Paceblade's Pacebook is by far the most commercially ready tablet PC on the market, though they would much rather I call it a notebook instead. The key component in Paceblade's product design is a separate light weight laptop like keyboard. The tablet PC component, and wireless keyboard join together by means of a special carrying case to form what is for all intensive purposes, a notebook computer.

Since the fabric case which makes this miracle possible uses some rigid supports the device can't really be called a "laptop" just yet. While talking with the Paceblade rep we comfortably balenced the the Pacebook in one arm and deftly took snapshots with a camera in the other.

Since this tablet PC is currently on the market, and more importantly, available directly to consumers with a nice speedy TM5800 Crusoe processor installed, this is your best bet for the future right here, right now.

In speaking with company reps previously we have been told that most new users to a tablet PC quickly become frustrated with the slowness of entering text, or website URL's by stylus, or digital keyboard. Paceblade came up with a compromise that is intended to allow users a grace period while they learn how to use the tablet PC interface.

In principle, this concept sounds pretty good, but I get the distinct impression that most Paceblade owners will be holding onto that keyboard to the bitter end. Realistically speaking, why should we abandon one of the quickest ways of inputting info? Most people can type a lot faster than they can write (or at least write legibly) so the keyboard still makes a lot of sense even though it is cooler to imagine devices that cast it aside. Practical minds will come to bear when we all consider just how much mindless websurfing we do, which isn't interspaced with an email every few minutes.

Since we are well and truly off topic, let's swing back into line by mentioning that were it not for the Crusoe processor we probably wouldn't have these dilemmas to mull over. I played around with Pacebook shown above for a few minutes before scampering over to the OQO kiosk and can say that program load times (like Excel or Word) were pretty good. The touch screen was easy to work with, and the nice large screen was worth every inch. Obviously, this is too short a time to draw realistic conclusions over the Paceblade's Pacebook, but the experience was easy and intuitive.