Prices appear for Gigabyte’s M912 psuedo-Tablet PC
We can debate the merits of a convertible Tablet PC that doesn’t run a true Tablet operating system, but with prices like these, why bother? We’re talking about the Gigabyte M912 with pricing courtesy of UMPC Fever, and it’s actually sounding affordable with rumored prices starting at $556. That model, the near-palindrome named M912M, drops the resolution to 1024 x 600 and loses integrated Bluetooth.
The M912X offers Windows XP (not Tablet Edition) and a higher 1280 x 768 resolution in the same 8.9-inch display, along with a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom, 1 GB of RAM and the Bluetooth not found in the M912M. The XP version is expected in at $620 while the same unit with Vista Home Basic, dubbed M912V, adds another $36 to top out at $656. Amazing when you think about an 8.9-inch touchscreen convertible for around $650 coming from Gigabyte. An eerily similar form factor with different guts can be found in the Fujitsu P1620 for at least three times the price. Different horses under the hood of course and Fujitsu has their world-renowned palm-rejection technology, but wow, what a difference a year makes.
(via Engadget)
I’ve not been able to confirm whether this comes with XP Tablet Edition or not. If it doesn’t then that swivelly screen would largely go to waste, IMHO.
so whats the diff between a non-tablet OS (XP home/pro, Vista Basic) and a tablet OS (XP Tablet, Vista Premium & up)? does a non-tablet just offer touchscreen navigation? so do you just miss out on the HWR?
What about those of us with a spare, unused copy of Vista Business lying around? Could we install it on one of these and have a proper tablet PC?
Hopefully, some smart vendors will offer the M912 with XP Tablet Edition or Vista Home Premium for a (small) premium.
And also hopefully: with a 2GB RAM option
It is ashame that some/may are so snowed by MS marketing.
a Tablet, Slate or Convertable Touchscreen or Pen or both, is still a tablet.
Even Before various MS Tablet Editions, there were tablets, things (software) like ritePen, Watcom & Go. That offer various (extra) functionality.
And a touchscreen is not that dissimilar from the more common serial IO devices/interface, like a mouse or touchpad.
As such it is no different for Linux or Mac or others.
Even the extra functionality of the Electro~Static pens (Watcom) are available to other systems.
The M912 is just touchscreen, yet software for Handwriting & drawing etc. are available.
Great form factor for a tablet & netbook
Ashame the dropped the Naked or Linux models. (Any Wonder why?)
I wonder what their MS refund Policy/Protocol is?