Mactablet.com.au

New Blog Vilivboys

2009-07-12T02:51:00.000-07:00

I'll keep this site on the chance that someday Apple will release a Tablet, but until then I'm moving offshore: http://vilivboys.wordpress.com/

This site will feature mobility tips and tricks using Viliv UMPC's, namely the Viliv S5 and X70 EX premium.

New Mactablet rumour

2009-05-27T05:05:00.001-07:00

Tech crunch article on the Mac tablet. I have to treat as a rumour even though it comes from a good source because as we all know: we're not going to really find out about the Mac Tablet until the minute/second it's launched at the Mac Expo. I disagree with the CPU postulating though. IMHO there's no way the tablet will use a dual core or anything like a high end processor. The tradeoffs in battery life, weight, heat and cost would be too great. If they're basing it around the iPhone OS (good idea) and basically making it a giant iPhone running a super phone OS (great idea) then why not use a lesser spec'd processor that will give you good performance and 6 hours battery life for 800 grams. They'll probably launch a new processor at the same time (made by the guys at P.A. Semi).

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/21/what-we-know-about-the-apple-tablet-so-far/

No Viliv so it's lucky that the mactablet might be just around the corner

2009-05-14T15:28:00.000-07:00

The apple tablet: Holy Grail? Myth?

Apple is rumored (again I know) to shortly unveil a new, larger, touch oriented device.

Chippy of UMPC portal coined the term: iPod Plus. I'll call it the iPad becuase I like that. It's spoken of as essentially a device based around the concepts of the iPhone/iPod Touch (simple touch navigated software) but with less focus on the phone aspect and more focus on media and web interaction. This is certainly UMPC territory but Apple has repeatedly questioned the UMPC/netbook form factor as not user friendly and I have to agree with a lot of their points. I've seen people hunched over an eeepc in an airport lounge and it's not pretty. But also I've seen people (and been one) happily browsing RSS feeds and web pages on an iPhone.

While Apple would not want to enter the netbook market because of well covered issues I can't see them staying away from the larger form factor iPhone. A larger screen (but not too large) in a slate form factor would give them a unique device. Perhaps you will be able to tether it to the iPhone for 3G? This would make you buy both devices as you can't tether an iPhone to your laptop normally. Cheeky? That's Apple.

Dynamism Viliv pre-order launch a total waste of time for people wihout AMEX

2009-05-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

I got up in the middle of the night to order a Viliv S5 from Dynamism. They had an additional 400 units after the first 100 sold out (with lots of issues with their servers being slammed).

I went through the pre-signup process 15 minutes early so I'd be prepared. Then zero hour and I got a pre-order unit with the car kit, batteries and extras. But then: I went to buy and had to pay via AMEX. That's it. Everyone else can whistle.

So no S5 for me.

Bumptop... hmm sucks

2009-04-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

Bumptop is in concept a great idea but in execution? It's amassive processor drain and still has some bugs. Granted I'm trying it on an ultra portable laptop tablet, but it is one of the most powerful one's! The LG P100 can handle almost anything you throw at it from Call of Duty to reasonably heavy video encoding tasks, but it works it's butt of to run bumptop.

Maybe it's because it's a beta but for whatever reason it's going in the recycle bin.

I've received my bumptop beta invite - cool

2009-04-05T23:25:00.000-07:00

Bumptop was announced ages ago with a cool video of it's use - http://bumptop.com/

But then sort of disappeared. I signed up for the beta but then forgot about it. Today I got an invite, downloaded the beta and once I've backed up the LG P100 (and my HTC Shift - why not put it on both?!) I'll install and have a play.

FROM THE SITE:

BumpTop, Rethink your Desktop

BumpTop is a fresh and engaging new way to interact with your computer desktop. You can pile and toss documents like on a real desk. Break free from the rigid and mechanical style of standard point-and-click desktops. Interact by pushing, pulling and piling documents with elegant, self revealing gestures. BumpTop's stunning interface makes clever use of 3D presentation and smooth physics-based animations for an engaging, vivid user experience.

Dell Adamo now available for pre order

2009-03-22T04:37:00.001-07:00

The Dell Adamo is absolutely stunning! There's some unboxing's happening now on the web (if you can call pulling it out of a clear plastic container unboxing!). I saw it and wanted one immediately....until I saw the price. Here in Oz the base model will set you back a mere $4300! Holy C#@*.

