• AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-86 2.4GHz processor
• 3GB DDR2 RAM
• 160GB hard drive
• Mobility Radeon HD 3200 IGP
• 12.1″ WXGA Display with dual active/passive digitizer (1280×800)
• 8X DVD multiformat burner with LightScribe
• 802.11 a/b/g/n WLAN with Bluetooth support
• Windows Vista Business OS
• Integrated gigabit Ethernet and v.92 modem
• 6-cell battery
• Integrated webcam, fingerprint reader, Mini Remote Control
• ExpressCard/34 Slot
• 1 x Multi-format card reader
• 3 x USB ports
• 2 x headphone out and one microphone-in
• 1 x Expansion port
• 1 x VGA and S-video
• Weight: 4.5 lbs

(view large image) Design and Build The tx2500 has a solid chassis and design. The overall design is the same as the tx2000, with the glossy “Echo” imprint finish which extends onto the silver keyboard. It has a very sleek appearance, but be careful it is a fingerprint magnet. (view large image) Weighing in around 4.5 pounds the tx2500 is perfect for students. It gets a little heavy to carry around in tablet mode all day, but it’s great for sitting on your desk and taking notes and you can always substitute in the weight saver if you don’t need the optical drive. (view large image) The tx2500 still has the touchscreen and active digitizer, which makes navigating the Web easy. You can use your finger or the pen. The tx2500 also has great entertainment features, like Altec Lansing speakers, a mini-remote control and quite a few media buttons. For the price this tablet seems to be packed full of features. Display The 12.1″ WXGA display is kind of grainy, but this is very common with tablets. It is glossy and reflective, but nothing major if you like the high-gloss screens. The screen is hard to read in the sunlight and well lite rooms. The viewing angles are average, but can be awkward depending on how the tablet is tilt, sometimes making it very hard to read because the colors bleed.

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The tx2500 has both a touchscreen and active digitizer, it’s a real tablet. The screen automatically changes orientation when rotated into tablet mode and the small hinge is surprisingly sturdy. The pen feels nice as well and I prefer it when navigating over my finger because it is more accurate. At the highest setting the screen is bright and the colors are bold, but you can’t tell what you are setting it too because there isn’t an on-screen indication for brightness levels, which would be a nice feature to have on this high-gloss display. Performance and Benchmarks The tx2500 features the new AMD “Puma” platform which includes both the updated Turion X2 Ultra dual-core processor and the all new ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics processor (IGP). The Radeon HD 3200 is a remarkable IGP because it is the first integrated graphics solution that is genuinely capable of playing 1080p video without skipping frames or playing many 3D video games with reasonable frame rates. While most tablets with integrated graphics produce a 3DMark05 score of less than 1,000 the HD 3200 IGP is theoretically capable of two or three times that level of performance. However, since the Radeon HD 3200 is an integrated graphics solution, it suffers from the same potential problems as any IGP. Namely, it shares the system resources (RAM) and is soldered directly to the motherboard (so it cannot be replaced without replacing the entire motherboard). In the case of our tx2500 review unit, we encountered an unexpected problem. While most people using notebooks and tablets with the new Radeon HD 3200 are reporting 3DMark05 scores of more than 2,919 3DMarks (including our own editorial team testing the new HP Pavilion dv5z) our tx2500 review unit never reached these impressive scores. After a week of constant attempts by our editorial staff of technical experts to diagnose the problem (including multiple driver updates and replacing the system RAM), it was determined that the Radeon HD 3200 in our review unit was not operating properly due to a hardware malfunction. In other words, our tx2500 is going to have to go back to HP for repair or replacement. However, despite the defective Radeon HD 3200 IGP in our review unit, our tx2500 produced 3DMark05 and 3DMark06 scores that were considerably better than the scores from other notebooks with integrated graphics (see below). Comparison Results for PCMark05 PCMark05 measures the systems performance as a whole. As you can see the tx2500 is on top of the competition.

Comparison Results for 3Dmark05 3DMark05 tests the overall graphic capabilities of a notebook. The tx2500 did good on the 3DMark05 score and it should be higher, but due to the graphics problem we had with our unit, we have to send it back to HP to get fixed. The tx2500 also scored a 3DMark06 score of 814, which should be higher as well. The ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics are capable of much higher scores and are a good improvement.

