Austin, Texas-based Motion Computing has unveiled the LS800, a device the company is claiming is the industry's smallest and lightest tablet PC. The new slate tablet PC is approximately the size of a paperback book and runs Microsoft's Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005. Tablet PC adoption is continuing to demonstrate steady growth, particularly among vertical market buyers, many of whom require smaller form factor slates for targeted applications. Some analysts expect that tablet PC shipments will double by 2008.

Designed for highly mobile professionals in industries such as route sales and service, manufacturing and healthcare, the LS800 is approximately half the size of most other slate tablet PCs. It integrates an 8.4in. display, is less than 25mm thick and weighs 997g. It's also among the first tablet PCs with the latest generation of Intel's Centrino mobile technology, comprising a Pentium M Processor Ultra-Low Voltage 753 (1.2GHz) and 915GMS Express Chipset, 512MB of 400MHz DDR2 memory, and a 60GB 1.8in. hard disk. The LS800's slim, standard battery offers up to 3 hours of continuous use, according to the company.

'Motion received frequent feedback from customers about the need for a lightweight, compact and powerful tablet PC. With the LS800, we are answering an unmet need for hands-free mobility and productivity across the mobile workforce; raising the bar for the tablet PC market. Motion is defining a new category of tablet PC with this ultra-portable slate,' said Scott Eckert, Motion Computing's CEO. 'The LS800 complements Motion's offering of best-in-class tablet PCs and accessories, while extending the company's leadership to new customers and industries.'

Additional batteries are warm-swappable when the unit is placed in standby mode, allowing you to change batteries without fully powering down or rebooting. The SVGA display provides a 120-degree viewing angle, and optional View Anywhere display technology promises high-quality display clarity and visibility at nearly all angles indoors and outdoors. View Anywhere gives you a 10-to-1 reduction in sunlight reflection compared to standard tablet PC displays, according to Motion Computing.

Additional features of the tablet PC include proprietary Speak Anywhere technology, featuring dual-array microphones for voice input, background noise cancellation, and voice recognition for speech-to-text transcription. There's also Gigabit Ethernet (with MobileDock) for faster wired network connections, embedded Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g) and Bluetooth, IrDA port for wireless synchronisation with PDAs and Smartphones, SD slot for compact expansion capability, as well as a VGA connector for external displays and digital projectors.

An embedded Trusted Platform Module (TPM) enables hardware-protected encryption, as well as digital certificate storage for authentication and secure e-mail applications. A built-in fingerprint reader uses biometric data to prevent unauthorised access to system resources and encrypted data. The LS800 also features the Motion Security Center for quick access to the tablet PC's authentication, password and encryption applications. You can disable 802.11x, Bluetooth and IrDA at the BIOS level for additional data safeguarding.

BIOS, 08.07.05