The Apple iPad. The name is a killing word — more than a product — it’s a statement, an idea, and potentially a prime mover in the world of consumer electronics. Before iPad it was called the Apple Tablet, the Slate, Canvas, and a handful of other guesses — but what was little more than rumor and speculation for nearly ten years is now very much a reality. Announced on January 27th to a middling response, Apple has been readying itself for what could be the most significant product launch in its history; the making (or breaking) of an entirely new class of computer for the company. The iPad is something in between its monumental iPhone and wildly successful MacBook line — a usurper to the netbook throne, and possibly a sign of things to come for the entire personal computer market… if Apple delivers on its promises. And those are some big promises; the company has been tossing around words like “magical” and “revolutionary” to describe what many have dismissed as nothing more than a larger version of its iPod touch. But is that all there is to this device? Is the hope that Apple promises for this new computing experience nothing more than marketing fluff and strategic hyperbole? Or is this a different beast altogether — a true sign that change has come to the world of the PC? We have the definitive answers to those questions (and many more) right here, so read on for our full review of the Apple iPad!

Apple iPad unboxing and hands-on

Hardware

Industrial design

The first thing you notice about the iPad is, well, you don’t really notice it. In many ways, there is just not much here — design wise — to comment on. The bulk of its surface is taken up by a 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768, capacitive, multitouch LED-backlit display surrounded by a glossy black bezel that some will say is too wide but, in practice, is an important design consideration that prevents the touchscreen from being inadvertently activated when handled. There’s only Apple’s signature “home” button to interact with, and the back of the device is a dutifully simple piece of curved aluminum. Like most Apple products, it’s a beauty to behold, but it’s not exactly notable for design flourishes; simply put, it’s good looking but not terribly exciting. But if the design of the iPad is an exercise in restraint, it only serves to reinforce how formidable this technology feels once it’s in your hands. The device has some heft, weighing in at 1.5 pounds, but is still comfortable to hang onto at most angles. Considering the computing power of the tablet, a thickness that tops out at half an inch is pretty impressive, too. But how does it feel in your hands? Well, that matte aluminum on the back surprisingly communicates warmth (though we don’t recommend resting this on any bare flesh on a cold morning), and the rest of the design gets out of the way and lets you concentrate on what is really most important: that screen. And that’s kind of the point, isn’t it?

The iPad does house a few other components you should be aware of: a volume rocker and screen position lock (which forces the device to remain in landscape or portrait mode) on the upper right hand side, a power / sleep button and headphone jack on either side of its top edge, and Apple’s famous 30-pin dock connector alongside a single thin speaker on the bottom of the unit. There is nothing outwardly notable about the buttons or layout on the iPad — if you’ve used an iPod touch or iPhone, you’ll find yourself right at home… and that’s exactly how Apple wants it.

As far as ergonomics are concerned, the standard seated-with-iPad-in-lap move is a completely comfortable experience, but there are definitely use cases where handling a flat slab becomes a pain. For instance, single finger typing becomes a bit of a game of hunt-and-peck, and that’s the situation you find yourself in if you’re ever standing with the iPad or holding the device with your other hand. We mentioned that iPad has some weight to it, and while it’s comfortable to hold, it is considerably more of a handful than an iPhone. You’ll feel that weight in your arms after extended period of keeping it aloft. Apple promo videos like to show their users happily grabbing the iPad and swinging their legs up onto a table — Fonz style — but if you’re like us, most of your heavy text entry is done while seated at a standard table or desk, which means that unless you have a dock you’re going to be typing on the iPad as a flat surface. The thing is, we actually found the flat-typing experience to be pretty good; it takes a little getting used to, but it’s not totally bizarre either. In fact, we’d say it’s a much more enjoyable experience than single-hand typing. Still, just as with the iPhone, there is a learning curve here that may diminish some hit-and-run shoppers’ interest.

Internals

As you probably know by now, the iPad packs Apple’s custom, PA Semi-designed 1GHz A4 system-on-a-chip — a single Cortex A8 core coupled with a PowerVR SGX GPU. RAM on the iPad hasn’t been revealed, but we suspect there’s 512MB (at least) inside here — we’ll know more once iFixit or someone else puts the pad under the knife. Also onboard is 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, a digital compass, an accelerometer, microphone, and ambient light sensor. The 3G model that ships at the end of the month will add UMTS / HSDPA data along with an AGPS chip. You can purchase the device in capacities of 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB. We had the 64GB version for this review.