wPrime results: (view large image) HDTune results: (view large image) Keyboard/Touchpad/Pen The keyboard on the tx2500 is solid. I didn’t notice any signs of flex and enjoyed tying on it. It is accurate and responsive. I also like the durable finish the keys have, which is good for preserving the keyboard from those greasy fingers. The keys are easy to read and are a good size, except for the Function keys along the top, which are pretty small, so you have to watch what key you hit. (view large image) The touchpad is still the famous perforated design. I like this design very much because it doesn’t get worn down easily and is responsive. Your finger doesn’t slide off the touchpad because it is indented in the palm rest area, which makes navigating a breeze. The pen is solid, but still your basic pen. It reads the screen when it’s about an inch above and then disables the touchscreen, this way your hand doesn’t interfere when writing. Some users rest their palm on the screen and since the tx2500 also has a touchscreen you might think this would cause a problem, but it doesn’t. The Wacom technology used is great, just remember you can’t keep picking the pen up or the touch feature will be activated again and your hand might be detected. The pen has an eraser on the end as well, which is a feature I like especially when taking notes because you can flip the pen over and erase your mistakes, it’s very convenient. Tablet Features There are plenty of multimedia buttons for watching DVDs, listening to music or viewing your photos. There is even an optional Webcam, which makes this tablet great for chatting with friends over the Web, especially with the productivity that comes with the new Puma processor. It converts into tablet mode with ease and when in tablet mode the speakers are still accessible, a definite bonus (view large image) The tx2500 has both a touchscreen and active digitizer, so now you are getting the best of both worlds for under $1,000. You can take notes on the screen with the pen, which has nice feedback and is easy to navigate with, or use your finger to navigate through windows as well. Heat and Noise The tx2500 does tend to get warm, especially when running benchmarks or working hard. I didn’t notice much heat when browsing the Web or going through emails, but the bottom does get a little warm. When the tablet is running multiple applications or benchmarks the fan kicks on and the heat comes blowing out the vent and it is hot to the touch. This is after a few hours of being on though. I didn’t notice any part of the tablet to be so warm it was uncomfortable though, except for the bottom under extreme working conditions. I didn’t notice any noise from the tx2500 either. The only time the tablet was noisy was when I ran benchmarks and that is when the fan kicked on high. It was annoying and sounded like a hair dryer. Besides that the fan didn’t kick on much and even when it ran on a low setting it was quiet. Ports The tx2500 comes packed with a great variety of features and ports. I don’t think most users will have a complaint in this department. The entertainment features alone make this tablet more like a notebook, which you don’t see on many Tablet PCs. Front view - Power Slider, 2x headphone jacks, 1x microphone jack, Wi-Fi slider (view large image) Left side view - 1x DC jack, 1x ExpressCard/34 slot, 1x multi-format card reader, DVD drive (view large image) Right side view - 1x USB, 1x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x Expansion Port 3, 1x VGA out, 1x S-Video out (view large image) Back view - 1x modem jack, 2x USB, 1x Lock (view large image) Underneath view - Vents and battery (view large image) Battery I found the battery life to be acceptable on the tx2500. It came with a 6-cell battery that sticks out slightly from the back, but can be used as a nice handle when using it in tablet mode. When the battery was set in High Performance mode I got around 1.5 hours of usage with full screen brightness and Wi-Fi on. The number increases to about 3 hours in Balanced mode with Wi-Fi on. I didn’t try out the Power Saver mode because the screen gets very dull and you don’t get much performance, but I am sure it improves battery life slightly as well. If you want more battery life, I recommend getting the 8-cell battery for longer computing times. Speakers The tx2500 is fitted with Altec Lansing speakers, which produce good sound quality for listening to music or watching movies. That was HP’s focus; I mean the tx series are called entertainment notebooks. If you compare the speakers to your standard notebook, they produce comparatively loud, clear sound, but they don’t compare to the higher-end multimedia notebooks equipped with subwoofers. Even in tablet mode you still get that loud clear sound from the speakers because they don’t get covered like on other tablet models, which is a bonus. The headphones come in handy too, if you want to watch a movie or you don’t want to disturb your co-workers. Wireless I had no problems staying connected where ever I traveled. The tx2500 worked well at my house and my office. The WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n with Bluetooth is a good option to have and coverage doesn’t seem to be a problem. I don’t live in a rural area though, but still think it should work fine. The consumer level Infrared for controlling media functions via the included remote is a plus because you can watch movies while laying in bed too.

Conclusion

Overall I am impressed with the tx2500. The updated AMD Puma processor and ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics are a big plus. Web pages render faster and surfing the Web is a breeze. Even though our tx2500 had some problems with the integrated graphics it still performed better then most tablets on the market now and we are sending it back to HP to fix. College students and other consumers should be happy with all the features the tx2500 packs, especially considering it’s available for under $1,000. The active digitizer/touchscreen combo is very nice, even though the screen is a little washed out. Watching movies on it is still a lot of fun and it still maintains the same sleek design as its predecessor.

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Touchscreen and active digitizer
• Entertainment features
• Solid design
• Improved GPU

Cons

• Washed out display that can be very reflective
• Heat output, when over working

No new models entered the market to really shift up our Top 10 list much this month. Only two tablets shifted positions, being the HP TouchSmart tx2z and the Toshiba Portege M700.

1. HP Pavilion tx2500z (Still #1) - The HP Pavilion tx2500z tablet features an AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology processor, up to 4GB DDR2 system memory, ATI Mobile Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics and a 12.1″ WXGA touchscreen/active digitizer display. It still maintains the same solid design and features as its predecessor, the tx2000 as well.
2. Lenovo ThinkPad X200 - The Lenovo X200 is a solid ThinkPad. It has the same plain black signature design and a solid keyboard and display. The ThinkPad X200 features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Windows Vista Business, 12.1″ WideView Standard WXGA display and a 80GB hard drive. It’s a business focused tablet, great for note-taking though.
3. HP EliteBook 2730p - The HP EliteBook 2730p is an update to the 2710p tablet. It still has that great stainless steel look and solid design. The 2730p features Intel Core 2 Duo processors, up to 4GB of memory, up to 120GB 5400 rpm 1.8-inch SATA II hard drive and a 12.1-inch Illumi-Lite WXGA UWVA anti-glare display. A good travel companion tablet.
4. Fujitsu LifeBook T5010 Tablet PC - The LifeBook T5010 Tablet PC features a 13.3″ WXGA widescreen display with active digitizer, built-in modular bay, integrated wireless access and Intel Centrino 2 Processor Technology. This business focused tablet is great for taking notes and giving presentations.
5. HP Pavilion tx2000 - The Pavilion tx2110us Entertainment Notebook has a touchscreen, it lets you capture hand-written notes, and it twists 180 degrees for easy viewing in cramped spaces. Want more? It has a webcam and even a fingerprint reader built-in!
6. Dell Latitude XT2 - The Dell Latitude XT2 features a 12.1″ display with multi-touch interface. Models will also feature up to 5GB of DDR3 system memory, full-sized keyboard and dual pointing devices, integrated fingerprint reader, and option of 4, 6 or 9-cell battery.
8. HP TouchSmart tx2z - (Previously #8) With a convertible, swiveling 12.1″ touchscreen display, the TouchSmart tx2z functions as a notebook or a tablet PC. Digital pen is included and stored in the notebook’s base for note-taking and slate functions. Base model is equipped with 3GB memory and can be customized up to 8GB. Also features webcam, AMD dual-core processor, wireless Internet card and DVD burner.
7. Toshiba Portege M700 - (Previously #7) The Portege M700 Tablet PC has a 12.1-inch diagonal widescreen LED Backlit Display with digital pen support, optional touch capability and anti-glare display for indoor/outdoor viewing. The Portege M700 offers a smooth transition from notebook to Tablet PC with powerful Intel Centrino Pro processor technology and support for wireless 802.11a/g/n, making it a highly mobile standard for productivity.
9. Fujitsu LifeBook T2020 - The LifeBook T2020 weighs a slender 3.5 lbs but features a substantially sized 12.1″ touchscreen display. It is also equipped with Windows Vista, integrated fingerprint sensor, embedded TPM, dedicated Smart Card slot, Fujitsu Security Application Panel, digital microphone and spill-resistant keyboard.
10. Fujitsu LifeBook T1010 - The Lifebook T1010 Tablet PC features Intel Centrino 2 Processor Technology, 13.3-inch WXGA display, Genuine Windows Vista Business Service Pack 1, and up to 2 GB DDR3-1066 SDRAM memory.

