Pen-Enabled Mac Modbook? What’s Not To Like?

July 15, 2008

Most of us know about the legendary intuitive user interface of Apple Mac computers. Now Axiotron, Inc. has taken this one step further with the one and only pen-enabled tablet Mac, the Modbook, which allows users to draw and write directly on the 13.3-in. diagonal LCD screen. Having tried it for a couple of weeks, this writer found the unit’s condensed form factor and integrated pen-based user experience a real joy in terms of flexibility and control. And it’s fast!

This product seamlessly integrates an Apple MacBook computer, an advanced Wacom Penabled digitizer display, and Axiotron’s own hardware and software technology. It’s the only tablet Mac on the market. Since it runs on the Mac OS X Leopard platform, any application that runs on OS X like Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop will run on this unit.

Yes, all the features of an Apple MacBook are in the Modbook. Although it does not come with a keyboard or mouse for inputs, these can be connected via a pair of USB ports or Bluetooth. Text can also be entered through Axiotron’s Quickclicks software keyboard.

With a weight of 5.5 lbs, this product is a bit heavy, but when you try out all its features and capabilities, you’ll soon forget about the heft. It has the same features as an Apple MacBook, Leopard’s built-in Inkwell handwriting recognition, the same processing-power and memory-storage capability, a built-in iSight camera, a 24x DVD Combo drive or an 8x DVD Superdrive, depending on the model, and built-in GPS capability.

The most recent configurations include 2.1-GHz or 2.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors and 120-Gbytes or 160-Gbytes of hard-disk memory, respectively, which makes this product twice as fast and powerful as any slate-type tablet PC on the market. This tablet Mac is super sensitive with its unparalleled 512 levels of pen pressure sensitivity.

And its price is competitive. It is available in the U.S. and Canada exclusively through Axion authorized resellers, at a price of $2290 and $2499 (Canadian dollars), respectively. The Apple Remote is also available as a separate accessory.

Axiotron
www.axiotron.com

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.