Suggestions for cockpit tablet PC

[Nathan Young]

I am looking at purchasing a tablet PC to display WxWorx weather, and
would appreciate the advice of anyone who is doing this or looking
into it.

Criteria:
1. Must be tablet PC (don't want a laptop)
2. Must run WIN XP, don't want CE
3. Display size isn't critical (nor is resolution). Would like to
have 800x600 and at least 8 inch diagonal. This rules out the PDAs.
4. Daylight visible, with controllable brightness (for night) - I've
been trying to find transreflective screens, as they do well outdoors.
Problem is not many tablets have these.
5. Integrated bluetooth/802.11b/GPS would be nice. If not, must have
expansion slots to support these technologies. I'm looking to use the
BT for the WxWorx data, and I know there are CF or PCMCIA GPS cards.
6. Minimal cables (see #5). Ideally, I would only have to connect
power.
7. Ruggedized casing - nice to have but not necessary. Ruggedized
seems to add about 50% to the purchase price.
8. Cost. Oh yeah, it should be cheap too.

Suggestions? I've been looking at the Fujitsu ST4121 @ $2300. It is
close to what I want, but a bit short on expansion ports.
http://webshop.fujitsupc.com/fpc/Ecommerce/buildseriesbean.do?series=AA&ptype=TB

Thanks,
Nathan

[Dean Wilkinson]

The Fujitsu ST4121 is the only one that I have seen so far that I
would want to fly with. It is small and lightweigtht and has a
sunlight readable screen. I have been searching for other
alternatives but haven't seen any yet.

Nathan Young > wrote in message >...
> I am looking at purchasing a tablet PC to display WxWorx weather, and
> would appreciate the advice of anyone who is doing this or looking
> into it.
>
> Criteria:
> 1. Must be tablet PC (don't want a laptop)
> 2. Must run WIN XP, don't want CE
> 3. Display size isn't critical (nor is resolution). Would like to
> have 800x600 and at least 8 inch diagonal. This rules out the PDAs.
> 4. Daylight visible, with controllable brightness (for night) - I've
> been trying to find transreflective screens, as they do well outdoors.
> Problem is not many tablets have these.
> 5. Integrated bluetooth/802.11b/GPS would be nice. If not, must have
> expansion slots to support these technologies. I'm looking to use the
> BT for the WxWorx data, and I know there are CF or PCMCIA GPS cards.
> 6. Minimal cables (see #5). Ideally, I would only have to connect
> power.
> 7. Ruggedized casing - nice to have but not necessary. Ruggedized
> seems to add about 50% to the purchase price.
> 8. Cost. Oh yeah, it should be cheap too.
>
> Suggestions? I've been looking at the Fujitsu ST4121 @ $2300. It is
> close to what I want, but a bit short on expansion ports.
> http://webshop.fujitsupc.com/fpc/Ecommerce/buildseriesbean.do?series=AA&ptype=TB
>
> Thanks,
> Nathan

[Jeff Doran]

Nathan, I feel your pain. I opted for the wxworx package playing on a
HP TC1100 tablet. You can get a refurbished tablet directly from HP
for about $1600. I bought a refurbished unit, and you cant tell the
difference from a new one. Includes warranty. The tablet is 10.4
inches XGA, 140 nits...which is minimally adequate for sunlit
environments. The screen IS NOT readable in direct sunlight, but any
slight shading of the screen by holding it at different angles, works
just fine...Its not the brightest but it is readable and useable. The
irony is, on cloudy days, with subdued otside lighting, the screen is
very readable...and its on these cloudy days that Im studying the
tablet and wxworx closely...Dont really look at it on the sunny cavu
days!
The sunlight readable displays and tablets on the market are
unique....There is only a couple out there, and they are very
expensive...and even then, they are most visible in DIRECT sunlight,
and marginally visible in indirect sunshine...and generally suffer in
low light conditions. The other alternative is a HIGH NIT (> 250 nits)
sunlight readable screen as found in the MX-20 and the garmins...but
you wont find these in notebooks and tablets because of the power
requirments to drive such a bright display. The only possible
exception is the Sony TR1 or TR2 series which touts a "superbright"
xga screen, not sure of the nit rating, but I hear its good...but
again, this is a $2500 notebook with the 512 mb required RAM....and
anything with a lid that needs opening becomes a juggle in the
cockpit. With regard to cables. I use the holux usb gps receiver, and
the wxworx receiver, feeding a mini 4 port mini belkin usb hub...from
this 2 inch square hub, sprouts just ONE usb cable that feeds the
tablet. The mini hub is hidden up underneath the panel. On really lazy
days, I use an IPAQ 3635 pocket pc, with its sunlight readable screen,
equipped with a compact flash 802.11b card...it talks to my TC1100,
(which I put on the back seat)...The ipaq and the TC1100 are running a
free software package called "realvnc"...so what I end up with is a
totally wire free PDA remotely displaying the wxworx software being
remotely transmitted from the laptop...it works really well...
As for Wxworx? In one word, "OUTSTANDING", nexrad never more than 5
minutes old, METARS that are renewed every 12 minutes, Cloud TOPS,
lightning strikes, surface and winds aloft, airmets and sigmets, TAFS,
plus more...