Below are the tablets that just missed the spot on the Top 10 list of May:

11. Fujitsu Lifebook P1620

12. Wacom Cintiq 12WX

13. Samsung Q1UP-V

14. HP Pavilion tx2600

15. Motion Computing F5

16. Armor C12

17. Fujitsu Lifebook A6230

18. Armor X10

19. MobileDemand xTablet T8600

20. Toshiba Portege M750

Welcome to the April 2009 Most Popular Tablet PCs list. This report is made using the total page-views each product page receives in one month; so each time someone clicks one of the product links, they are submitting a vote in our monthly rankings. This list doesn’t always show which models are the best selling, but instead the models that readers want to research the most.

The HP Pavilion tx2500z is still holding the #1 position with a strong lead, while its counterpart the Pavilion tx2z slipped from the #6 to #8 position. The Dell Latitude XT2 continues to gain popularity by moving from its #10 position to the #6 spot. A newcomer to the Top 10 list is the Fujitsu LifeBook T1010, slipping into the #10 position.

1. HP Pavilion tx2500z (Still #1) - The HP Pavilion tx2500z tablet features an AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology processor, up to 4GB DDR2 system memory, ATI Mobile Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics and a 12.1″ WXGA touchscreen/active digitizer display. It still maintains the same solid design and features as its predecessor, the tx2000 as well. HP Pavilion tx2500 Reviews / HP Pavilion tx2500 Opinions
2. Lenovo ThinkPad X200 - The Lenovo X200 is a solid ThinkPad. It has the same plain black signature design and a solid keyboard and display. The ThinkPad X200 features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Windows Vista Business, 12.1″ WideView Standard WXGA display and a 80GB hard drive. It’s a business focused tablet, great for note-taking though. Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Reviews / Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Opinions
3. HP EliteBook 2730p - The HP EliteBook 2730p is an update to the 2710p tablet. It still has that great stainless steel look and solid design. The 2730p features Intel Core 2 Duo processors, up to 4GB of memory, up to 120GB 5400 rpm 1.8-inch SATA II hard drive and a 12.1-inch Illumi-Lite WXGA UWVA anti-glare display. A good travel companion tablet. HP EliteBook 2730p Reviews / HP EliteBook 2730p Opinions
4. Fujitsu LifeBook T5010 Tablet PC - The LifeBook T5010 Tablet PC features a 13.3″ WXGA widescreen display with active digitizer, built-in modular bay, integrated wireless access and Intel Centrino 2 Processor Technology. This business focused tablet is great for taking notes and giving presentations. Fujitsu LifeBook T5010 Reviews / Fujitsu LifeBook T5010 Opinions
5. HP Pavilion tx2000 - The Pavilion tx2110us Entertainment Notebook has a touchscreen, it lets you capture hand-written notes, and it twists 180 degrees for easy viewing in cramped spaces. Want more? It has a webcam and even a fingerprint reader built-in! HP Pavilion tx2000 Reviews / HP Pavilion tx2000 Opinions
6. Dell Latitude XT2 - (Previously #10) The Dell Latitude XT2 features a 12.1″ display with multi-touch interface. Models will also feature up to 5GB of DDR3 system memory, full-sized keyboard and dual pointing devices, integrated fingerprint reader, and option of 4, 6 or 9-cell battery. Dell Latitude XT2 Reviews / Dell Latitude XT2 Opinions
7. Toshiba Portege M700 - The Portege M700 Tablet PC has a 12.1-inch diagonal widescreen LED Backlit Display with digital pen support, optional touch capability and anti-glare display for indoor/outdoor viewing. The Portege M700 offers a smooth transition from notebook to Tablet PC with powerful Intel Centrino Pro processor technology and support for wireless 802.11a/g/n, making it a highly mobile standard for productivity. Toshiba Portege M700 Reviews / Toshiba Portege M700 Opinions
8. HP TouchSmart tx2z - (Previously #6) With a convertible, swiveling 12.1″ touchscreen display, the TouchSmart tx2z functions as a notebook or a tablet PC. Digital pen is included and stored in the notebook’s base for note-taking and slate functions. Base model is equipped with 3GB memory and can be customized up to 8GB. Also features webcam, AMD dual-core processor, wireless Internet card and DVD burner. HP TouchSmart tx2z Reviews / HP TouchSmart tx2z Opinions
9. Fujitsu LifeBook T2020 - (Previously #8) The LifeBook T2020 weighs a slender 3.5 lbs but features a substantially sized 12.1″ touchscreen display. It is also equipped with Windows Vista, integrated fingerprint sensor, embedded TPM, dedicated Smart Card slot, Fujitsu Security Application Panel, digital microphone and spill-resistant keyboard. Fujitsu LifeBook T2020 Reviews / Fujitsu LifeBook T2020 Opinions
10. Fujitsu LifeBook T1010 - (New) The Lifebook T1010 Tablet PC features Intel Centrino 2 Processor Technology, 13.3-inch WXGA display, Genuine Windows Vista Business Service Pack 1, and up to 2 GB DDR3-1066 SDRAM memory. Fujitsu LifeBook T1010 Reviews / Fujitsu LifeBook T1010 Opinions

Below are the tablets that just missed the spot on the Top 10 list of April:

11. Fujitsu Lifebook P1620 - 1,118 unique views
12. Wacom Cintiq 12WX - 894 unique views
13. Fujitsu LifeBook U810 - 812 unique views
14. HP Pavilion tx2600 - 604 unique views
15. Motion Computing F5 - 583 unique views
16. Samsung Q1UP-V - 452 unique views
17. Toshiba Portege M750 - 365 unique views
18. Fujitsu Lifebook A6230 - 227 unique views
19. Armor C12 - 226 unique views
20. MobileDemand xTablet T8600 - 197 unique views

by Jerry Jackson

When it comes to making rugged notebooks and tablets, Getac is one of the most respected names in the business. As impressive as the fully rugged Getac V100 tablet might be at first glance, there’s one thing that makes this tablet really special … a screen rated at 1,200 nits brightness! By comparison, a good notebook screen might only be rated as a 250 nit screen. We’re talking about a rugged tablet that can not only be used in the middle of the desert, but that has a screen you can still read when the desert sun is beating down from above. Read on to see how well the Getac V100 holds up against our testing.

