Platform Peace

A few days ago, the rumors of an Apple Tablet PC escalated due to a report / rumor that Asus is helping Apple build a tablet device. 

I am a big fan of the Tablet PC concept.  I owned an Toshiba M200 for several years and really liked it.  However, I am still waiting for the perfect tablet device.  The M200 did not cut it as my main PC, especially as it aged, and was too bulky for a convenient companion device.  Microsoft has done a remarkable job with the digital ink and handwriting recognition in Vista.  A lot of work was done to make using a pen to navigate Windows a more natural experience.  However, the experience eventually breaks down quite a bit especially in applications that were not designed with a Tablet interface in mind.  And, even though Vista is the Tablet PC’s greatest strength, it is also its greatest weakness.  Vista is just too resource intensive to be effective on a portable device that should offer instant-on capability, stellar battery life, and a reasonable price.  And honestly, I do not need a full version of Windows on a device that will always (at least for the near future) serve as a companion device to a full PC.  For the most part, I would use it for web browsing, RSS reading, email, calendar / tasks, and for scribbling random notes and ideas. 

The Nokia N800 is actually the device that comes closest to what I am looking for.  It is extremely small, has great battery life, and can be turned on and off extremely quickly.  However, in my opinion, the software and the UI just plain suck and I find myself using it less and less often.

The iPhone has certainly revolutionized the mobile device interface.  Windows Mobile now feels archaic in comparison.  So, based on what Apple has done with the iPhone and iPod Touch (not to mention the before-its-time Newton), I would really be interested in an Apple tablet device.  Here is a pretty nice mockup of an Apple tablet and the creator’s ideas look pretty good to me.  I would like to see digital ink / handwriting recognition as well.  Anyway, I am hoping there is some truth to the rumors and that we will see Apple shake up the Tablet PC / UMPC space as it did in the cell phone market.