I work with the computer day in day out... and I really have no need nor want to have the ability to carry the Sink Hole with me!

I personally enjoy the new Ultimate Vista... You plug in a new hardware and 99% of the time it finds the driver for you online and there is no need to even search for it... or even plug in a CD for that matter.

One really neat feature is the ability to run Video as Wallpaper.

L8rssssss

"and I really have no need nor want to have the ability to carry the Sink Hole with me!"

What about this Sink Hole? {Slashdot.org}

Eventually, some technology like a tablet PC will replace the notebook. In 10 years my kids will remember the notebook I use today and laugh themselves silly. When the technology gets small enough, light enough, fast enough, with enough storage and enough bandwidth, and handwriting recognition software that works, notebooks like we have today will cease to exist. I spend my work day going from meeting to meeting to meeting. I would love to have a computer that could keep up with the way I take notes. As it is, I scribble notes and drawings on paper, using arrows to connect ideas and Xs to mark things as "bad." I've tried typing notes into OneNote or other such useless software, but the keyboard is just too limiting and too slow. It hinders my thinking. If there were a PC that could read my writing and transcribe it so that my notes were permanent, sharable, searchable, etc. it would save my employer thousands of dollars a year. And there must be millions of business people in my same situation. The tablet paradigm will come, and Dell may just help it happen.

Translation:

They will buy the s***tiest parts known to man and build a tablet PC or put their name on some Chinese POS wit a new plastic shell.

Tablet PC's are heavy dinosoars that only a few people actually want or need.

Man do I hate Dell.

Heavy? What do you consider heavy? Mine weighs 4 lbs. and it sure ain't no dinosaur.

As for most people wanting or needing them; most people don't know what they can do.

Yeah,

They can show Windows sideways and let you scribble on the screen like carrying a notepad and pen is so hard. Of course you have to wait for XP to boot (five minutes) before you can write down anything if you are in a hurry.

Most people buy them to make themselves look more important than they really are. Maybe you have a legitimate reason for buying one but a lot of people don't.

Wow, who knew BetaNews was full of technophobes?!

"wait for XP to boot (five minutes)"

You're obviously commenting on something you have never used. And your comment about people buying them to look important makes no sense at all. Sounds like a personal problem to me.

Wrong. My work uses them for things like signatures on digital forms for our consumers. My coworkers love them. We have already bought two from Gateway and a third one has been ordered. We also get a ~30% discount for being state-affiliated.

Notepad and pen don't allow for easy capture and retrieval for later use by others. My coworkers in the field can sign a form and email or FTP the document in and it's good to go (and the forms can be easily searched and processed).

If Windows XP is taking five minutes to boot, you have software issues that you need to look into. Maybe try a defrag or a fresh install of Windows.

I think if Dell revamped their support to be the top of the line, that would be the best option. right now there is serious support lacking in the PC world, and if one vendor ramped it up, it might keep that edge.

Yawn...

Just what the world needs, Another tablet PC!

Now that the hype of 4 years or so ago has died down, and few discovered a use for one, Dell is going to enter the party? The cavalry has arrived. Unfortunately its far too little too late. And where was the party?

Gee Michael, I think I see how you plan to turn Dell around! We'll look backwards in order to go forward!

The fact is, a tablet PC makes sense in only a few niche markets - ie - imagine a hospital in a secure wireless environment running 802.11i-AES insuring secure encrypted data access where doctors have mobile electronic charts - where they can update data and view lab data and online resources in real time, negating transcription of manual charts, etc..

THERE they make sense.

And pPerhaps in a Few other niches they might make sense, but for FEW others.

Dell's entry makes this form factor legitimate? Right! Now all they need are users with a need for the product!

Computer manufacturing as a business, filling market needs - too bad this notion is still so exotic to so many.

"The device is aimed at Dell's corporate, education, and healthcare customers."

You just agreed with at least part of the statement above. I can easily see how this could prove useful (if price is right) in education and corporate markets (both of which Dell is heavily dependent on).

Dell serves these markets, and if there is room to fill, they should fill it.

As for the legitimacy claims, it wasn't Dell who made them. In the last paragraph of the article it attributes that claim to Windows-Now.com.

