list tives) and unique user- or appli- input, error condition or mes- drill down through Windows of common pen gestures that

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map to traditional mouse events. (new, open, save, print), format- simply a reflection of the Tablet attention being paid to it seems One of the gestures allows you ting operations (bold, italic, PC development team’s appar- to be the minimum that will to create a right-click without underline), and scrolling opera- ent orientation towards “doing enable Microsoft to say that the using a side (barrel) button on tions (left/right/up/down to end cool things with Windows on Tablet PC supports speech the pen. The method is as fol- of screen/page/document). In the Tablet PC.” recognition. The focus of the lows: touch the pen tip to the the SDK documentation, Mi- speech documentation in the screen, hold it there for about crosoft notes that “there is SDK is on explaining to ISVs one second. The cursor changes much testing needed to under- Ink in Office XP how to ensure that their Tablet to an animated sketch of a menu stand which gestures can be Microsoft announced at PC applications can be con- for about one second. Lift the reliably recognized, as well as Comdex 2001 that add-ins to trolled by voice (e.g., by saying pen during the time the cursor is which ones make the most support ink in Office XP 2002 “File – Page Setup – animated, and a right-click sense to the user.” Given the (Word, PowerPoint and Outlook Landscape”). This is not exactly context menu appears. This experience that the pen tablet only) and Visio 2002 will be state-of-the art use of voice sounds more difficult than it industry has been through with available at the same time as XP recognition. On the other hand, actually is. It’s a little tricky at gestures in the past ten years, Tablet’s release. In addition, the use of commercial speech- first to get used to the timing, but this is a significant understate- handwritten notes taken in recognition products such as once you’ve mastered it, the ment. Microsoft’s new Journal pro- IBM’s ViaVoice on a Tablet PC gesture is easy and feels natural. Another user interface ele- gram will be able to be integrat- should be no different than on Although Microsoft’s method ment of significant interest is ed with the contacts, calendar an ultraportable laptop. of doing a right-click doesn’t the TIP (text input processor). and task information in Outlook. require a side button on the pen, This is the area where the user In his keynote speech, Gates 100% of the Tablet PC OEMs are writes characters that are being demoed marking up a Word Further Testing including one or two side but- input to the system. XP tablet document with ink. In the Mi- If the XP Tablet release cycle is tons on their Tablet PC pens. will support both a boxed TIP crosoft booth, members of the consistent with that of other Regardless of Microsoft’s stated (the default) and a full-window Tablet PC team demoed how ink versions of Windows, there desire to eliminate side buttons, TIP. Microsoft’s testing has might be integrated with Out- should be two more Beta ver- most of the OEMs believe that shown that a new user with no look. The demo showed how a sions, spaced three to four it’s simply easier to hold the side previous pen tablet experience user could respond to a text months apart. Beta-2 should button and tap the screen to do is most comfortable writing in a email by hitting a pen icon on therefore be released in the a right click. Having one or more defined location (a boxed TIP), the Outlook toolbar. The text spring, and Beta-3 (traditionally buttons on the pen also allows rather than anywhere on the portion of the email moved the last Beta before Release to for more programmable (user- screen. On the other hand, the down, and an ink-entry box Manufacturing (RTM)) should be selectable) functions. Most pen tablet industry’s experience appeared above the text. The in the summer. Microsoft has desktop digitizer tablets (such over the past ten years has user could then scribble an ink made no formal announcements as those from Wacom, shown that experienced users response (with or without using about this schedule, and as http://www.wacom.com) pro- definitely prefer being able to handwriting recognition) and hit noted earlier, it could change vide a range of functions that write anywhere on the screen (a Send. The recipient would see substantially if a large number can be assigned to the side full-window TIP). The choice of the ink just as the sender had of Microsoft’s developers are buttons, so many existing pen TIP in XP Tablet will be user- written it. This is a good exam- redirected into security-oriented users are already familiar with selectable, but like the gestures, ple of “ink as a data type.” The activities. Microsoft has an- the use of side buttons. this capability isn’t available for ink isn’t attached to the email as