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December 14, 2006
The Viewsonic Airpanel V150p
The Viewsonic Airpanel V150p
Having the need for remote connectivity and file/source/documentation viewing brought me into the world of tablet PC's. I've found it found it more productive to be sitting back relaxing the couch, seeing my favorite programs and using that wasteful commercial time for something better. This is one of the main reasons I have a small machine always available on the living room coffee table.
As much as I love me mini P1510d that I use for viewing, There is a love/hate relationship with it.
I love it because it's small... Then again, I hate it because it's so small.
Don't get me wrong it's extremely useful and given the need, I would buy it again in a heart beat.
Yet there are those times when I just want a bigger screen.
In addition, there are times when I could just access screens in my vmware system or just around the aparment.
Reading source code, eBooks or browsing message boards. All a good use of time while commercials abound.
While looking for a tablet PC stand (until I found the multidock) I kept on stumbling across something called the airpanel. What is this device, further research revealed this to be almost exactly what I needed in a pinch.
Lo and behold the Viewsonic Airpanel V150p.
Frankly this is an old and "discontinued" product. Microsoft abandon the "smart display" a couple years back. Yet this still serves a niche need. At the time of it's release this technology was just too dam expensive to be worthwhile. Now through the used markets and with the use of the dock, , it has a new life.
The basis of this product is a Windows CE environment that is a Windows remote desktop environment over a wireless network. It has a touchscreen LCD with a stylus, along with a joypad and left/right mouse buttons. Upon startup you can click to connect to a preconfigured XP machine with remote desktop sharing enabled. Thereafter all desktop/screen/sound output is wirelessly sent to this display. The particular one I bid/won was a 15" model with a resolution of 1024x768. The other models were just too dam small with 800x600.
I won't go into deep reviews or details as there are plenty of other pages on the net.
I'll just go over key points and cool features
I got this one with a docking station. The dock has a few functions, provide a resting place, charge the unit up, provide VGA & USB pass through. This is what grabbed me as to it's usefulness. While docked It displays the screen output of my P1510D on a full 15" LCD. ahhh, rest for my weary eyes.
Upon lift off the dock, it switches over to a remote desktop client. Thereafter you just click on the machine's remote login entry and zing zing zing... your remote desktop is active.
This gives me the ability to use the P1510d without strain, or detach/de-dock the montor, reconnect wirelessly and sit back in the easy chair and continue.
I have to say this is actually very cool.
The only downside is that it is a full 15" plus the width of the outside (I think that comes out to about 17").
I think it would have been better as a 14" with a 12" LCD. Then again bidders can't be choosers (or can they).
As I mentioned, the other models just did not have the resolution that I wanted.
Also, after a while this can get a bit heavy.
Another cool feature is the embedded USB ports. With this you can connect a USB keyboard and/or mouse.
This enables even more "remote" terminal capability. I have an adesso wireless keyboard/touchpad.
When I plugged in the USB RF HID transmitter it worked. I was ecstatic.
Now I can have the best of all worlds when needed.
I would not really recommend this to anyone except my pal Larry.
In a home theatre environment, the remote desktop may prove useless as it disables the base machine's output on the local monitor. As a remote terminal, it can allow you to bring along your monitoring web pages and/or email into any room. (a key reason for me). click click click and my email client is within reach without moving. ;-)
Note sure how much use I'll get out if it, but it's there when I need it and the ability to be a LCD monitor is a big plus.
The airpanel as an LCD monitor for the P1510D
Airpanel De-docked.
Login Screen for a remote desktop enabled machine.
Logged in
Viewing my favorite webpage.
Posted by Me on December 14, 2006 08:00 PM
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So this is what you were talking about the other night. Very slick! Yeah, I wouldn't get much use out of that (the N410c is fine), but it's very cool!
Makes me want to get a wired ethernet connection to the router again, too. I'd frustrating not being able to connect to my NAS wirelessly (all of my equipment is attached to a linksys router in client mode, and thus nothing is visible from the wireless LAN, great for security, but lousy for usability). Just have to keep the laptop on my lap with an ethernet cable plugged in I guess. Which I should probably do anyway so that I can snuggle the wife while she watches Law & Order. ;)
I wish I didn't hate touchpads so much, though. I wonder if a laptop or tablet with a touchscreen would be more tolerable for me. :/