Blog:: Craig Pringle

For most of the last few days I have been tinkering with the M400 for short periods and then charging it up again - without running it right down. 

As a last hurrah before handing the demo unit back tomorrow I decided to get an idea of the battery life.  Not having much time left with the device I decided to go for the worst case.  I cranked the brightness up to full, turned wireless on and started browsing away.  This got me a bit over 3 hours continuous use.  So at worst with the M400 you can expect 3 hours running time. Turning down the brightness and tweaking the power settings using the Toshiba Power Management tool I would expect that you could stretch this to over 4(have not tried it).  This the extended battery I suspect (totally untested) you could get a full day.

Here's the power save settings I used for the test...

After trying the inplace upgrade option for Windows Vista build 5308 I can confirm that the upgrade does process does work, though as previously noted it takes a bit longer.

After the upgrade I was still without Areo Glass effects and I did not manage to resolve this.  Indeed when Vista first started I was greeted by a stunning 640x480 display at 256 colours because Vista had loaded a generic "Standard VGA" driver.  This is the whole screen (at 66% of orignial size)

Fortunately I was able to change the resolution back to 1280x1024, 32 bit colour.  That looks lots better.

Additionally the fingerprint driver, bluetooth, Wi-fi and Toshiba power management would not run after the upgrade.

After a tip-off from Warner Crocker that Windows Update had some driver updates for build 5308 retired to the study and I plugged in a network cable (boy - that took me back!!).  Windows Update contained two updated drivers - one for the wireless which errored when it tried to install and a new version of the "Standard VGA" driver - which still does not give me glass.  As there was no WDDM driver for the Intel 945 Express chipset I cannot stress enough - this does not mean the M400 will not run glass.  At no time did I have a WDDM driver.

On the whole I have enjoyed my days with the M400.  It is a nice machine and handles itself well - despite my demo unit only having 512 MB of RAM installed.  It will be hard handing it back tomorrow.

I've reverted it back to factory defaults and I'm using it now for my evening's blogging to get an idea of the battery life.  I'll post something about that soon.

My nearly-fifteen-month-old daughter had some tablet time yesterday.  She drew this stunning creation in ArtRage.  I did help her change colours a now and then, but conceptually it is all her.

Already it is clear to me that she has more artistic ability than I do

Two Tablet PC MVPs (and top chaps) have joined forces on a new mobility focused blog and community site.

Rob Bushway and Dennis Rice today officially launched GottaBeMobile.com.  Rob has long been an active and respected Tablet PC blogger and Dennis is the managing editor of TablePCBuzz.com so they should make a great duo!

If you were already subscribed to Rob Bushway's CutMeLoose blog then you don't need to do anything as the main feed is the same.  If you weren't then head over to GottaBeMobile.com or just take my word for it and subscribe to this feed.

From Rob and Dennis:

"Check out our new InkShows, news articles by ISV and OEM categories, our hsoftware list, and of course our editorials. Coming soon is an interactive hardware comparision matrix - something that is badly needed in the tablet pc space.

So, enjoy your visit, check out all the new stuff, and come back often."

To be honest this is the second time I've started this.  I learned this afternoon that the inplace upgrade takes much longer than the clean install.  I started off an upgrade late in the afternoon at work and it had not yet completed when I had to leave the office.  I closed the lid and this seriously broke the install :)  I restored back to factory defaults again and now I'm kicking off the inplace upgrade. 

After entering my product key and selecting upgrade the installation program performs a compatiblity check.  This is the output of the check on the M400 (love the TBD - but hey, it is a beta):

Update after installing Windows

Install new versions of these programs

In a comment on my review of the Toshiba M400 David asked if the M400 includes the accelerometer as his M200 does.

Indeed it does and this forms part of one of the interesting security features available in the M400.

The accelerometer is leveraged for a solution called Advanced Instant Security.  When activated AIS locks the machine.  If it is moved while it is locked it causes an alarm to sound.  This M200 had the same feature.

This is not the only interesting security funciton in the M400.  In addition to the biometric fingerprint reader - which can be used to authenticate for both the BIOS password and the HDD password and to authenticate to Windows the M400 supports these additional authentication methods.

• Wireless Key - will authenticate you if your bluetooth enabled mobile phone is within bluetooth range.
• User Token - create a virual token on an SD Card.  This is used in conjunction with the BIOS and HDD passwords.  If the SD Card is in the slot then the this is used to authenticate to the BIOS and HDD instead of the password.

There are some things to be aware of with the User Token - you would want to be really careful with that SD card.  If you are just going to leave it in the SD Card slot then it is pretty useless.  Additionally it is no more secure than a password - if the card is missing you can just enter the password(s) and boot the machine.

There are several things to bear in mind if you are thinking about using the wireless key.  Indeed when configuring the wireless key Toshiba provides the following Important Informaiton:

"1. Should the cellular phone you registered during setup get misplaced, run out of power, suffer damage, be destroyed, or otherwise be adversely affected, you will not be able to log on to your PC. Be especially careful to avoid such occurrences.

2. Should you be unable to use your cellular phone for any of the reasons given above, you will still be able to log on to your PC by asking the administrator for the BIOS supervisor password (a unique password that enables a login to be performed without a cellular phone). However, if you can't use your cellular phone where you are, and need to ask assistance from the administrator, be especially careful to ensure that persons nearby do not secretly view the BIOS supervisor password. Anyone who learns the password will be able to gain access to all of the PCs (provided that the administrator has not configured each PC with a unique password). Exercise the appropriate discretion when making such requests of the administrator.

3. Turning your cellular phone on in locations where it is not permitted to do so (such as in aircraft or hospitals) may be punishable by law. Take care not to operate your cellular phone in such areas.

4. If you are holding a cellular phone that has been registered to a PC using this software and happen to be standing near a PC (within approximately ten meters, though this distance will depend on how clearly the radio waves can be transmitted), in certain configurations it is possible that someone of malicious intent may be able to turn on your PC and successfully log on to it without entering any password at all, without your having sanctioned such an action. Should there be any risk that someone might be able to access the PC, you should either disable the function in the utility or disable your cellular phone's Bluetooth(TM) function.