nounced that there will be a In addition to a set of com- testing in Beta-1. a bitmap or a vector file, it’s Tablet PC “customer trial pro- mon gestures, Microsoft plans In summarizing the software stored as data in the email the gram” (called a Rapid Adopter to include a set of application development design guidelines same way that text is stored in Program, or RAP, in Microsoft- gestures for use in application for ISVs, Microsoft makes a the email. Any graphic enhance- speak). This program will use programs (presumably, Mi- curious statement: “People will ment that the sender makes to sample units from several crosoft will use these them- spend the majority of their time the ink (such as bold or color) is OEMs, Beta-2 or Beta-3 soft- selves when making Office XP interacting with the Tablet PC stored as an ink property ware (TBD), and is likely to take and Visio pen-aware). None of using Windows and spend a record. place during the summer. these gestures are in the cur- comparatively small amount of rently available Beta-1 version time using true pen-based of XP Tablet. The gestures that applications.” Thinking about Talking to XP Tablet HARDWARE have been defined so far in- how people use laptops today, In the hundreds of pages of clude such functions as copy, this would seem to be very documentation in the XP Tablet Hardware paste, cut, undo, change case, untrue – most people spend the SDK, only about four pages are backspace, new line and space. majority their time in applica- devoted to Speech. XP Tablet Requirements A list of “to be defined” ges- tions, not interacting with Win- will include the Microsoft Microsoft’s Tablet PC Hardware tures include file operations dows. Perhaps the statement is Speech API, but the amount of Requirements (see

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Q&A with Microsoft's Alex Loeb (by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

Following is a list of questions Pen Com- understand that the digitizer and pen add mises. The goal with the Tablet PC is to puting Magazine posed to Alex Loeb, Vice cost, but feel that this extra cost will work provide a seamless experience for the user President of Microsoft’s Tablet PC division: against Tablet PC acceptance. In the past, whether they are typing a memo at their pen products failed in part due to the price desk, using a full keyboard and a mouse, or PCM: Alex, here at Pen Computing Mag- premium of the pen. And the large price taking notes in a meeting room using a pen. azine we have been following and covering premium of Sony’s pen-enabled Vaio Slim- the pen industry for almost ten years. Let top was listed as one of the reason for its PCM: A pet peeve of ours here at Pen me say upfront that we are very pleased failure. And high price was also cited as a Computing Magazine is that for every with Microsoft’s Tablet PC project. Mi- reason for IBM’s decision to kill the thousand dollars spent on hardware re- crosoft’s unwavering belief in the pen and Transnote. Wouldn’t it be better to just search and development, perhaps a couple pen tablets as an important future techno- absorb that extra cost? of pennies are spent on the enabling tech- logy helped keeping pen technology alive nologies for pen products such as the after it was declared dead several years Alex Loeb: In terms of hardware pricing, Tablet PC. As a result, areas like handwrit- ago. Microsoft’s own efforts in the pen that’s up to each computer manufacturer. ing recognition, ink processing, digitizers, arena, of course, have had their ups and We would expect that Tablet PCs will be etc. have seen very little progress over the downs, but it seems that your company priced at approximately the same level as past the years. Are you concerned about clearly believes the time for the Tablet PC today’s premium portable PCs. The pricing this, and do you think we’ll see some more has come and that it is putting great effort will undoubtedly vary according to the way investment in those areas? into this project. We WANT for Microsoft the computer manufacturer chooses to to succeed with the Tablet PC and this is equip their machines. Alex Loeb: The Tablet PC has been a why we would like to ask you some tough vision for Microsoft and many in the indus- questions. So let’s get started: PCM: A pen is quite different from a try for some time. I agree that realizing What exactly is the justification for the mouse. Over a decade ago, Go realized this vision has taken some time, in part Tablet PC? Sure, it is nice to have the that when they developed a totally pen- since developing pen-based technologies power of a full PC and all the features of centric operating environment, PenPoint. - both on the hardware and software side Windows XP, but if portability and simplici- In our opinion, subsequent efforts, includ- - can be very difficult. While I can’t speak ty are issues, wouldn’t people be better off ing Windows for Pen