Axiotron

No, that picture is not a photoshopped prototype of what a Mac tablet "might" look like, "if" Apple were to produce a tablet. It’s the real deal.  Axiotron has just announced the 15.4" ModBook Pro, housed in the sleek, aluminum, unibody MacBook Pro base system.

The ModBook Pro will introduce Synergy Touch™ to the ModBook Pro.  Let me repeat, the ModBook Pro has both pen and touch input simultaneously - nothing new for tablet PCs, but definitely a breakthrough for Modbooks.  The 15.4" screen not only makes it the largest touch screen tablet on the market, but it’s also the most powerful.

There are two ways to go about buying your own Modbook Pro.  Axiotron Modbook Pro starts at $4,998 (not cheap) and comes with a 2.4GHz, 250GB HD, 2GB memory MacBook Pro base system.  You can upgrade from there.   The second way to get your own ModBook Pro is to send Axiotron your current MacBook Pro and have them convert it to a ModBook for the low low price of $3,049.  Pretty cool!

ModBook Pro vs Tablet PCs  For those of you unfamiliar, I wrote an extensive article last year on Axiotron’s Modbook, which gives Mac users their own tablet PC.  Being a self-professed mutt, a tablet PC advocate for writers, and a Mac enthusiast, I find myself torn between two technology worlds.  I’ve test-driven the Modbook quite a few times and there are three things that bother me: The lack of Cocoa framework, tablet-specific software; handwriting recognition and no attachable keyboard.

New Keyboard for Modbook Pro???   Let’s start backwards with the keyboard annoyance.  To date you have to jimmy-rig a stand/docking station and attach a USB or Bluetooth keyboard. BUT HOLD THE PHONES!  A solution may be literally "at hand".  With the new Synergy Touch™ technology an on-screen touch keyboard could be the solution I’ve been waiting for.  Using a keyboard similar the iPhone, it would offer a quick input solution for mobile users wanting to type up an email, IM, etc.  It sure would be nice if you were way ahead of me on this, Axiotron.

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I use both Mac and PC and don’t look upon either as a religious platform.  Having the ability to access both operating systems on a Mac via virtual machine software like Parallels and VMware Fusion is not only pure bliss but it means I’m almost always tethered to the Mac…accept when it comes to screenwriting. The Tablet PC is such a useful tool when it comes to writing that I cannot abandon the technology solely for Mac.

The Creative Community Cries a River
“Why Jobs, why hast thow forsaken us!?”  Dry your eyes creative folk lest you short-circuit your keyboards. But take note Jobs - given that a large part of the creative community are Mac users, Apple may have been better off  to go the “tablet” route vs. the “Air” route.  [click to continue...]