...released an updated version of its laptop designs on 6 October, are optimistic about the future of tablet PCs.
"We can see a time in the future when we (and other OEMs) have a line of notebooks that can either be purchased in traditional or convertible form factor because they are manufactured using similar resources," said Gateway spokeswoman Kelly Odle. Gateway is joined in the market by Acer, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba, Fujitsu and several others.
Microsoft, which has been a major backer of tablets, has been making the rounds with educators and developers to tout the benefits of tablet-based computing.
Back to the future
While the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 is currently available with the purchase of a tablet-style device, users can get free upgrades at the Microsoft Web site. The next version of the Tablet OS is slated to be part of the upcoming Windows Vista Home Premium Edition. The Premium version, which is based on Vista Home Basic, is similar to the Windows XP Media Centre Edition (XP MCE) but adds features designed for tablet PCs such as improved handwriting recognition and ability to use a tablet's stylus to pan through documents.
If popularising convertible displays on notebooks sounds far-fetched, consider the path wireless networking cards took to becoming a staple in laptop computers. Less than five years ago, consumers needed to purchase Wi-Fi cards separately if they were even thinking of accessing a hot spot. For PC makers, that required installing a dedicated PCI slot and staffing their perspective help desk employees to help consumers unfamiliar with the setup procedure. Nowadays, embedded wireless networking cards are more the rule than the exception in laptops.
There are major challenges to overcome, of course. Currently, PC makers use separate manufacturing processes for clamshell and convertible laptops, particularly when it comes to attaching the display. The core hardware for a standard laptop generally uses two hinges on the outside of the notebook. By comparison, a convertible works on a single-hinge model, which is usually anchored to the underlying frame. Simply installing a rotating screen on a standard laptop chassis is uncommon.
But a concept that just a few years ago seemed like another fanciful idea still has plenty of room to run. After all, even pen computing, one of the great venture capital sink holes of the 1990s, eventually morphed into PDAs.
And few people these days would call a Treo smartphone just a silly little gadget.
