The ThinkPad TransNote is a notebook computer by IBM[3] that was launched in February 2001.[4]
Design
The TransNote was an internal collaboration between IBM's Research and Personal Computing Division (PCD). Randy Moulic, manager of client systems at IBM, merged the pen technologies group and mobile PC platform group to work on the prototype.[5]John Karidis was responsible for the mechanical design of the TransNote.[6][7] Kardis and Ronald Smith developed the system that allows the TransNote to fold on top of itself to reduce the footprint of the device.[8]
The TransNote was created to combine the CrossPad which IBM developed in collaboration with A.T. Cross and a laptop computer, specifically the ThinkPad. IBM was targetting two groups with the development of the TransNote: note-takers and graphic-intensive users.[9]
The TrasNote received several patents for its design and features.[8][10][11][12]
Features
The TransNote consists of a leather-like folio case which contains a computer on one side and a paper notebook on the other side.[13]
The CrossPad technology would become known as ThinkScribe on the TransNote.[14] The ThinkScribe pad had 2MB of internal memory to record notes that could be stored and then transferred to the computer component.[13] The notes could be converted into JPEG, TIFF and PDF formats.[5]
The hardware relies on the use of the software package InkManagerPro which was developed for the TransNote. [15]
The battery pack uses flat Samsung 103450 cells.[18]
Reception
Computerworld called it a "failed design" because it tried to blend a large 3M digitized pad with a tiny underpowered laptop in the same product.[19]PCQuest viewed it as an attractive choice for people who travel a lot.[20]TechRepublic called it one of the 25 "unique and bizarre breakthroughs" in laptop innovation.[21]
Awards
The TransNote won a Gold iF Product Design Award in 2002 in the product discipline.[22] The TransNote was the winner in the PC category of the PC Magazine Awards for Technical Excellence in 2001.[23] It also won an IDSA IDEA Award in 2001[24]
Academia
The TransNote was utilized in a handwriting study that examined the writing speed and "wrinkliness" as it related to forged handwriting.[25]
Further developments
IBM announced the discontinuation of the TransNote in February 2002, intending to discontinue it at the end of the year.[26] John Karidis noted that IBM learned a lot about the tablet PC market and the kinds of customers that use these devices.[9]
^ abUS6307741B1, Karidis, John P. & Smith, Ronald Alan, "System and method for improving the physical management of a portfolio computer and reducing the footprint thereof during operation", issued 2001-10-23
^US20020041290A1, Lekuch, Scott; Inoue, Ken & Dumarot, Dan et al., "Extending the GUI desktop/paper metaphor to incorporate physical paper input", issued 2002-04-11
^US20020040817A1, Lekuch, Scott; Inoue, Ken & Dumarot, Dan et al., "Data steering flip pen system", issued 2002-04-11
^US20020042888A1, Lekuch, Scott; Inoue, Ken & Dumarot, Dan et al., "Digitizer companion subsystem to extend PC battery life", issued 2002-04-11
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