Jeff
Mooney N1159P ACY
Sun N Fun Tuesday to Thursday


Nathan Young > wrote in message >...
> I am looking at purchasing a tablet PC to display WxWorx weather, and
> would appreciate the advice of anyone who is doing this or looking
> into it.
>
> Criteria:
> 1. Must be tablet PC (don't want a laptop)
> 2. Must run WIN XP, don't want CE
> 3. Display size isn't critical (nor is resolution). Would like to
> have 800x600 and at least 8 inch diagonal. This rules out the PDAs.
> 4. Daylight visible, with controllable brightness (for night) - I've
> been trying to find transreflective screens, as they do well outdoors.
> Problem is not many tablets have these.
> 5. Integrated bluetooth/802.11b/GPS would be nice. If not, must have
> expansion slots to support these technologies. I'm looking to use the
> BT for the WxWorx data, and I know there are CF or PCMCIA GPS cards.
> 6. Minimal cables (see #5). Ideally, I would only have to connect
> power.
> 7. Ruggedized casing - nice to have but not necessary. Ruggedized
> seems to add about 50% to the purchase price.
> 8. Cost. Oh yeah, it should be cheap too.
>
> Suggestions? I've been looking at the Fujitsu ST4121 @ $2300. It is
> close to what I want, but a bit short on expansion ports.
> http://webshop.fujitsupc.com/fpc/Ecommerce/buildseriesbean.do?series=AA&ptype=TB
>
> Thanks,
> Nathan

[Rich Raine]

Here's a great tablet available from Buy.com for about $2300 with Tablet XP.
It's a great unit. From Electrovaya http://www.electrovaya.com/
Check the model 2010.

--
Rich Raine

remove pants for email
www.eRaine.com


"Jeff Doran" > wrote in message
om...
> Nathan, I feel your pain. I opted for the wxworx package playing on a
> HP TC1100 tablet. You can get a refurbished tablet directly from HP
> for about $1600. I bought a refurbished unit, and you cant tell the
> difference from a new one. Includes warranty. The tablet is 10.4
> inches XGA, 140 nits...which is minimally adequate for sunlit
> environments. The screen IS NOT readable in direct sunlight, but any
> slight shading of the screen by holding it at different angles, works
> just fine...Its not the brightest but it is readable and useable. The
> irony is, on cloudy days, with subdued otside lighting, the screen is
> very readable...and its on these cloudy days that Im studying the
> tablet and wxworx closely...Dont really look at it on the sunny cavu
> days!
> The sunlight readable displays and tablets on the market are
> unique....There is only a couple out there, and they are very
> expensive...and even then, they are most visible in DIRECT sunlight,
> and marginally visible in indirect sunshine...and generally suffer in
> low light conditions. The other alternative is a HIGH NIT (> 250 nits)
> sunlight readable screen as found in the MX-20 and the garmins...but
> you wont find these in notebooks and tablets because of the power
> requirments to drive such a bright display. The only possible
> exception is the Sony TR1 or TR2 series which touts a "superbright"
> xga screen, not sure of the nit rating, but I hear its good...but
> again, this is a $2500 notebook with the 512 mb required RAM....and
> anything with a lid that needs opening becomes a juggle in the
> cockpit. With regard to cables. I use the holux usb gps receiver, and
> the wxworx receiver, feeding a mini 4 port mini belkin usb hub...from
> this 2 inch square hub, sprouts just ONE usb cable that feeds the
> tablet. The mini hub is hidden up underneath the panel. On really lazy
> days, I use an IPAQ 3635 pocket pc, with its sunlight readable screen,
> equipped with a compact flash 802.11b card...it talks to my TC1100,
> (which I put on the back seat)...The ipaq and the TC1100 are running a
> free software package called "realvnc"...so what I end up with is a
> totally wire free PDA remotely displaying the wxworx software being
> remotely transmitted from the laptop...it works really well...
> As for Wxworx? In one word, "OUTSTANDING", nexrad never more than 5
> minutes old, METARS that are renewed every 12 minutes, Cloud TOPS,
> lightning strikes, surface and winds aloft, airmets and sigmets, TAFS,
> plus more...
>
> Jeff
> Mooney N1159P ACY
> Sun N Fun Tuesday to Thursday
>
>
> Nathan Young > wrote in message
>...
> > I am looking at purchasing a tablet PC to display WxWorx weather, and
> > would appreciate the advice of anyone who is doing this or looking
> > into it.
> >
> > Criteria:
> > 1. Must be tablet PC (don't want a laptop)
> > 2. Must run WIN XP, don't want CE
> > 3. Display size isn't critical (nor is resolution). Would like to
> > have 800x600 and at least 8 inch diagonal. This rules out the PDAs.
> > 4. Daylight visible, with controllable brightness (for night) - I've
> > been trying to find transreflective screens, as they do well outdoors.
> > Problem is not many tablets have these.
> > 5. Integrated bluetooth/802.11b/GPS would be nice. If not, must have
> > expansion slots to support these technologies. I'm looking to use the
> > BT for the WxWorx data, and I know there are CF or PCMCIA GPS cards.
> > 6. Minimal cables (see #5). Ideally, I would only have to connect
> > power.
> > 7. Ruggedized casing - nice to have but not necessary. Ruggedized
> > seems to add about 50% to the purchase price.
> > 8. Cost. Oh yeah, it should be cheap too.
> >
> > Suggestions? I've been looking at the Fujitsu ST4121 @ $2300. It is
> > close to what I want, but a bit short on expansion ports.
> >
http://webshop.fujitsupc.com/fpc/Ecommerce/buildseriesbean.do?series=AA&ptype=TB
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Nathan