Motion CL900

I can't wait to try the Motion CL900. Some of you might remember the Motion LS800. That was a smaller slate tablet that resembled a smaller LE1600. The LS800 had an 8.4" screen with an active digitizer. No touch. Plus, the LS800 got fairly warm when you were using it.

Now, Motion Computing has introduced the CL900 rugged slate tablet. Times have definitely changed since 2005. Because of the Apple iPad, almost everyone is now comfortable with the slate tablet form factor. Plus, advances in computing technology have led to faster processors that run cooler. I hope Motion will have some CL900 demos at HIMSS11.

Let's briefly compare the Motion CL900 vs. the HP Slate 500:

• The Motion CL900 and the HP Slate 500 are some of the newer slate tablets that run Windows 7.  
• The Motion CL900 is a rugged slate that uses Gorilla Glass. 
• The HP Slate 500 is lighter and smaller at 1.5 lbs compared to the CL900 that weighs 2.1 lbs. 
• The HP Slate 500 has a smaller screen (8.9") compared to the CL900 that has a 10.1" screen. (higher screen resolution on the CL900)
• The CL900 comes with a WWAN option using Gobi.
• Battery life: HP Slate 500 is rated at 5+ hrs. Motion CL900 is rated at 8 hrs.

Motion Announces the New C5v and F5v Rugged Tablet PCs

Motion Computing has made improvements to the C5 and F5 mobile tablet computers. The C5v and F5v offer enhanced integrated features, improved performance, durability and connectivity.

Features and Benefits include (on the F5v):

• 50% improvement in performance
• Approx 30% increase in battery life
• Intel® Core™ i5 and i7 vPro™ processors
• Increased storage capacity and memory
• Display now standard with Gorilla glass for up to 4 times the strength in breakage resistance
• Hot swappable battery
• Web camera and 3MP documentation camera

You'll find most of the same features on the C5v.  If you're looking for a great mobile clinical assistant (MCA) that includes Gorilla glass (made by Corning), then the C5v is waiting for you.  Maybe you can find some great deals on the older Motion C5.

More info about the HP Slate tablet

Thanks to Engadget for pointing us to this video. HP has provided us with some more information about the HP Slate and I'm eager to hold this device in my hand. I had the opportunity to review an HP Tablet PC (HP EliteBook 2730p) last year and I really hope that I'll have the chance to review the Slate when it becomes available. Otherwise, I may have to go out there and buy one.  Will the HP Slate be a better tablet for the health care industry since it will run Windows? This Slate could run any Windows-based Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. Plus, since it's so small and light, doctors would carry it everywhere.  Let's hope the price doesn't make this prohibitive. Let's also hope we see some Gorilla Glass on this!

Will we see more Gorilla Glass used in health care computers?

Have you heard of Gorilla Glass?

Corning Gorilla glass is an environmentally friendly alkali-aluminosilicate thin sheet glass designed specifically to function as a protective window for portable display devices. What really sets Gorilla glass apart from the competition is that it’s both strong and damage resistant.

I'm sure we'll be seeing more use of Gorilla Glass in the health care setting. After all, smartphones and mobile computers get dropped quite frequently in the clinical setting. Just ask a medical student, "Have you ever dropped your smartphone or PDA in the hospital?"

Last October, we heard this: Motion’s C5 and F5 are the First Rugged Tablet PCs to Feature Corning’s Durable Gorilla™ Glass. It's great to see that Motion Computing will be using Gorilla Glass in the C5 MCA (Mobile Clinical Assistant). Wouldn't it be nice to see Gorilla Glass used in all the medical tablets and notebooks?

How do you protect your tablet PC in the hospital?

Most clinicians don't use a case when they're carrying their tablet PC around the hospital, clinic, or medical office. They're not all using rugged tablets either, so a single drop onto a hard floor could break the device (and I'm sure this happens quite frequently). I'm sure the hospital IT department sees many tablet PCs that have broken LCD screens, cracked cases, etc.

So what's the practical solution? Use a case/cover? Purchase a rugged device (which tends to be much more expensive)? I'm waiting for a company to develop a nice silicon-type sleeve that will cover a convertible tablet PC and allow you to use it in either in tablet mode or laptop mode. This type of cover won't provide a great deal of protection, but it's certainly better than no protection.

Also, I'm envisioning that most (if not all) future tablet PCs will use Gorilla Glass (or something very similar). We should see a reduction in broken LCD screens. I also anticipate that rugged tablets will become less expensive and we'll see more of these used in the health care sector. After all, some protection against liquid spills and splashes is always nice when you're at the bedside.