Saturday, January 20, 2007

I found a Tablet I forgot I owned

The funniest thing happened to me today. I decided, together with a little shove from my wife, to clean the garage. What I didn’t realize however is just how massive this job was going to be. The first thing you need to know about my garage is that my car has never been in it, and we’ve been here for 2 years now. The second thing you need to know is that it is a double-brick, double car space, extra long garage; so my car not fitting-in is not due to lack of space.


Thinking back, what has occurred is probably the same dilemma that faces many married couples. The man of the house, usually a role taken by the husband, but not always (LOL), has his toys in the garage, while the woman of the house, usually the wife (LOL), takes all the available cupboard space in the house for her stuff! In this case I have a garage full of cables, old PCs, monitors, more cables, boxes, and, did I mention cables???


What was interesting about this miserable tale is this. While performing man’s most mundane task (the garage cleanup) I discovered the funniest thing ever. This will sound extremely bizarre to most of you but for the “clever” ones that have visited my blog on more than one occasion, what I am about to say will not entirely surprise. “What I found was a Tablet I forgot I had!”


At last count there are over 12 Tablet PCs in the house (including Ultra-Mobile PC) and this one would tip the scale to make it 13! As Dr. Neil would tell me, “not a bad problem to have!” The Tablet I found was the Xplore Rugged Slate named the IX104. If you haven’t heard me mention this one before just read here, or watch here (recorded: Sunday, February 12, 2006).







Have a great weekend everyone! Another video 4U tomorrow.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wish I had your problems!

Anonymous said...

Che, que problema mas grande !

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

LOL. f2thed,

It's not easy being me...

-->

Hola Anonymous,

Si, un problema muy serioso! HAHA

Anonymous said...

I'm not going as anonymous to stay anonymous, I just don't have an account. I'm Nate from the United States.

Ok Hugo, I found you site while searching tablets on google.com. I love you site because it is very helpful and informative. It's also cool to watch your videos.

Now, I'm looking for a Tablet or UMPC. At first I was all for the Samsung Q1. It looked great, seemed to run media flawlessly, and had decent internet connections. These are the main features I was looking for. Then, I saw some videos on YouTube about how slowly it ran and that it didn't have a decent processor.

So, I want an experts opinion. Should I get the Samsung Q1 or an other UMPC. Or should I get a Convertible tablet that meets ALL my needs. (It would also take more saving.)

I also wanted to know if you were able to see Comet McNaught. I heard it was beautiful Down Under.

You can reply to me at: gamemaster45@gmail.com. How to talk to you soon.

~Nate

Anonymous said...

Hi Nate,
I had this exact same conversation with Hugo last week, although in my case I was asking about the Fujitsu P1610. We ended up deciding that they were the way to go and are hoping to get them in the next week or so.

BTW - I once worked for someone who forgot she owned a jet ski! It was in for servicing but for some reason or another forgot about it until around 3 years later when she suddenly remembered. By the time she called the jet ski place they'd sold it off as they have a policy of only holding machines for 12 months!

Anonymous said...

Ok, thanks Darren. I'll check it out.

Anonymous said...

Hey Hugo, sorry for carrying on a conversation that has nothing to do with your most recent blog post.

But Darren, I just checked Hugo's video on the Fujitsu P1610 and it looks amazing. The 3G integration was what really sold me. Handling files from my phone will be so much easier. My only problem is speed. Will the P1610 meet my needs? (Wants really.) I want it to be able to decently play a movie from DVD or iTunes. I also want to have a maximum of five firefox windows open at once and not be able to notice much of a lag. Do you think I will be able to do this? If so I'm sold.

Thanks for all your help and Hugo, thanks for hosting this blog. I have learned a lot and enjoyed watching you videos.

Thanks again,
~Nate

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Hi Nate and Darren,

Thanks for the conversation, the thread is spot on - well done Darren. HOWEVER, before you run out and buy a P1610 Nate you better know that it does not have the inbuilt 3G right now. This is scheduled for release in some countries in the second quarter of the year, and may not become available at all in the USA...

I am just about to post a UMPC video review that outlines features and benefits of all the devices . Check out the blog in one day and it will be up for your benefit.

Darren,

I hope the P1610 does what it needs. I do favour it a lot but for Nate I believe the Q1 is a better option as he a multi-media freak. Its speakers and screen quality will be better than that of the P1610...and it's a lot cheaper.

Nate, a Convertible will ALWAYS be better but the dollars usually mean a great deal in these decisions. I like te R400 that is about to come out but if you can't wait and must have a first generation UMPC device then look at the Q1 with organiser pack. If you want to future proof your money and need a device now then you cant go past the P1610!!!

Hope this helps...more videos coming.

Anonymous said...

Well thanks Hugo. I AM a multi-media freak, and my PSP wasn't cutting it. I also need something for my school work. I do hope that 3G comes to the states. That really is a awesome integration. The Q1 hasn't lost the battle yet, I'm still looking into it. I also like how the P1610 has the palm ignore feature. That would be perfect for taking notes on the go. I want to thank you guys for your help. And I'm looking forward to videos Hugo.