Sure, I won't ever need one. But I'd imagine for the situation you described above as well as a host of others in corporate and education markets they'd come in quite handy. (The fact that I cannot think of any other than presentations right now being merely an indication of my complete lack of creativity) :p

This platform was ALREADY targeted at them and anyone else who would buy the damned things! And they failed! Who wants to write everything!?

You state this like its innovative! Its NOT! They failed!
And simply re-marketing the idea is not going to change that.

Dell has failed to present any new compelling reason why such a format is useful to any but a Very narrow vertical market that has here to fore required multiple data entry and interactive systems.

Oh, and tablets still haven't taken off in the HIPAA world of medicine either!

But yup, the government needs them... Yup. Why??????? Well, they just do! And students? Yeah! It would be easier to simply market a touch screen (think a Palm style device!) that simply captured data that would later be dumped the data into a computer if they want to take notes the old fashioned way!

But then anyone who needs on probably has 2-3 of the older dedicated $800 DVD players. ROFLMAO!

"Who wants to write everything!?"

Not big on 'em, haven't really looked at them, but aren't the tablets Dell is making going to have a keyboard and touchpad? I seem to recall seeing a few pics showing them basically as a laptop with a swivel display that could function as both a laptop and "tablet".

"You state this like its innovative! "

Never said it. Never implied it.

"But yup, the government needs them..."

Who said that?

"Dell has failed to present any new compelling reason why such a format is useful to any but a Very narrow vertical market that has here to fore required multiple data entry and interactive systems."

So stop? I'm not comparing tablets to Cars, here, but what if Henry had gotten the same attitude you seem to have? If at first you don't succeed...

With the amount of capital they have invested in the platform, we're I an investor, I'd likely be sorely miffed if they just gave it one go and then pissed off down to the bar.

And why are you yelling at me? Did I accidentally run over your dog on the way in to work this morning?

***Note to those who took offense to the dog comment: I have never "accidentally" run over a dog. I meant to do that. ;)

Huh???

"As for the legitimacy claims, it wasn't Dell who made them. In the last paragraph of the article it attributes that claim to Windows-Now.com."

I don't care if it was Santa Claus. But "Clarke said. "We're excited, and everybody -- we're coming.""
Dell indeed did.

"I seem to recall seeing a few pics showing them basically as a laptop with a swivel display that could function as both a laptop and "tablet"."

Yup, the same old format that has failed. And?

I am sure in your mind that "cars" have some bearing on this, but...whatever.

So if a product format fails to make significant inroads into the market, why not enter into the market segment with the 'same old format' when you are already having problems? Swooft strategic marketing. Ever hear of a SWOT/TOWS matrix?

"But yup, the government needs them..."
"Who said that?"
Let's see: "The device is aimed at Dell's corporate, education, and healthcare customers. Dell says it has done significant engineering and design to make it one of the lightest tablets on the market. Work on the user interface has also been done to make it easier to use. "The technology along with customer and usage models have evolved to the point that makes it right for Dell to enter the marketplace," Clarke said. "We're excited, and everybody -- we're coming.""

They did! Read.

You make some compelling(sic) points. Almost as salient as Dell's. But I am sure that the fact that Dell will now make tablets will revolutionize the market, and suddenly convince folks who found no compelling reason other than the initial geewhiz factor useful as well as to cause the government and education markets to suddenly buy them. Heck, they have been almost a non-starter in the healthcare fields, where they have been resisted Despite proposals suggesting their proposed use! And yes, I am intimate with that!

And yelling at you? You have quite a vivid imagination. Aside from your argument for the sake of argument, with nothing to counter the fact that the overall tablet market has been a non-starter, you haven't presented anything except to keep repeating that Dell will market them. Yawn.
Oh, I get it, because I used several "???" for simple emphasis!? Hahaha! Sorry, I could care less about some 14 year old's texting protocol nor what's hip on UToob. I try to employ simple English. And evidently that is still too complex. But if you are into that, you just might like a tablet! They seem to be the biggest group to rush to say "oh wow" when they are display at Office Depot and then have their mother tell them to quite playing with them. I sure if Dell had their name on them, mom would change her mind.

I'm having some serious trouble following your train of thought here...

The onyl line in the entire article that mentionbs legitimacy of the product is prefacing a quote form some Windows-Now editor...not Dell.

