Toshiba, Acer, Fujitsu and Hewlett-Packard are scheduled to release devices based on Windows XP Tablet PC Edition on 7 November. When a new crop of tablet PCs debuts in the US next week, they aren't likely to be cheap.
The tablet PCs run on Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, designed by Microsoft to handle pen input. Despite a showy launch set for later today, a new generation of tablet PCs is not likely to make much of a mark in the mainstream notebook market...
The seven versions will include the Longhorn Home Edition, Longhorn Premium/Media Center Edition, Longhorn Professional Edition, Longhorn Small Business Edition and Longhorn Mobility/Tablet PC Edition.
The tablet PC is also expected to use an Intel Pentium M processor and run on Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. The first-ever ThinkPad that converts to a tablet PC will make its debut today, CNET News.com has learned.
Tablet PC functions will also be included in Vista Business and Vista Enterprise. Microsoft is also doing away with the notion of Media Center and Tablet PC as distinct flavours of the operating system, as was the case with Windows XP.
The initial devices run the Tablet PC edition of Windows XP, along with the "Touch Pack", which includes new software for playing back media, as well as a "program launcher" that makes it easier to find and run programs stored on the device.