While Microsoft shows off its software next week, hardware makers also will show off their prototypes of the device. The list includes Hewlett-Packard, which announced its Compaq Evo tablet PC on 2 June, Acer, Toshiba and Sony. Fujitsu's new Stylistic ST4000 will weigh about 1.5kg and will include an ultra-low-voltage Pentium III-M processor from Intel, sources said. Others, including Dell and IBM, have been sceptical of tablet PCs. Part of that scepticism comes from the expected price. Because of the need to incorporate a touch screen and other add-ons, tablet PCs are expected to cost roughly $150 more than a similarly configured ultra-portable notebook, putting them at a starting price of about $2,000 (£1,300). While a number of tablet PC prototypes have been floating around for the last two years, companies such as HP are expected to begin wider field trials with their tablet PCs this summer. One possible disappointment on the hardware side may be battery life, sources said. The first crop of tablet PCs will have about the same battery life as the average ultraportable notebook, or about three hours, sources said. An ultra-portable notebook typically weighs around 1.75kg. Analysts have expressed reservations about the tablet PC, especially because of the difficult conditions in the PC market right now. "We're still in a situation where price matters," said Toni Duboise, an analyst with ARS. "That's the biggest problem. It's going to be prohibitive of (tablet PCs) going on to penetrate the market." That's because, if you're after mobility, "You can still get that through a notebook and pay a lot less," she said. As a result, "I think it's going to be hard to get consumers to step up to bat." Most tablet PCs are expected to come with, at a minimum, an 800MHz low-power processor, 128MB of RAM and a 20GB hard drive. HP's Compaq Evo tablet PC, for example, will sport a 1GHz Crusoe processor from Transmeta. Most, if not all, also will include wireless networking capabilities, such as 802.11b, a short-range wireless protocol. Manufacturers are expected to deliver tablet PCs in two different styles: a traditional tablet or slate design, with no keyboard or mouse, and a "convertible" design. Convertibles, like those shown off by Acer, will resemble a traditional notebook PC. The device would open as notebooks do, but its screen would be able to rotate and fold back down to create a tablet-like shape. Fujitsu will offer a variation on the convertible theme by including a detachable keyboard, sources said. It would allow a person to shed the keyboard for a trip into the field. Back at the office, a docking system then turns the Stylistic Tablet PC into a desktop, allowing it to be attached to a keyboard and monitor as well as able to use a CD-Rewritable or DVD drive. The tablet PC software is one of a growing number of offshoots of the standard Windows XP software. Later this year, Microsoft will also introduce software called Freestyle that will make it easier to edit videos and record TV shows. Freestyle will appear on only a select few consumer PC models. News.com's Joe Wilcox and Michael Kanellos contributed to this report.
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