Businesses with a mobile workforce gravitate to Tablet PCs because they combine the freedom to scribble notes with the full power of mobile computing. Nearly small enough to make you want to throw your PDA away, the Fujitsu Siemens LifeBook P1510 crams Windows XP Tablet PC Edition functionality into a machine weighing a mere 1kg with an 8.9-inch touchscreen.
The clamshell form factor with swivel screen means you can use the P1510 as a mini-laptop or morph it into a slate for writing. With passive digitiser technology, any stylus or even a squeaky clean finger can be used on the screen. The Tablet PC operating system gives the benefits of handwriting recognition and portrait or landscape screen orientation, while running office applications with ease. The system is powered by a 1.2GHz Pentium M 753 Ultra Low Voltage processor supported by a 60GB hard drive and up to 1GB memory. Bluetooth and 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi provide wireless connectivity, while a fingerprint scanner and TPM hardware encryption chip add security.
Although Tablet PCs have a niche market in the industrial and health care sectors, the ultraportability and flexibility of the LifeBook P1510 could mean mass adoption is not far away. Pricing starts at £1449 (inc. VAT).
