One time Dell boys join the Tablet bandwagon

A start-up formed by a group of former Dell employees is ready to jump on the Tablet PC bandwagon with its own model ready for launch when Microsoft rolls out its Tablet OS on 7 November.

Motion Computing plans to unveil its tablet-style computer that will offer more deluxe features than competing machines, according to chief executive officer Scott Eckert.

The company's M1200 will contain an ultra-low voltage 866MHz Pentium III, between 128MB and 1GB of memory, and a 20GB, 40GB or 60GB hard drive. The device's 12.1-inch screen is expected to be larger than many competing devices' displays; also, the weight of the three-pound machine will be evenly balanced, making it easier to use as a writing "tablet," Eckert said. (Read silicon.com's first impressions of the Tablet PC, here: http://www.silicon.com/a55712 )

Microsoft has lead the push towards this new form of mobile computing with its Tablet PC operating system, a specialised version of Windows XP that offers handwriting recognition, among other features.

Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, Fujitsu and Acer are scheduled to release their own versions of tablet PC devices - based on Microsoft's operating system - on 7 November.

Motion brings to the table a stable of hardware talent, as many of its top executives have spent time at Dell. CEO Eckert, for one, was instrumental in creating Dell Online. Other Dell alumni include chief designer Tom Bentley, vice president of software Charles Zeller, vice president of sales Ralph Spagnola and chief operating officer David Alounian.

Michael Kanellos writes for News.com