ARCHOS 9 PCtablet Touches Windows 7

ARCHOS has unveiled its next-generation PC tablet that breaks the line separating tablets from netbooks, the manufacturer claims. In this regard, the complete removal of the keyboard of the ARCHOS 9 PCtablet is advertised as an innovative move, as the company has shrugged off traditional input models altogether. Relying exclusively on a tactile interface the ARCHOS 9 PCtablet will be married with the next iteration of the Windows client, which is currently scheduled for general availability on October 22nd, 2009. The tablet will be offered initially with Windows Vista in September 2009 and only subsequently with Windows 7.

Personally I'm not all that sure that a keyboard-less netbook is the way to go. Sure, the device does sport a full touch-sensitive 9" screen; however, this won't compensate for the shortcomings associated with the missing keyboard. In the world of computing PC Tablets and netbooks serve different purposes. Internet communication capabilities are a critical aspect for the functionality of netbooks – communication that is largely associated with social networks, instant messaging, email, all of which are activities for which a full keyboard is a godsend.

The ARCHOS 9 PCtablet will feature a built-in virtual keyboard, but this will occupy precious real estate from the screen space available. At 9 inches, the touch screen might just prove insufficient to accommodate the virtual keyboard, a few IM windows and the user's fingers. At the same time, the benefits associated with natural user interfaces could suffice to make any shortcomings pointless.

“The ARCHOS 9 features the new Z515 Intel processor, Microsoft Windows 7 Operating system and an integrated multimedia platform that uses WiFi 802.11b/g connection and Bluetooth 2.1 for extremely fast computing anywhere, anytime. Additional software includes Microsoft Office, Web TV & Radio, video conference, antivirus, parental control, photos and movies edition applications and more. The ARCHOS 9 PCtablet will be available this fall, 2009,” ARCHOS revealed.