5. If you move away from where you've been sitting and, during your absence, leave a cellular phone that has been registered to your PC with this software utility near the PC, others will be able to access your computer's contents. Please exercise due care in such circumstances.

6. Your PC starts to search for cellular phones immediately after it has been switched on. Therefore, even if you turn your computer off while away from it, as long as you are within the Bluetooth(TM) transmission range a malicious person will be able to secretly turn it on and operate it without having to enter a password. In order to prevent this from happening, it is recommended that the Bluetooth(TM) function of your cellular phone be disabled until you return.

7. If both your PC and the cellular phone registered to your PC using this software get stolen or accidentally left somewhere, your computer will be accessible to anyone.

8. Using your cellular phone as a key to log on to a PC does not provide extra security. Only use this function once you have thoroughly understood what it does. If you have any doubts about configuring this function or Bluetooth(TM), or about the use of cellular phones, it is recommended that the function not be used. If you wish to make your PC secure, disable the function.

9. Requiring a BIOS password to be entered as well as using a Bluetooth(TM) cellular phone will make your PC more secure than if either of these methods is used alone; however, the PC can still be stolen, its hard disk drive can be removed, or other means can be used to access the information stored within it. It is accordingly urged that you discuss robust measures such as encryption to handle especially critical data.

10. TOSHIBA shall accept no responsibility whatsoever for any theft of data or other adverse events, whether or not they result from the software or the functions as described above. "

In my review of the M400 I noted that the front bevel has indicators for two batteries.  This prompted Fred Beiderbecke to ask in a comment:

"Can this guy take two batteries?  I thought that optical drive bay could only be used for an additional hard drive."

Indeed the optical drive bay can take an additional hard drive (which can be hardware RAIDed) but not a battery.

The external battery is apparently wedge shapped and attaches to the base of the unit.  Below is the page from the M400 manual with a diagram that should give you a better idea of how this will look.

This will mean that if the unit is on your desk the back will be propped up in laptop mode.  I don't think that this will make much of a difference to usability in that mode.  I do wonder if it will make the tablet harder to hold in your lap in slate mode though.  However - while it may be harder to hold I also suspect that if you are writing at a table the battery will put the slate on quite a nice writing angle in landscape view. 

I managed to install Vista build 5308 on the M400.  The install was very smooth and fast - however 5308 does not include the appropriate driver.  Vista reported that it was an Unknown Video Adapter and used a generic Video driver.  This gave me a max resolution of 1280x1024 but no Areo Glass.

Since this build also includes the upgrade option - I decided to restore the factory image and try the inplace upgrade - just for a laugh.  This is running now so stay tuned for Vista on the M400 take 3.  (If I can get updated drivers there will be a take 4 as well)   :)

I've got the new February CTP build of Vista and I am in the process of installing it on the M400 that Toshiba NZ have loaned me. 

The first thing I noticed is that this build is the first to offer an upgrade option (from Windows XP SP2 anyway).  I've opted to do a clean install in the first instance, though I may restore factory defaults again and try an upgrade after that - now that I have the unit unitl Monday.

Toashiba have kindly extended my loan of the M400 until Monday morning.  I’m getting the build 5308 of Vista tonight and I’ll get it on the M400 tomorrow or over the weekend.  Huge thanks to Toshiba NZ for your continued support!

I was lucky enough to borrow a Toshiba M400 from Toshiba New Zealand for a couple of days.  I picked it up today before lunch when I was passing by.  I had quite a busy day today so the thing sat on my desk all day largely unmolested.  Talk about torment!

The unit I received was not speced to the gills, but was not too bad.  It sports a 1.8GHz Dual Core Centrino Duo processor, which is fast enough, but it only has 512MB of RAM installed. On the storage side there is a 70GB hard drive – plenty of space to fill up over time!  All things considered though it seems to run pretty well for a machine with only 512MB of RAM, but if I were ordering one it would be fair to say I would want a couple of gigs in it.  There was no optical drive installed.

A Visual Tour

Over the M400 is really nice to look at.  It has a sleek black and silver finish.  It does not look or feel cheap or flimsy.  Even the touchpad is silver – which looks really nice.  The front edge of the base and the screen is rounded over, which adds to the visual appeal.

That said the rounded edges do appear to be purely for looks.  They don’t add anything in terms of making the unit easier to hold in slate mode.

To give you an idea of size - here is the M400 next to my little TC1100.

Front Edge

On the front left corner of the base – on the rounded edge – is a row of indicator lights.  These indicate (left to right):

A)    The unit is on mains power

B)    Powered on.

C)    Battery state (battery 1)

D)    Battery state (battery 2)

E)    HDD activity

F)     Wireless Activity

Below the curved edge on the front there is also:

G)    Hardware on/off switch for wireless

H)    2 x external microphones

I)      Mic in

J)     Audio out

K)    Volume wheel

L)     Release button for cover latch

Right Side

On the right side (if you are facing the unit in laptop mode) there is:

M)    Stylus (push in to release)

N)    Card Reader (SD, XD, Memory Stick)

O)    Modular Bay

Back

Round the back you will find:

P)    Power in

Q)    USB (x1)

R)    VGA Out

S)    Modem port

T)     LAN Port

Left Side

The left side, in addition to a large heat vent and the obligatory security cable connector, there is:

U)    USB (x2)

V)    PCMCIA slot

W)   Firewire

On the Screen

The following controls are available on the screen:

X)    Power button

Y)     D Pad/Enter

Z)     Esc/Rotate

AA)  Windows Security (sends Ctrl-Alt-Del)

BB)  Toshiba Assist button.

CC) Zoom in/out

DD) Fingerprint Reader

Also on the screen is the latch.  The latch is a clasp mechanism.  The male part of the latch is attached to the screen and can be flipped over 180 degrees.  This allows you to lock the screen in either laptop mode or slate mode with a flick of the latch.  I have to say that as the latch is fairly thin plastic I could see this failing over time (I’d love to be wrong).  Personally I prefer the magnetic type latches.

The Underbelly

On the bottom of the unit you find the usual  battery and modular bay releases and a docking station port.  In addition to these there is what has to be The Feature of the M400.  Behind the docking station port there is a Secret Squirrel compartment that contains a really cool little space saver stylus – just in case!  What a fantastic idea.  If you are already a tablet user and have ever lost a stylus – or even left yours at home or at the office – you know how very useful that would be.