Looking for a Onenote alternative on Linux

2009-03-18T04:02:00.000-07:00

I'm installing Basket (a linux app) on Ubuntu on the LG P100 as I'm trying to see if I can get away with using Linux everyday instead of a Windoze machine. I use Onenote everyday and it's part of my going paperless strategy. I'll try out Basket and report back on the differences and disadvantages (if any).

All the rumours focus on the Apple netbook but it will also be a tablet - sort of

2009-03-10T19:16:00.001-07:00

Rumours have been flying around for the last week about Apple launching a netbook later in the year but as you can see http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090309PB204.html Wintek will supply touch panels for the Apple netbook. So it's going to be a tablet, sort of. Maybe like the Everun Note with a touch screen that doesn't convert into a tablet (silly) or if they get it right it'll be a convertible like the P1610 or LG-P100.

Dispatched and hatched - sale of Q1U and plans hatched for sale and buy

2009-03-10T02:35:00.000-07:00

I've sold my Q1U and regret it already. I'm not having a great time with the HTC Shift and that's mainly because of the limitations of the Windows mobile side. I can't access the wireless and so need to have Vista running to get to the wifi so I don't have to use my 3G (hey we can't all have unlimited and constant access to our networsk. So therefore I can only get 2 hours use max out of it instead of the three days I was promised. Well not exactly promised but come on.

So I'm now thinking of going back to the solution I had before - LG-P100 forthe heavy lifting powerful tablet PC but still aUMPC and the HTC advantage for ultra portability. And since there's a new Advantage maybe that's worth a look.

New patent application lodged by apple - tablet?

2009-02-11T17:13:00.000-08:00

Interesting tablet related patent application from Apple?

US patent application

IMages

The invention pertains to an improved housing for a computing device. More particularly, a first aspect of the invention pertains to a computer housing having a logo or other symbol that can be illuminated using light from the backside of a display panel. A second aspect of the invention pertains to a suspended frame is able to support a display panel within a display housing. A third aspect of the invention pertains to a computing device provided with an internal antenna. A fourth aspect of the invention pertains to a stiffener for a computer housing so as to increase the rigidity and strength of the computer housing. A fifth aspect of the invention pertains to illumination of design elements or features using light from the backside of a display panel. A sixth aspect of the invention pertains to a lid for a computing device, such as a portable computer, that is provided with a translucent housing.

In another embodiment of the invention, lightweight stiffening is provided for a portable computer housing. In this particular embodiment, the computer housing is a LCD display screen housing. FIG. 13 is a broken perspective view of a LCD display screen housing 1310 according to one embodiment of the invention. The LCD display screen housing 1310 includes a bezel (frame) 1312 and an LCD display screen 1314 that form a front portion of the LCD display housing 1310

windows

2009-02-05T16:11:00.001-08:00

quick video of ubuntu's first boot on the LG P100

2009-01-29T05:18:00.000-08:00

Sound, touchpad, wireless and bluetooth all working out of the box. Nvidia card says it needs a driver and I'm going to have to download something to get tochscreen to work but pretty happy so far.

Installing Ubuntu on the LG P100

2009-01-29T05:04:00.000-08:00

10 minutes in with Windows 7 on the Samsung Q1U

2009-01-11T04:22:00.000-08:00

Well windows 7 is installed on my Q1U.

I'm still writing up the shocking user experience to download from Microsoft - it was a friggin joke and you guys are a billion dollar company, get it sorted.

Standard windoze style install. Couldn't upgrade the Sammy because I was running XP Tablet and you can only upgrade from Vista. So no drivers came over :( and it's a clean install for me.

Touchscreen works but has the same issues as in Vista (OK in the centre and off at the edges). Doesn't see it as a touchscreen just like Vista so no tablet features. Sheesh. I have never got my touchscreen to work in Vista which is why I was on XP Tablet.

Everything is pretty fast (I have 2GB ram) but of course there's no drivers, software or anti-virus on it yet.

The crack up is that 2 hours after downloading the installer Windows had to download and install an update! Gotta be a new record for Microsoft.

Here's a few pictures:

Windows 7 is running on the Samsung Q1U

2009-01-11T04:21:00.000-08:00

Designed for XP - I don't think so.

