$1000 Tablet PC for Appraisers
You have probably seen or read about Tablet PC’s. How they can help you become more productive by eliminating redundant typing or how you can complete your entire appraisal, then send it to your client while you’re in the field. And this is all true. Let’s face it; they are great computers that seem to have been created just for Appraisers. But I’m sure that you have also heard or read about their drawbacks, such as their high cost and sometimes their weight. For most appraisers, a $3000 computer might be a little tough to swallow, no matter what the benefits are.
Enter the Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC). With a price range between $600 to $1000 dollars, these UMPC’s might be the solution appraisers have been waiting for. You get all the benefits of a Tablet PC at a much lower cost. Even at the high range, the UMPC’s can be far less expensive than the lowest configured “regular sized” Tablet PC out there. So the UMPC can give you the best of both worlds.
The UMPC is designed to be a “go everywhere, do anything” computer. The key word is computer, because it actually is. It’s a Tablet PC running Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005. As you know, Tablets today already incorporate technologies such as WiFi and Bluetooth, but this UMPC will also feature a touch screen as an input device. For most people, the UMPC’s is not going to be your best PC, but it’s going to be better than the best one you leave behind.
UMPC Specs:
Specification |
UMPC Minimum Requirement |
Display |
7" or smaller, landscape orientation, minimum 800x480 (Wide VGA), with 800x600 (SVGA) and 1024x600 (Wide SVGA) available through video scaling rather than scrolling |
Input methods |
Finger touch and stylus, hardware controls (navigate and select with buttons),
or external keyboard |
CPU |
Intel Celeron M, Intel Pentium M, or VIA C7-M |
Storage |
Minimum 30 GB |
Battery life |
Minimum 2.5 hours |
Network connectivity |
WiFi, Bluetooth or Ethernet |
Weight |
2 pounds or less |
Operating System |
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 (eventually Windows Vista) |
Optional features |
Compact flash or SD slot, external monitor support, GPS, webcam, fingerprint reader, digital TV tuner, etc. |
Target price range |
$600 - $1,000 |
Samsung and Asus are two of the companies coming out with their version of a UMPC. Neither one is available as of yet, but both should be released by then end of this year. To find out more about UMPC’s, click on the link below - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/umpc/default.mspx
| Samsung Ultra Mobile |
Asus R2H |
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