Inside the secret compartment...

Side by side with the standard stylus...

The Feel

I’m really impressed with the weight of this device.  I have to state my bias here – for the last year or so I have used mostly slates.  That said the M400 is certainly no brick.  For the grunt you get in the box the weight is really very good.  While it is light enough to be held in your arms or lap for short periods it really does not feel like it has been designed to be held like a clipboard.  There is no rubberised grip (like there is on the Lenovo X41 and the Motion Computing LE1600 or LS800) and it really feels like it has been designed as a laptop that converts into a tablet – rather than a “tablet first” device.  This is hardly surprising as that is exactly what the M400 is.  To me it feels quite thick, and it is.  Here is a photo that shows it compared to my TC1100 with the keyboard off (which is how I tend to use it as a slate).  I suspect you would get use to it.

Despite this the M400 is quite usable as a slate.  The button location is well thought out and all off the hardware buttons are accessible in slate mode.  Toshiba have gotten great milage from the buttons on the screen.  Three of the buttons have one action if you press it and another if you hold it down.

While pressing the D Pad will send Enter, holding it down for a couple of seconds brings up the Toshiba Shortcut menu – giving you quick access to common settings such as brightness and rotation, and action such as mute.

Similarly holding down the ESC hardware button will rotate the screen to the current physical orientation of the device. 

There is also a zoom button.  Pressing it steps it down a resolution level (three available) and holding it takes it back to full resolution (1400x1050).

The Screen
For anyone who has seen the old M200 – the screen on the M400 is in a whole different league.  The brightness and the viewing angle are both excellent.  Overall the clarity of the screen is crystalline.

Software

There is a significant amount of software installed on the M400 out-of-the-box.  I can almost hear Warner Crocker shouting CRAPWARE!  In truth it is not all bad.  OneNote is bundled and pre-installed and I think that is a good thing.   Other pre-installed software includes:

·         Acrobat Reader

·         DVD RAM

·         WinDVD

·         Protector Suite (Fingerprint software)

·         Sonic RecordNow!

·         Toshiba Utililities (see below)

Toshiba Utils

Some of the Toshiba utils are really cool.  There are too many to list – here are some of the nifty ones:

·         Remote Camera – in the Bluetooth suite this utility apparently allows you to snap photos using your cellphone camera from your laptop.  Could be great for mischief J

·         RAID Console – you can put a second HDD into the modular drive bay (in lieu of an optical drive) and mirror them.

·         Tablet Access Code Logon – Allows you to register a code word that you write in order to authenticate to Windows.  The registration process involves writing the same word several times (much like the multiple swipes of a finger when registering a fingerprint) and the software analyses how you write it (strokes, speed, pressure, etc).  You can then use this to log on.

Conclusion

Overall I am very pleased with the M400.  The device is pleasant to look at and the design is very functional.  Some of the value add software is excellent.  Also – and very importantly – Toshiba clearly listened to it’s customers when they griped about the brightness and viewing angle on the M200 because the problem is well and truly gone on the M400.  With the Dual Core processor the M400 should be able to make Vista race along.  I might give that a try tomorrow J

I was lucky enough to borrow a Toshiba M400 from Toshiba New Zealand for a couple of days.  I picked it up today before lunch when I was passing by.  I had quite a busy day today so the thing sat on my desk all day largely unmolested.  Talk about torment!

The unit I received was not speced to the gills, but was not too bad.  It sports a 1.8GHz Dual Core Centrino Duo processor, which is fast enough, but it only has 512MB of RAM installed. On the storage side there is a 70GB hard drive – plenty of space to fill up over time!  All things considered though it seems to run pretty well for a machine with only 512MB of RAM, but if I were ordering one it would be fair to say I would want a couple of gigs in it.  There was no optical drive installed.

A Visual Tour

Over the M400 is really nice to look at.  It has a sleek black and silver finish.  It does not look or feel cheap or flimsy.  Even the touchpad is silver – which looks really nice.  The front edge of the base and the screen is rounded over, which adds to the visual appeal.

That said the rounded edges do appear to be purely for looks.  They don’t add anything in terms of making the unit easier to hold in slate mode.

To give you an idea of size - here is the M400 next to my little TC1100.

Front Edge

On the front left corner of the base – on the rounded edge – is a row of indicator lights.  These indicate (left to right):

A)    The unit is on mains power

B)    Powered on.

C)    Battery state (battery 1)

D)    Battery state (battery 2)

E)    HDD activity

F)     Wireless Activity

Below the curved edge on the front there is also:

G)    Hardware on/off switch for wireless

H)    2 x external microphones

I)      Mic in

J)     Audio out

K)    Volume wheel

L)     Release button for cover latch

Right Side

On the right side (if you are facing the unit in laptop mode) there is:

M)    Stylus (push in to release)

N)    Card Reader (SD, XD, Memory Stick)

O)    Modular Bay

Back

Round the back you will find:

P)    Power in

Q)    USB (x1)

R)    VGA Out

S)    Modem port

T)     LAN Port

Left Side

The left side, in addition to a large heat vent and the obligatory security cable connector, there is:

U)    USB (x2)

V)    PCMCIA slot

W)   Firewire

On the Screen

The following controls are available on the screen:

X)    Power button

Y)     D Pad/Enter

Z)     Esc/Rotate

AA)  Windows Security (sends Ctrl-Alt-Del)

BB)  Toshiba Assist button.

CC) Zoom in/out

DD) Fingerprint Reader

Also on the screen is the latch.  The latch is a clasp mechanism.  The male part of the latch is attached to the screen and can be flipped over 180 degrees.  This allows you to lock the screen in either laptop mode or slate mode with a flick of the latch.  I have to say that as the latch is fairly thin plastic I could see this failing over time (I’d love to be wrong).  Personally I prefer the magnetic type latches.