The old format failed? It never got started. Perhaps, in your mind, that is failure. To others, it's a challenge. For example, there are quite a few folks who are quite interested in what's being called a "ModBook". A heavily modified Apple MacBook Pro turned tablet PC.

"
"But yup, the government needs them..."
"Who said that?"
Let's see: "The device is aimed at Dell's corporate, education, and healthcare customers. Dell says it has done significant engineering and design to make it one of the lightest tablets on the market. Work on the user interface has also been done to make it easier to use. "The technology along with customer and usage models have evolved to the point that makes it right for Dell to enter the marketplace," Clarke said. "We're excited, and everybody -- we're coming.""

They did! Read."

I did read. Government was not mentioned once. It's all you, man.

"And yelling at you? You have quite a vivid imagination. Aside from your argument for the sake of argument, with nothing to counter the fact that the overall tablet market has been a non-starter, you haven't presented anything except to keep repeating that Dell will market them. Yawn.
Oh, I get it, because I used several "???" for simple emphasis!? "

Perhaps it was the exclamation marks. Perhaps it was the childish, yet condescending attitude.

I really was not looking to get into an argument here. Of course, this isn't really an argument. I stated my opinion and you jumped on it in what can only be seen as an effort to belittle, insult, and rant, for whatever reason I don't care to guess. No problem, mate. I'll leave you to it, then.

You are having trouble... Ya think!?!?!? LOL!
But that was evident with your initial response!

If you want to comment on the original article, maybe you should have done that!

This topic is Solely one of market analysis and strategic marketing.

But nevertheless you keep trying to make points based upon non sequitur issues that fail to address the fundamental issue. The tablet niche is not growing. Nor is there a compelling reason for others to adopt it.

If you want to challenge that, feel free.
But instead you react to my post and fail to address that issue in any fashion except to refer to Dell stockholders and who said what! None of which have any pertinence to the market issue! And not one of your points, whatever they are, addresses the fact that the tablet has failed to make Any appreciable dent in the martketplace - even in vertical markets where a case can be made for the format! Regardless of vendor!

But still, you can continue this asinine commentary without ever addressing the original point of my post. But if you want to react to my post, then please address the original fundamental issue, which was that I don't care if it Dell, IBM, or Porsche or Santa Claus who wants to market tablet PCs; in order to be successful they are going to have to change the market perception and provide the market with a compelling reason to buy them!

Thus far, the market has not. And the only change is that Dell now is simply marketing a "Dell" branded tablet. Hardly a compelling reason for adoption!

The tablet niche, what there is is extremely limited and it is not growing. In fact, it has shrunk from the perspective of vendors who now offer the format as they could not justify their presence in the market due to the lack of sales!

the point of my responses has simply been to try to either encourage to get on topic with that which you responded, or to go find one in the original post.

As after several posts, you have definitely missed the point!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There, that's secret code just for you; get a clue troll.

"The tablet niche, what there is is extremely limited and it is not growing."

Not to interrupt the rantfest or anything, but that market is actually growing, especially in education, where Toshiba recently saw a 50% increase in orders.

Tablet PCs are a niche market, but one that companies obviously see sales in. Toshiba, Fujitsu, HP, Acer, Averatec, Gateway, Lenovo, and now Dell are all offering Tablet PC models and most have been upgraded to support Tablet improvements that came with Vista. One company, Motion, does very well selling only Tablet and Slate PCs.

While Tablet PCs will always be a small market, it is a viable and profitable market. Fortunately businesses are smart enough to realize that only selling the most popular models of any product would mean a loss of sales.

You're clueless, man. Government was never mentioned in the article and your reading comprehension obviously sucks and you can't tell the difference between what one person said and what another person said.

You're calling me a troll?

Who's doing the insulting? Who's on a rampage for no apparent reason? Who in this topic seems to be hell-bent on shouting down anyone else?

Here's a hint; It certainly isn't me.

Take your ADHD meds.

I made a simple comment regarding my opinion on where this tech could be useful and why I believe Dell is still chasing it. It was you who flew off the handle and began spewing insults and condescending attitude like some 3 year old on what *you* think the topic should be about.

I'm sorry I made my comment a reply to yours. I know better now. If I want discussion, I'll leave you out of it. If I want someone to go off on some lame-ass tirade, I'll reply to you.