In our testing, the A4 SOC seemed to deal with whatever we threw at it handily. From opening and rendering webpages to playing the most graphically intensive games (including scaled iPhone versions, of course), it didn’t miss a beat. The photo app was particularly impressive, allowing for fast scrolling through high resolution pictures without a hiccup, and handling rotation and zooming with no resistance or hesitation. Applications themselves opened quickly — not instantly. Of course, as many detractors have noted (Engadget included), there’s no true multitasking here, so seeing a system with this much power perform admirably one app at a time wasn’t a huge surprise, especially since we’d experienced the same thing on an earlier version at the January event (more on this in a moment). Still, it seems like the A4 has power to spare, and that’s a good thing if the third party apps we used on the iPad were any indication of where things are headed — more graphically intensive and packing far more functionality.

The battery — a 25-watt-hour lithium-polymer (non-removable of course) — held up surprisingly well in our testing. More on that in the battery section down below.

Display

As we mentioned at the start of the review, the iPad is all about its screen, and Apple’s 9.7-inch LED backlit IPS display does not disappoint. Colors on the screen are vibrant and saturated, while blacks feel true and deep. The iPad can be cranked up to an almost painful brightness, but also handles lower settings well — that’s especially important for readers (they even include a brightness control inside of iBooks). Because Apple employs IPS (in-plane switching) for the display, viewing angles are remarkably broad, though we can’t honestly say the feature will come in handy for us — we usually want to keep people’s eyes off of our work. The screen is, as we mentioned, capacitive and multitouch, and handled input excellently — if you’re used to the iPhone, then you know how very good Apple’s input technology is. To call it best in class would not be an overstatement; we’ve never used a more responsive screen.

We know there’s a lot of talk about reading with this type of display versus a Kindle or other E-Ink device, but we’ll just be straight with you — it didn’t hurt our eyes to use this as a reading device. You’re able to crank the brightness down a significant amount, but it’s also just a matter of adjustment. After a few minutes we didn’t see the device or the screen tech anymore — we saw a book. We won’t speculate on what prolonged use will feel like, but there is data out there that suggests the technology might not be as important as some people think it is when it comes to e-reader displays.

Other hardware

For the most part, there’s not much else to say about the iPad when it comes to its physical attributes. The home button is your only point of hardware interaction with the software, though you have those volume controls and rotation lock switch. The speaker actually does a rather impressive job of outputting clean, well balanced sound given its size, but let’s be honest — you’re not going to be using this as your party sound system. The 30-pin connector is standard issue for Apple’s mobile products, but we have to take serious issue with the lack of a USB port or SD card reader. The company offers both of these as an accessory as a means to transfer photos and video onto the device, but it seems like such a glaring oversight to not have built these in that it bears mentioning. If Apple wants to compete with the netbook market — which it presumably does — there should be some port options beyond its proprietary dock connector. This just feels like a money grab and a waste of potential for third-party peripherals.

One piece of hardware you won’t find here is a webcam, which we already mourned the lack of when we first saw the device. It’s a bit of a crime that the iPad won’t allow you to carry on an iChat or Skype video conversation, because holding this in your hands while talking to a friend or family member not only seems like a match made in heaven, but the total realization of one of our sci-fi fantasies. We know Apple couldn’t possibly cram every component Engadget editors might have hoped for, but this one seemed like a no-brainer, and its omission has left pretty much everyone scratching their heads.

And one other item of note — Apple chose to place the headphone jack at the top of the device. We don’t know about you, but we think the idea of draping our headphone cord across the screen or snaking it around back is a tremendously bad idea. And guess what? In practice, it kind of stinks. Why the company didn’t opt for putting the plug in the logical place — say, the bottom of the iPad, or the side even — is a mystery that will undoubtedly haunt our every waking moment.

Software

Operating system / User interface

By now you should know that the iPad’s interface is nearly identical in every way to the iPhone or iPod touch UI. The reason for that is obvious: it’s built on the same operating system, a derivation of OS X for mobile devices. As far as actual navigation on the device goes, it really is exactly like the iPhone. You have pages and pages made up of grids of icons, a dock for your favorite apps (up to six, mind you), and a persistent status bar which displays the time and other information. In our opinion Apple has missed a huge opportunity to open up the “desktop” space on the iPad and allow for micro-apps or widgets on these screens. On the iPad there isn’t really a single glanceable piece of information you can get at beyond the time and WiFi status — and using all of that gorgeous screen real estate just to display a widely spaced grid of icons is not only a waste, but just kind of looks silly. In truth, if Apple’s developers believe that it’s not helpful to give people more than a single thing to look at at one time, they’re not only wrong, but they’re contradicting years of improvements to the company’s desktop OS. That said, there are a few new components present in the iPad UI which shows that Apple has put some effort into expanding the language of this OS.

