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2254

Performance Tablet/Thin and Light

2254 points posted to Gaming, Laptops by chungng 02/17/07

What I'd like to be able to buy from Dell:

13.3 ~5 lb Performance Tablet PC with great discrete graphics options (x1700 or GeForce 7700) possibly even upgradable.
Possibly a dual graphics chip option similar to the Sony SZ line to help with battery life.
A nice high res wide viewing angle screen WXGA+ or better option for working with multiple text files
9 Cell (or larger) battery options to get 5+ hours of life
Built in optical drive with swappable drive bay battery options
Latest WiFI (802.11n) and bluetooth
Great keyboard with trackpoint nub and touchpad.
Non-plastic case options. Carbon fiber, magnesium alloy... whatever... just something without the cheapy plastic feel.
Backlit keyboard
All the little extras
- SD card reader
- finger print scanner
- extra usb ports
- firewire
- PCMCIA (for corporate smart card readers) and ExpressCard

External docking station
Possibly a camera options
Possibly a non-tablet version as well

seaquake2
02/20/07		 I agree with this (non-tablet verison) i left a comment on another idea under the notebook section about Dell creatings a Sony Viao SZ type model. I love the idea of 13.3" inch LCD, under 5 lbs with Geforce 7000 series and a dual graphics chip option solution. Intel Centrino Pro on all notebook models.
iano
03/03/07		 Give me a bigger screen than 13".....more like 15- still super thin and light as a premium product and with tablet capability (which doesn't have a great weight impact). All the extras, and high tech material to keep it light. Most people i know like the tablet mode as an extra to use in meetings but don't want to compromised the laptop for the 5% they use it in tablet mode in meetings.
iusedial
04/19/07		 My nice new D420 is awfully close to what you describe. Doesn't have back lit keyboard, built in optical drive (I never need one), or dual graphics chip.
jervis961
06/04/07		 Is this close enough. http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/67963
grstudent
08/07/07		 Merged Idea originally posted 02/17/07
How about a gaming capable tablet.

I think that dell shoudl develop some tablets, some gaming oriented, soem portable oriented. How abotu a 12", 15'' and 17" tablet. Have them along the same lines as teh current line of laptops. 12" as an ultraportable tablet. 15" as a gaming capable, tablet, but still portable. The 17" as a major gaming capable laptop, that can also convert to note taking responsibilites. If they had a ttablet that met these requiremnents, i would buy one in a heartbeat. The current genreation of tablets are jstu severly lacking. Oh, and make sure that they all have top of the line screen resolutions.
niceidiot
08/07/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 08/07/07
Please develop a Tablet PC geared towards gamers or multimedia and art professionals. Something with a 12-14 inch screen and a nice non-Intel 950 video card and a current generation processor. A Tablet PC with hardware capable of running current generation games and 3D software would make you an immediate favorite among the Tablet PC faithful.

Also, if you choose to make a Tablet PC, please use Wacom as the digitizer of choice. Gateway, HP and Toshiba make current tablets that have many of the necessary specs, but ruins it by using a digitizer that is not supported by many media creation applications.
deejay
08/07/07		 Merged Comment originally posted 08/07/07
Toshiba uses Wacom, Gateway has started to use Wacom and HP always uses Wacom except on their touchscreen models...
greenman
11/05/07		 My next laptop will be a convertible tablet PC. Today's CPU and GC are so capable that a convertible can be made without compromising performance. I need the computing power to run Matlab, simulation and database applications, but the tablet format, complete with handwriting recognition on a touchscreen, video recording and audio capture, would enable discreet note-taking in seminars, meetings and interviews. With an externally folded screen, i can watch movies on the airplane, even if I get stuck in the cheap seats. Although PCMCIA or SDMI card slot would be nice, I can use a USB port for most of the external (data acquisition and instrument control) interfaces. A docking station with one or two screens is very important for work in a civilized environment.
Essentially, I am voting for, and would buy immediately, a no-compromise laptop with a convertible touchscreen, even if it were as expensive as your most expensive Precision notebook.
greenman
11/23/07		 I have been looking for an improved portable computer design for a while. The standard laptop is awkward in meetings and fragile on the road. I thought about the Lenovo convertible design; I commented favorably on the performance convertible notebook idea mentioned in these pages. After more contemplation, I think a better option would be a straight tablet-style form factor with uncompromised performance. At a stationary work place, the tablet would pair (on multiple parallel channels) with a bluetooth keyboard, mouse, headset, and a powerful dock that contained wired network interface, backup storage, bulk data access, and expansion connections. The significant advantage to the tablet is that a capable multi-point touch screen, coupled to reasonably effective handwriting recognition, permits in-meeting notes to be subtle. Including audio and video input means that the meeting can be recorded directly as well, Removing the complex hinge, which adds weight and vulnerability to both the clamshell and the convertible style of laptop, would reduce weight without hurting performance. Instead of a clamshell containing the LCD screen, the cover could be a simple passive protector, which would fold around for note-taking and movie watching. If a keyboard were needed, either a mechanical or a laser projection keyboard could be added using bluetooth. The tablet itself should mount into a desk arm for work in an office, and have a dock cable, so it wouldn't have to be fixed in place. Picture a battery powered XPS-1, using a touch screen with a Wacom style pressure sensititive pen. This would be a truly intuitive user interface.
A third party modification to the Apple notebook glues a Wacom Cintiq screen to the one of their standard notebooks; it seems to suggest a new solution to the problem of having discreet first-class computation power without being tied to a single location.
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