Tablets

This week I tried something different, traveling with just a Tablet computer. I've been on the road for the past couple of weeks and decided to take a side trip and not take my Lenovo S12 Netbook with me. The Lenovo has been my preferred traveling companion for some time now but I decided this was the perfect time to see if Tablet computers were up to the task as an all-purpose device.

When I was in the car the Motorola XOOM was wonderful! The Verizon connectivity was solid with no areas of poor coverage. I was driving on interstate highways on the east coast so that was expected. The Navigation app and GPS did a great job of turn-by-turn navigation and the built-in maps replaced a paper Atlas easily.My contacts and gmail were all at my fingertips at all times so I didn't need my usual paper 5x7 tablet at all.

The only disappointments were with how the browser handled AOL mail and the lack of a really good word processor. I'm not sure what can be done about the AOL mail situation but I'll keep trying to find answers. As for a word processor, I've tried a couple with mixed results. I'm looking for an Android app that allows me to write simple text that I can then send to my netbook/notebook for final processing. I would prefer one with spell check and one that doesn't add hard returns at the end of every line. Any suggestions?

New Plustek scanner

We have always loved Plustek scanners and they just announced a new one:

Plustek Technology Inc., a manufacturer of consumer, prosumer and professional imaging devices, announced today the launch of the Plustek OpticBook 3800, a cost effective, simple, innovative solution for scanning books, magazines and bound materials.  This scanner is ideal for comic book collectors, rare book collectors and sellers, eBay book sellers, education personnel, and college students.

Using Plustek's patent-pending Shadow Elimination Element (SEE™) Technology, the OpticBook 3800 can scan any book without the book spine shadow and distorted text associated with book scanning on flatbed scanners.  The OpticBook 3800 includes everything needed to create searchable PDFs from books, magazines and bound materials.  The book scanning and creation software is easy to use and is an affordable solution for all home users, libraries, copy rooms, students, teachers, universities, and anyone that wants to turn books, magazines and other bound material into digital files.

Key Features Include:

• USB 2.0 interface
• SEE Technology for distortion free book page images
• Up to 1200 dpi resolution
• 4 single touch buttons to simplify scanning task
• Fast scan speed seven seconds for an A4-size color, grayscale, black and white scan at 300 dpi
• Ergonomic design for fast and efficient scanning

Free malware fighter

We received this information and thought we'd pass it on:

IObit Malware Fighter has been released version1.1 this month.

For more info, please check here,

http://www.iobit.com/malware-fighter.html

It's time to remove malware & spyware in your PC

IObit Malware Fighter is an advanced malware & spyware removal utility that detects, removes the deepest infections, and protects your PC from various potential spyware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, bots, worms, and hijackers. With the improved, unique "Dual-Core" engine and the heuristic malware detection, IObit Malware Fighter detects the most complex and deepest spyware and malware in a very fast and efficient way.

If you follow the link you'll find the download  for version 1.1.

Logitech Tablet Keyboard

I have been testing the Motorola XOOM tablet for the past week or so and have just found an indispensable accessory. The Logitech Tablet Keyboard for Android 3.0 tablets is wonderful!! I just used one to write a portion of the full review and it was a dream.

Picture this scenario: you're on the road and a tablet is the perfect tool to use all day long. Your calendar, contacts, notes and emails are all at your finger tips as you go through the day. In the evening it's time to put things together and do some serious writing. No problem. Get out your Logitech keyboard and connect to your XOOM using Bluetooth. In seconds you have the functional equivalent of a Netbook. Typing is fast and easy and you're getting your work done.

Look for the full review in our next issue.

Motorola XOOM

I've been working on the Motorola XOOM review while I'm on the road and the device is awesome! Incredible connectivity, a wonderful screen and reasonable size. I MAY change my mind about a tablet being a Netbook replacement.

Stay tuned for updates.

ViewSonic ViewBook 730

We just received a ViewSonic ViewBook 730 Tablet and eReader to review and it's very interesting. It has most of the features of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7" version but at a surprisingly low price. How does under $250 sound? How about under $230 at Amazon.com?

It's an Android 2.2 tablet and it has all of the software we've come to expect on these tablets. It's actually a bit thinner and lighter than the Galaxy Tab and, therefore, it has a flimsier feeling to it. We're planning on doing a major review on it soon and expect to see updates here as we go along.

Motorola XOOM microSD slot

We have been testing a Motorola XOOM for a few week now and have been very impressed with it. It is clearly the best tablet we've used so far and we are discovering new capabilities every day. We'll have an in depth review next month and it should be a good read.

The one odd thing we've found is the disabled microSD card slot. Other Android 3.x tablets have working microSD slots so it makes no sense to us that Motorola has it disabled in the US market. We found this on Motorola's web site:

The microSD Card Slot will be enabled in the Android 3.2 Update.
Motorola XOOM users in the U.S. -- we've confirmed that Android 3.2 is now rolling out in phases to those of you with Wi-Fi versions. 
We expect the rollout to continue to Verizon Wireless users in the coming weeks, and will share more detailed info on timing as it becomes available.
Stay tuned.