Thanks again guys,
Nate.

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Hi Nate,

I think you did great by describing the palm-rejection as a compelling reason to buy the P1610. It is a truly advantages feature. Keep up the great work and let me know where and how I can help you understand the issues further.

Make sure you tell all you mates about the Blog Nate - and don't forget to do some "real work" at school, not just getting on the net. Maybe that's why Fujitsu is not realeasing inbuilt 3G just yet, i.e. all the distracted students around the planet. LOL.

Anonymous said...

I have a lot of friends who are looking for laptops now and probably don't even know about tablet pcs. I'll tell them about this blog. I'll also keep up with my studies.

Thanks again,
Nate.

Anonymous said...

Hi Nate and Hugo,
I think this blog just highlights the importance of blogs like this one. Without being easily able to get a hands-on demo of various devices the next best thing is being able to talk to the gurus who have ALL of them (including forgotten ones :) ).
I really appreciate the time Hugo has taken in chatting to me previously as I would have been lost in the quagmire that is UMPC's and tablets.
Cheers
Darren

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Hey Darren,

DOn't knock the quagmire - as that's where I spend most of my time...LOL.

Thank you for your enthusiasm and interest. Just spread the word and I'll keep the videos and commentary coming.

By the way, Darren, I loved your story of the Jetski. I think these stories are so funny!

Cheers guys - we rock as a team!

Anonymous said...

Well, I thought I'd tell both of you that I've made my decision. I'm going with the Samsung Q1. It will be great for all my multi-media needs, and it will be a great internet companion on the road. Also, with the organizer pack I can sit down and work on a school project, but then unplug and take it to school. It really seems like the better decision. I'm going to order mine tonight. Thanks for all of your help. (Yours too Darren.) Even with my tablet I'll keep up with this blog. It truly is awesome.

Now, you never answered my question Hugo. Did you get to see Comet McNaught? I'm just curious. I never got to see it up here.

Once again, thanks for ALL the help. It was greatly appreciated. Hope to have another conversation with you guys.

~Nate

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Hey Nate!!

Q1, here we come!!! Let us know how you go and stay in touch via the comments anytime. In regards to the comet I am afraid I did not look up that night. between the kids, the blog and running a business all Iseem to do is look down...at my UMPC. LOL.

See you on the next thread!

Anonymous said...

Ok, I will! Sorry you couldn't see the comet. I couldn't either. There are lots of pictures though. It's 7:12 PM over here and I JUST ordered it with the organizer pack, 6 cell battery, and 8 cell power bank. I can't wait until it gets here and I'll share pics when it does. (Maybe an unboxing video if I can wait long enough to get my camera set up....LOL.)

Thanks for all your help. I'm looking forward to your next update and video about the UMPCs.

~Nate.

Steven said...

Hugo,
On a similar thread as the P1610 3G capabilities...
Any idea when/if the GPS pack for the Vega will be available here in the USA?
I am looking forward to the videos.
Thanks, too, for the video of how you use the Q1 as your primary computer.

Steven

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Hi Steven,

Thanks for the support! As far as the NAVI pack for the Vega goes I there are two answers. The GPS module itself requires certification and may not be available in the USA immediately. However, the bracket that is custom made for the Vega is available and does not require certification, and you should be able to order it through Dynamism (I believe).


Let me know if they can do this otherwise I will chase it up for you. If you manage to get the bracket then the GPS solution can be obtained very easily via any USB dongle, not just this little guy.

Does this help?

Steven said...

Hugo,
There are no brackets listed as Vega accessories. I will probably call them today or tomorrow to check on it.
I was thinking that the NAVI-Pack would come as an accessory package. Maybe after certification...
Support? Oh yeah. I/we still remember the world exclusive P1610 video that send Fujitsu flipping. :)
Thanks for the help. I am trying to convince my brother-in-law that instead of spending $250 on a GPS stand-alone, he should bite the bullet and get an entire PC.

Steven

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

Yeah Steven, the Fujitsu debacle taught me a lot too. I don't know of Vega's exact intention with the NAVI Pack, so I am afraid you will need to phone Dynamsim and point them to my blog if they need more info.

As far as your brother-in-law goes you are doing the right thing for him, why anyone would buy a stand alone GPS is beyond me. Just be careful with recommending anything to family mate...LOL.

Anonymous said...

Hugo, I'm ashamed of you. To treat a Tablet that way... Geesh! ;)

Hugo Gaston Ortega said...

LOL Robyn,

You need to know that she (lets assign her some femininity) was well wrapped in bubble wrap and encased in foal...probably the reason she was lost. FYI, the reunion was tearful, we had lots of catching up to do (Windows Updates), some intimacy (Inking), and even caressing (clean the screen)...

LOL, thanks for the comment Robyn.