HP Slate Too Big e-Book

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer demonstrated Windows 7 running on a prototype HP Tablet computer (referred to as a "slate") at CES 2009. This was used to show the Amazon Kindle for PC e-Book reader software. What stuck me about the demonstration was how clumsy the device was to use . With a screen of about 10 inches screen, the device is too large to hold comfortably in one had and operate with the other. The unit in Mr. Ballmer's hand is wobbling as he operates it. This is too cumbersome for a usable e-Book. As suggested previously, 6 inches is about the largest size for a standard format screen which can be held comfortably in one hand (perhaps 7 inches for a wide screen device).

A lighter device, such as the Amazon Kindle, can be gripped by the edge with one hand, while operated by the other. However, the classic computer tablet design, where the screen extends to the edge and the device weighs too much to hold by the edge anyway, cannot be operated this way. It has to be propped against the body or placed on a surface.

Set Windows 7 for power saving

The posting "The skinny on power management in Windows 7"by Martin LaMonica (CTNET News Green Tech 12 June 2009), claims that Microsoft has made energy efficiency a key design element of Windows 7. But what settings are enabled by default? Many people do not change the settings in their operating system and the default Windows 7 setting could have a significant effect on Australia's overall energy consumption and carbon emissions for the next decade.

In "Windows 7 Energy Efficiency" Microsoft's engineers discuss energy saving opportunities, including that about 40% of the power in a laptop, and new laptop-like small desktops, is consumed by the screen. But what I couldn't find was a clear statement that the power saving options, including setting the screen to go blank be default, would be set by default in the official release of Windows 7. Reasonable defaults would be for the screen to switch off after five minutes of inactivity, the computer to switch to sleep mode after 60 minutes and to hibernate after 3 hours.