12. Conclusion

After spending a significant amount of time with the PaceBook, we can honestly say that it presents many interesting and innovative ideas in tablet computing. While everything may not be as perfect as we would have preferred, the PaceBook is a fine first effort in this newly revived product category.

When looking at the PaceBook, one must decide if this type of technology offers the kind of flexibility that the user needs. It might be better said that the PaceBook is not necessarily a perfect fit for those seeking a power oriented machine. However, if you are looking for portability and the unique style of flexibility that the PaceBook offers, then it might be a good investment.

One feature that we feel is critical, and missing from the PaceBook, is built-in wireless Ethernet support. The fact that you are tethered to a wire to get network connectivity sort of defeats the purpose of a tablet PC. While it is possible to use a wireless Ethernet card in the PCMCIA slot, we still found that to be unacceptable when one takes into consideration how much the PaceBook costs ($2100). Also missing is a floppy disk drive for those occasions when you may need it. You can attach a USB floppy drive, but unfortunately, you will not be able to boot from it.

Another idea that PaceBook might want to consider is the addition of a presentation remote control, which would be a nice feature to have to present Power Point slide shows. A solution might be a generic universal remote with a driver for the IRD receiver that would allow the remote to perhaps mimic a keyboard.

PaceBook with the travel bag or PaceBag.

Overall, we think PaceBlade has presented a new and interesting twist on tablet PC technology. While it can't be said that everything with the PaceBook was perfect, many of the concepts presented in the design technology from this Taiwanese company are far more innovative than what we have seen previously. After reviewing the PaceBook, it might be best said that we have more questions than answers. On one hand, it does fill a void that has existed in PC technology for many years, but on the other hand it does not fit the needs of all consumers. PaceBlade can't really be blamed for this, as many of the problems are rooted in the lack of tablet PC specific support in Windows XP itself.

We wonder what a product such as the PaceBook would be like if it used the Palm operating system instead of Windows XP. With Palm's acquisition of Be, we have to wonder if the next generation of the Palm operating system would not be a better fit for tablet PC technology than Windows will ever be. The down side is that you can't run standard Windows applications on a Palm OS. This, however, could be overcome with the continued massive development efforts of the Palm OS development community.

When considering tablet PC computing, we wonder if we wouldn't be better off with an oversized Palm Pilot, instead of a 'smoke and mirrors' Windows operating system that was never designed with tablet computing in mind. While we are sure that Windows XP will improve its support for tablet computing over time, this is not the current state of affairs. While PaceBlade may struggle to find a niche market for its products, much of the blame will squarely and rightfully fall at Microsoft's doorstep.

The question to be answered is, would we buy a PaceBook? While the PaceBook does present many of the things we have been longing for in computing technology over the past few years, the PaceBook still has a variety of shortcomings that do not make it a good fit for our uses. The PaceBook does offer many niche applications, a unique product that has not been available previously. Depending upon your application needs, the PaceBook may be a good fit for your uses. We would encourage you to make sure that the PaceBook meets all of your potential requirements before committing to purchase one.

Solid construction and innovative design, as well as exceptional craftsmanship, are the marks of the PaceBook. We can only hope that the Windows XP operating system will catch up soon.