RobiNZ CAD Blog

Well, that's saved me a fortune! | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio

As a Surface Book 2 (SB2) owner I watched the launch of its replacement, the Surface Laptop Studio (SLS), this morning with some interest. Although the specification mostly impressed* the new form factor doesn't really appeal. It looses the iconic Surface Book hinge and ability to detach the display that is, for me, a great feature of the current design. Detaching the display means the SB2 loses access to its graphics card, left in the base with secondary battery, but becomes a light weight high powered large tablet as the i7 chip, integrated Intel Graphics and storage are all in... Read more →

My (nearly) Perfect PC? Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro

Back in 2009 I wrote a post, which also spawned a new category “My Perfect PC”, prompted by the desire for a truly mobile design/drawing/documentation tool: My perfect computer - Part 1 - It comes out of the closet? Recently I was clearing out a closet and found what was, a long time ago, my design tool box: + + + An A3 board, mechanical/architectural templates plus a handful of drawing instruments meant I could draw pretty much anything... Later in the article I set out a spec for that device: Based on technology that's available today, or nearly here,... Read more →

Real BIM on a Tablet

I found this video via an Aussie Tablet PC Blog, A demo showing Tekla BIMSight running on a Motion Tablet. Motion F5t Tablet – BIM Demonstration(Building Information Modelling) | Tablet PC Blog As demonstrated in the video below, the really awesome thing about a Windows tablet (Windows 7 or Windows 8) is having a full operating system that can run full Windows programs with all of their power and complexity in a mobile form factor. The video shows the Motion F5t running Tekla BIMSight and as you’ll see the Motion F5t is built to handle the complex 3D modelling in... Read more →

Microsoft Surface RT: A tablet or something more?

Unfortunately I’m just an interested observer of the Microsoft Surface/Windows RT release. Microsoft chose to omit New Zealand from the initial launch which is mildly annoying. It would have been more so I hadn’t already decided to postpone any purchase until seeing the full Surface Pro due (hopefully in NZ too) in a few months. Of the many Surface RT reviews I’ve read this one by Hal Berenson, a former Microsoft/DEC engineer, has me intrigued. His ‘sort of review’ has an interesting view of why Surface RT differs from current tablets and the influence of its versatile form factor: Understanding... Read more →

Taking notes, from Autodesk University 2004 to #AU2010

I’ve been using the notebook (right) for meetings since Autodesk University 2004. It’s apparent that I don’t take many analog notes as, seven years later, I have only just filled it! One reason it survived is I like the size and ring binding which allows pages to be torn out and filed/scanned. Was that my last paper notebook? An IT colleague noticed the old AU 2004 logo on that book recently and thanks to him I already have a replacement – from another conference - in the same format. Thanks Amit! It will last even longer as I typically use... Read more →

The synergy of pen & touch

I first saw this video on Long Zheng’s blog a few days ago. Microsoft Research show how pen & touch can combine to be more than touch alone. While touch gestures like pinch, tap & drag can be good for changing view, tapping links or moving objects it’s far from what is needed for natural interaction. This hints at what a combination of the active digitiser stylus and touch can achieve. Lets hope we see it outside the lab and (hello Autodesk?) in our design applications.... Microsoft Research’s “Manual Deskterity” explores the synergy of pen & touch – istartedsomething Then... Read more →

It’s what I thought the iPad would be…

Pop over to Engadget and check out their post. If it is a real product (Q3/4 launch date rumoured) it’s going to shake up the “pad” market… Microsoft's Courier 'digital journal': exclusive pictures,details, video! – Engadget Read more →

What is it about ink, tablets (and the iPad)? A lesson from Autodesk University 2009

I took my iPhone and a HP Convertible Tablet PC (from work) to Autodesk University. It was the first time I’d travelled with both and the differences, in form and function, in real world use* were revealing. That experience was at the forefront of my mind as I watched the iPad “reveal” and why I found it distinctly underwhelming. * If a conference in Las Vegas can be considered “real world”! What is it about “Ink” that makes it more than writing (analog or digital) or typing? The MindManager map (right) was inked on a Tablet during an AU session... Read more →

Why the iPhone made me buy a Windows Desktop PC

My home PC recently celebrated it’s sixth birthday it is starting to show it’s age. When it was new a P4 2.8 processor with 1GB ram was regarded as quite a respectable spec but times have changed. Contrary to the experiences of many it has run XP all that time, without a rebuild or any hardware trouble*. A bad upgrade experience led me to dump the Norton AV it arrived with, in favour of ZoneAlarm, but apart from that the only need to open the case has been dust removal. It goes ok, if slowly, and will live on in... Read more →

Microsoft's Secret Tablet is a Booklet?

Could Microsoft be about to out cool Apple? Will reality match the vision? Lets hope this doesn’t become Origami 2, remember the UMPC tablet that never really happened*, because it looks too good to fail. The video demo is cool but I wonder, how would it cope with CAD design/review applications? If Microsoft want a tester… Courier: First Details of Microsoft's Secret Tablet - Microsoft courier tablet – Gizmodo Courier is a real device, and we've heard that it's in the "late prototype" stage of development. It's not a tablet, it's a booklet… (Click for more info, video and gallery)... Read more →