Getac V100 Rugged Tablet Specifications:

• Processor: 1.2GHz (ULV) Intel Core 2 Duo Processor U7600
• Memory: 1GB DDR2 (expandable to 2GB)
• Storage: 120GB hard disk drive, removable, shock-mounted
• Display: 10.4-inch XGA (1024 x 768) TFT Touchscreen LCD with digitizer and 1,200 nits brightness
• Graphics: Intel 945GMS, 128MB shared memory
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC
• Expansion Slots: PCMCIA Type II x 2 or Type III x 1
• Memory Card Reader: SD card reader
• Smart Card Reader: Optional smart card reader (occupies one PCMCIA type-II slot)
• Communication: 10/100/1000 base-T ethernet, 56K ITU V.92 modem, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 a/b/g, Bluetooth (v2.0+EDR class 2), Optional GPS (either GPS or webcam), Optional EV-DO/GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/WCDMA/HSDPA
• Security: TPM 1.2, Kensington lock
• Battery: 11.1v 7800mAh
• Weight: 4.9 lbs. (2.2 kg) including battery
• Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.7 x 1.9 inches (285 x 222 x 49 mm)
• Evironmental Spec:
  • Operating temp: 0°C to 55°C / 32°F to 131°F
  • (Optional low temperature: -20°C / -4°F)
  • Storage temp: -40°C to 70°C / -40°F to 158°F
  • Humidity: 5% to 95% RH, non-condensing
• MSRP: $3,550

Build and Design
The design of the Getac V100, like virtually all fully rugged notebooks is extremely boxy. There’s nothing “consumer friendly” about this design. The V100 means business, and the magnesium alloy construction and rubber bumpers covering the edges are enough to strike fear in the hearts (or processors) of average notebooks. The V100 is almost twice as thick as a standard 12” notebook or tablet and a price tag to match it’s rugged build.

At first glance it might look like the V100 is missing all its ports, but when you take a closer look you see that every external port has its own waterproof cap or door. This keeps dirt and moisture out when not in use, and also protects the fragile connectors in the event something might hit that area of the notebook when the tablet is dropped. The only potential negative to having all the ports covered in this way is that you have to move the port covers out of the way every time you need to plug something into the tablet.

The bottom of the V100–where you might expect to see easily replaceable components like a battery-you find access panels held in place with large screws and more weather-sealed doors. The docking station connector is hidden behind a sliding door and even the battery and hard drive are protected by rugged metal doors with hinges on the side of the tablet.

When we describe the Getac V100 as “fully rugged” we don’t expect average consumers to understand that this convertible notebook is built with MIL-STD 810F and IP54 compliance. What should be easy to grasp is the fact that the V100 features a full magnesium alloy chassis, sealed ports and connectors, a shock-protected removable hard drive, a is overall vibration and drop-shock resistant.

The durability of the screen on the V100 is quite impressive. Not only are the back of the screen and screen bezel impact resistant, but the screen itself can withstand a direct impact from a fist (or the edge of a table as you drop the tablet) without any damage.

One minor problem with the design of the V100 is the integrated carrying handle. The handle seems to be more of a last-minute addition to the V100 rather than a fully integrated handle like what we see on the Getac B300 rugged notebook. The loose nylon strap and metal retention clips just hang off the front edge of the notebook. To make matters worse the metal clips started to wear some of the matte black paint off of the tablet next to where the clips connected to the chassis. Despite the fact that a fully rugged notebook needs to have a handle we would rather have a sturdy handle built into the design of the tablet (at the expense of size and weight).

Display
The screen on our review unit of the Getac V100 Rugged Convertible Notebook is a 10.4” touchscreen with 1024 x 768 resolution that is bright enough to be easily read outside under bright sunlight. Getac also offers the V100 with a 12.4″ widescreen display. Colors are bright, but have a washed out look due to the combination of the touchscreen surface and an amazingly strong backlight. As listed in the specs, the V100 includes a screen with a backlight rated at 1,200 nits brightness. To put that in perspective, many of the giant displays in New York’s Time Square are rated at 1,500 nits. Unfortunately, one negative side effect of having the 1,200 nit screen option is that the minimum screen brightness is still quite high. Even if you turn the screen brightness down to the lowest setting it is still brighter than many standard notebook screens at nearly maximum brightness.

Being a convertible notebook, you can rotate the screen around to work in a slate or tablet manner. The touchscreen worked quite well using a pen or fingertip. In slate mode the user still has access to the buttons on the front edge of the V100. Unfortunately, we discovered one minor frustration with the screen rotate function on the V100: you cannot rotate the screen 360 degrees. You can have text and images showing on the screen in the standard notebook orientation, you can flip the screen 180 upside down, or you can rotate the screen as shown in the image below, but you cannot rotate it in the opposite direction as seen below.