Computing, failed in for other companies, Microsoft has never with a lighter, simpler product such as a CE part because they simply added pen func- stopped investing in pen technologies .NET-based slate? tionality to a mouse-centric OS. From what such as digital ink, handwriting recogni- we have seen so far, the Tablet PC edition tion and display technologies like Alex Loeb: There are literally tens of of Windows XP takes the same approach. ClearType. In fact, over the course of the thousands of Windows applications today Wouldn’t it make more sense to create an past ten years we have had so many that our customers use and depend on to interface designed from the ground up for people from across the company focused run their businesses. We need to enable the pen? on the Tablet PC - from Microsoft Re- our customers to continue to leverage the search, to the Office and Windows groups, investment they have made in using those Alex Loeb: Again, I want to stress the applications. In addition, we want to expand investment that customers have made in the capabilities of the PC to new scenarios, the Windows operating system and Win- to enable it to support and run those appli- dows applications. Microsoft is deeply cations in new places and in new ways. The involved in the study of user interface Tablet PC, which incorporates pen-based design, and has spent a lot of time working technologies portable Windows PCs, does with customers and learning from the just that. And the combination of the Tablet extensive work that others in the industry PC form factor and pen based technologies have done. One key thing we’ve discovered enables new ways to use the PC - such as is that people do not want to learn how to taking handwritten notes in meetings and use a new OS with a new user interface, annotating documents. In short, the Tablet just as they do not want to learn new appli- PC makes it possible for people to use their cations that are designed exclusively for Bill Gates and Jeff Raikes demoing the Tablet PC PC in more aspects of their day without pen-based input. Instead, users want to making any compromises since it is a full integrate their pen-specific tasks in a way to our Developer Tools group - that our Windows XP PC and a pure superset of that’s consistent with their PC experience total financial commitment to-date is very today’s laptops. today. Thus, the OS for the Tablet PC builds difficult to quantify. We are optimistic that on top of Windows XP Professional, which Tablet PCs will drive a renewed level of PCM: I think Microsoft stated that Tablet has been extended to support pen-based investment in pen-based technologies, PCs will be premium-priced products. We technologies without forcing any compro- and are very encouraged by the level of

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http://www.microsoft.com/win- and then return the application dowsxp/tabletpc/hardware.asp) to windowed mode using just a are surprisingly simple. The pen. response from computer manufacturers and software vendors. requirements cover only five LEGACY-FREE. A Tablet PC technologies: active digitizer, must be legacy-free. It cannot PCM: The name Tablet PC implies, of course, a tablet or slate. power management, screen have any external parallel, serial, Recently, we have seen more and more mention and emphasis on rotation, docking and legacy PS/2, game or FDD ports, and the convertibles, standard notebooks with screens that rotate around ports, as follows: operating system must not see and fold flat, or perhaps regular notebooks with a digitizer. We ACTIVE DIGITIZER. All Tablet any of the standard hardware are afraid that this increasing emphasis on convertibles will PCs must use an active digitizer addresses (e.g., COM1) associ- relegate the actual tablet designs into a lesser role and result in with a resolution of at least 600 ated with those ports. The latter the Tablet PC project degenerating into just a notebook add-on dpi, a data rate of at least 100 requirement disallows the pro- that people will reject because of the extra price. Your thoughts? points per second, and an accu- posed docking strategy in the racy of 2 mm or better. These July 2001 article that suggested Alex Loeb: We expect that both the pure slate and the convert- requirements are driven by two bringing out legacy ports ible form factors will be successful. Users will have a wide variety main needs: “mouseover” through a docking connector of machines to choose from, and will be able to select the model (hover) and high-quality inking. and simply omitting the connec- that is right for them, based on their particular needs. Each design Refer to the July 2001 article for tors from the Tablet PC. The only has its own unique benefits - the slate offers users an ultra slim and more information. allowable method of supporting lightweight design, and the ability to easily dock to gain access to a POWER MANAGEMENT. legacy ports in