The Underbelly

On the bottom of the unit you find the usual  battery and modular bay releases and a docking station port.  In addition to these there is what has to be The Feature of the M400.  Behind the docking station port there is a Secret Squirrel compartment that contains a really cool little space saver stylus – just in case!  What a fantastic idea.  If you are already a tablet user and have ever lost a stylus – or even left yours at home or at the office – you know how very useful that would be.

Inside the secret compartment...

Side by side with the standard stylus...

The Feel

I’m really impressed with the weight of this device.  I have to state my bias here – for the last year or so I have used mostly slates.  That said the M400 is certainly no brick.  For the grunt you get in the box the weight is really very good.  While it is light enough to be held in your arms or lap for short periods it really does not feel like it has been designed to be held like a clipboard.  There is no rubberised grip (like there is on the Lenovo X41 and the Motion Computing LE1600 or LS800) and it really feels like it has been designed as a laptop that converts into a tablet – rather than a “tablet first” device.  This is hardly surprising as that is exactly what the M400 is.  To me it feels quite thick, and it is.  Here is a photo that shows it compared to my TC1100 with the keyboard off (which is how I tend to use it as a slate).  I suspect you would get use to it.

Despite this the M400 is quite usable as a slate.  The button location is well thought out and all off the hardware buttons are accessible in slate mode.  Toshiba have gotten great milage from the buttons on the screen.  Three of the buttons have one action if you press it and another if you hold it down.

While pressing the D Pad will send Enter, holding it down for a couple of seconds brings up the Toshiba Shortcut menu – giving you quick access to common settings such as brightness and rotation, and action such as mute.

Similarly holding down the ESC hardware button will rotate the screen to the current physical orientation of the device. 

There is also a zoom button.  Pressing it steps it down a resolution level (three available) and holding it takes it back to full resolution (1400x1050).

The Screen
For anyone who has seen the old M200 – the screen on the M400 is in a whole different league.  The brightness and the viewing angle are both excellent.  Overall the clarity of the screen is crystalline.

Software

There is a significant amount of software installed on the M400 out-of-the-box.  I can almost hear Warner Crocker shouting CRAPWARE!  In truth it is not all bad.  OneNote is bundled and pre-installed and I think that is a good thing.   Other pre-installed software includes:

·         Acrobat Reader

·         DVD RAM

·         WinDVD

·         Protector Suite (Fingerprint software)

·         Sonic RecordNow!

·         Toshiba Utililities (see below)

Toshiba Utils

Some of the Toshiba utils are really cool.  There are too many to list – here are some of the nifty ones:

·         Remote Camera – in the Bluetooth suite this utility apparently allows you to snap photos using your cellphone camera from your laptop.  Could be great for mischief J

·         RAID Console – you can put a second HDD into the modular drive bay (in lieu of an optical drive) and mirror them.

·         Tablet Access Code Logon – Allows you to register a code word that you write in order to authenticate to Windows.  The registration process involves writing the same word several times (much like the multiple swipes of a finger when registering a fingerprint) and the software analyses how you write it (strokes, speed, pressure, etc).  You can then use this to log on.

Conclusion

Overall I am very pleased with the M400.  The device is pleasant to look at and the design is very functional.  Some of the value add software is excellent.  Also – and very importantly – Toshiba clearly listened to it’s customers when they griped about the brightness and viewing angle on the M200 because the problem is well and truly gone on the M400.  With the Dual Core processor the M400 should be able to make Vista race along.  I might give that a try tomorrow J

I just picked something really cool.  I've only got my hands on it for a couple of days but I'll be going over it with a fine tooth comb tonight and posting a full review.

I'll give you a hint - It starts with M and ends in 400

Here's the box on my desk....

Yay – Michael Linenberger’s book Total Workday Control: The Eight Best Practices of Task and Email Management arrived from Amazon today.  I’m still waiting on Seize the Work Day: Using the Tablet PC to Take Total Control of Your Work and Meeting Day.  I decided to split the order because the latter was delayed by another month!  Need I point out that is far cry from the instant gratification I would have experienced had the two books been available in e-book format – authors, publishers read my open letter explaining why you should release books in e-book format.

Can’t wait to read it – just as soon as I finish Naked Conversations.

I posted last night that I had made some significant progress on Blogpad.  Specifically I made huge inroads into a problem that I have been struggling with for a while - converting RTF markup into HTML.

Last night I decided to look again for an example where someone had done something similar.  And this time I found something! 

I stumbled across this article by sgoliver on The Code Project that uses C# to parse RTF anc can convert it to HTML.  The first problem is that I don't know C# - all the programing I've done to date has been in varients of VB.  When I downloaded the example project I encounted the second problem.  All the variable names and comments are in Spanish!

I built the demo application and gave it a try and it worked.  So what I had was code that worked - but that I really didn't understand.

Not to let a little thing like that stop me I set about trying to turn it into something I did understand without breaking it. 

My first step was to try to turn C# into VB.Net.  As with many things in life Google had the answer.  A quick search for "C# VB.net Converter" yelided several results.  I tried a few and got the best result with this C# to VB.Net converter on Developer Fussion.

Now I'm working through the code and fixing up a few things the converter did not get quite right.  Next I'll go through and use Babel Fish to translate the Spanish variable names into English so I can better understand how it works.

For the last couple of weeks I have not had much time for blogging and none at all for working on BlogPad.  Tonight I decided to spend some time coding BlogPad and made huge strides.  I've got a partially functional RTF to HTML converter - which is a big win.

Amazing how putting something aside for a couple of weeks can give you a whole new perspective.  :)

I've recorded a short screen cast showing ActiveWords at work on a tablet.

Included in the video:

• Substituting text
• Correcting text using the free Misspellings and Capitalisations applications available from the ActiveWords website.
• Launching applications
• Opening documents
• Connecting to EVDO using an ActiveWord trigger
• Opening web sites
• Navigating to folders
• Replacing windows key shortcuts with ActiveWords

Check out the video here:

ActiveWordsDemo.wmv (7MB)

If you have not tried ActiveWords I suggest you check out the free trial.

A couple of days ago I posted about five cool features in the beta of Outlook 12. 

Here's another one - when you get an updated meeting request the bits that have changed are highlighted!  Yay!  No more getting updates and not being able to figure out what has changed!