Besides those quirks we’ve come to know, love, and / or gripe about on the iPhone, the company has augmented the existing user interface with a small handful of tools. Before we talk about the overall feel of using this device, we wanted to break down those new elements:

• Pop-overs (modals): Windows which pop up and hover above the content you’re interacting with, used to excellent effect within the iPod app for displaying track listings when you touch an album, or getting information on books or music to purchase in the iBookstore and iTunes. These modals have their own navigation and points of interaction separate from the main content you’re working with.
• Split screens: Exactly what it sounds like. Apple is using all that big real estate to break up what would have been multiple pages on an iPhone, dividing up the content into segments of the same screen. In the mail app, that means you can look at the list of your emails while keeping a message in view, or keep your multi-page work in Keynote available to you even when editing (think how Preview handles a folder of images).
• Tap-and-hold: Now, this is present in some places on the iPhone, but Apple has really expanded its use with the iPad, offering lots of situations where a long press gets you deeper, contextual interactivity and functionality. We’re big fans of this gesture on other devices (hello, Android), and it’s nice to see Apple putting it to better use within the iPad’s UI. We hope this trend continues throughout the company’s mobile OSs.
• Contextual menus: While tap-and-hold gets you some options for context-specific menus, the iPad interface is littered with other single tap buttons that pop open those same kind of options. The shift certainly seems to be towards these transient menus as opposed to paging through screens like we’re used to on the iPhone.
• Toolbar drop-downs: Apple hammered on toolbar items with previous iterations of the iPhone OS, but on the iPad, toolbars aren’t just links to deeper pages — they’re self-contained menus, often with lots of levels and options for tweaking the work you’re doing. They are literally all over the iPad.
• Tabs (or Cover Flow) everywhere: You know how Safari handles multiple pages? Well that behavior is used throughout the iPad to navigate through files or lists of options. In Safari, as in other apps, the content is presented as a grid, while elsewhere it’s a scrollable list akin to Mobile Safari’s present use (or webOS cards).
• Nearly full-sized virtual keyboards: In portrait mode, we were able to tap out some messages using our thumbs, but we mostly did single finger typing. On the other hand, the landscape keyboard is big and totally usable. In fact, we were surprised at how quickly and accurately we could bang out emails on it.

So what does this all mean for the experience of using the device? Well if you’re not getting the message, we’d like to point out that we haven’t mentioned files, folders, or windows. That’s because there’s no such thing in the universe of the iPad. This isn’t a computer the way you think of a computer. All of these UI additions to the iPhone vocabulary help you do more and go further than what is possible on an iPhone, and a lot of the applications you’ll use on the iPad are far more expansive than what the iPhone offers, but it’s not like any computer you’ve ever used. This is something totally different — a hybrid of sorts — and while the user interface will feel familiar to most, it’s also simply not a PC in any way. You will get work done with it, play with it, consume content with it, but the underlying framework of the real operating system is almost completely invisible. For instance, in applications like Numbers or Keynote, you don’t have “files,” rather a long, Cover Flow-style list of work to scroll through. Have 200 documents you’ve “saved”? Tough — you just have to scroll through them all to get to the last one. To say that sometimes it feels like a computer for beginners might be overkill. But it’s close.

There’s no question that the route Apple has taken is genius; they’ve built a “computer” that’s so obvious and easy to use that anyone can pick it up and understand it immediately. And there’s a lot to like, particularly in some of the innovative and engaging applications being built by third party developers right now, like the Marvel app, TweetDeck, or SketchBook Pro. But there are holes here too — big ones — and not just in the user interface.

