More OEMs are finally supporting Microsoft’s “Tablet PC”:1 software… by this I mean that IBM is _finally_ releasing a Tablet PC called the “X41″:2. IBM makes absolutely bomber notebooks, so hopefully the X41 will continue in this tradition. Some details on the X41 include:

bq.. The ThinkPad X41 offers a 1.14-inch writable slate and full-size keyboard weighing in at only 3.5 pounds.

“ThinkPad X41 Tablet is nearly 20 percent lighter than its closest competitor and delivers the longest standard battery life of any 12-inch convertible tablet,” promises the company.

Users can either use the tablet with a digital pen, or as a traditional notebook PC.

“Equipped with the ThinkPad signature full-size keyboard, the ThinkPad X41 Tablet provides 170-degree viewing, an optional integrated fingerprint reader for unsurpassed security, the latest ThinkVantage Technologies for reliability and convenient wireless connectivity, and flexible one-step expandability through the optional new ThinkPad X4 Dock,” states Lenovo.

ThinkPad X41 Tablet PCs will start at $1,900.

p. You can read more about the X41 at “TabletPCBuzz”:3 or “TabletPCTalk”:4, and “here’s”:5 a video podcast from TechEd that demonstrates the IBM as well as a couple of other Tablet PCs.

Hum… my old Compaq laptop is getting a bit slow lately. Perhaps it is getting time to upgrade?

[5(Video demo of some new Tablet PCs form TechEd)]http://casting.dlservice.microsoft.com/download/2/9/A/29A568B5-C6B0-464A-B54B-0610E4371AB5/Expo_Floor_TabletPC.wmv

[4(Tablet)]http://www.tabletpctalk.com/

[3(TabletPCbuzz.com)]http://www.tabletpcbuzz.com/

[2(IBMs new Tablet PC)]http://www.pc.ibm.com/ww/thinkpad/tablet/

[1(Microsofts Tablet PC home page)]http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/tabletpc/default.mspx

I’ve been waiting a long for a networkable storage device that accepts “IDE”:1 or “SATA”:2 hard drives… and finally one is here (or at least will be here shortly). Introducing the Netgear SC101 Storage Central.

Engadget has a “post”:3 on it as does “Tom’s Hardware”:4. Not much detail on the specs yet, but it looks like it will support two hard drives and will support a couple of flavors of “RAID”:11. The *BIG* turnoff is that it’s a Netgear product. I’ll probably never purchase a Netgear product again after what I “went through”:10 with my old Netgear wireless router — the WGT624 (v2).

Of course, there are lots of options besides the SC101’s bring-your-own-hard-drives option. Linksys makes the “NSLU2″:5 that accepts USB-based drives instead of IDE or SATA drives. Asus makes the “WL-HDD2.5″:8 that is a wireless data storage device that takes 2.5″ IDE drives. However, it only takes one drive so no RAID, and 2.5″ (laptop) drives are rather expensive and limited in storage (when compared to desktop 3.5″ drives). “Mirra”:9 also makes a highly-rated NAS solutions that include(s) the drive(s), but are somewhat more expensive. And finally, there is the Buffalo Technology 1 TB “TeraStation”:6 at about $1000 — if that’s not enough storage, they also offer a 1.6 TB TeraStation!

Regarding networking any of these devices with Windows, “Jeff”:7 recommends using IP address to avoid the Windows Networking hell of Windows domains/workgroups. Yes, it’s 2005 and Microsoft still can’t get networking right.

Oh, anybody know what the heck the device pictured below is? I found it on Linksys’ site. It’s the graphic that leads you to their mini-site on NAS devices. It sure looks like a NAS box that accepts drive caddies. If so, I want one!

!/img/Linksys_NAS.gif!

_*Update: 2005-06-11*_
Rob in the comments notes that the mystery picture is a “Linksys EFG80″:12. I don’t know if they are still selling it, but “here’s”:13 a review on it from January, 2003 (in a quick search, I couldn’t find it online). I’d be stoked if Linksys were to update it, and add stuff like an automatic backup.

[13(Network World review)]http://www.networkworld.com/net.worker/reviews/2003/0120networker.html

[12(Linksys EFG80)]http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=35&prid=447

[11(Wikipedia on RAID)]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redundant_array_of_independent_disks

[10(Zoingers hellish experience with Netgear router)]http://www.zoinger.com/archives/2005/03/31/16.43.58/

[9(Mirra home page)]http://www.mirra.com/index.html

[8(Asus WL-HDD2.5 site)]http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=12&l2=44&l3=0&model=460&modelmenu=1

[7(Jeffs no-post blog)]http://www.analconsumer.com

[6(Some big storage from Buffalo)]http://www.buffalotech.com/products/product-detail.php?productid=97&categoryid=19

[5(Linksys network storage products)]http://www.linksys.com/products/group.asp?grid=35&scid=43

[4(Toms Hardware on the SC101)]http://www.tomsnetworking.com/Sections-article98-page9.php

[3(Engadget on the SC101)]http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000057043399

[2(Wikipedia on SATA)]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sata

[1(Wikipedia on IDE)]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IDE

I picked up the latest issue of PC Magazine, and in it they have a “review”:1 of Dell’s new 24″ widescreen display (the UltraSharp “2405FPW”:2). This beast of a monitor runs 1920×1200 (WUXGA) native resolution and is pretty fast with a 16ms pixel response time. PC Magazine gives it 4.5 stars out of 5!

However, the best thing about this monitor is it’s price — it’s relatively cheap at $1,200 list. Of course, you can check Dell coupon sites like “TechBargains”:3 to get a discount off of list (I’ve seen this monitor go for around a grand when they are running coupon deals). Typically, prices for 24″ monitors like this are $1,500+. With pricing like this, Dell is going to _own_ the monitor category.

If you are interested in this monitor, just make sure you have a relatively recent and somewhat powerful video card capable of running WUXGA resolution… oh, and that your “desk”:5 is big enough to fit it on.

I love the two Dell 20″ 2001FP I “picked up”:4 recently. I’ll get around to writing a mini review soon on the 2001FP and on running dual monitors (the only way to go!).

Hum… dual 24″ monitors… _dream_.

P.S. “Here’s”:6 a article from Tom’s Hardware Guide discussing DVI and about running high resolutions over DVI.

[1 (PC Mag 2405FPW review)]http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1774271,00.asp
[2 (Dell's 2405FPW page)]http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-4221&link_number=
[3 (TechBargains Dell coupon site)]http://techbargains.com/dellcoupons.cfm
[4 (Zoinger 2001FP Dell display post)]http://www.zoinger.com/archives/2005/03/10/15.17.22/index.html
[5 (Zoinger computer desk post)]http://www.zoinger.com/archives/2005/01/29/09.08.48/index.html
[6 (Tom's Hardware DVI article)]http://www20.graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20041129/index.html