Visitors to my blog (pretty much from now on) will notice some changes.  It is still the same blog and all the old content is still there - but I have a new look. 

I've applied a new theme and added a couple of features.  There are also a couple more features yet to come.

New Features include:

• MVP logo - had to add that!
• Author photo - that's right!  The new theme includes a photo of yours truly up in the top right corner.  I've been meaning to put one up for a while - since a blogosphere conversation last year on the subject.  I got the distinct feeling that many bloggers preferred to have a photo of the author on the site.  Fair enough - here I am.
• Book corner - below the blogroll on the right hand side I have added a section to give my blog visitors an indication of what I'm reading.  Headings in this section include:  Currently Reading - this is what I am reading now.  Books I've ordered - these are books I've ordered and will be reading in the near future.  Books I've Read - this is a list of books I have recently finished.  This is my favorite new feature.  It will give you guys an idea of what I'm reading and what I'm interested in.  I would also welcome suggestions for books I can add to my list.
• Book Review category.  As I finish a book I'll post a few thoughts about it.  I'm not a professional book reviewer and I'll warn you now - I tend to find something to enjoy in most books I read so I may not produce very good critical reviews :)

Last week I finished reading The Google Story by David Vise and I have to say it was a facinating read.

Going in I would say that I knew more about Google that the average punter, but I still learned a lot.  The story behind the founding of Google Inc. is facinating and Vise tells it well.

I don't think that I truly appreciated the sheer scale of the Google search capability or the Google money machine.

The Google Story  also provides an interesting look into the culture of the company.  You learn about Googleisms like:

• free healthy meals for staff.
• 20 percent time
• the ideas culture.

Overall - well worth checking out.

I swear I am going to slap the next sales guy that tells me that their device is better than others because it has a fingerprint scanner.  Don’t get me wrong – biometric readers are a great technology and they offer significant benefits to tablet users, especially on a slate or when a convertible is in slate mode.  The thing I object to is people trying to tell me that a fingerprint is inherently more secure than a password.  The truth?  Its not.  Just like a password a fingerprint is a single factor of authentication.  Unlike a password (hopefully) you leave your fingerprints on everything you touch.  They can be compromised.  Don’t believe me?  Read this excellent article on Gummi Finger attacks, based on the research of Tsutomu Matsumoto.  Someone explain to me how that is more secure?

Why fingerprints are good

Fingerprints are a convenient way to authenticate a user.  It is considerably easier to swipe your finger across a reader than to tap out a password using the input panel on a slate.  In addition to that there is a small chance that someone could “shoulder surf” you while you are tapping in your password.  Note that the effectiveness of shoulder surfing is greatly reduced if you don’t use an actual word as your password. 

How to improve security

You can greatly improve the security of your mobile device  by using multiple factors of authentication to log onto it.  Fingerprints can form an important part of a two factor authentication system.  In simple terms two factor authentication requires that you have something and you know something.  By using a fingerprint and a password to log onto your mobile device you do in fact meet these requirements.  You have to have something (a fingerprint) and you have to know something (your password).

As with many security measures  using two factors of authentication, though more secure, is less convenient than using a single factor.  There is a trade-off.

I have worked with several biometric authentication software packages.  All of them have allowed you to use a fingerprint alone to log on.  Some of them will allow you to specify that you must use a password and a fingerprint to log on.  However in all cases which ever rule you select it applies to every  event in which you authenticate to the operating system.  When you log on and when you unlock the computer.

What I would like to see

I want the best of both worlds.  I want flexibility.  I have not yet found a biometric authentication package that gives me this.  If you know of one I would love to hear about it.  I want to be able to specify that  I need to use a BIOS level password and fingerprint (two factors) whenever a cold boot or resume from hibernation or standby.  These are states I put my tablet into when I am in transit.  When I am in transit is the most likely time my tablet could be lost or stolen. 

However, if I am unlocking my tablet I want to be able to authenticate with either a fingerprint or my password (single factor).  I lock my tablet when I walk away from it when I am in a secure environment.  Like when I am at the office and I go out to lunch, go to get a coffee  or go to use the facilities.  It is reasonably unlike that my tablet is going to go missing while I am in the toilet at the office.

Looking forward

I am looking forward to getting my hands on the Toshiba M400.  In a chat with the local Toshiba representative the other day he was telling me that the biometric support is much improved and it does apparently support BIOS level biometric authentication.

Listening to show 13 of OnTheRun with Tablet PCs today James Kendrick and Marc Orchant were talking about the new Google Desktop Search 3.0 and James mentioned that he used MSN search because it was the only product currently available that reliably searches mail archive folders (PSTs).

As I posted yesterday Outlook 12 includes a great instant search feature that allows you to search all mail items, including archives.  In addition to that one of the major improvements in Vista is a powerful search anywhere feature that is really good.

Given the above it begs the question - Will products such as GDS and MSN Search still be relevent when Vista and Office 12 are on the market?

A while ago I blogged about a my wish to see a particular feature in PowerPoint.  Specifically I wanted to be able to ink on the image of a slide in presenter view and have the ink annotations displayed on the projected slideshow. 

The reason?  Presenter view is the best way to present from a tablet.  Not only can you see the current slides, the notes and the timeline all in one view but the navigation controls are really easy to operate with a stylus.  The bad news is that in the current version presenter view and ink annotations on slides are mutually exclusive.  You can only use ink annotations if you are running in 'duplicate screens' mode and this is harder to control with a stylus.

The good news.  It's in Office 12!

The screenshot above shows the slide view on the left 2/3 of the screen (on a monitor running 1280x1024 landscape.  The right third or so is the presenter view on the tablet screen, running at 768x1024.  In other words you see the latter, but the former is what is projected.

In PowerPoint 12 you can ink on the little thumbnail of the current slide in presenter view and these annotations show up on the projected show.  You can make the thumbnail bigger by either using landscape mode or dragging the divider between the thumbnail and the notes to the right.

In keeping with the aquatic applications of rugged tablet technology I started with my last post...

Hugo Ortega has posted an excellent video that shows him inking on a running Xplore tablet while it is submerged in water!  A powerful demo in anyone's books.

Check out the post here and the video here.