For starters, as we mentioned earlier the iPad doesn’t support multitasking, save for Apple’s own applications: Safari, iPod, and Mail. Everything else you use on the device is a jump-into and then jump-out experience, which means that for things like IM apps, you’re either having a conversation or you’re not. For those of us who are used to the iPhone way of doing things, that’s at least familiar, but if you’re looking to have a conversation while getting your email in order (as you would on a laptop), you’re out of luck. The same goes for those of us who like to keep a Twitter app open in the background to monitor updates. Even updating settings or downloading software is a chore due to the stop-start nature of the OS. You just have to go one. at. a. time. That’s almost acceptable for a smartphone — you don’t expect laptop performance — but this is different. Admittedly, there aren’t a huge number of scenarios where you need to be multitasking, but it’s not uncommon for Engadget editors to keep a running IRC session, AIM, a browser, Twitter app, Skype, and music player open at the same time, and we suspect a lot of you out there do the same (or similar). So how much of a stumbling block is the lack of multitasking? The honest truth is that a large number of users won’t notice or care, which is why it’s easy for Apple to ignore the problem (or claim that their OS supports the functionality because they allow a handful of their native apps to run in the background). For the rest of us, this is starting to feel just like copy and paste — a problem so obvious and so easy to fix that it’s just perplexing Apple doesn’t come up with a solution and end the conversation. The iPad may do many things better than a netbook, but multitasking is not one of them.

Adding difficulty to that lack of multitasking is the way the iPad handles notifications. As you know, Apple provides a method of utilizing push notifications to circumvent backgrounding an app. For instance, with AIM set to deliver push messages, you can still see what your contacts are IM’ing at you, and jump back into the app when you need to respond. That’s all well and good, but Apple is still handling notifications in the same terrible, interruptive manner that it uses on the iPhone. Namely, pop-up messages that must be dismissed by the user. Imagine if you had to repeatedly click “OK” on a pop-up window which froze you out of the application you were working in every time you got an IM on your laptop, and you’ll start to get the idea. Again, this isn’t great on a phone, but hey — it’s a phone. On your revolutionary new computer-like device? It’s extremely annoying. You can always set the notifications to just a sound and badge, but we know Android and webOS handle this more elegantly, and can’t figure out why Apple won’t do the same.

To put a point on the iPad’s UI and the user experience: there is no question that Apple has created an engaging, simple, and surprisingly powerful platform for this device. For many of the applications — especially some of the third party titles starting to trickle out — the stuff people are coming up with is insanely clever, just plain cool, or both. For many consumers, it will be easy enough to accomplish much of what you would with a netbook or laptop on the iPad, and yet other experiences will extend far beyond what you would do on a typical computer. It’s not a laptop replacement, and this OS can’t do everything a laptop can do — but maybe it doesn’t have to.

Included applications

We’re not going to go super deep into all of the bundled applications, but we feel quite a few deserve special mention. There are brand new applications that are hugely important to what the iPad is and does, and we wanted to take a moment to give an overview and opinion on what we felt really stood out.

Mobile Safari

Apple promises that web browsing on the iPad will be, to quote Steve Jobs, “The best browsing experience you’ve ever had.” Let’s just go over that one more time — Steve Jobs says that the browsing experience will be the best you’ve ever had. So, is it? Well, we can tell you this: the browsing experience on the iPad is amazing. It is smooth, fast, and fluid. The screen displays beautifully in landscape or portrait, the scrolling is buttery, touch response is out of this world, and you can easily pinch-to-zoom all over the place with nary a hiccup. The finger-based navigation really is kind of spectacular, and it makes browsing weirdly like rediscovering an old friend. Other additions to the app like a proper bookmarks bar, use of toolbar drop downs, and an improved tab grid make it a pleasure to use. It is without question one of the best browsing experiences we’ve encountered. But is it the best? Well, not really.

Why, you ask? Well that answer is simple and extremely complicated at the same time. Currently, there is a web standard called Flash, developed by a company named Adobe, which allows for the easy insertion of rich media into webpages. That’s everything from streaming video and audio files, online gaming, to entire websites made using its broad and deep development tools. The penetration percentage for Flash on PCs around the world is something like 98 — that’s almost everyone — and many, many sites employ the standard on their pages. When we say many, we mean most if not all of the pages you typically visit use Flash to display some of their content. The iPad browser doesn’t support Flash, and won’t support Flash, perhaps ever. Apple has not only turned away from what is the industry standard for rich media in webpages, but it instead is pushing a newer standard called HTML5. Apple has been very successful thus far in moving its agenda forward and bringing websites into the fold of HTML5, but we’re talking maybe, say, one percent of websites on the internet. Probably way less.

