Building Your Own Tablet PC?

GuNgA-DiN asks: "I would like to develop a prototype system for the Educational market using tablet PC's. I need to buy a few tablet PC's (with docking stations) and built-in wireless capability. Does anyone know where I could buy a barebones tablet PC kit? I don't want to spend $2,300 on one just to test out my idea. There are plenty of options available for end-users with pre-installed operating systems (read: WindowsXP Tablet edition). However, these are very expensive and will never make it to the low-cost Educational market. I need a barebones, build-it-yourself developer's kit that I can use to experiment with."

Tablet PC's

[Samarian Hillbilly]

Along the same lines, does anybody have a list of Tablet PC's which can run Linux? That is, not just theoretically, but which someone has already done the work and published the methodology?

Re:Tablet PC's

[Trusty Penfold]

list [hof-berlin.de]

Re:Tablet PC's

[emag]

It seems from a quick perusal of that page, that at the very least, the majority of the "tablets" listed are not, in fact "Tablet PCs", but are a beast that most people haven't really ever heard of called "digitizer tablets". Usually, graphic artists and other artsy geeks (notably, not me since I lack any kind of artistic talent) have these things because it's a more "natural" interface than a mouse for drawing and the like on PCs. Unfortunately, most (all?) don't actually have a display component, or any stand-alone processing capabilities at all.

It also seemed like a lot of links on the page were dead, or it was for *really* obsolete hardware.

Re:Tablet PC's

[Steven Reddie]

I think it is theoretical. The tablets were only launched last week, and you want a published work on something that is bound to take longer than a week. It's kind of like when companies advertised for Java programmers with 5+ years experience when Jave had only been around for 3.

Re:Tablet PC's

[Samarian Hillbilly]

Yeah, and I bet they got hundreds of resumes!

Cost

[Burnsy3071]

It is not likely that you will ever find a cheap tablet PC. Parts cost money. Tablet PC's are required to be small and therefore require expensive parts. The screen alown probably is around a $1000. While MS does screw everyone I doubt that the OS is a major factor for the cost as you imply.

When was the last time you saw a do it yourself laptop kit? The fact you don't basically proves my point. I can't believe that slashdot even posted this question. Oh, wait. I can.

Re:Cost

[Skyfire]

First of all, laptop kit:
http://www.ecs.com.tw/products/ibuddiexp.htm [ecs.com.tw]

Second of all, cheap tablet:
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/11/13/203524 7&mode=nested&tid=137 [slashdot.org]

here's the actual tablet:
http://www.stepupcomputing.com/products.asp [stepupcomputing.com]

Re:Cost

[MrResistor]

The i-Buddie isn't really a laptop, it's more like a desktop built on a laptop chassis. Notice that it has no battery. Too bad, really. I was really excited when I first heard about it, but just having a portable computer, with no battery, seems kind of pointless.

The tablet is interesting, but I'd say it's still to expensive for what the article is asking for. Of course, it's almost certainly cheaper than building your own. It's not like you can go down to your local computer shop and pick up a tablet chassis and motherboard...

Re:Cost

[JabberWokky]

Actually, it's a rebranded desknote (see the .com and .biz). I've been researching them heavily, and have been thinking about getting one. Most people I know (and even myself) always use a laptop with a power outlet (even at Dennys or waiting for new tires), so it's no biggie. Dropping in a Pentium 4.3 Ghz into this gives you far more than any laptop can do, and since it uses standard desktop CPUs, memory, etc, it's far cheaper. Plus, if you really really want, you can get an external battery for $100 that gives you 1.5 hours or so.

--
Evan

Re:Cost

[AvitarX]

Isn't ECS a totally garbagew company?

I baught one of their motherboards... oops.

I went online and found so many, I got x number of these with 3/4 not working posts when I searched.

My computer had an uptime of approx 5 mins when using mine.

I would not spend anymore then 30 dollors on one of their products ever again.

lindows tablets?

[burns210]

This [docunote.com] site sells tablets for "sub $1000." While Lindows claims [lindows.com] they will be selling that same tablet for "around $500."

Re:Am I the only one thinking...

[Directrix1]

There are far more advantages to businesses than there are for a lone person.

Re:Am I the only one thinking...

[tres]

Please name a few.

This is no troll, I sincerely don't understand how these things are practical in an educational environment, for business or for personal use.

I see these as another attempt by Microsoft to build an artificial need. These are slower at reading human input, more expensive, and really provide nothing more than one can alredy get with a laptop.

A piece of paper and pencil are much more durable, more field-ready, and much easier to replace. A laptop is more durable, faster at reading human input, and will ultimately last much longer than these things will (having the screen and the rest of the hardware components so close means that the LCD is going to last a relatively short time compared to its laptop counterpart).

Anyway, thanks in advance.

Re:Am I the only one thinking...

[Directrix1]

These things will be used for mainly a factory or lab based environment where:

1) workers have to move between stations but still need access to order information, and need to fill out order processing forms

2) workers do not have room for a desktop computer or need mobility (i.e. supervisors running periodic checkups on workers etc.)

3) situations that only require thin clients (web browser) to perform all data handling duties

4) also you do not need to design where individual computers go. Departments just check one out, and go with it (of course this also raises the issue of security but that can be handled quite simply)

As far as the ability to read human input goes. I think that is not quite as big an issue, as I would think with these devices it would primarily be used for checking status or updating status of certain items (which would probably be done with a pull down list). I personally am very excited about these tablet PCs and am writing software to take advantage of them in the lab in which I work. It should make things quite a bit more efficient, and it could potentially eliminate the need for paper (I know we've all heard that before, but this has the actual potential for doing it). And it enables instant transfer of jobs between departments (if the software is designed effectively). Sure a lot of this could be handled by laptops, but you have to be sitting to use those. And in lab based environments, people are not going to be writing prose at their station, they are going to be checking things off and selecting from lists different options. Anyways, I can't wait to get some of these babies in. This is what I've been telling management will be happening for a long time, and now the time has finally come.

Those remaindered touch screen PCs that are...

[floydigus]

...always getting advertised on Slashdot (except for when you want to find out what they're called - can anyone remember?)

Pretty cheap - in fact you could buy them all and just develop your own OS distro. Save you lots of time and $$$

uxlinux.org..

[josepha48]

Start with http://uclinux.org/. They have embeded device Linux and also sell kits for a couple of hundred AFAIK. Then go to http://linuxdevices.com/ as they specialize in telling people in the Linux community what is available for handhelds and such. Go to the products and see if there is somethign for you to use. There are places that make MB and hardware and such. It may be possible to get all the parts there.

What the hell is up with you cheap bastards?

[Wakko Warner]

I don't want to spend $2,300 on one just to test out my idea.

This really means "my idea isn't worth $2300 to me."

- A.P.

Re:What the hell is up with you cheap bastards?

[Wakko Warner]

Sometimes you need to make sacrifices in order to make money. If this guy really is living hand-to-mouth, he ought to look into getting a research grant or small business loan, if he's really serious about it. If he isn't serious about it (which is honestly what it sounds like, to me), he should pack it in and let the professionals handle it. Nobody is going to take him seriously if he waltzes into a meeting with a cardboard tablet PC demo box.

- A.P.

Touch Screen!

[jovlinger]

Can anyone suggest a cheap touch screen overlay for 10.4" lcds? I've been looking for one for my i-opener for a long time.