Tablet PCs still pricey

Feb 8, 2007 15:53 GMT  ·  By

The first Vista powered tablet PCs are finally here with TabletKiosk's newly introduced Sahara Slate PC i400 Series. These devices are designed to work with Windows XP Professional and Linux, as well. The Sahara Slate PC i400 Series includes 3 models featuring the same sleek design and a bright 12.1" XGA display.

TabletKiosk states that the new series is especially created for professionals who require a robust, yet highly mobile computing solution, combining power, convenience and flexibility into a sleek, lightweight, carry-everywhere design.

Examining closer, we find that the entry-level i412T model features a 1.06GHz Celeron M ULV 423 CPU, as much as 512MB of DDR2 memory, a robust 60GB SATA hard drive, integrated passive resistive touch screen technology and a biometric fingerprint reader. The mid-level i440T further improves those features by adding a 1.83GHz Core Duo LV L2500 processor, 1GB of DDR2 memory and an 80GB SATA hard drive. Top-of-the-line i440D model only adds a dual mode active digitizer and touch screen to i440T's design.

All three models feature two memory extension slots, supporting up to 4GB of DDR2 memory. Wireless connectivity slowly becomes a standard in all mobile PC designs; Sahara Slate PC i400 Series provides WiFi support via an Intel PRO/Wireless 3495 802.11a/b/g adapter and an USB-based Bluetooth 2.0+EDR adapter. Other connectivity highlights include a single-chip Trusted Platform Module (TPM), Gigabit Ethernet support, two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire port, one external SATA port and a single PCMCIA slot.

Models included in the new Sahara Slate PC i400 Series weigh only 3.3 pounds with the 6-cell (3800 mAh) battery already equipped and measure 11.81" x 9.45" x .98". Price-tags for the Sahara Slate PC i412T, i440T and i440D read $1,795, $2,195 and $2,295 respectively.