So what does this mean for an end user? Well it means that when you visit a site like Hulu, HBO, NBC, Lala (which ironically, Apple just purchased), Engadget, Gizmodo, or many, many others, you will have a broken experience. That means there will be certain elements of these sites (in the case of HBO, the entire site itself) that simply won’t work. Now, we’re geeks. We get it. We know what’s going on when a site shows the broken plugin icon, or says we need Flash. But to the wide world of “everyone” that Apple wants to sell this product to, this will result in a confusing and frustrating experience… a broken experience. That may be fine to Apple, but it isn’t fine to us, and shouldn’t be fine to the rest of the world. As an aside, we’ve been surprised other iPad reviews have not been more forthcoming in pointing this problem out — this is not a small thing; it’s is a major deficit in the iPad’s browser. Now keep in mind we’re not saying we love Flash and want to marry it — in fact, we’d love to see a less CPU intensive format take its place — but HTML5 isn’t that format, at least not yet. It’s important to understand that a lot of users will see the lack of Flash as a drawback, even if Apple doesn’t like the standard, and even if Safari on the iPad is a brilliant experience (which it frankly is).

iBooks

To say Apple is about to put a major dent in Kindleworld is an understatement. The iBooks app is one of the most beautiful and thoughtful uses of the iPad screen real estate on the device. It would be easy to rattle off a thousand words alone on how good of an e-book experience this is, but we’ll try to keep it brief considering how much there is to say about the iPad. Simply put, it’s a great e-reader with enough options to please even the most strident critic. The layout is quite simple; along the top of the page in portrait mode you have a button to flip to your library (a very slick hidden room kind of effect), a chapter button, brightness control, font size and face options, and a search drop down. Within the book you can long press to bring up copy / paste, dictionary (a beautiful implementation which pops up right over your content), bookmark (another perfect implementation), or search options. Besides the incredibly sexy page turning animations — useless but gorgeous nonetheless — the entire package is just so airtight. It’s the first e-book reading experience we’ve seen that seems to truly understand the visceral, sensual enjoyment of holding an actual volume in your hand.

Calendar / Contacts

The calendar and contacts apps on the device aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but they are far more usable and information heavy on the iPad. Both utilize — at different intervals — split screen, book-like displays. The calendar app actually gives you a proper full month view and lets you interact with your schedule much like the iCal application for OS X does.

Mail

This is a biggie for Engadget. Much of our time is spent dealing with email, and it hasn’t always been a pleasure on the iPhone. Has that changed on the iPad? Not quite. As Gmail enthusiasts, we’re sort of locked into the label / archiving / conversation scheme the big G has worked up. Honestly, we think it’s a smarter, faster way to handle lots of email from lots of places. On Mail for OS X, Apple at least adopts threaded messages to keep your conversations under control, but no such luck here. In other “the iPad is not a computer” news, we couldn’t find a way to export a .txt file to any of the applications on the device, thus seriously hamstringing our ability to finish this review on the iPad itself. We also take issue with how Apple wants you to handle attachments here. They have to be done from the source app out into Mail — what the hell kind of sense does that make? In all, we love the split screen displays and real estate for composing, but still feel like we’re floating out in the ether when managing our email. It works, it’s fast, it’s consistent… it’s just not what it could be.

iTunes / iBookstore / App Store

All three of these money-shredding stores on the iPad hew much more closely to the desktop version of iTunes, which is a really good thing. Finding, previewing, and buying titles is super simple due to the vast amount of data you get in a single view, and the modals which Apple uses to perfect effect here to pop over info about the content as you’re checking it out. The iBookstore is a perfect companion to the reader, but we did find the current selection lacking (very little Philip K. Dick and George R.R. Martin — for shame!). Downloading was clear and simple, and there are free samples (as well as lots of free titles) to pick up if you just want to test the waters. It’s obvious that publishers who aren’t yet involved with Apple will see the light on this — if the company is half as successful at pushing books as it has been at pushing music, this is indeed a game changer. We’re not saying there’s no room for improvement, because there is plenty (such as a clearer and more coherent periodicals strategy). Still, this is a tried and tested model for the company, and the iPad versions deliver (well, the iBookstore delivers for the first time ever).

Video / iPod / YouTube

The entertainment portions of the iPad aren’t going to blow anyone away, but they all do an admirable job. The iPod app is actually much, much better than its smaller cousin, though we’re surprised that Apple hasn’t leveraged its new-ish iTunes LP content here. The iPad is the perfect place to view all that rich media, yet it’s nowhere to be found on the tablet. A real miss, guys! Otherwise, the video player takes on the task of running your video (up to 720p, with restrictions) in a solid if spartan manner. We’d like to pause and just mention how sweet the marriage of HD content and the iPad’s display is. Video really does look absolutely stunning on this screen — Apple has done its homework on the tech, and we couldn’t be more impressed with the results.

