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Finally, someone who knows what to do with CE. Check out the ePodsOne pen-based webpad. It features a 640 x 480 color screen, is Internet ready (plug right into the phone cord), and costs $199 with a 3-year $24.99 minimum Internet service plan. I'm not a fan of ISP-bundled hardware or WinCE, but this is way cooler than the PocketPC.

Just try fitting that thing in your pocket. When I first saw it, I thought it was an Etch-A-Sketch with a sleeker look

Exactly -- it's not supposed to fit in your pocket. It's a webpad, not a PDA. The whole problem with Windows CE to date has been that it's too resource intensive for a pocket form factor. Webpads are the perfect medium for CE: they can really take advantage of the multimedia features that WinCE has to offer without being bogged down be Win98 bloatware.

However, I'm waiting for one of the Crusoe chip/Linux-based models due out later this year.

A very interesting device -- remember the DataPads used in "2001: A Space Odyssey?"

Although I can't justify getting one for myself, I can see these might really catch on.

If you are interested in web pads, you should also check out Qubit at http://www.qubit.net/
It's based on BeOS/Linux, not WinCE, it uses cordless phone technology to communicate between the pad and the docking station (which is connected to your phone/DSL/cable line), and it doesn't appear to be tied to any service contract.

One thing I would really like to see these things have is the ability to rotate the screen to either 'landscape' or 'portrait' mode. I think the latter would be more useful for reading e-books, docs and certain web pages. The Vadem Clio 1050 has an undocumented way to do this. (Come to think of it, the Clio might be considered one of these 'web pads' too...)

http://www.businessweek.com/reprints/00-10/b3671021.htm

check out this story....

Ideo is the designer of the Eyemodule www.ideo.com

they've got some pretty neat ideas...and a really cool website!

Here's a new workhorse of a web pad that runs Windows98 instead of WinCE (which might explain why they only get 2.5 hrs off the battery -- but the rest of the specs look great!)
http://www.qbenet.com/

Microsoft at their .NET conference showed off a pad device similar to the ones displayed. However, instead of using WinCE, they went with Windows 2000 with specially designed software optimized for that type of pad computing device. Its definitely an interesting form factor. I believe they were expecting these devices to ship by year end.

I could see some really cool uses for these devices around the house and office -- especially in places where a PC (or even laptop) doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

joe

[This message has been edited by Cerulean (edited 07-26-2000).]

quote:

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Originally posted by Rob:
...they only get 2.5 hrs off the battery -- but the rest of the specs look great!)

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The cost is pretty darned high as well -- the dedicated service contract for the WinCE device looks more attractive.

Just to keep the thread alive, here are some Fujitsu web pads/tablets I ran across (WinCE, Win9x, WinNT):
http://www.fpsi.fujitsu.com/product/index.htm