The screen rotation limit is not a horrible problem, and could be fixed easily with a software update, but it is frustrating. To operate the touchscreen, Getac offers a pen as an optional accessory. Unfortunately, the pen feels like an accessory that wasn’t supposed to come with this tablet. The pen itself is not particularly rugged, and the V100 lacks any pen silo or retention clip to hold the pen when not in use. You can use a small lanyard to connect the pen to the edge of the screen, but then it just hangs off the edge of the tablet when not in use. The pen’s tip is pretty smooth, having a fluid feel when drawn on the screen.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard on the V100 is nice and rugged like the rest of this tablet, and is exceptionally easy to type on despite the small size. The standard size black keys have large white letters for improved visibility and each key provides excellent tactile feedback. Although our review unit came with a standard keyboard customers with special environmental needs can order a waterproof “membrane” keyboard similar to what we reviewed on the Getac M230.

Key spacing and key size are about average for a 12” notebook, being slightly cramped if you’re used to a desktop keyboard, but this keyboard is still far more usable that what we see on most laptops with 10-inch screens.

The Synaptics touchpad feels like any other touchpad, although this one is sealed against outside elements. The size is pretty standard, if not slightly larger than others found on notebooks of this size. Sensitivity and control are both excellent. The touchpad buttons are covered in a rubber shell, and have very shallow feedback with noisy “clicks” when pressed. The pressure required to activate the keys is a greater than average, but still acceptable.

Ports and Features
Overall the port layout for the V100 is as rugged and versatile as the rest of the tablet. As mentioned before, all ports feature environmental seals and there are a number of port options that customers can choose to customize (such as serial ports and Smart Card readers). It seems like an odd omission that Getac didn’t include a fingerprint reader considering the target audience for this tablet, but overall there’s little to complain about here.

Front: Indicator lights, front controls, massive metal notebook latch and strap.

Rear: Audio out and microphone in, Kensington lock slot, VGA and serial connectors. The VGA port can optionally be replaced by a second RS232 connector.

Left: Power connector, two USB 2.0 ports, modem and gigabit LAN, two PC Type II card slots, and SDHC card slot. Customers can replace one Type II slot and get a Smart Card reader instead.

Right: Battery and hard drive access.
Performance and Benchmarks
The V100 has an Intel U7600 Core 2 Duo Merom processor, running at 1.2GHz. This might sound unusually slow compared to the latest notebooks and tablets on the market, but the V100 uses a sealed chassis that is passively cooled. Any excess heat is dissipated through the metal chassis and not through a vent.

The V100 might not shatter any benchmark records, but it’s still more than powerful enough to handle regular work in Microsoft Office, do some light Photoshop editing, or browse the web and respond to emails in the middle of a combat zone. Bottom line, you don’t buy a V100 for the fastest performance … you buy it because it can keep working in just about any environment.

wPrime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):

PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores indicate better performance):

We also decided to benchmark the video and graphics performance of the V100 with 3DMark06 just for the sake of running a complete suite of tests. The V100 produced a 3DMark06 score of only 107 … an extremely low score, but that is to be expected from all tablets in this class.

Wireless
Wireless performance on this rugged notebook was average, losing a connection to wireless access points at roughly the same distance as other notebooks. That said, it’s hard to complain considering the range of connectivity options that the V100 offers; everything from a modem to GPS and EV-DO/GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/WCDMA/HSDPA broadband.

Heat and Noise
Since the V100 is a passive cooled notebook the only noise you can hear is the faint seeking of the hard drive inside or the system chimes coming from the built-in speaker.

Heat is minimal at worst, even without active cooling. Like most passively cooled rugged notebooks, the entire chassis structure acts as a gigantic heatsink, evenly spreading the heat around inside. Even after stressful benchmarks the tablet’s external temperatures stayed between 87 and 93 degrees Fahrenheit.

Battery
Battery performance was less than impressive, but it’s safe to say that the lower-than-expected battery life is due to the insanely bright display. Again, having a screen rated at 1,200 nits is like looking into a spotlight … a spotlight powered by the tablet’s battery. With the screen set to the minimum brightness setting (still brighter than a 250-nit screen at maximum brightness) the V100 ran for just a little more than 4 hours. When you cranked the screen up to maximum for use outside, battery life was less than 2 hours with the 7800mAh battery in our review unit. In the interest of full disclosure, it’s worth mentioning that we were never able to get the battery in our review unit to register a full charge (the maximum charge ended up being somewhere between 90 percent and 96 percent), so actual user results may vary. Still, spare batteries are probably a good idea for those who need longer battery life.

Conclusion
As a ruggedized convertible notebook, the Getac V100 is an exceptionally strong choice. Granted, you can find tablets with better processor and graphics performance for less money, but none of those cheaper tablets can withstand the daily abuse the the V100 will take in stride. Toss this tablet at a brick wall and the only thing that might be damaged is the brick wall.

At the end of the day, if you need a rugged tablet with a screen that’s so bright you can see it from outer space then the Getac V100 is probably the perfect choice for you. The pen, screen rotation, and handle present some minor headaches, but this is still a very impressive tablet if you’ve got that budget to support a fully rugged convertible notebook.

Pros:

• Cool and silent
• Rugged and waterproof design
• Sunlight readable LCD … extremely sunlight readable

Cons:

• No pen silo or retention clip
• Screen orientation can only be set in three of four directions
• The 1,200-nit screen option means the minimum screen brightness is still very bright
• Poor carrying handle design
• Expensive

The Kensington SlimBlade Mouse with Nano Receiver is an innovative travel mouse designed to connect via a tiny USB receiver. This means you don’t have to unplug your mouse every time you go somewhere … just leave it plugged in and take the mouse with you. Is this lightweight wireless mouse the next best thing for road warriors? We put it to the test to find out.

We’ve reviewed many different keyboards and mice from Kensington over the years, and this company is known for making a wide range of affordable accessories that look attractive as well. When I saw a press release for their new travel mouse I knew this would be something many of our readers would see in stores and that it was worth a review. At a price of just $39.99 on the Kensington website (even less on sale at most stores) this certainly seems like a compelling little mouse.