The latest Vodafone add caught my attention for two reasons.  The first reason is that it includes what appears to be a Panasonic Toughbook CF-18 touchscreen tablet in use in the field.

The tablet is in use as part of a solution on an America's Cup race yacht.  Under the rules of the Americas Cup all there can't be communications gear on the yacht during the race.  In order to start the race with the best possible information the crews keep these GSM connected devices onboard to get the latest weather information then put them in a baggie and throw them over the side seconds before crossing the start line.

The other thing that caught my eye is that - IMO - it is not the best solution.  Before I explain why, let me state my bias.  I work for Telecom NZ which is a competitor of Vodafone NZ.  That said everything on this blog is my opinion and may or may not be the opinion of my employer (as per the disclaimer).

The reason I say it is not the best solution is that they are trying to get data from the teams weather boat to the race boat.  Both boats are in the same general area and there are several other team boats in the area.  Why pay cellular data charges when you could easily set up a moving wireless mesh network with a node on each of the support boats.  This would give bandwidth measured in 10s of megabits rather than 100s of kilobits and much lower latency.  In addition, out on the water you are somewhat removed from land based cell sites, however conditions are excellent for a localized mesh!

This is a good example of why going forward a company such as Telecom, which was a telco but has purchased IT capability, has a distinct advantage over competitors that are purely telcos.  In a situation where cellular voice and data don't make sense they either have to pushin a less-than-optimal solution or walk away.  If they do the former they risk damaging their reputation and/or the relationship with the customer.  If they do the later they don't make any money.  The converged company, by contrast, can still put in a good solution AND make money.  Win for the customer and the company.

If you are interested the Vodafone ad can be viewed here (WMV format).

After using the new version of Office for a while it becomes very clear that Microsoft have really focused making the user interface more productive.

For me the biggest gains are in Outlook - but that may be simply because I spend a fair bit of time in that application.

In all the Office Client applications I have worked with the ribbon menu removes the need to drill through multiple layers of expanding menus for most tasks.  The ribbon menu is also a boon for tablet users.  Most tablet users will agree that expanding menus can be a real pain but the buttons in the ribbon menu are large and easy to hit with the stylus.

Also the Minibar is very handy.  When you select text in most of the client applicatation a translucent floating menu appears:

Move the mouse over the minibar and it solidifies showing a few basic formatting commands.  It is amazing how much time this saves!

Another recurring theme in the Office suite are the ability to save as a PDF or as Microsoft's own XPS format.  This is great if you want to send out a read only version of a document to someone else.  Before you do that, however, I would suggest you take advantage of another great feature...  The Inspect Document feature.  Selecting this option from the File > Finish menu kicks off a wizard that scans the document for information you may not want in a public document.

The Inspect Document wizard scans for:

• Comments and Revisions
• Document Properties and Personal Information
• Headers and Footers
• Hidden Text

If any of these are detected the user can remove the offending information and rescan.

I got official word the other day that the restrictions on blogging about the Office 12 beta had been lifted - for the client apps anyway.  I'm so pleased because I have been running it in production for a couple of months and I have uncovered lots to lok forward to.

This post is the first in a series of posts where I will highlight some great features in the new versions of the Office Client apps.  I'm going to focus on features that have not been widely reported and that I find myself using and enjoying.

I'm starting with Outlook because I pretty much live in that app.

1) The To-Do Bar - The Mail window has gained a new pane down the right hand side called the To-Do bar.  This pane shows the calendar for the current month, the next three appointments coming up in your schedule and your tasks.  You can open the upcoming appointments or your existing tasks and you can add new tasks.

2) Instant Search - The search is fast!  Type a search term into the search field displayed when you are in a mail folder and the results are paired down as you type.  There is also search term highlighting in both the message list pane and the message body pane.

3) Search everywhere - similar to the above but much more for all mail folders at once.  Clicking the All Mail Items node in the folder list extends the search to all folders in the mailbox and Mail Archive folders (PSTs)!!

4) Quick add Tasks - Right click the flag on an email item and you can add it as a task due Today, Tomorrow, This Week, Next Week or with no due date.  You can also add a reminder.  This is great for tablet users - it can all be done with the pen very easily.

5) Calendar Overlay - I discovered this one by mistake, but it is so cool.  When you open another user's calendar you can view them side by side like this:

But if you click on the little red arrow you can overlay the other user's calendar on your own.  Very Handy!  Look a bit like this:

Check out jkOnTheRun Audio Edition no. 11.   James Kendrick has recorded one heck of a video demo of the Tablet PC.

Some of the things that JK demos include:

• Sticky Notes
• ActiveWords w/ InkPad
• Ink in Outlook
• OneNote
• MindManager Pro ink and gestures
• MM export to JVC Gantt
• MM export to PowerPoint
• Ink in PowerPoint
• Ink Art (Tablet PC Experience Pack)
• Send to OneNote 2003 (Tablet PC Education Pack)
• InkGestures

Great effort - a must watch!

Yesterday I posted a screencast about the little known but truely excellent native ink support in Infopath.  Today Eric Richards, one of the developers from the InfoPath team joined the conversation and posted a few more comments about ink in the current version and tells us what is they are doing for Infopath 12. 

At the end of his post Eric points out that you can also use the scratch-out gesture to clear the contents of a field.  Great tip - here is a video of that!

InfoPath-Scratchout.avi (348.5 KB)

There is a new Scribbler on the Electrovaya site.  The SC3100 is the latest offering and the specs from the website are below.  As Sumocat points out the main new bits are the wide-angle viewable screen and a faster processor.

Main Features
• State-of-the-art SuperPolymer® Lithium-ion 75 Whr battery
• New BOE Hydis 180° viewing angle screen
• Dual Array Microphone System for better quality of sound†
• Now available “Outdoor Viewable Screen” for your Scribbler‡
• Extended battery run-time of up to 9 hours*
• Fast Intel Centrino 1.6 GHz processor with 2MB L2 Cache   ensures superior performance, efficiency and power   management
• Very bright 12.1 inch Pressure Sensitive Screen
• Light Sensor adjusts screen-to-environment brightness
• Integrated Biometric Device for Finger Print Sensor
• Integrated IEEE 1394, Intel 802.11a/b/g wireless network   connectivity, gigabyte RJ45 LAN
• Sleek, thin, and lightweight design
• Over $300 worth of software included

I've taken a leaf out of Rob Bushway's book and produced my own mini-screencast using Techsmith's Camtasia Studio.