a Tablet PC full keyboard and mouse. The convertible is slightly larger design, There are three separate re- docking station is to convert but offers immediate access to an attached keyboard. Regardless quirements, as follows: them from USB or IEEE-1394. of the design, we wanted to give all users the benefit of the Tablet (1) A Tablet PC must resume PC, whether their task is keyboard intensive or not. from suspend in two seconds (this is about how long it takes Hardware PCM: With PC sales stagnating and notebook sales growth someone to resume using a slowing, the industry is looking for the “next big thing.” A Mi- spiral-bound paper notebook). Recommendations crosoft slide shown at a presentation in Taipei last December (2) A Tablet PC must last for Microsoft kept the list of hard- sized the total 2004 laptop market at 43 million units and set forth 72 hours in suspend (to ensure ware requirements very short in the assumption that Tablet PC may be 25% of those laptops plus preservation of data). order to allow innovation by the 5% of desktops, resulting in a over 17 million (Tablet) PC opportu- (3) A Tablet PC must automat- OEMs. However, Microsoft has nity. What are your projections for Tablet PC? ically enter hibernation if the made a number of “hardware battery becomes exhausted recommendations” that carry Alex Loeb: As with any new product, it’s difficult to estimate while in suspend (also to ensure significant weight. They are as exactly how quickly the Tablet PC will be adopted. We believe preservation of data). follows: that many will see value in replacing their current laptops right SCREEN ROTATION. A Tablet LCD RESOLUTION. The LCD away, while others will replace their laptops with Tablet PCs PC must be able to rotate the should have a minimum resolu- over the course of their company’s normal replacement cycle. In screen image between landscape tion of XGA. An XGA Tablet PC in the near term, we see a significant percentage of the ultra- and portrait modes at the touch a portrait mode provides 768 pixels portable market moving to the Tablet PC by the end of 2003. In button (without rebooting). This horizontally, which is close to the the longer term, we see the majority of portable PC shipped to allows the user to use whichever minimum resolution in use for be Tablet PCs within 5 years. mode is appropriate (e.g., land- web browsing today (SVGA, at scape for PowerPoint or portrait 800 pixels wide). XP Tablet’s user PCM: Anything else you would like to add? for Word) with zero effort. interface will be optimized for a DOCKING. A Tablet PC must width of 768 pixels. Alex Loeb: I’d like to reiterate that Microsoft is highly commit- support “Grab-and-Go Dock- LCD DENSITY. The LCD ted and invested in making the Tablet PC a success. We are ing.” This means that the Tablet should have a minimum density continuing to work closely with our industry partners, and are PC must be able to be removed of 120 dots per inch (dpi). A excited to see the tremendous innovation that the Tablet PC is from a dock without warning, 10.4” XGA LCD has 123 dpi, so driving. In addition to compelling new hardware designs, we even if it’s in the middle of this is seen as the optimum LCD expect to see a whole host of new software applications based writing a file to an external for a Tablet PC. The LCD density on the Tablet PC platform. We have released a complete software storage device such as an IEEE- recommendation is driven development kit with a rich set of development tools, and a num- 1394 hard disk. As another primarily by the need for high- ber of key software developers have already begun to extend example, if the Tablet PC is quality inking. A 12.4” XGA LCD their application based on the Tablet PC. Microsoft, along with running an application in full- has only 106 dpi, which is tech- our partners, is looking forward to bringing the results of this work screen mode with a keyboard, nically below the minimum, but to market when we launch the Tablet PC later this year. the user must be able to remove Microsoft has said that it’s it from the dock without warning acceptable because there are

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no other resolutions available in Yes, but what do those Tablet PC OEM/ODMs know about pens? the 12.1” size, and almost all ultraportable laptops use 12.1” COMPANY PREVIOUS PEN TABLET EXPERIENCE LCDs. Note that an 8.4” SVGA Acer None LCD has 119 dpi, which is very Compaq Several versions of the Concerto convertible in mid 1990s close to the minimum, but in FIC Current AquaPAD webpad Fujitsu PC 17 generations of pen tablets over nine years portrait mode it’s only 600 pixels LG Electronics None across, which will cause prob- NEC Versa convertible in the mid 1990s; webpad for Japanese market lems with XP Tablet’s user PAD Products None interface. Sony Recently discontinued VAIO Slimtop was a non-portable pen tablet HARDWARE BUTTONS. A Tatung Several webpads