Amtek intros the iTablet T221 UMPC

For those of you lusting after a UMPC or tablet solution, you may want to pause and take a look at the new Amtek iTablet T221. The stylish, thin slate looks like a dream come true for Gatesian types who are after something a little more natural for their day to day computing. The system features a 12.1-inch XGA display, an active digitizer, resistive touchscreen, a 1.2GHz Intel Core Duo CPU, up to 2GB of RAM, a 60GB hard drive, 802.11a/b/g, and a GMA 950 graphics chipset. We don't know when this baby is due in the States, or what it will be selling for, but we can tell you that the touch response looks quite frisky, and Vista seems to perform well on the tablet. Don't believe us? Check the video after the break and see for yourself.

Update: Price? €1,552, or about $2,237. Ouch.

[Via TodoUMPC, thanks Nicolas]

[Martin Trautmann @ Dec 18th 2007 12:17PM]

nothing shown about how well hand writing recognition does work?

[BestSnowman @ Dec 18th 2007 12:28PM]

The Vista handwriting recognition is really good as long as you have good input, and it appears that it has very good input so it would likely work very well.

My HP tx1000's touch screen doesn't work well beyond tapping, so recognition is not very good because it is hard to get it to draw correctly.

My Gateway M285e on the other hand is digitizer based and writing is very smooth and as a result recognition works very well.

[imacmatt09 @ Dec 18th 2007 12:18PM]

That's a controversial name. :-O

None the less it look's pretty cool...

[chrisaroz @ Dec 18th 2007 12:42PM]

Exactly what I was thinking...

A Vista machine called the iTablet?

[Jesse S @ Dec 18th 2007 2:29PM]

Apple wasn't the original user of i(something), you know...

[Ipaq3115 @ Dec 18th 2007 3:10PM]

@crisaroz

I know wouldn't that like rip a hole in the universe?

[Ipaq3115 @ Dec 18th 2007 3:24PM]

oops
@chrisaroz

[DeoWulf @ Dec 18th 2007 5:20PM]

too many i- names. Get some originality people. It's not really cool anymore. I understand homages, but just sticking it on there to let people know it's electronic is lame.

[Shane @ Dec 18th 2007 12:22PM]

Now if only someone can make the iTablet run OSX...

[Saad Rabia @ Dec 18th 2007 12:29PM]

Dose OSX even have tablet capabilities?! :s

[Shane @ Dec 18th 2007 12:31PM]

Heh. I doubt it but it would be cool nonetheless...

[imacmatt09 @ Dec 18th 2007 12:35PM]

Yes it does as a matter of fact. Here are some links, read up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inkwell_(Macintosh)
http://www.axiotron.com/index.php?id=modbook

[Shane @ Dec 18th 2007 12:38PM]

Cool. I knew I had heard something about that but never had a machine capable of making use of it. I know there are rumors of a tablet from Apple but putting OS X on something like this (or buying a custom converted MacBook Pro) would be the next best thing.

[helio9000 @ Dec 18th 2007 1:20PM]

>Now if only someone can make the iTablet run OSX...

Yeah that would be nice. It would be almost even nicer if someone could save us from the same boring comment every single time a tablet is posted.

[Shane @ Dec 18th 2007 1:23PM]

@Helio--
Because your comment was SO original and enthralling...

[Andrew Campbell @ Mar 7th 2008 3:58PM]

@Shane: Helio's comment was as original and enthralling, as your reply to him was needless and random.

[Shane @ Dec 18th 2007 7:54PM]

I've never read the other similar comments on other postings. Apparently there is some unwritten set of norms for blog post comments that I never read. Screw it. I give up.

[monkfishbandana @ Dec 19th 2007 1:53PM]

@ Shane

DID YOU HEAR THAT EVERYONE! That would be the sweet, sweet sound of one more tool leaving our internet! HIP HIP...

[Shane @ Dec 20th 2007 6:17PM]

@Monkfishblahblahblah

Wow...How rude.

Jerk...

[Sandy @ Dec 18th 2007 12:24PM]

It looks quite nice, I wonder what battery life is like.

