Here is some good news for those and especially those who can be classified as business professionals. If you are looking for a mobile tablet PC that has the Windows functionality and application in it then there is the aptly named Business Class 9” Tablet, or just BC9 tablet for you. This should be particularly suitable for the traveling professionals who are always on the move and need a device that’s more handy than a Netbook while being almost just as effective. Typing down the minutes of a meeting on a Slate PC isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do while carrying an external keyboard will obviously add to the weight of your carrying case. So the real solution would be a Slate PC but with a keyboard attached to it. Which is exactly what the BC 9 Tablet is, made and introduced to the Australian and Asia-Pacific markets by the Australia-based Handii.
This one has the touch facility of a tablet PC as well as the type features of a PC. Behind the 8.9-inch TFT LCD, high-resolution touchscreen display sits a Via C7 -M 772 Esther processor clocking in at 1.2GHz. Onboard memory amounts to 1 GB of DDR2 RAM while storage space is made up of a 32Gb SATA Solid State Drive. The tablet also comes integrated with the VIA S3G UniChrome Pro II 128Mb to take care of graphic files. The resistive touch screen has a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels and is capable of accepting handwriting inputs. And as for the keyboard, the BC 9’s case has a silicon keyboard built on it. However, the typing experience isn’t the same as the conventional keyboard made of plastic though the keys are well-spaced and are quite easy to get used to it.
Connectivity options are important for a tablet PC that claims to aid those in the corporate sector and the BC 9 Tablet does not disappoint here, offering both 802.11b/g WiFi as well as Bluetooth and Ethernet as it does. There are also 2 high speed USB 2.0 ports along with 5.76Mbps 3G Broadband Modem built into it.
Apart from these, the tablet also incorporates a 1.5 megapixel webcam, a headphone and a microphone jack as well as VGA output. The business tablet also has a built-in accelerometer though the functionality hasn’t been initiated as yet and is pending a software tweaking job. Handii has revealed a future software update is all that would be needed to get the display to match orientation of the tablet.
Coming to the battery, a 7.4V/7000mAh Li-ion unit does duty, which Handii says is good enough for 5 hours of operations before requiring a recharge. However, on the flip side, the battery is not user-replaceable and is situated on the other side of the integrated leather cover.
Their President has expressed joy at being able to produce this gadget.
Greg amplifies by saying “The first product in this new series, the BC9, is a 8.9 inch touch screen tablet partnered with a silicone keyboard, which previewers at the IT Show Singapore agreed was the first truly usable example they’d seen, it really is the complete package, and means you no longer have to choose between the compact, touch screen experience and a keyboard.”
The gadget comes in a stylish and hard-wearing black case. This case also doubles up for a stand. One gets the convenience of the laptop in this lightweight portable gadget. The BC 9 measure 243 x 140 x 21.2 mm and weighs 1.15 kilos including the battery, leather case and the keyboard.
Retailing through the Handii Asia Pvt Ltd the price tag has been fixed at SGD$899/SGD$799 for the 3G and Non 3G respectively. The set will be made available at Handii’s retail stores as well as online for sale from July onwards.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
