IBM ThinkPad TransNote – The Ultimate Student / Lawyer Computer

What if you had a computer that was also a notepad? A compelling idea and one that the industry has been trying to address for well over a decade with various pen tablet and PDA designs. Microsoft itself is interested in the concept and is busy working on the Tablet PC.

That's why IBM developed the ThinkPad TransNote which premiered in February of 2001. The ThinkPad line, of course, began life as an actual pad, a tablet computer. It is therefore interesting that IBM needed to come up with the "TransNote" name to differentiate a new approach that was much more pad-like from the legions of notebook ThinkPads. TransNote - a ThinkPad that transforms into a notebook, because that's what the TransNote is. When the TransNote came out in 2001, it was received with much fanfare by some of the press. BusinessWeek named it "The Best Product of the Year 2001" and PC Magazine presented a "Technical Excellence Award 2001" and gave the TransNote a rating of four out of five stars.

Let me explain the basic concept. The TransNote consists of a leather-like "Endurimer" folio case that contains a full computer on one side and a standard paper notepad on the other side. Only, the computer isn't completely standard, and neither is the notepad.

In order for the computer to fit into such a confined space IBM designed a flat slate that contains all the electronics and the keyboard. The display lies folded flat on top of the keyboard, LCD side up. You can use it that way, as a tablet for browsing, writing, or drawing. More likely you'll flip it up so that you can use the computer more like a standard notebook. That's possible because the display is mounted on a hinge not unlike that of the new Apple iMac. See the illustrations below to get an idea of how the TransNote works.

The notebook part of the 5.5 pound TransNote consists of a standard 8-1/2x11 paper notepad sitting on top of an electronic digitizer. A special pen lets you write on it just as if you wrote with a ballpoint pen on a regular notepad, which, in fact, is exactly what you're doing. But the pen's electronic signal is also captured by the digitizer and saved in the notepad electronics. The pad side also has its own menu controls that let you do things with the ink. This entire electronic pad part is called the "ThinkScribe."

The overall idea is that the TransNote lets you use a computer when you need one but also lets you use a simple paper notepad when you want to use one. In addition, it actually captures everything you write on the notepad and lets you manipulate it. Once in the computer part of the TransNote, you can organize the electronic representation of your handwritten notes into files and folders. You can also search all your notes via keywords. Further, the computer recognizes to-do items you jotted down on paper, and it also recognizes messages to yourself. Keywords, to-dos, and messages all require that you circle certain parts of your writing on the paper pad and use the notepad's menu system to tell the computer to remember them as keywords, to-dos and messages.

The key to manage ink is a program called InkManager Pro that resides on the computer side of the TransNote. It lets you call up ink notes, organize them, and do things with the to-dos and messages. If you are beginning to realize that the TransNote was conceived as an answer for people who love to write stuff on paper pads but who also want a computer you're on the right track. What IBM was trying to do is build a pen computer that wasn't quite as radical as the pure pen designs where you no longer have actual paper but write onto the display instead.

The computer part is actually quite powerful. IBM managed to shoehorn a full 600MHz Pentium III notebook computer into the left side of the TransNote's portfolio. One with a 10GB hard disk and 64MB of RAM that can be expanded up to 320MB via a single memory expansion slot located under a cover above the top right of the keyboard. The computer also has two USB ports, an internal 56k modem, a built-in 10/100 Ethernet interface, a VGA-out port, and both a Compact Flash and a PC Card slot. If that is not enough, there is an expansion connector that hooks up with a port replicator. Alongside the front of the TransNote you'll find microphone and headphone jacks, and also a built-in microphone and a speaker. The only thing you do not get is an external memory stick, CD-ROM drive or floppy drive. The TransNote's screen is bright and has good contrast. The TransNote's screen is definitely big enough to be useful. The TransNote's footprint is somewhat wider than that of a standard notepad and the 95%-scale keyboard is a bit smaller than that of a standard ThinkPad. It also contains the IBM "nipple" navigation knob, complemented by buttons for left and right mouse clicks. There's even a third button in the center that emulates a scroll mouse. The TransNote's display is also a touch screen so that you can use either the control knob or a stylus or both. The TransNote not only has standby and hibernation functions, but you can also control power consumption via a very complete Battery MaxiMizer utility. Like all ThinkPads, the TransNote comes with a generous helping of software. There is a number of ThinkPad-specific utilities that easily let you configure and control all aspects of the computer. The operating system front, the TransNote comes with Windows 2000. For those who must have Windows XP, the TransNote can be upgraded without losing any of its functionality. This system is coming with the initial Windows 2000 install including Office 2000.

How does the paper notepad work?

