On 5/21/07, MB Software Solutions <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > After seeing them used at DisneyWorld some years ago,
That's interesting. What were they used for there? > and certainly easier to hold (like a > video game controller!) as opposed to having to hold a laptop sized > unit. It's a LAP-TOP. It's not meant to be held. It's meant to sit on TOP of your LAP. I get 60-70 wpm that way. I know some texters can do that with their little thumbpads. I missed the Crackberry phase. OTOH, truth to be told, the laptop is a desk-top most of the day, docked to a full sized keyboard and mouse. > Then again, look at companies like FedEx/DHL/UPS/USPS--they use > small devices (don't know if they're considered UMPCs though?) daily for > tracking purposes. That's a niche. Guys/gals in uniforms delivering packages in big painted trucks is probably a couple hundred thousand sales for someone, with upkeep and maintenance, but isn't a market the size of YouTube. I think it's a fairly typical move by the hardware companies continuing to try different form factors in case one catches on. Compaq and a number of the other companies came out with micro-desktops at the turn of the century, which I thought was a great idea: how many of us need full-length cards in our desktops any more? I worked with a company a few years ago that used TabletPCs for their field personnel to fill out forms (90% buttons, a few text fields) for quick submission from field to processing where that time window was critical. They could justify the cost of expensive machines regularly dropped, cracked, broken or "lost" by personnel, but I think it really depends on the business. I cart around my laptop for real work and a Day-Timer for calendar, notes and contacts. -- Ted Roche Ted Roche & Associates, LLC http://www.tedroche.com _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: ProFox@leafe.com Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.