Specifications:

• High precision laser sensor
• 2.4GHz wireless plug-n-play receiver
• Four-way tilt scroll wheel
• Up to six month battery life
• PC and Mac compatible
• Kensington two-year warranty
• Dimensions: 3.75 x 2.25 x 0.75 inches
• Model number: K72334US
• MSRP: $39.99

Build and Design
The overall look and feel of this mouse is quite sleek with a mixture of glossy and matte black plastics, rubber side grips and rounded edges. Like most modern wireless mice, the body of the SlimBlade mouse almost looks aerodynamic. Aside from the compact dimensions, one of the obvious signs that this is a travel mouse is the fact that it uses a simple sliding on/off switch on the bottom surface that also serves to cover and protect the laser sensor.

The “plug-and-stay” Nano receiver is really one of main selling features of this mouse. Unlike most wireless USB mice that have huge receivers that must be removed before you stick your laptop in a case, the Nano receiver is small enough to leave inside your notebook’s USB port.

If you decide that you don’t want to leave the Nano receiver connected to your laptop you can easily store the receiver in a convenient storage space next to the batteries.

In Use
As I mentioned previously, the SlimBlade Mouse and Nano Reciever are both remarkably compact. While some travel mice have a short length and width, the SlimBlade also has an astonishingly short (or “slim”) height. In practical terms this means the mouse takes up almost no room in your laptop bag or briefcase. On the other hand, the thin profile means the mouse is almost too flat for people with large hands to use comfortably over time. I easily would have been willing to live with the extra travel size if the SlimBlade was just a little “taller” and fit comfortably under the palm of my hand. Additionally, although the rubber grips on the side of the mouse are nice, the mouse is so small that people with large hands often grip the sides just behind where the rubber pads stop. If the rubber pads extended all the way around the mouse it would have been more comfortable.

Our office tests suggest this mouse stays connected to the Nano receiver up to about 30 ft away, but it was only able to maintain an accurate and stable connection out to about 20-25 feet away from my notebook. The laser sensor is quite precise, but lacks adjustable sensitivity (we estimate the laser sensor operates at between 800 and 1,000 dots per inch; fine for lower resolution notebooks, but not great for high-resolution screens).

The glide pads on the base of the mouse are perfectly fine for average use, but the tiny size of the pads made it easy to them to get gummed up with crumbs or bits of dirt while traveling … making it more difficult for the mouse to glide over the surface of a desk. The battery compartment door also lacks a release switch and simply pops off when force is applied, so that can be a minor annoyance if you always store the Nano receiver inside the battery compartment.

While we’re on the topic of the battery compartment, let’s discuss battery life. Since I was using the Kensington Slimblade mouse as a travel mouse and I have a dedicated mouse at work and home I wasn’t using it every day. However, I never needed to replace the batteries during the review period (almost three weeks). Kensington claims that a pair of standard Alkaline batteries will last up to six months inside this mouse.

Conclusion
The SlimBlade Mouse with Nano Receiver is an affordable travel mouse for anyone who needs a compact mouse with a tiny USB receiver that you don’t have to constantly remove when traveling. I would have liked to see dedicated forward and back buttons for easy web browser navigation but that is a minor issue. The low profile was a little uncomfortable for 90 percent of the male members of our editorial team (myself included). However, the low price and convenience of the Nano receiver make this little mouse attractive to many.

Overall, the Kensington SlimBlade Mouse with Nano Receiver is a convenient travel mouse that won’t take up much space inside your bag. On the other hand, it’s also just a little too small for people with large hands. The mouse might not be perfect, but it is still a simple, low-cost solution.

Pros:

• Ambidextrous design
• Good wireless connection
• Long-lasting battery life
• Nano receiver is extremely convenient
• Low price

Cons:

• Too flat for large hands to use long term without causing hand strain
• Four-way scroll wheel is nice, but dedicated forward/back buttons for web browsing would be better

Always Innovating is set to release a new convertible slate aimed at changing the way we view both netbooks and tablet computers. The Touch Book has the features of a netbook: 10 to 15 hour battery life, low cost and small size, but the interface of a slate computer with a completely detachable keyboard. The Touch Book starts at $299 for slate only configurations or $399 for slate plus keyboard and is poised to dramatically change our view of netbooks.

Touch Book Specifications:

• 1024×600 8.9” touch sensitive screen
• ARM Texas Instruments OMAP3 600MHz processor
• OpenEmbedded OS
• Storage: 8GB micro SD card
• Wifi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth
• 3-dimensional accelerometer
• Speakers, micro and headphone
• 6 USB 2.0 (3 internal, 2 external, 1 mini)
• 10h to 15 hours of battery life (one battery in slate, one in the keyboard)
• 9.4″ x 7″ x 1.4″ for 2 lbs (with keyboard)
• Price: $299 for slate, $399 for slate + keyboard

The Touch Book offers the same basic design as most notebooks, with an 8.9” screen, compact keyboard and low-power processor. That is where the similarities end though, as the Touch Book can completely separate from its keyboard to become a full-fledged slate computer. The top section of this computer houses all of the system components so it can work separate of the keyboard “docking station”.

The battery life also sets this computer apart from other options on the market, with an advertised run time of 10 to 15 hours. No other netbook approaches this (without third party accessories), but it comes at the cost of the 600MHz ARM processor, which is limited to running stripped down software. For normal web browsing, typing documents, or custom applications this isn’t a problem. It’s only when you start to run more CPU-intensive tasks such as multimedia (audio/video) playback that you hit hardware performance limits.

I personally can’t wait to get my hands on one of these as soon as they come out. My mind is filling with ideas ranging from affordable custom interfaces for a home theatre system to a netbook that can stay powered the entire length of an international flight. The Touch Book will be available for pre-order sometime next week with an estimated May or June ship date.

You can pre-order the Touch Book right now through the following link. If you are really interested in the platform, everything is open source, including the hardware schematics which are listed on their site.

Welcome to the February 2009 Most Popular Tablet PCs list. This report is made using the total page-views each product page receives in one month; so each time someone clicks one of the product links, they are submitting a vote in our monthly rankings. This list doesn’t always show which models are the best selling, but instead the models that readers want to research the most.

HP continues to hold the number one position with the tz2500z and the number five with the tx2z. The Fujitsu T2010 made a comeback in the #10 position. Most of the notebooks stayed in their current positions with some minor shuffling with the #8 and #9 positions. The HP tx2600 was the only model to drop off this month.