This is the first question most people ask about the TransNote, so here's how it all works. As stated above, the TransNote uses an electronic digitizer to capture what you write on the paper notepad. You therefore need to use a special pen that comes with the TransNote. It is a relatively thick affair that fits into its own compartment on the right side of the paper pad. That pen well actually adds almost an inch to the width of the TransNote. The pen has a red plastic stylus tip on one side and a standard ballpoint on the other. The ballpoint side has a removable cap that contains another red stylus tip. The ballpoint part is not a standard design and there is therefore some concern about replacing it when it runs out. IBM realized that and so the TransNote has two small compartments that contain two ballpoint pen refills each (see image to the left). After that, you need to order more from IBM or CROSS.

As for the pads, you actually can use standard 8-1/2 by 11 inch paper pads. The TransNote comes with a special pad that contains a tutorial on how to use the device. It guides you through the basics of capturing ink, using the notepad side's menus, and how to record to-dos, keywords, and messages. Learning those basics isn't terribly difficult, but still difficult enough so that using the system isn't immediately obvious. You do need to set aside an hour or so to familiarize yourself with it. For example, the digitizer needs to know what page you are writing on. IBM-supplied paper notepads therefore have a page number printed on them so that you always know what page you're on. You then tell the tablet so that you're in sync. Interacting with the tablet is done via three grooves, which are sliding menus operated with the pen, placed alongside the left edge of the paper pad. One of them lets you select which of 50 pages you're writing on. A second one lets you allocate to one of 20 different files. Those files are initially named Ink File 1 through 19 but those names can be changed in the Ink Manager application. The third slider lets you select four different modes of manipulating ink. With these modes you can mark to-dos, messages, keywords, or initiate a cut-and-paste of ink to the clipboard. Two more controls act as enter and escape, and there is a separate on/off switch for the digitizer. Though the computer and the digitizer pad use the same battery, they can be on or off independent from one another. The pad, for example, can store up to 2MB of information in its own memory before it has to be transferred to the PC. It is not the end of the world if you get your page numbers mixed up. Ink Manager has a very powerful utility to let you reassign ink, almost stroke by stroke, to a different page.

After you've spent some time with it, getting used to all of this isn't terribly difficult. It's really more a matter of whether or not using this arrangement fits your style. Take the to-do function as an example. If you're the type who routinely jots down to-dos on paper, then being able to record those and make them part of an actual electronic to-do management system may be a great thing. You can assign priority, status, and additional notes to any item. Same with messages. Instead of pads full of unorganized notes, Ink Manager can arrange and catalog all those messages and you can search them. Speaking of searching, while the TransNote doesn't come with a general purpose handwriting recognition system, it does have one built-in. However, the 30,000-word VLVU (Very Large Vocabulary Unconstrained) utility is only used to convert keywords from ink into searchable ASCII text.

Also the TransNote's digitizer can be used like an external pen tablet. You can toggle the digitizer from note taking to pen tablet mode via a clever on-screen menu brought up with the touch of a hardware button located on the right side of the LCD. That menu also allows volume and brightness control, screen rotation, and putting the TransNote into standby or hibernation mode.

In many ways it is too darn bad that IBM gave up on the TransNote. It is an unusual design that includes a lot of great ideas--the result of many years of research in IBM's advanced technology labs--and the overall package works well. Yet, despite extensive focus group testing and elaborate praise from some analysts, the TransNote apparently didn't make it in the marketplace. The roughly US$3,000+ list price may have had something to do with that.

The version of the TransNote I use, even today has had its memory upgraded to the max 320MB, and I use it as a portable computer to take with me to meetings, or meet with clients. The TransNote instantly makes an impression. The TransNote is impressive for presentations either using its screen or connected to a projector, especially because of it’s touch screen ability. The TransNote’s ability to store all of your hand written notes, I find as a must! This system is perfect for students or lawyers, where losing notes is simply unacceptable. Later you can index your hand written notes for fast simple look-up, or to quickly develop meeting notes. We have 30+ of these computers for our company, but are reducing the size of our company and no longer need this many. We are continuing to use these computers and plan to keep a number as back-ups. So our downsizing is you opportunity to get one of these great computers.

This system comes with:

·         Complete system including the IBM tablet pen, and ink refills. All software (Windows 2000, IBM tools, and MS office 2000) installed with passwords ready to use the day you receive it.

• Intel Mobile Pentium III 600 MHz CPU
• ATI Rage Mobility M with 4MB
• 10.4" TFT Flip Touch display with 800x600 resolution
• 64MB PC-100 memory standard upgraded to 192MB
• 10GB HDD
• CS4281/CS4297A Audio controller
• Mini PCI slot with 10/100 Ethernet Mini PCI Adapter and 56K Modem
• Think Scribe digital notepad
• CardBus slot (Type 2)
• CF Card slot

·          

·         Initial install of Windows 2000 and MS-Office, including all of the IBM utilities.

·         TransNote’s power supply.

The TransNote has four different batteries, (1) main system battery, (2) clock back-up battery, (3) tablet back up battery, and (2) AAAA batteries in the pen. The condition of used batteries varies and their condition is not guaranteed. Replacements are available on eBay, or many other sources.

Please email me if you would like either the memory or disk drive upgraded prior to shipment. I can also include instructions for you to upgrade the memory and/or disk.