Tablet PC should have a mini- Toshiba T100 and T200 pen tablets in the mid 1990s mum of five programmable ViewSonic Current ViewPad 1000 pen tablet and ViewPad 100 webpad hardware buttons plus a sixth Wistron None Function button. The buttons can be used for hardware functions Tablet PC LCDs 12.1” Tablet PC. One OEM is VIA C3 CPU) at Comdex. The such as adjusting backlight At WinHEC 2001 and the June using an 8.4” SVGA LCD, but as majority of Tablet PCs will use brightness, to produce key- 2001 Tablet PC conference, noted above, it may create Intel CPUs, a few will use strokes such as Backspace or Microsoft strongly encouraged user interface problems. None Transmeta CPUs, and (so far) Return, or to launch applications. the OEMs to use a variety of of the Tablet PC OEMs are only VIA will use VIA’s CPU. OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS. LCDs sizes. However, during using 13.3” or 14.1” LCDs be- Those Tablet PCs using Trans- Microsoft’s other recommenda- the last eight months, econom- cause generally they’re just too meta represent good news for tions can be grouped together ics intervened. In order to use large and heavy for an arm- the beleaguered CPU vendor, under the general heading of an active digitizer, a sensor held portable product. who has so far been unable to “good ultraportable laptop grid (a 0.5-mm PCB) must be Transflective TFT LCDs are land any design wins outside design,” as follows: inserted between the interesting to those OEMs who of the Japanese subnotebook LCD/backlight assembly and focus on vertical applications market. High-performance CPU the LCD’s driver electronics (such as Fujitsu), but most of the The video controller arena Good video performance in both PCB. Inserting a grid into a Tablet PC OEMs aren’t going to tells a similar story. Eight landscape and portrait modes standard LCD is a time-con- use them. After all, there is only months ago, only Silicon Mo- Long battery life (4 hours min) suming, expensive and poten- one mainstream laptop on the tion (SMI) of Taiwan was in the tially damaging process. As an market today with a transflec- game, offering their Lynx-EM+ As thin as possible (0.7” to 1”) alternative, Toshiba decided to tive screen (the NEC Versa (2D) and Lynx-3DM (3D) video As light as possible (under 3 lbs) create a version of their stan- DayLite), and it’s rumored not to controllers. ATI jumped in Preferably no fan dard 10.4” XGA LCD which be selling very well. The obvious during the summer with their Wireless-enabled (good includes a “pocket” for the conclusion is that there still isn’t current 3D MOBILITY RADEON support for IEEE 802.11b) digitizer sensor grid. This any significant demand for laptop video controllers and a Sophisticated yet simple makes it much easier for an outdoor readability in a laptop- new rotation driver called docking OEM to assemble a Tablet PC. class device. Microsoft’s posi- “TabletVision,” announced at Consequently, more than 75% tion on transflective TFT LCDs is Comdex. Portrait Displays has of the Tablet PC OEMs are that the current generation also jumped in with their Pivot using Toshiba’s 10.4” XGA LCD. simply isn’t bright enough in- rotation driver. The Tablet PCs This means that there may doors (in transmissive mode) to will be split between SMI and not be as much product differ- be acceptable. ATI, with a third dark-horse entiation between Tablet PCs video controller vendor ap- as Microsoft had hoped. The pearing as a surprise. Rotation main differentiation may turn Other Hardware will similarly be split between out to be form-factor (convert- Eight months ago, only Trans- SMI’s driver, ATI’s driver and ible versus pure tablet) rather meta was playing in the Tablet Portrait Display’s Pivot. than screen size. Most of the PC CPU game. By midsummer, Finally, in the active digitizer remaining 25% of the OEMs are both Intel and VIA had jumped space, FinePoint Innovations planning to use 12.1” LCDs, in. Intel showed their Tablet (finepointinnovations.com) and even in the absence of a pock- PC reference design (using a Wacom (wacom.com) are com- et version. Since all but one of Pentium III ULV CPU) at the peting head-to-head for design the ten ultraportable laptops Intel Development Forum (IDF) wins in the Tablet PCs. Both currently on the market are conference in August and at vendors appear to be winning 12.1”, there’s a strong market- Comdex. VIA showed their some. A few new Taiwanese ing argument for making a reference design (using the digitizer vendors have entered

