With Microsoft's Windows XP Tablet PC Edition due for release next month, system vendors are beginning to show devices that will make use of the new software and its pen-driven features.

ViewSonic's Tablet PC V1100 is a keyboard-free design, unlike most Tablet PCs seen by IT Week. Set to ship when Microsoft launches XP Tablet PC Edition next month, the device is lighter than most at 1.5kg, but is still heavy to use while holding. Its standard battery life of just four hours will also limit its usefulness away from the desk.

As with other Tablet PCs, we found the handwriting recognition was impressive, but accuracy declined as the speed of input increased. The screen was also often affected by glare from overhead office lights. But the device has a good range of connectivity options, including built-in wireless LAN (WLAN).

ViewSonic has been manufacturing tablet-style devices for specific industries for a number of years, but the Tablet PC V1100 is its first aimed at the mainstream office productivity market.

The V1100 is about the same size as an ultraportable laptop, but has no keyboard and there is no lid to cover its 10.4in TFT screen. However, our review unit was supplied in a stiffened leather case to protect it.

The main interface device is a stylus, which serves both as a mouse replacement and as a pen for writing onto the screen.

Unlike some stylus-driven machines, Tablet PCs use a magnetic system to sense the position of the stylus, instead of incorporating a touch-sensitive screen. This system is able to capture handwriting at a high resolution for conversion to text, according to Microsoft, but this means that a special stylus is required - so losing the stylus on a business trip could render the Tablet PC useless.

Our review unit came with a full set of tools installed, including the usual Office applications from Microsoft. Text entry for these applications is accomplished through a pop-up tool called the Tablet PC Input Panel, which can be switched between an on-screen keyboard or writing pad for converting pen input to text.

The Windows Journal application also allows the Tablet PC to be used like a notepad, capturing diagrams or writing that can subsequently be converted to text.

We tested the handwriting recognition by sampling input from a number of IT Week staff, and found that the recognition rate was close to one hundred percent in most cases. However, if users scrawl quickly, as when jotting down notes, this impressive performance deteriorates markedly.

We also found that the writing pad only has enough room for a few words to be written in one go; the user then has to wait until the writing is converted to text in the application before continuing.

The Tablet PC V1100 is based on an 866MHz Intel Mobile Pentium III-M processor with 256MB memory, expandable to 512MB, and has a 20GB hard disk. We found that although this specification is ample for running standard productivity applications, the device may be a little under-powered for handwriting recognition, as it sometimes took several seconds for a sentence to be converted.

ViewSonic has equipped the Tablet PC V1100 with a substantial range of connectivity options, including 802.11b WLAN and 10/100 LAN adapters, built-in modem, IEEE.1394 FireWire and USB ports. PC Card and CompactFlash slots cater for expansion, while a docking connector allows the V1100 to sit in an optional desktop cradle with a DVD-ROM drive.

Price: £1,699 + VAT

Contact: ViewSonic 01293 643 900

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