1. HP Pavilion tx2500z (Still #1) - The HP Pavilion tx2500z tablet features an AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology processor, up to 4GB DDR2 system memory, ATI Mobile Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics and a 12.1″ WXGA touchscreen/active digitizer display. It still maintains the same solid design and features as its predecessor, the tx2000 as well. HP Pavilion tx2500 Reviews / HP Pavilion tx2500 Opinions
2. Lenovo ThinkPad X200 - The Lenovo X200 is a solid ThinkPad. It has the same plain black signature design and a solid keyboard and display. The ThinkPad X200 features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Windows Vista Business, 12.1″ WideView Standard WXGA display and a 80GB hard drive. It’s a business focused tablet, great for note-taking though. Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Reviews / Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Opinions
3. HP EliteBook 2730p - The HP EliteBook 2730p is an update to the 2710p tablet. It still has that great stainless steel look and solid design. The 2730p features Intel Core 2 Duo processors, up to 4GB of memory, up to 120GB 5400 rpm 1.8-inch SATA II hard drive and a 12.1-inch Illumi-Lite WXGA UWVA anti-glare display. A good travel companion tablet. HP EliteBook 2730p Reviews / HP EliteBook 2730p Opinions
4. Fujitsu LifeBook T5010 Tablet PC - The LifeBook T5010 Tablet PC features a 13.3″ WXGA widescreen display with active digitizer, built-in modular bay, integrated wireless access and Intel Centrino 2 Processor Technology. This business focused tablet is great for taking notes and giving presentations. Fujitsu LifeBook T5010 Reviews / Fujitsu LifeBook T5010 Opinions
5. HP TouchSmart tx2z - With a convertible, swiveling 12.1″ touchscreen display, the TouchSmart tx2z functions as a notebook or a tablet PC. Digital pen is included and stored in the notebook’s base for note-taking and slate functions. Base model is equipped with 3GB memory and can be customized up to 8GB. Also features webcam, AMD dual-core processor, wireless Internet card and DVD burner. HP TouchSmart tx2z Reviews / HP TouchSmart tx2z Opinions
6. HP Pavilion tx2000 The Pavilion tx2110us Entertainment Notebook has a touchscreen, it lets you capture hand-written notes, and it twists 180 degrees for easy viewing in cramped spaces. Want more? It has a webcam and even a fingerprint reader built-in! HP Pavilion tx2000 Reviews / HP Pavilion tx2000 Opinions
7. Toshiba Portege M700 - The Portege M700 Tablet PC has a 12.1-inch diagonal widescreen LED Backlit Display with digital pen support, optional touch capability and anti-glare display for indoor/outdoor viewing. The Portege M700 offers a smooth transition from notebook to Tablet PC with powerful Intel Centrino Pro processor technology and support for wireless 802.11a/g/n, making it a highly mobile standard for productivity. Toshiba Portege M700 Reviews / Toshiba Portege M700 Opinions
8. Fujitsu LifeBook T2020 (Previously #9)- The LifeBook T2020 weighs a slender 3.5 lbs but features a substantially sized 12.1″ touchscreen display. It is also equipped with Windows Vista, integrated fingerprint sensor, embedded TPM, dedicated Smart Card slot, Fujitsu Security Application Panel, digital microphone and spill-resistant keyboard. Fujitsu LifeBook T2020 Reviews / Fujitsu LifeBook T2020 Opinions
9. HP Compaq 2710p (Previously #10)- Starting at only 3.6 lbs and 1.11 in thin, the HP Compaq 2710p Notebook PC offers you the functionality of an ultra-light notebook plus the flexibility of an ultra-slim tablet. 12.1-inch diagonal widescreen Illumi-Lite display provides for a lighter and more energy efficient notebook, providing improved battery life, compared to past generation Tablet PC’s. The chemically-strengthened glass top provides improved durability and a superior writing experience. An optional outdoor display panel improves viewability in sunlight; providing more contrast and less reflections. HP Compaq 2710p Reviews / HP Compaq 2710p Opinions
10. Fujitsu LifeBook T2010 - The newest, innovative LifeBook T2010 sports the latest Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor, a brilliant 12.1-inch wide active digitizer display with wide viewing angles, and a robust bi-directional hinge. Weighing approximately 3.5 lbs, with durable magnesium-alloy housing and extensive security features, the T2010 is perfect for users who desire a reliable, ultra-light yet powerful Tablet PC with all-day computing capability with the optional high-capacity battery to get your work done.Fujitsu LifeBook T2010 Reviews / Fujitsu LifeBook T2010 Opinions

The prior month’s “Top 10” list can be found here: Most Popular Tablet PCs of January 2009. This list is a good start to find your perfect tablet. For more personalized recommendations based on your specific needs visit our “What Tablet PC Should I Buy” forum.

The Iomega Home Media Network Drive like the name implies is a network attached storage (NAS) device intended to share media and files throughout a home to computers and media playing devices.  What separates this NAS unit from the crowd is built-in media server support that streams music, movies, and photos to compatible devices such as an Xbox 360 or photo frame. In this review we cover how easy it is to set this drive up and how easy it is to use it with a tablet and Xbox 360.

Iomega Home Media Network Drive Features:

• UPnP AV Media Server—Compatible with DLNA certified media players, able to stream photos, audio content and videos to a variety of media devices like game consoles, audio bridges, DMAs (digital media adapters), picture frames and more.
• iTunes Server—Store your audio content in one central location and share it across your iTunes players.
• Network File Protocols Supported—CIFS/SMB (Microsoft), AFP (Apple), HTTP 1.1
• Expandability—Add storage capacity by connecting external USB Hard Disk Drives. Supports FAT32 and NTFS formatted hard drives.
• Print Server—Intelligent network print sharing capability for one USB printer directly attached to the HomeMedia drive
• Oxford 810SE chipset with 370MHz CPU and 64MB RAM
• 500GB 7200 RPM, SATA II HDD
• 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet
• One USB 2.0 port (For printers or additional storage)
• Size: 7.83” x 4.92” x 1.57”
• MSRP: $159.99

Build and Design
The Iomega Home Media Network Drive looks very good with its sleek aluminum shell and color matched base. The simplistic design has no buttons or lights mounted on the front of the case. As someone who gets annoyed by bright colored flashing LEDs I really like this look. The design blends in well with most computers, including Apple systems, and it is small enough to be hidden just in case it doesn’t.