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the game, but they don’t appear ). Nearly all of the July 2001 article are still pre- • Microsoft may not get the to be able to meet Microsoft’s Taiwanese OEM/ODMs will sent, as follows: details of the user interface specifications with their initial have prototype hardware on • Significant possibility of low right the first time products. display at CeBIT, and some of initial market demand and/or • Handwriting recognition may the unannounced OEMs may product acceptance not be good enough choose TECHXNY as the forum • Resistance to “a laptop • Possibility of insufficient What’s Next to announce their Tablet PC without a keyboard” (for the Windows application compati- The next milestone in the long products. pure tablet OEMs) bility march of the Tablet PC from Looking back over the last • Inadequate docking solutions • XP Tablet 1.0 may be a typical conception to shipping product eight months, while the program • Insufficiently differentiated “Version 1” Microsoft product are the CeBIT show (held in has moved forward substantial- products March in Hannover, Germany) ly, nothing much has changed • Steep learning curve for In the July 2001 article on and the TECHXNY show (former- from the viewpoint of risk. Most OEMs and ODMs who have Tablet PCs in Pen Computing ly PC Expo, held June 25-27 in of the risks I identified in the never built a pen computer Magazine, I estimated the prob- ability of Version 1 of the Tablet PC crashing and burning at 50%. Introducing Microsoft’s “Mira” Eight months later, my estimate of the probability of a real crash “Mira” is a new wireless in this issue for more information typically be a few taps here and and burn (i.e., total market monitor technology announced on this new OS). Mira is battery- there. In essence, Mira is a rejection of the Tablet PC) has by Bill Gates in his keynote powered. The remote connection portable, pen-based “thin client,” decreased quite a bit due to the speech at the Consumer Elec- to the PC is made physically via connected to a home PC as the presence of convertibles. How- tronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas IEEE 802.11b wireless LAN, and server. The table below com- ever, the probability of selling on January 7, 2002. The basic logically via Mi- pares Mira to Tablet PCs, pen substantially less than the concept is an “intelligent dis- crosoft’s RDP tablets, CE tablets, webpads and predicted 500,000 to a million play” (a wireless monitor) that (Remote Desktop thin clients. (See the “Tablet first year volume still seems to can be removed from its base Protocol). When Taxonomy” in the January issue be at least 50%. It’s a high-risk and used around the house while Mira is in its desk- of Pen Computing for more poker game, and OEM/ODM still connected wirelessly to the top monitor stand, information about how to classify players without deep pockets PC. This is a home entertainment the connection to pen tablet devices.) and substantial staying power device, not a computing device. the PC is made via Mira isn’t new technology. may have to drop out before the Imagine watching a movie play- a standard monitor Everything in it has been around second round. ing from a DVD on the PC, play- cable. The human for at least a few years. It’s a ing a game or viewing snapshots interface on Mira is a touch classic Microsoft product: exist- Based in Silicon Valley, Geoff on Mira, all while you’re sitting panel (passive resistive digitizer). ing technology that’s nicely Walker is a consultant with on the couch. Mira looks like a Touch is acceptable in this packaged, well-positioned with Walker Mobile, LLC. Geoff has large Tablet PC. application (versus the active strong marketing spin, and worked on the engineering and The core of the intelligent digitizer that’s required in a defined as a platform on which marketing of pen computers display is a standard monitor- Tablet PC) because Mira isn’t OEMs, IHVs and ISVs can devel- since 1989 at GRiD Systems, sized LCD (15 to 18 inches), intended to be used for input- op products. It’s a reasonable Fujitsu Personal Systems (now driven by a National Semicon- intensive tasks such as taking step forward in Microsoft’s latest Fujitsu PC) and Handspring. He ductor Geode processor running notes in a meeting. It’s a home effort to make the PC the center can be contacted at geoff.walk- CE.Net (see the article on CE.Net entertainment device – input will of home entertainment. [email protected].

SPEC MIRA TABLET PC PEN TABLET CE TABLET WEBPAD THIN CLIENT PC No Yes Yes No No No Operating System CE.Net with RDP XP Tablet XP, 2000, NT, 9X CE 3.0 CE 3.0, or QNX CE 3.0 with RDP or ICA CPU NS Geode Pentium III Pentium III StrongARM StrongARM StrongARM or NS Geode or NS Geode Display 15”-18” LCD 10.4”-12.1” LCD 8.4”-13.3” LCD 5.5”-8.4” LCD 8.4”-10.4” LCD Various LCD & CRT Digitizer Touch Active Touch Touch Touch None User Interface Any Windows Any Windows Vertical Windows Vertical CE Web browser Server application application application applications Windows Local Applications Not yet Yes Yes Yes No No Connection Home PC Anything Anything Anything Internet Server Wireless Integrated WLAN (802.11b) Integrated WLAN and Integrated No WLAN (802.11b) via PC card WLAN & WAN WAN via PC card WLAN (802.11b)

www.tabletpcmagazine.com Tablet PC Spring 2002