|
|
|
|||
|
This page will be updated as products are released and reviewed. We'd love to hear your opinions of products you've tried. Please email us with the results you've had. For more information on any of the following products, click the company name to go to the corresponding website. Almost all Tablet PC manufacturers offer carrying cases for their specific products. I highly recommend using a portfolio-type case that includes a wrist strap and shoulder strap if you're going to be writing often on your Tablet PC while standing. Most of these cases are under $100. I have a carrying case for my Acer (sold by Acer) that's made using my Tablet PC even more of a comfortable alternative to a laptop or PDA. When not in use, it's still in easy reach. There's no need to open or close the case to write on the screen and the wrist strap makes holding the Tablet PC even easier. Once you use one, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it. Check your Tablet PC manufacturer's website for information on these type of cases. For transporting, there are many cases available for almost every taste and budget, both from the Tablet PC manufacturers and third parties such as the following:
This became an Editor's Favorite as soon as I used it on a business trip. If you don't need to take your computer or camera with you on a trip, then it becomes a great suitcase just by removing the additional sections. Included is a very comfortable shoulder strap that makes it easy to carry even when there are a couple of computers inside. Check the review here.
Left - the Skooba sleeve, perfect protection for your Tablet. Right - the protective interior of the Skooba line and the Skooba Satchel. Norazza - (Editor's Favorite) We had the privilege of checking out the line of Ape cases offered by Norazza at CES, 2004. These cases are quality through and through. The bright yellow interior is not only stylish, but it lets you see what you're looking for much more easily. There's a case to fit almost every need, from batteries to cameras to notebooks. Targus - I've owned a Targus case for my laptop for the past several years. Quality through and through. Targus has cases for many different models of Tablet PCs. Check their website to see if there's one for you.
With the advent of smaller and smaller cameras, it's simple to find one that's small and convenient enough to carry with your Tablet PC. These can make chatting and staying in touch with your family or office when away from your desk much easier and more personal.
Logitech -
Logitech has many products that are great go-togethers with Tablet PCs,
The Logitech® IM Video Companion™ works with Logitech Web cameras and your existing AOL Instant MessengerSM (AIM) or MSN® Messenger friends lists. With just a few clicks, you can start sharing live video right away. Best of all, your friends don't need to manually install special software to view the live video! It's available as a free download. One thing often asked about computers and peripherals is how to best clean different components. Anyone who has a Tablet PC, notebook, LCD monitor or any other digital equipment knows that these items often require special products to take care of them properly.
Another innovative product from Norazza is its full line of digital card slot cleaners. There are kits for cleaning xD, SD, SM, CF and Memory Sticks. These cleaning cards fit in the memory slot, just like any regular digital media card. One of these is certain to help keep your card slots reading things correctly. Nothing is more convenient than being able to transfer information from the desktop to the Tablet PC and back again quickly and with minimal disruption. USB drives are one of the simplest ways to achieve this. Although you have many choices when it comes to manufacturers, the following are some that I've been able to use and recommend. Sizes range from 16Mb to 1G with larger sizes making their appearance soon. In addition to the keychain drives listed, there are a few other options as well. For larger storage, there are portable USB drives you can keep on your desktop and plug in quickly. One of the most exciting options I've seen so far is a drive produced by SimpleTech. This is a hard drive that's the size of a credit card (no kidding). It fits completely within the pc card slot of the Tablet PCs (or laptops) and can add an additional 5 - 10 Gb of storage at a reasonable cost. This keeps the Tablet PC as portable as it's meant to be with no card sticking out to get knocked loose or lost. I've used this and the Bonzai mini-drive for over a year now and I highly recommend them both.
Archos
offers the world's smallest 20GB
external portable hard drive, the
ARCDisk.
With its ultra-fast
Archos also offers other external drives as well as an extensive product list. Check the website here
I'm using the 5G drive now and have found it's perfect for backing up the main drive just in the rare event that the main hard drive might die. It's also a very nice way to keep some MP3s handy without cluttering up the main drive. This works just as well with a notebook computer as with a Tablet PC. This is certainly something that I consider a "must have" for use with my Tablets. There are many manufacturer of USB portable drives. Whether called pen drives, keychain drives, flash drives or jump drives, the functionality these add to portable computing is almost unlimited.
This is the perfect solution to move data from desktop to laptop or Tablet PC.
|
|||
|
Headsets
There were several models that caught our attention, but there were two that really stood out.
This is a rare occasion where two items each earn the "Favorite" Award. Although each have the same function, their uses are different enough that I've selected both. Input Devices This is another area that has a lot of excellent choices. We'll be checking out more products in the near future and will expand on them at that time. Almost anything that works well with a laptop (mini-mouse, trackball, wireless keyboard, etc) works equally well with a Tablet PC. Now that manufacturers are making items more portable than ever, the range of products continues to increase all the time. Keyboards There are lots of portable keyboards available. These are a couple that have the portability and functionality to work well with Tablet PCs. Fellowes USB Folding Keyboard - Stay mobile and productive with the USB Stowaway Keyboard! This 100% full-sized keyboard offers standard plug & play USB connection for Tablet PCs as well as notebook computers. When not in use, this amazing keyboard folds up for quick storage. What will they think of next?
