Issue 25: Nov 2002
Features
- | Foreword
- | Pocket an Atari!
- | Collecting Atari Games
- | Tip of the day
- | Unfinished Business
- | I had a dream: The Grid Sequencer!
- | Atari in the USA: Mr Atari's IDE
- | Atari 7800: The system that could (but didn't)
- | Tablet PCs in Today's World
- | Atari Goes Metal
Reviews
- | Unreal Tournament 2003
- | V-Rally 3
- | Do you have 19 inches of rack mounted Atari?
- | Multi Worms
- | Pixel Power
News
| Tablet PCs in Today's World by Del McCool Microsoft announced the release of its new operating system this past week on 7 November. This operating system is an XP version designed for use on tablet computers, somewhere between a PDA and a laptop. Tablet computers have been around since the early '90s but MS has now decided they are more than just a fad. Within the field of these tablet computers, is one brand that stands alone as being built for the most rugged users. These tablets are made by Xplore Technologies with its corporate office in Toronto, Canada, its manufacturing in Austin, Texas and its European office in Helsinki, Finland. These guys have long been involved in making these tablet PCs for the public safety markets.
New Xplore tablet with MS Tablet PC OS.
Recently a used PC dealer is selling one of the older models of the Xplore tablet on eBay. Now instead of spending $3,000.00 for a tablet you could get one for $200.00. This model is called the Genesys I, and comes with a docking station called the xpod. I took one of these Genesys I and loaded my favorite Atari 8-bit emulator on it.
Xplore Genesys with Atari 8-bit emulator running.
Mounting the Genesys in the xpod you can hook up a PS/2 keyboard, USB speakers while sitting on the desktop.
Xplore Genesys mounted in the xpod on desktop, running M.U.L.E. through the Atari 8-bit emulator.
The nice thing about a tablet is you can take this with you as a portable PC and use the on-screen keyboard while you hand carry it running off batteries.
You now have an Atari Tablet PC.
Finally I loaded an Atari ST emulator on the Genesys I and it ran fine also. When I enlarged it to full-screen size the touch screen seems a little slow to move the mouse. In the reduced screen it seemed to work just fine.
The ST Pad becomes reality?
In closing, using the Atari computer can be as limited or vast as you like. For more information on tablet PCs check out the links below. del@myatari.co.uk
Useful links
Del's Atari Small Fry http://members.tripod.com/dgmccool/page2.htm Xplore Technologies users group http://members.tripod.com/dgmccool/xploretech.html
[ Top of page ] | MyAtari magazine - Feature #9, November 2002
Copyright 2002 MyAtari magazine