LAS VEGAS -- One of the busiest booths here at Comdex features a new, lightweight, Tablet PC with a claimed battery life of nine hours. That's an unprecedented amount of unplugged time that, if true, blows away what's available today.
Electrovaya, one of the world's leading mobile battery companies, rolled out its Scribbler Tablet PC SC 2000 to packed crowds during the first two days of the trade show.
Product Specs
The $2599 Tablet PC weighs 3.1 pounds and has a 12.1-inch display; it's only 0.75 inches thick without its detachable keyboard.
The SC 2000 runs on a 1.2 Intel Pentium M ULV Centrino processor and has 512MB of RAM and a 40GB hard drive. It also has 10/100 megabits per second Ethernet on board and comes with a 56-kilobits-per-second modem. The screen offers 1024 by 768 resolution.
Company representatives say the SC 2000 can go six to seven hours without a recharge when its 802.11b wireless system is turned on, a remarkable achievement if the claim is accurate. They also say it will play movies--which are a huge power drain--for up to five hours before running out of battery power.
An informal test found the SC 2000 to be extremely responsive to handwriting with very smooth reactions to the pen on the digitized tablet. Its controls are also well laid out and easy to use--when prospective customers can grab hold one of the demo units from the many hands eager to try it out at the booth.
Tablet Track
Although Tablet PCs made their first public appearance at Comdex a year ago, the new form factor continues to meet with mixed results.
Some vendors are showing Tablet PC wares here this week, and several early vendors are introducing new models.
For more Comdex news, check PCWorld.com's ongoing coverage of the trade show.
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