any suggestions

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rich1101

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#9481 21-Sep-2006 17:29

I am after some advice if anyone has a suggestion. I am trying to find some hardware (tablet pc?) which I can use to store and view docs like PDF, with a touchscreen. Application is for storing charts, systems info, checklists etc for use without having to carry around books and maps etc. A5 size approx, have tried using my PDA and the screen is too small. Good battery life would be a bonus along with USB connection for updating files, and an adjustable (manual or auto) screen brightness. I have a feeling I might need to get a tablet PC (which would do far more than I would ever need) but hope someone might have a better idea. Plenty of systems available in the US (with all the excess software etc I would never use here), but havent found any here in NZ.

cheers

chiefie

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#46590 21-Sep-2006 17:51

perhaps UMPC will be for you. Take a read at my blog, which I outlined my plan for getting an UMPC for myself. [http://www.geekzone.co.nz/chiefie/1312]

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rich1101

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#46592 21-Sep-2006 18:14

thanks for that chiefie. The UMPC is simliar to some others I have looked at, way more features (and hence price) than I need. Just had a thought though. Are there in effect, self contained (battery powered) LCD touchscreens, say that take a memory card that you can then view the files from the memory card?

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#46594 21-Sep-2006 18:24

it still need some sort of OS to operate it and understand the common file formats. So far I know of no such product. UMPC is aiming to be good cheap alternative tablet pc solution. Although it is priced at $2500, though remember it is a good platform yet can be used as a desktop pc.

check out Hugo Ortega's take on UMPC as desktop pc.

I am more comfy towards UMPC idea, and seeing that I will gain more on mobility yet the assurance of my digital assets are always available to my finger tips, and operate full Windows applications. Seeing that you will see the benefit of UMPC for your usage.

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#46595 21-Sep-2006 18:31

The UMPC is much smaller than a Tablet PC, and offers some benefits. It's mainly a companion device, so you should be able to copy things from your desktop into the UMPC and take it with you. It fits on a small man bag (tried it) and it's light. Some upcoming models don't use HDD anymore, but instead have 30GB flash memory. It makes the whole thing faster and more economical in terms of battery life.

There's no "viewer" as you want. The device needs a OS, and the current form factors available are Pocket PC (too small), UMCP (medium CPU and memory), and Tablet PC (large, pricey, robust CPU).

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#46596 21-Sep-2006 18:37

There's also UPPC (Ultra-Portable PC) - Raon Digital Vega, or Sony's UX or OQO Model 01+.

I feel that UPPC/UX/OQO are more expensive in terms of actual usability and features than UMPC. And as Mauricio pointed out, PocketPC is too small and somewhat limited. TabletPC is bulky and expensive.

So again, UMPC may suit better for what you want to do with much more benefit too. Think of Wifi, bluetooth and ability to run most common tasks without a hick.

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rich1101

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#46602 21-Sep-2006 20:53

thanks for the feedback guys. I may have just stumbled on the sort of thing I was looking for. http://www.irextechnologies.com/products/iliad/features
anyone familiar with this sort of thing?