Gizmo alerts: Fujitsu T2010 Tablet PC, iLiad woes, AlphaSmart word-processors

By David Rothman

A plus of E Ink-style displays is that gadgets like the Sony Reader thrive on sunlight. They actually show more contrast than when inside. Many LCD screens just don’t cut it outdoors.

If, however, you’ve got a stray $2,279 on hand, the LCD-screened Fujitsu Lifebook T2010 Tablet PC might intrigue you.

Reviewer Linda Epstein loves the brightness and clarity of the display—even when she’s outside. Battery life is up to 11 hours, and weight is a mere 3.5 pounds. jkOnTheRun is also excited, based in the Epstein report.

E-book angle

What does that mean for e-books?

Well, LCDs aren’t going to vanish, and the Fujitsu serves as a preview of what will be ahead in the next few years in less expensive tablets, including the dedicated e-book variety.

I’ll repro the full specs at the end of this post. Also see Victor Cheung’s review.

iLiad and the AlphaSmarts

Elsewhere on the hardware front, Dr. Ellen Hage, an e-book usability expert, is less than enchanted so far with her new iLiad. Among the negatives for her are screen contrast issues, slowness in booting up and within applications, and short battery life for an E Ink machine.

Meanwhile, if you’re a cash-strapped writer not budgeted for the likes of the Fujitsu or the $700+ iLiad, you might enjoy Ellen’s post on the AlphaSmart word-processors, which many educators over the years have highly regarded. Also see AlphaSmart site and Wikipedia item. Prices start at $219, and the keyboard looks much better than the usual adds-ons for PDAs. Essentially you’re talking about a kind-of-tablet dominated by a keyboard, not a screen—just the ticket, it would seem, for focused writing rather than reading.

Great word-processor

“It’s a great word processor,” Ellen writes of her AlphaSmart Neo. “The best thing about it is that it only does one thing, so I don’t get distracted like I do when I am on the computer. I find that it really helps me to focus on the task at hand. Mine runs on batteries, but you can also get a rechargeable battery pack for it. I find that a battery pack is not really necessary for me. The batteries last for what seems like forever on this thing. I also never have to worry about saving anything that I type.”

///////////////////

LifeBook T2010 Tablet PC specifications

• Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor Ultra Low Voltage U7600 (1.2 GHz, 2 MB L2 cache, 533 MHz FSB)

• Genuine Windows Vista® Business with Microsoft® Office OneNote® 2007

• 12.1″ WXGA indoor/outdoor active digitizer display with wide viewing angles

• 2 GB DDR2 533 MHz SDRAM memory (1 GB x 2)

• 100 GB S-ATA 150 (5400 rpm) hard drive

• Multinational3 56K4 V.90 modem and 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet

• Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/b/g/n)

• Integrated Bluetooth wireless

• Integrated Fingerprint Sensor, embedded TPM, dedicated Smart Card slot, Fujitsu Security Application Panel

• High-capacity main battery: Lithium ion (9-cell, 10.8V, 8700 mAh, 93.9 WHr, rated up to 11 hours)

• One-year International Limited Warranty

• M-code FPCM11093