The drive is solidly built with most of its strength coming from the aluminum body. The plastic front and rear cover fit closely to the body with minimal gaps. The one area I could see some improvement in is the slip-on base, which will quickly let the drive slide out of its grip if you are holding it and tilt the drive forward or back. Some sort of rubber grip or set screw to connect it would give it a more secure feel.

Ease of Use
Setup was very simple out of the box since you only need to plug the drive into your network, give it power, and install the software on your computer. The software installs a small utility which looks for compatible drives and maps the appropriate shares to your system. This makes it easy to drag and drop files into the correct location for media devices on your network looking for a specific type of file. One example would be the Xbox 360, which is able to stream video, songs, and other media files off of the drive with no other setup besides being on the same network.

Any settings for the drive itself are handled through a webpage interface on the drive’s internal web server. You can modify shares, rebuild or format the drive (good for upgrading), and handle other tasks like updating its firmware. The web interface limits the need for operating specific software and increases its compatibility with a wide range of systems.

Performance
Connections to the drive are limited to network access only, as the USB port is used for sharing printers or adding additional storage. While the speed is listed as gigabit, that doesn’t fully represent the speed that transfers go at. Sharing files between two modern computers over a gigabit network usually results with file transfers in the range of 30-50MB/s. Using the Iomega Home Media Network Drive with our gigabit capable switch the drive peaked at 14MB/s. This is faster than some “gigabit” NAS units, but still pretty far from true gigabit speeds. In its intended purpose of using it to stream audio and video to network devices it works great.

You can push multiple HD video streams without breaking a sweat. Using it for system backup of large files would show its slow speed, taking long periods of time to transfer files to the drive. USB 2.0 for example usually transfers files at a speed of 25-30MB/s, almost 3 times faster than this NAS; eSATA and Firewire are even faster.

Heat and Noise
The drive seemed louder than previous NAS units we have reviewed with a constant whine of the hard drive spinning. Some of this might be explained by the way the drive is mounted on steel sled without rubber dampers for more isolation. Unless the drive was on right next to you, you probably wouldn’t notice this.

Heat buildup was minimal with the drive only being warm to the touch. The drive is equipped with a rear mounted fan and air intake through the front that helps to draw cool air through it to keep temperatures down. After being on and active throughout most of a business day the drive warmed up to 85 degrees Fahrenheit with an office temperature of 74 degrees Fahrenheit.

Conclusion
The Iomega Home Media Network Drive is a good step forward, giving simple access to other computers on your network as well as media playing devices. The size isn’t any larger than most 3.5” external hard drive units and the style works well with most electronic setups. The gigabit network capabilities are good to have, but the raw transfer speeds were under even budget USB 2.0 external drives. Overall if you have a handful of computers on your home network and want to stream media around your house this drive is worth looking at as it doesn’t cost that much more than a standard external drive.

Pros:

• Good looks
• Well built aluminum body
• Very easy to setup on computers and media devices

Cons:

• Some mild noise is noticeable if it located near you
• “Gigabit” transfer speeds well under USB 2.0 transfer speeds

If your notebook is putting out too much heat and you find yourself wishing for a few more USB ports, Belkin wants to help you keep your cool. The new Laptop Cooling Hub is a slight update on their classic model – a raised platform with a fan embedded to help cool down a hot laptop. It now features four USB ports to give it a little extra bang for your buck. But how does it perform under pressure?

Specifications:

• White plastic construction with rubber padding
• Will accommodate up to a 17” laptop
• Equipped with 4 USB 2.0 ports
• Runs on external AC adapter or laptop battery power via attached USB cable.
• MSRP: $49.99

Build and Design

The cooling hub is elevated by a flip-out stand in the back, and slip-resistant rubber pads cover the laptop contact points to keep your notebook elevated at a prime viewing angle. It’s lightweight and certainly portable, but not really suited for use on your lap.

The major update from the last model is the addition of four USB ports on the back of the stand. Instead of sacrificing one of your notebook’s valuable USB ports to keep the fan running, you’ll have three more to spare. Not a bad deal.

Performance

The cooling hub connects to a computer via the USB cable tucked under the supports. This enables the fan to run on your laptop’s battery and connects the USB hub to your system. A separate AC adapter can also be used to power the fan without using battery power.

The fan runs a bit louder than the internal fan on my Dell Latitude E6400, but not loud enough to become a distraction. Before using the cooling hub, the temperature on the bottom of my notebook averaged around 90 degrees Fahrenheit with my web browser and a couple of programs running—pretty standard stuff. After a few minutes on the cooling pad with the fan operating, the temperature dropped down around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

External Temperatures:

The cooling pad certainly brings the temperature of the laptop exterior down, but how cool does it keep the hard drive? Using HD Tune, I measured the hard drive temperature at 38 degrees Celsius without the cooling pad after about half an hour of video viewing. With the same use on the cooling pad, I measured a temperature of 34 degrees Celsius with the cooling pad in operation. Not a huge difference, but a cooler hard drive nonetheless.

Internal Temperatures:

I let the cooling pad run on the power of my laptop alone and I didn’t see any remarkable battery drain happening. Most users will be near a power source anyway. As with the previous model, this cooling pad isn’t really primed for use on your lap.

Conclusion

So is it worth the $50 price tag? If you’d like to cool your laptop down a few extra degrees when it’s parked at your desk, then the Belkin Cooling Hub is a nice option. It’s compact, efficient, and having a few extra USB ports never hurt anyone.

Pros:

• Effectively cooled laptop down an average of 10 degrees
• Four USB ports
• Great design for desktop use
• Compact design travels well

Cons:

• Fan is slightly louder than some on-board notebook fans
• Not suitable for use on lap

You can find more information about the Belkin Laptop Cooling Hub on the Belkin website.