Coffee Break — Working On a 7-Inch Slate
Mobile desktop
I attended the GigaOM Pro webinar earlier (which was great) and then needed to get out of the office. I am in the coffee shop working away on the loaner Viliv X70 UMPC, now that it’s back running Windows XP after my failed attempt to put Windows 7 on it. I’ll detail that aborted process in tomorrow’s Mobile Tech Manor column.
The X70 is a stellar mobile desktop when paired with the Stowaway wireless keyboard and mouse. It’s so small for transport, yet the 7-inch screen is quite comfortable to use for extended periods on the table. I am flying through stuff with no feeling of compromise at all.
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Hi James, I getting the feeling that Blogging is all about Coffee and cakes :)
No cake, at least not for me. :)
That seems very similar James to your sony u750p setup. Things haven’t progressed that fast in mobile computing have they?
They are very similar, mainly due to how advanced the Sony U was for its time. It’s rare to find a device like the U that is so far ahead of everything else out there.
With XP, you couldn’t have been taking notes on S70, could you? I’m about ready to jump on either S70 with the SSD and Vista (with Windows 7 upgrade) or the Samsung Q1UP-V, which is heavier, and will I assume have fan noise even in “etiquette” mode.
Do you think those little Atom processors can stand up to actual work as a tablet, with inking in OneNote, Word, with Outlook open, and a couple screens of Firefox, compared to Intel Single Core processor in the Q1UP-V?
If the 1.1 GHz Pentium M in my TC1100 can handle inking in OneNote and the rest of Office 2007 just fine, I wouldn’t worry about Atom not being able to keep up.
Right, right, but several factors are different. The Atom defaults to lower speeds to save battery, and the screen of the S70 is designed for touch on XP.
My Samsung Q1 with a Pentium M running 1.0 GHz can did it with XP Tablet, but slower with Vista. If I’m in a meeting, I close all the other programs or risk having it freeze up.
The combination of Atom, W7, touch screen, Office 2007, and the Viliv X70 I just have never worked with.
This setup would kill my eyes! I prefer your HP Mini rig with that cool portable mouse.
It looks like too much futzing, getting keyboard out, flip stand, etc. In the end, is it really more portable than the 10″ HP I wonder?
I had the same reservations before getting the Viliv S5. I used to take my 11″ Dell X1 with me everywhere, and that laptop is much thinner than most netbooks.
Now I hardly take it out unless I’m going to be doing a lot of writing or coding, inputting information. Why? Because the S5 is much lighter and more versatile on the go. I find it more enjoyable to read and browse with a device in hand than on a lap or table. And then when needed, whip out a keyboard, which still makes the setup lighter. But yes, on a table the distance makes the text too small.
What I’d like to see is thumb keyboard attachment for the S5 (like the Xbox 360 controller attachment) and a port replicator cradle.
In today’s Mobile Tech Manor column I detail my process for deciding which gadget to take on a given outing and why. It explains why I would take the S5 over other devices for a given day trip.
James – curious why you don’t combine the advantages of the X70 and your little keyboard, and just carry a Sony Vaio P? Too expensive? Or are there other reasons why this doesn’t cut it for you?
Neil, I did carry the VAIO P when I had the eval unit. I carry what I already have, I don’t need to buy more gadgets.
I did find the VAIO P to be too sluggish often running Vista. Maybe it will be better with Win 7.