[Superevil @ Dec 18th 2007 12:33PM]

Looks like an N810 on roids.

[Chuck @ Dec 18th 2007 12:38PM]

Nice but I'm sure it will be out of my price range.. My

guess is $800+ and bad battery life.

[Jonathan Zencovich @ Dec 18th 2007 12:42PM]

A bit of digging led me to this link: http://online.farandsoft.com/shop/detalle.asp?ida=500100372 (8th post down from original link)

Unfortunately it's way out of my league.... 1552,5 € --> $2,238.08 USD

Looks nice though (but I was hoping for sub-500!)

--Jon

[Ipaq3115 @ Dec 18th 2007 3:32PM]

aren't we all...

[jrr @ Dec 18th 2007 12:50PM]

I knew it was bound to happen - model number namespace collision! IBM already had a T221, you thieves.

[Wwhat @ Dec 18th 2007 12:54PM]

SO seriously, show us a vid of someone inputting some data and see how practical that is, and I don't mean handwriting recognition because that's just not practical, you don't post/chat/email/enter your taxes with handwriting recognition.
And I notice some lag on the input on the video, which for a scribble on a PR vid doesn't matter but which if you edit something is rather frustrating.

[splitmetal @ Dec 18th 2007 1:19PM]

Sure, it's not practical for data entry, or to be used as a primary pc... I could say the same thing about a mobile phone, or a PDA. Some people like writing some notes by hand, and even more notably like to draw. Try hand writing a note using your mouse or the touchpad on a laptop. Try drawing with your cellphone or PDA. Not very practical.

I would use this device as a digital notebook/sketchbook and mobile browser ... if it can run any decent graphics applications. I'm waiting for a device just a bit smaller than this, with excellent battery life, good color reproduction and outdoor visibility, a decent built-in camera, mobile broadband, and enough power to perform basic tasks in photoshop with images of a decent resolution. 5 more years, maybe?

[Jeff Lewis @ Dec 18th 2007 1:56PM]

Actually, I own a (real) UMPC - Samsung Q1 Ultra - and I use the handwriting feature all the time. There are two modes for using it - reco and writing. In reco mode, you use the entry pad to write or print and it converts it to text. The Vista reco is VERY good and once you get the hang of it (ie: adjust your writing style a bit to make it easier on the reco), you can get very high accuracy.

The writing mode is more like just writing on paper. I use that mode when I want to jot down little notes or drawings. These can be converted later into text.

Would I use a Tablet or UMPC to write a novel or code using handwriting? God no, but that's not the idea behind these devices. They're intended more for accessing data and immediate use - it's hard to use a keyboard while you're standing somewhere where there's no flat surfaces.

And actually, now that I think on it, I've noticed that a lot of writers still handwrite their novels... (hey, it's weird to me too). This would let them write it in, then convert directly to text - saving a step. Of course, you can always connect a keyboard via USB or Bluetooth (I use Apple's wireless keyboard as it's the lightest, thinnest full size keyboard out there) if you want to do heavy duty typing.

[Nikoooo @ Dec 18th 2007 3:14PM]

There's a yet unreleased software called InkSeine that sounds pretty cool for note taking. Some kind of a mix between Journal and OneNote.

Else I do input text a lot in word using the tablet input. I do use handwriting for emails, post and chat. I do use it for Illustrator, powerpoint, web surfing, etc. It works pretty well.
I still have problems though, when inputing "complex" series of letters and numbers. For example "T64iZ" will often give me a weird series of letters. Maybe I should run the "handwriting personalization", but this takes 2 hours and I didn't make the effort yet.

[Wwhat @ Dec 18th 2007 4:37PM]

Well to me it seems silly to spend a lot of money to buy something that works for a few hours until the battery drains instead of getting a 20 cents pencil and some paper, if that's your use. )notes & doodles)
What I mean is that I think a dual core computer is meant for computer use and that although it certainly is nice to have in many circumstances the video isn't exactly honest, even taken into account that it's an ad.
So yes I think people will input text and they will not in general like to use handwriting extensively on computers, they more likely sit at some table or on some couch and then would input text with an onscreen keyboard when it was time to enter something more than 3 words.
The video clearly cut corners representing the experience I think.

