Meinolf Althaus
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Fujitsu's 10-inch Stylistic Q550 tablet to sport Oak Trail, Windows 7
We knew good and well that Fujitsu's Stylistic Q550 was en route, but now we're learning a few more dirty details as its official launch day draws ever nearer. Reportedly, the business-oriented slate will be fully revealed at CeBIT next month, with Fujitsu being one of the only outfits out there eager and willing to take a chance on both Oak Trail and Windows 7 Professional. Our experiences with existing Win7 tablets haven't been stellar, but it's possible that the added power in Oak Trail will cut down on the lag and make things a bit smoother to operate. We're told to expect a 10-inch LED touchscreen, smartcard slot, fingerprint reader, trusted-platform module (TPM), front and rear cameras, a 32GB / 64GB solid state drive, USB socket and an optional 3G module. Most impressive, however, is the claimed eight hours of battery life, which we'll quite honestly have to see to believe. If all goes well, it'll start shipping this April to European nations, but there's no word yet on how badly it'll hurt your wallet (or when it'll grab a passport and head to other continents). As you'd expect, we'll be live from Germany digging for more just as soon as the show floor opens. A brief introductory vid is just past the break.
Darren Murph02.22.2011
Fujitsu's tablet is easy like a hammer, cozy as a scarf, and never scratchy like Windows 7 (video)
There's no denying that Meinolf Althaus brings some personality to an otherwise stoic slate. Good thing too, because the idea of Fujitsu and Microsoft spawning a stylus-driven tablet from a session of ugly-bumping doesn't elicit much excitement in the burgeoning tablet space. Enter Mr. Althaus who begins his lesson with an explanation that software user elements must be based on recognition and not on something that's remembered. You know, like a hammer (or Fujitsu's new slate) which is obvious in its usability and function. He then likens the current crop of consumer-based tablets to chocolate bars: they're great for consumption but do little to help with content creation unlike Fujitsu's Windows-based slate that's optimized for corporations -- spreadsheets naturally, not music or illustrations. The highlight, however, has to be the point in the video where he equates the Windows 7 user experience to a "scratchy" kitchen sponge that's useful for utilitarian tasks like cleaning the dishes. Fujitsu's tablet, he contends, is "cozy" like a silk scarf thanks to a custom-built layer that sits on top of the standard Win7 desktop. Brilliant. We'll take two... Meinolfs that is. You will too after watching the video embedded after the break. [Thanks, Hanson]
Thomas Ricker01.28.2011