What I wanted to show off is a little know feature of Infopath - native ink support.  Now for those that don't know InfoPath is included in Office 2003 Professional and is an application for creating forms that can be used for data entry or as components of workflow applications.

What many people don't know is that when you create a text field on an Infopath form it supports ink.  You donn't have to write any code or turn anything on - it just works!

Hugo Ortega mentioned this in a footnote to his recent post about the demise of the TC1100.  This video provides quick demo of Infopath Ink in action.

Sydney based, self styled tablet evangalist Hugo Ortega spoke at a recent meeting of the Sydney Windows Mobile User Group (SWMUG) about -what else - Tablet PCs.

I chatted with Hugo last night about (among other things) coming across to NZ to talk to our Tablet PC User Group later in the year about the Sahara range.  It certainly sounds like he had a good time and was well recieved.

One of the demos he used was a video of his four year old son Leon using the snipping tool to snip and email part of a web page.  How cool is that?!?

The new Toshiba M400 has been listed on the Toshiba online store.  Kudos to Rob Bushway and Lora Heiny for picking up on this so fast!

James Kendrick points out the specs of the pre-configured model:

"...a single core CPU (1.66 GHz) with an 80 GB hard drive (5400 RPM), 512 MB of RAM, XGA (1024x768) display, integrated graphics chipset, 802.11 A/B/G, and a CDRW/DVD-ROM drive. This model retails for $1699, which is a decent price."

Hopefully it will not be too long before these hit the streets in NZ.  I look forward to getting my paws onto one of these for a review.

Tablet PC MVP Rob Bushway has recoreded a short screencast showing how he uses Tablet Enhancements for Outlook and ActiveWords.  Even if you use both of these apps check out the screen cast - it is only a couple of minutes long.

I love Rob's idea of the mini screen cast - I might have to "borrow" it to demo a few things when I get a minute :)

Last week Rob Bushway posted a call for OEMs to Participate in the Conversation on the blogosphere.  In particular he called for access to evaluation units and mentioned that he has been trying to get an interview with Motion Computing CEO Scott Eckert for a while.

This week - Motion demonstrated that they are listening.  They have responded to Rob and hhe will be interviewing Scott Eckert in the near futrure.  Well done Motion.

Tablet PC MVP Dennis Rice has just released a mini review of Robert Scoble and Shel Israel’s book Naked Conversations.

This is timely for me - I just downloaded Naked Converations today.  Now I'm looking forward to reading it even more :)

Thanks Scoble and Israel for releasing you book in electronic format.  I'd love to hear Robert's take on why publishers, authors and online retailers are dragging the chain on releasing books in digital form...

James Kendrick and Marc Orchant have posted show number 12 of the OnTheRun with Tablet PCs.  I've yet to listen to it - saving it for a flight to Auckland tomorrow.

According to the show notes topics covered include:

• Marc's move to ZDNet
• James' appearance on Forbes
• Implicaitons of the latest Apple tablet patent applications
• Ultra-mobile Lifestyle PCs
• Verison now allowing tethering cell phones to mobile PCs
• And more...

Check out the show notes and download the podcast here.

In an excellent article Chris Pratley - of the OneNote team in Microsoft - gives tablet users an insight into what OneNote 12 is going to deliver specifically for them.

Check out the full post here.  For me some of the highlights are:

• Ink on the clipboard!  Copy and past ink as ink - previously it would convert to an image when you pasted it.
• Lasso selection tool.  I have often thought that this was the one and only thing that Journal had over OneNote.  Not anymore.
• Automatically add more writing space as you need it.  This is a big one for me.  I've been using Beta 1 in anger for a while now and this ads a big productivity boost.  This is another way OneNote moves from a paper like experience to a note-taking experience that trancends paper - no turning pages.

I'm still having some reliabliltiy issues in Beta 1 - that's why it's a beta!  Looking forward to the next beta release and the final product.

I have had quite a bit of comment on my open letter to anyone who writes or publishes a book.

One of the people who has provided feedback on the letter is Michael Linenberger - author of Seize the Work Day and Total Workday Control Using Microsoft Outlook. 

Michael has been both responsive and receptive and he points out that the major online retailers also have a role to play.  In his email to me he wrote:

"...the large online retailers don’t make direct e-book distribution easy for small publishers.  That has been a sore point for us."

Michael also notes that he has since found ways around this issue - such as going through dedicated e-book publishers and is looking into setting this up.  Great news!

I concluded my previous post with a call to action for publishers and authors.  In addition to this I want to call upon the major online retailers to put in place an e-book distribution framework that publishers of all sizes can leverage.  Doing this will  better serve your customers and your suppliers.  If you are the first or the best at doing this then you will gain an advantage over your competition.  Remember - Some people are more likely to buy your book if it is available in a digital format.

Kids - don't try this at home.  Especially not my kids.

Uber Tablet geek Hugo Ortega has a fantastic photo record of the disassembly and reassembly of a Sahara iTablet.  Wow - those things are even pretty on the inside!

Check out the article here.

Rob Bushway reports from the Mobile and Tablet PC partner brief in Redmond:

Frank is giving a good talk on mobilizing applications for mobility and tablet.

Bottomline: ISV’s need to be optimizing their applications for the tablet experience, especially as tablets go mainstream and become a feature of all notebooks. Mobile PCs are becoming the primary pc purchase, outselling desktops. ISVs also need to be designing their apps for smaller screen devices: 8 – 10”

Tune your applications for mobility: power management, screen sizes, touch

Review the Mobile APIs within the new Windows SDK

Take advantage of rich Windows Vista frameworks in your applications

Take advantage of the marketing opportunities: handango, DevX, Windows MarketPlace

Let the Mobility team know what you are doing:

tabisv@Microsoft.com

This actually ties in well with one of the recurring themes on this blog.  Applications are the key to the success of the Tablet PC.  Update your existing applications to make them more tablet friendly.  Write new apps primarily or exclusively for the tablet.  Without great applications a tablet is just a notebook with a party trick!