Windows 7 on the Samsung Q1U

2009-01-11T02:25:00.001-08:00

After the shockingly bad user experience on the windows site I've finally got a copy of Windows 7 beta and it's going on the Samsung Q1U as we speak. Backed up everything with cronis first of course and now it's installing - upgrade option wasn't available because I was running XP Tablet so we'll see how we go with drivers and such.

Mio's windows mobile MID or netbook

2009-01-10T01:07:00.000-08:00

Well finally something to get excited about. I was pretty hyped to see the new little Vaio's, the old ultra portable Vaio picturebooks were pretty cool. But the new one while looking OK didn't get me going. Sure it's a nicely designed machine and will probably have the build quality the Vaio range is known for but in the end it's just another netbook and will probably have the failings of a netbook that runs Vista.

I firmly believe that Netbooks should fill the gap between notebooks and phones. So IMHO they only need torun something like Windows Mobile 6.1 to get the advantages that will diffferenciate them form the laptops.Let me explain. A winmo netbook will allow you to surf the web, write/edit word docs, onenote files and excel spreadsheets, write emails, play games, watch a movie or listen to some music (while editing a word doc!). So will a netbook running vista or XP you say? Well yes but slower, without instant on (waiting for my vista laptop to come back frmo sleep sometimes is painful). Winmo will give you the same functionality, better battery life, faster access either form a cold boot or sleep and is more impervious to virus' etc. It won't carsh as much, it will run cooler and for no loss in functionality!

JK on the run looks at the Mio MID

Engadget actually gets ahold of the Mio MID

Endgadget has pics of the vaio P series

2009-01-07T01:57:00.000-08:00

Taken of a monitor image showing the Vaio P series:

Endgadget link tp Vaio P photo

Pretty cool. Chicklet style keys and a pointer (IBM style), webcam to the side of the screen

Sony P series netbook photo

2009-01-02T04:59:00.000-08:00

I know this isn't a tablet but with my love of UMPC I had to post it. I stumbled across this picture supposedly of the new Sony P series netbook. I looks very cool and looks like they've dropped a wrist rest and trackpad in favour of a pointer much like the old Libretto L series (which were my favourite subnotebooks ever).

This thing will be cool and I may have to start a new blog :)

**update: just found out it's a photoshopped T series. Nice job though and probably close to what it willlook like.

Techcrunch reports on large ipod touch. Could this be the mactablet?

2008-12-31T01:03:00.000-08:00

Techcrunch is reporting on a large form factor ipod touch to come next year. Since we're talking about a current screen size of 3.5 inchs the large format one could be 5 inches so i'm not going to get excited yet, but they make a good point about the app store being so successful. A constantly connected tablet PC computing in the cloud with all apps to be bought from the app store sounds like a good recipe.
Techcrunch article

Tablet spotting in the wild X61

2008-12-15T03:55:00.000-08:00

Spotted these Lenovo X61 tablets in the Vodaphone store. Why would they by really expensive tablets and then use them as desktops to take customer orders?? Sheesh.

p.s. sorry about the bad photo quality but I had to take it on the run and a bit secretly as the store was packed.

Time to shop for a new phone

2008-12-04T03:29:00.000-08:00

The N95 is getting a bit long in the tooth and I'm hunting around for a new phone. I'm certainly missing the HTC Advantage since I sold it and so am hoping to get a smart phone that will go some way to replacing it.

The short list at the moment is:

HTC Touch HD
Samsung Omnia
and a distant third:
Nokia N96.

I love the 5 megapixel camera on the N95 and haven't found a camera phone that can match it yet. Shooting a couple of pics in the same conditions to compare against the Omnia I found the N95 kicked it's butt. So the Omnia (good as it appears to be in so many ways) may be out of the running already.

The Samsung Pixon or the other 8 megapixel phones may be worth a look but they don't have Windows Mobile and that's a turn off.

Crazy windows error

2008-11-28T03:55:00.000-08:00

This was fun today when windows decided to s#*t itself. One of my screens showed up a trail when I moved a window and this pic is the result. The other screen showed normal graphics but I couldn't actually access any apps or files.

THe LG P100 exposed

2008-11-24T05:07:00.000-08:00

Found this great pic of the LG P100 with it's top off :)

I'm guessing that the little PCI slot in the front left is where the HSDPA 3G type modem card goes as I know the C1 (model before the P100) had a sim card slot underneath.