A top tablet gets better
The Stylistic ST5000, which sells for about $2,049, is a significant improvement over what was already one of the top slates, the Stylistic ST4120 tablet, an Editors' Choice model last year. The new ST5000 features a 12.1-inch display, a big boost over the previous model's 10.4-inch screen. Despite a bigger screen, this tablet remains relatively feathery at 3.4 pounds, and it's less than an inch thick. (NEC still has the lightest slate tablet, the 2.2-pound Versa LitePad.) Other specs include a 40GB or 60GB hard drive, 256MB of RAM (expandable to 2GB), a dedicated smart-card slot, and a shared Memory Stick/Secure Digital media slot. Plus its black-and-silver design gives it a slick look. All told, it was my pick of the day for day one of CES.

CNET Labs hasn't tested the new ST5000, but it promises to be speedier than the ST4120, as it sports an ultralow-voltage Intel Pentium M processor running at 1GHz. The chip is designed to deliver better performance than the older model's Pentium III, plus it extends battery life. Battery life is also enhanced by a bigger standard battery (4,400mAh), which Fujitsu claims will crank for up to five hours. (A high-capacity battery--6,600mAh--is also available, which can last up to eight hours.) We'll put those claims to the test in CNET Labs later.

Connectivity has also been enhanced. The Stylistic ST5000 now features optional 802.11a+b/g wireless LAN. I'm not sure too many users are clamoring for this technology yet, but the tablet also features a Gigabit Ethernet LAN (10/100/1000 Base-T/TX) option, providing the ability to connect at speeds of 1,000 megabits per second.

Armed and dangerous
The most unusual aspect of the Fujitsu tablet is a large articulating arm that attaches to the back of the tablet at one end and to a desk, a wall, or your car's dashboard at the other. (Seems a tad dangerous for the average car, but otherwise it's a nice idea.)

So which tablet rules? Slate or convertible? For me it's a no-brainer: If I'm forced to use a tablet, I need the safety blanket of a permanently attached keyboard that can twist and hide behind the screen when I don't need it. So naturally, I think the convertible models are more useful, and I asked a Fujitsu representative why the company sells both convertible and slate tablets. Slates sell better than convertibles, the rep said, especially in the vertical markets that embrace tablets, such as health care and insurance.

Slates in Motion
And speaking of slates, Motion Computing is at the Consumer Electronics Show in full force, giving demos of the next-generation tablets launched last month. The most significant improvement in these models is the screen: some models now feature a Motion View Anywhere Display. The 12.1-inch display works by using a special laminate designed to cut down on reflection, thus increasing the readability of the screen when viewed in sunlight. Motion Computing believes the new screens will be of particular interest to clients in industries such as insurance and real estate, where users spend a lot of time away from the office.

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