Interesting…

Rob Bushway is blogging from the Mobile / Tablet partner briefing at MS headquarters in Redmond. (I am soooooo jealous!)

Anyway one of the things covered in the brief so far is the ultra mobile “Lifestyle Device” concept that sounds really cool.

What is a Lifesytle Device?  Rob writes:

·     Small Enough to go anywhere

·     Simple enough to be used naturally

·     Fashionable enough to be carried

·     Devices stop becoming bits and hardware, they are about the music collection, the pictures

·     Often times, converging devices is difficult - example - ROKR, adding calendar items to iPod, etc

·     Ultra mobile PCs are becoming a reality, however:

§  Windows is hard to use on the go

§  Not optimized for a small screen experience

§  Personal information is buried

§  Not aware of the user and their environmen

§  Windows and windows apps needs to be more personal

·     Simplicity

§  Never more than a couple of clicks from primary action

§  Users can purchase a device that matches their taste, represent personal experience, used casually without looking

·     Simplified convergence

§  Custom UI that offers  2 - 3 scenarios

§  Scenarios are tightly integrated

§  Hardware supports scenario and style

·     Simply personal

§  Luxurious screen sizes deliver strong focus, full screen media, rich presentation, minimize menus (transparent)

§  Flexible devices allow for natural interaction

·     Reach out and touch the screen

·     Write with a pen

·     Making Windows about people, places, and things

§  How many clicks does it take to get to what you care about

§  Highly Personalized desktops, large buttons for touch  (audio books, movies, music, photos, TV) - great screen shots (I'll post the Powerpoint screenshot when available)

§  Devices that have a flowing theme - Eddie Bauer type of device for outdoors people, etc.

james Kendrick and Marc Orchant have released show number 11 of OnTheRun with TabletPCs.  Goodness - are we up to 11 already!

Anyway - the entire show is dedicated to interviewing Michael Linenberger, author of two books that sound great.  I've ordered them both.

Seize the Work Day (Using the Tablet PC to Take Total Control of Your Work and Meeting Day) outlines how Michael set up his tablet to make him more productive in meetings

Total Workday Control Using Microsoft Outlook focuses more on making Outlook more productive, particularly the task manager.

The interview is entertaining and informative but be warned - it will leave you wanting to buy both books!

Check out the show here.

Introduction

This post was inspired by my recent experiences around two books by Michael Linenberger.  I will hold this transaction up as an example but it is not in any way atypical.   This is not about any one author or publisher.  I have ordered Michael’s books and look forward to reading them.  This post is to everyone who writes or publishes a book.  It is an open letter and feedback is welcome and encouraged.

My Recent Experiences

I remember reading a blog post when Michael released Seize the Work Day and thinking that it sounded like a good book.  I checked it out, found out there was no e-book version and decided to pass on it.  The Message:  Some people are more likely to buy your book if it is available in a digital format.  

Recently I was listening to the show number 11 of OnTheRun With TabletPCs and the hosts, Marc Orchant and James Kendrick were interviewing Michael Linenberger.  I learned that he now has a second book called Total Workday Control Using Microsoft Outlook out. 

Interestingly James Kendrick remarked during the show that these two books were two of the few “dead tree books” that he owned.  The Message:  Some people are more likely to buy your book if it is available in a digital format.  

Anyway, I decided to re-investigate to see if there was an e-book version yet.  There was not.  I used the Contact Us page on the book’s site to ask if there were any plans for an e-book version, remarking that it seemed ironic that there wasn’t one for a book about productivity with the Tablet PC.  The response:

“Hi Craig

The irony is not lost, trust me.

Just a matter of timing; there have been so many other projects going on here getting an e-book version out has not reached the top yet.

ML”

My Request

I have a request of all those who write or publish books.  I’ve never done either so I admit that perhaps I am naïve and this is harder than it would seem.  Books are put into a digital format before they are printed.  Please turn that digital format into a digital rights protected e-book format.  I say digital rights protected for two reasons.  1) Most of them are; 2) From what I have read there is some fear that some people will illegally reproduce it.  (Of course having a print only book does not provide any real protection againt this.  If it is a really good book there are people who will chop the binding off and run it through a sheet-feed scanner.  There will always be people who steal – I’m talking about those of us willing to buy the book)

Why do I want a book in Digital Format?

There are many reasons I prefer digital formats.  The key ones are as follows:

1.     Portability:  Ironically Michael Linenberger touched on this in this interview with James and Marc.  With a tablet, or indeed any highly portable computer device, you can have an incredible amount of information with you and accessible where ever you are.  One of the things I want with me is my library, and the better the book the more I want it!

2.     Search:  Electronic formats are searchable!  Need I say more?

3.     Distribution Costs:  OK – this one may be more of an issue for me than with my readers in other parts of the world, particularly the US.  I live in New Zealand (NZ).  Where’s that?  Picture the globe.  If you stick arms and legs on it and draw a face on America, then I live on the right butt cheek.  It is a small country in the south pacific and shipping costs are a killer.  As an example, had I ordered the Michael’s two books from the publisher’s site I would of paid USD$51.90 for the two book, but the shipping and handling would have cost me an additional USD$49.40!  I thought that was more than a little excessive so I went to Amazon and got both books for USD$54.97 including USD$16.97 shipping.

4.     Instant gratification:  Again – may not be as much of an issue if you don’t live on a buttock but at the above standard shipping rate I have to wait 10-16 days to get my books.  If I could download then now I would probably have read the first one by then and be started on the second.  Sounds like a good book and I want to read it – NOW.  The delivery estimate is currently showing as February 27, 2006 - March 13, 2006.

Call to Action

If you publish books then please release them in a digital format as well as in print.  If you do this you will:

·         Give your customers a better experience by selling them a product that costs you less to produce and distribute.

·         Sell copies of your book to people who would not have purchased them otherwise because Some people are more likely to buy your book if it is available in a digital format.  

·         Make more money (selling more copies at a higher margin must be good, right?)

If you are an author – pressure the publisher to release a digital format version.

That’s my two cents – now I’ll just sit back and wait for a flood of email telling me I’m wrong J