Gyrations
-
(Editor's Favorite)
Compact
Wireless Keyboard
Available with
the Ultra GT Cordless Mouse (see under Mice) 15 Internet and multimedia hotkeys require no special
drivers This is a great keyboard for users who want the feel of a full-sized keyboard in a compact package. Paired with the Gyrations Ultra GT Cordless Mouse, it's a hard-to-beat combination!
IOGear offers several products that enhances portable computing. This is one that caught my eye.
IOGear
MiniView Micro -
* Macintosh support requires IOGEAR’s Mac Adapter |
|||
|
Mice
Fellowes -
There's a HUGE selection of mice here, certainly one to
fit your needs.
Cross -
2004 brought a couple of new pens that I was excited to see, the
A.T.
Cross Executive Everyone who's tried my pen wants one of his own.After using this for just a few days, it became one of the accessories I won't be without. Wacom - Wacom offers several pen options for the Tablet PC, including some that are exact replacements. Tablet PC's are developed with a primary focus on highly portable solutions and most of them employ Wacom's PenabledTM sensor technology. Check Wacom's website for details on all the Penabled pens offered for Tablet PCs. Wacom also offers a full line of accessories and pens for most Tablet PCs. Scanners
QuickLink Pen Elite - Scan Text and use it anytime anywhere. The QuickLink-Pen® Elite is the latest version of the very
popular and successful QuickLink-Pen, providing
Used just like a yellow highlighter,the QuickLink-Pen Elite allows the user to collect, electronically, notes from any printed text – anytime, anywhere! Scan and Store up to 1,000 pages of text in English (additional scanning languages - German, Swedish, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and French are supplied on CD ROM for optional installation). Although only a few models of Tablets suggest using screen protectors, many users like the added protection and glare reduction they offer. Below are a couple that you might like to try.
Strong Engineering - Antiglare Thin(0.005")
Polyester Hard Coated to prevent scratches Security Devices - (Editor's Favorites) Security is a very important consideration today, both with hardware and data. Since security is an issue often overlooked, yet critical, each has received the Editor's Choice award. Several companies are addressing the need for increased security. I've included a few here. Fellowes
-
Mobile Proximity
Alarm
- Perfect for safeguarding your mobile devices from
USB Security Devices
SecuriKey
- The SecuriKey® Authentication System is an easy to use, out
of the box
The Power Squid Surge 3000 won the prestigious 2006 Best of Innovations at the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas. It's been featured in Popular Mechanics and other publications. This is one product that I'm recommending strongly! Along with the flexible power connecotrs, the PowerSquid Surge 3000 has something many much more expensive products don't offer - a power filtering technology. See our review on the PowerSquid Surge 3000 here.
Also available without the USB 2.0 hub, I've found this to be an excellent option for both Tablet PCs that come without a dock, either slate or convertible. It allows for much better heat dissipation, making the Tablet use more comfortable when held in my lap.
See my review on the Boostaroo Portable Amplifier and Splitter.
Laptop Legs - (Editor's Favorite)
Made of polycarbonate plastic legs are extremely lightweight, weighing only one-quarter of an ounce. You won't even know they're there until you start using them. The legs operate on a simple theory - raise the computer up to allow more cool air to circulate, thus cutting down on the heat you feel as well as the heat damage to your computer. These legs are inexpensive to buy and could save you many times the cost in repairs to your computer due to heat buildup. See my review here. |
|||
my Tablet PC and everything else I
might need for a quick trip. The additional padded shoulder bag was
a good option for use once I get where I'm going. The Office on
Wheels made moving through the airport easy.
The four wheels
really do make a difference and no worry about the bag falling over.
It's very easy to stack additional things on top of it. Although I bought
the large size, it fits under the seat even on a smaller plane, yet will
fit in the overhead if you prefer keeping the leg room for your legs.
I've used this bag for several trips now and it's still like new.
but
one thing that really caught my eye was the small video camera that's
perfect for a Tablet PC, the
Logitech QuickCam for Notebooks Pro.
Listed at about $100 it's the right size for portability and comes with
a carrying case that houses the camera and the USB cable neatly.
The camera is bundled with additional software such as
MGI® VideoWave® PC Video Editing software and MGI® PhotoSuite® PC Image
Editing software
as well as 
screen
cleaners and anti-static wipes.
Plantronics
This 2 Port Compact KVM Switch is a
simple solution for those with more PCs than hands. Use one keyboard, one
monitor and one mouse to control two PC or Macintosh systems.* This
self-powered KVM switch features mouse & keyboard emulation to ensure
smooth operation, as well as support for Plug-n-Play monitors and most
wheel mice. Our patented VSE Video Signal Enhancement® technology provides
rich, 32-bit color at resolutions up to 1920 x 1440. With KVM cables (6'
long) molded into the unit, all you need to do is to plug it into your
computers, and you’ve got a complete KVM solution from IOGEAR.
pens.
computer access protection solution developed to bring your
security strategy from the "Post-It Note Age" into the Digital Age.
Whether for
|
2000-2009