MacBooks On Sale

Apple is trying to get rid of older MacBook models. Sales must be suffering because of the economy. If you're looking for a relatively good deal on an older generation of the MacBook Air, take a look at this: MacBook Air Closeout

Multi-Touch Screens on a Tablet PC

The phrase "multi-touch" has gotten confusing in the tablet PC industry. My Lenovo Thinkpad X200 tablet is considered to have a multi-touch screen because I can use my active digitizer pen or my finger as an input device. However, I can't use two fingers on the screen because it is a passive screen (not a capacitive touch screen like the iPhone or BlackBerry Storm).

I was walking through Best Buy today and I played with the convertible tablet PC made by HP. It was the HP tablet TX2Z that features a capacitive multi-touch display (which means that you can use two fingers on the screen and perform gestures).

Windows 7 will include the capability to use some of those cool multi-touch gestures. Apple already leverages this technology on the iPhone and on their MacBooks.

Sony Vaio P

So, when will Sony add a backlit keyboard to their Vaio P series? I'm a big fan of Sony products, but I will not purchase the Vaio P unless it comes with a backlit keyboard. I'm willing to pass on a touch screen (unless we're talking about a convertible tablet), but I must insist that the device have an illuminated keyboard.

Why am I so insistent? Well, I spend a fair amount of time doing work while I'm sitting in my bed and my wife is asleep. I have a USB light that shines down on the keyboard, but this can be quite disruptive. My wife has a MacBook Pro that has a backlit keyboard and it's a great machine (but a bit too big for my uses). I like tiny gadgets - that's just who I am. I used to use my OQO model 02 (which does have illuminated keys), but that's just too small and the fan is too loud. So, I often sit in bed typing on my Lenovo Thinkpad X200 tablet and using the USB light that has a bright LED on the end.

Apple Netbook or Tablet?

According to CNN/Money.com, it looks like Apple is preparing a netbook. Or, is it a tablet? A netbook with a touch screen? Wait, I'm confused.

I suppose no one really knows what Apple will be coming out with later this year. If it's a netbook, then I hope it's reasonably priced. Sony's Vaio P series are nice and small, but they're just way too expensive when you compare them to other netbooks on the market. I suppose the same could be said about MacBooks if you were to compare them with PC laptops.

Blaming All My Problems on Vista

I'm starting to get more and more problems with my laptops that are running Vista. I'm at the point where I think I'll install XP and wait for Windows 7.

Vista was fine for a while, but then after some updates got loaded, I started having all sorts of problems with my display driver and my Wi-Fi connection. I've disabled all the eye candy, so I don't really need Vista unless I'm using something that has a touch screen. I like the on-screen mouse pointer and the handwriting recognition is far better on Vista. So, I'll probably end up keeping Vista on my tablet PC, but I think I may install XP on my dual-display workstation.

I got my wife a MacBook Pro. Maybe I need to get one too.

Dell Latitude XT2 tablet

It looks like Dell incorporated some major changes and fixes to this new tablet PC. Unfortunately, the price is still way too high. However, for those who are able to afford such luxuries, the Latitude XT2 is a really nice convertible tablet. I'll stick with my Thinkpad X200 tablet for now. I really like the Thinkpad keyboard and the form factor.

I'm still waiting for the day when someone makes a really thin convertible tablet (by thin I mean Apple MacBook Air thin). Maybe a really thin MacTablet or iTablet will emerge this year. If that happens, then I may need to get ready to use OS X (unless I run BootCamp, Parallels Desktop for Mac, or VMware Fusion).