Its been a long time in coming but the new line of Tablet PCs have recently hit the market. Tablet PCs are a Microsoft incantation that is a cross between a web tablet and a laptop. While it has enough resources to run the desktop Windows XP operating system it has jetisoned some of the standard features of laptops to stay lean and lightweight. The main feature of Tablet PCs is the digital inking technology. This allows users to write in applications as though they were writing on paper. While this has been tried before, it is the most reliable and cost effective to date. ViewSonic's Tablet PC V1100 is one of the new line of Tablet PCs and has most of the standard Tablet PC features.

The V1100 is all display. No cover, keyboard or mouse and built for mobile computing in mind. The main input device is the stylus. Shaped like a pen the stylus allows the user to write in software applications. The digital ink technology translates the writing into pertinant application data. This is great for mobile and on the go applications, where it would be difficult if not impossible to use a keyboard or mouse. Its not limited like the character recognition found on most PDAs where you peck or write one character at a time in a fixed location. The digital ink is built into the display. The display itself is a 10.4" LCD display that can be used in Landscape or Portrait modes. Both modes provide 1024 x 768 pixel resolution.

The next best feature of the V1100 is the built-in network connectivity. No hassle of installing and swapping PC cards to get Ethernet or wireless connectivity. The Tablet PC covers most of the networking options with integrated 802.11b wireless Ethernet (Wi-Fi), 10/100 Ethernet and a 56K modem. The unit also includes ports for firewire and USB to connect peripherals and consumer electronic devices like digital cameras and camcorders.

Since Tablet PCs are a Microsoft creation the operating system is obviously based on Windows. The V1100 runs Windows Tablet PC Edition. This OS requires horsepower and memory, thus it uses an 866 MHz Intel Pentium III-M processor and comes standard with 256 MB of SDRAM and a 20 GB harddrive. Unfortunately this puts quite a burden on the battery and you're not likely to get more then a few hours of battery life. The tablet is powered by a 4-cell lithium ion battery.

When you're not on the go the V1100 comes with a docking station to recharge the unit and to connect additional peripherals such as CD, DVD and floppy drives. Audio features include a microphone and audio-out jack for headphones or speakers. To keep the system light weight and slim the expansion ports are limited to Type II PC card and CompactFlash slots.

Pricing and Availability

The Tablet PC V1100 is available and can be purshased at the main computer retail chains and online. It's estimated sale cost is around $2,000.

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