[Eric H @ Dec 18th 2007 12:55PM]

I would love to have one of these!

[Martin Trautmann @ Dec 18th 2007 1:01PM]

who's the first to run Mac Leopard on this iTablet?

[Jeremy Gray @ Dec 18th 2007 1:13PM]

I'm a fan of both slates and UMPCs, but the following is worth pointing out:

active digitizer == !umpc

also

12.1 inch screen == !umpc

It's a nice looking product, but let's call it what it is: a slate form-factor tablet pc.

[swallman @ Dec 18th 2007 1:33PM]

I was thinking the exact same thing. Why are they calling this thing a UMPC ? It's a slate tablet without a keyboard. I thought to quality (at least from MS's standpoint), a UMPC had to have a 7" or smaller screen. My laptop I use every day has a 12.1" screen. This thing just doesn't happen to have a keyboard, therefore they call it a UMPC ??

[tamoghno @ Dec 18th 2007 1:26PM]

apple in gonna sue them , apple invented & own patents on the "i" word & its design. its the best word on the market. check out the link apple.com/iBullshit for more info about this patent

[Jeff Lewis @ Dec 18th 2007 1:48PM]

I'm sure you're trying to be sarcastic (or I hope you are)... but you can't patent a word or a style.

You're thinking of 'trademark'.

[Jason @ Dec 18th 2007 2:02PM]

Jeff, he/she's obviously not thinking.

[aw_judge @ Dec 18th 2007 3:53PM]

...so can HP sue Apple's trendy pants off? Compaq (now HP) made the iPaq long before Apple "i"'d anything.

[Andrew @ Dec 19th 2007 1:31AM]

iPaq was introduced in 2000, the first iMac was released in 1998. Who own's who?

[Jeff Lewis @ Dec 18th 2007 1:47PM]

At the risk of being pedantic, this isn't a UMPC - it's a tablet PC. UMPCs have to have screens smaller than 10".

But...

Wow.. is this a nice tablet PC. I wish it was WXGA instead of just XGA, but if the price is right, I'll live with that. :)

[RichardBronosky @ Dec 18th 2007 2:20PM]

VGA port instead of DVI? Boo!

[starkruzr @ Dec 18th 2007 2:26PM]

Why would you have an active digitizer and a RESISTIVE touchscreen? This makes no sense.

[Chris @ Dec 18th 2007 2:29PM]

Am I the only one that noticed that the headphone and mic jacks are mis-labelled? They've got green marked as mic and red as headphone.. normally it's the other way around.

Not that it really matters.. it just jumped out at me.

[DarkLightConnection @ Dec 18th 2007 2:35PM]

I have two PCs, and both have red for output and green for input

[Pingmeister @ Dec 18th 2007 3:04PM]

If the price in the comments posted above ($2300) is correct I think I'd prefer a Fujitsu or Motion Slate.

And to reply to a few earlier posters XP Tablet handwriting recognition is quite good if you happen to be someone who prints (instead of cursive).

I own a Fujitsu Slate Tablet and can write faster on it than I can type (I am a hunt-and-peck'r).

[The Grand Master @ Dec 18th 2007 3:44PM]

I'm not usually a fan of tablets, and for the most part I don't think they're particularly useful to the majority of laptop users, but that iTablet is definitely the sexiest tab let I've ever seen!

[The Grand Master @ Dec 18th 2007 3:44PM]

Curses, I meant 'tablet' all one word...

[BobTurbo @ Dec 18th 2007 10:48PM]

Why aren't they useful? No need to haul huge laptop around, check email, view pictures/videos/etc on the bus ride home, also very useful for various professions such as the one I am working with atm.

[Colin @ Dec 18th 2007 5:26PM]

Where can I actually GET one of these? Or any Amtek product, for that matter?

[Andrew @ Dec 19th 2007 1:39AM]

Well, judging from the website selling them, Europe. Or specifically Spain. Nothing in the US. But the company will be at CES 08 according to their homepage.