They'll Never Catch Up To You, Rohit...

[Ian Andrew Bell]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/cn/20020522/tc_cn/microsoft_t
aps_ceos_to_test_tablet_pcs

Microsoft taps CEOs to test Tablet PCs
Wed May 22,12:52 PM ET

Margaret Kane CNET News.com

Microsoft is planning to hand out Tablet PCs to attendees at its CEO Summit
on Wednesday, giving top-level executives a chance to test-drive the new
technology. 

With its Tablet PC software, the tech titan is aiming to boost the appeal of
pen-based devices by making them more in keeping with full-fledged notebook
computers. The latest version combines Microsoft's Windows XP (news - web
sites) operating system with a pen interface and handwriting-recognition
software. Devices using the software will have special displays but
otherwise use standard notebook processors and other PC components, which
will help to cut down on costs.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates (news - web sites) promoted the technology at
last fall's Comdex (news - web sites) show, holding it up as a sign of hope
amid a declining PC market and an economic downturn. Compaq (news - web
sites) Computer, NEC (news - web sites), Toshiba, Intel and other companies
all showed off prototypes at the tech event.

More recently, Motion Computing, a start-up founded by former Dell Computer
executives, announced plans to manufacture tablet PC devices starting later
this year. Other companies are expected to make Tablet PC announcements next
month at the PC Expo show.

At Microsoft's CEO conference, the more than 100 attendees will receive beta
versions of tablet devices, a Microsoft representative said. The Tablet PCs
will be used in conjunction with smart cards, that will identify each CEO
with his or her specific machine, and will provide access to slides and
other presentation materials. The executives will be able to take notes on
the devices using the pens, and save the information through a universal
serial bus "keychain" storage device, the representative said.

Microsoft said that the tablets being handed out Wednesday are made by Acer,
which is calling them the TravelMate 100.

Despite occasional hoopla over pen-based machines, consumers and other
technology buyers have been lukewarm toward the idea so far. IBM recently
phased out its ThinkPad TransNote, a machine that captured handwriting
written with a special pen, and Sony put the kibosh on its high-end Vaio
Slimtop Pen Tablet PC.