YouTube makes big use of the segmented windows concept you see all over the device, giving you the option to browse other videos or even comment on what you’re watching while it’s playing. Of course, it also allows for YouTube HD content, which looks fairly sharp most of the time.

iPhone apps on the iPad

Yes — the iPad can run almost all 150,000 of the iPhone and iPod touch apps you know and love (not every one is compatible, but the vast majority). It does this in two modes, the first is a scaled down version in the middle of your giant screen, while the other is a pixel doubled iteration. Both of these leave something to be desired, and we can’t say that anything besides gaming really ends up looking okay. It’s nice that Apple has included the functionality, but keep in mind that you are locked into what is essentially an iPhone simulator, complete with an iPhone keyboard (scaled up if you’re using the pixel doubling, which doesn’t look that great). It’s tremendous because you have access to applications you may need to use, but it’s not something you’re probably going to spend a lot of time with.

The iWork suite

If you doubt the claim that the iPad can be a viable tool for creating content — even stuffy businessman content — then these apps should seriously make you clam up. They are superb, surprisingly useful, amazingly robust applications. We don’t necessarily agree with Apple’s saving scheme (in that, there really isn’t one), but you can’t knock the core functionality of these apps. It’s clear that at some point Apple is going to have to open up some kind of shared file repository on these devices to make them truly effective tools, but the combo of Numbers, Keynote, and Pages show that getting work done on these devices is not only possible, but actually kind of good in the right hands.

Our columnist and friend Michael Gartenberg has a done lengthier piece for us right here that goes a bit deeper on these apps — if you’re interested to hear how they fare for a very busy man, you’ll want to read it.

Third-party apps

There are really far too many third-party apps to do a deep dive on, but we want to call out a few innovators that we feel are making the iPad seem like a viable fourth screen we want to engage with. Here’s a lightning-round rundown of what we saw and liked the most, but you can see a much larger and more detailed list right here:

• Marvel: This is just a cool application, and really gets our juices flowing about what will be possible with this larger format. Excellent execution, but they need to convert the whole catalog into this format. When we can re-read the Secret Wars on our iPad, we’ll be seriously happy campers.
• ABC video player: Even though it feels like a sidestep around the Flash issue, this iPad app does a perfect job of managing the network’s online video assets. We can only imagine Hulu will stir things up in a similar manner.
• Netflix: It’s Netflix. On the iPad. And now apparently it’s headed to the iPhone and iPod touch as well.
• USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times: If this is printed media’s last gasp, it’s definitely a lungful. All three of these apps show that the big boys still have some fight in them, and while we can’t abide the WSJ’s zany pricing scheme, we will admit that each of these does a beautiful job of delivering the newspaper in a whole new way. Kudos, boys.
• Yahoo! Entertainment: This one was an honest surprise. We didn’t expect Yahoo!’s first iPad product to be either handsome or useful… and it’s both. The TV schedule and news presentation is top notch, though we’re hoping they take things a little deeper in future updates. And when it comes to entertainment gossip, we won’t really be satisfied till an US Weekly app appears.
• Photogene, SketchBook Pro, and Brushes: Three apps that show the iPad can and will be a content creation tool as well as a content consuming tool. We used and loved all of them, and think they show amazing potential for this platform.
• TweetDeck: Just a really, really good way to use Twitter. A lot like the desktop app. If only we could run it in the background…

Battery life

It’s almost impossible to believe, but during our initial tests, using the iPad pretty heavily, downloading and using lots of new apps, doing some 3D gaming, watching HD video, all the while getting email downloaded in the background, we got just about what Apple claims this device will do. In fact, it went a little better — we managed to get 10 hours and 43 minutes of life out of the iPad before we had to plug it in again in our first run through. That’s pretty crazy endurance considering what we were doing with it. Now, we were not watching HD video the whole time, or running the music player in the background while streaming Netflix movies, so we can’t promise this will be the case in every situation. Still, it did a pretty amazing job of matching up to Apple’s numbers, and you may color us impressed.

We’re going to be doing further battery testing once some other team members get their devices, so hopefully we’ll be able to report back with a more well-rounded assessment of what this thing is capable (or not capable) of.

Wrap-up

• 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.