[naquaada]

Today there are all the the modern tablets with Android, GalaxyTab oder iBath. But there's still the section of the TabletPC's with a sensitive display which can run normal operating systems. In my case it's an Lenovo Thinkpad X61 Tablet.

I'm actually running Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit on it, but mainly it should be for OSx86. In the second Mini-PCIe-Slot I have a Broadcom Crystal HD video decoder, which is also supported in OS X. That's a main reason for using XBMC.

Now to the things I found out. My Lenovo X61 has an auto-rotation function (for switching screen orientation) and an extra rotation button on the display border. XBMC 10 and 11 don't work with it very well, it is only possible to use it in the orientation it was started. In other cases you'll get a distorted screen, viewing parts of the Windows desktop. I think XBMC 10 was after the first rotation totally corrupted (screen stayed all black), XBMC 11 works again if it's switched in the original orientation. So the orientation mode should be checked, also in the Mac version.

XBMC 11 is mainly designed for widescreen monitors, but my Tablet and my other monitors are in 4:3 format. Because the options in the home menu are orientated horizontal, not much fits on the screen, especially in portrait mode. The best way would to add an option that the home menus using the same arrangement as in XBMC 10.

The on-screen-displays, especcially in the video section, react much too quickly. The slightest mouse movement or the tablet pen over the screen (already at 8 mm height) causes it to appear. The time should be delayed or the displays should only be activated by reaching the top or bottom of the display.

The picture section needs an volume control field. If the tablet is folded, there's no way to reach the computer's volume buttons. It should also only appear when mouse or pen react top or button.

If you have a tablet, it's a bit annoying to use the tablet's keys (if you have some) for switching through images. My x61 features Esc, cursor keys and Enter, but not all TabletPCs have keys on the display frame. I'm using on OS X the Comic Book Reader SimpleComic, and it has an absolute easy way: tapping/clicking on the left half of the screen is one page back, on the right key is one page forward. This is a perfect navigation method, no clicking on tiny buttons or pressing small keys.

Special feature for Comic Book Archives: XBMC should remember on which page you read last. I have comics with more than 400 pages, they're unreadable without more functions. The minimum should be first page, last page, maybe 10 pages forward/backward.

These would be the main things I'd like to see in XBMC. And, of course, the plugins should work. The only one ever works was National Geographics, every else caused a script error.

[CrystalP]

The rotation may work now, I made a few changes this past week that may help. That depends on the messages sent by Windows when the screen is rotated, really.
The GUI doesn't have a portrait and landscape mode and will be stretched to fit.
Gestures are supposed to work.
Rotating while playing video probably won't work if dxva is turned on but I guess that won't bother you as you have a CHD.
A skin for touch devices was created for the iPad, you may want to try that. I don't have more details, not having such a device myself.

[Memphiz]

and for confluence with vertical menu there is "confluence vertical" - the touch skin is called "touched".

[Jezz_X]

If Someone wants too provide me with a 16x9 touchscreen that I can test with I'd be more than happy to do better skin support

[naquaada]

@ Memphis: The Thip with the Confluence Vertical skin was great, thanks!

@ Jezz_X: What do you mean with provide, lend you a tablet or only beta testing? I'm in two Thinkpad forums and could at least ask for beta testing on Tablet PCs. The common operating systems are Windows, Linux and OS X.

Using rotation on a 16:9 screen must be awful, the fonts on an 4:3 screen in portrait mode look already extremely stretched. It reminds me on the C128, a graphics created for the VIC (320x200) looks aful on the VDC (640x200) The only way this is useful maybe for reading ebooks and pictures, in video mode a portrait rotated screen should be detected in this way that movies stay in landscape mode, only 180° rotation should flip the movie vertically.

By the way, the Wacom Penabled tablets are using a serial Wacom command set with pressure-sensitive tip (usually left mouse button) one or two pen buttons and an eraser. Maybe they could be used, f.e. the eraser as 'Escape' key. The combination of pen key pressed + gesture would be up/down/left/right. This would be cool, full XBMC control only with the pen

Another idea - although more complicated on Windows - would be support for the Apple Remote, in combination with an eHome IR Receiver, like for the common Windows Media Center remotes. The Advantage of the Apple Remote is sure, it's small, has a wide range, you can use it blindly because it has only 6 keys, but it's enough to control XBMC. The disadvantage is, XBMC must contain an own IR receiver server which is able to learn IR commands. But if it's integrated once, XBMC would be able to use any kind of remote control.


By the way, if anyone wants to port XBMC for MorphOS... would be great. MorphOS is awesome fast, boots in 7 seconds and runs on a lot of Apple PPC hardware. HD decoding is no problem, too.

[Jezz_X]

I kind of mean donate to keep so I can continue too support, I don't really care if it's the latest and greatest or ten years old as long as it works and can get xbmc on it.

Once xbmc works on Android I'll probably go out and buy a Android tablet but that will probably be a while before that happens

[naquaada]

Well, I don't think anyone will give away his TabletPC, especcially if it's one of the SXGA+ (1400x1050) Displays of the X61t. But they aren't too expensive anyway. I got my used Lenovo X61 Tablet with SXGA+ display in good conditon for 299 Euro. That's the price of a mid-range Android Tablet with Android 4.0. But with 200 Euro more, you can upgrade a TabletPC to a monster with 8 GB RAM and 1 TB harddisk, that's not possible with Android tablets.

If you want to buy a tablet, check out what you need. If you are an Apple fetishist, it could only be an iPad. The better way is an Android Tablet, there are much different models in different prices and sizes out there, even with keyboard like the Asus Transformer. They're also very light and the battery holds long. But you only can run Android (or some other Linux-based OS's), and the memory and storage capability is limited. For more flexibility there are the real TabletPCs. They're mostly netbook class without optical drive. There are various companies who make some, but the display reaction is different. There are TabletPCs with own pen/sensitivity methods, and some with Wacom Penabled feature. They're always recommendable, because they use a standard serial Wacom protocol with pressure sensitivity. Wacom provides even drivers for Win 7 64bit. A Penabled Tablet could be interesting for artists, because it combines the functions of a netbook and a Wacom Cintiq with its horrible prices. The Lenovo X200 series is Penabled and has Multitouch, but it's only 16:9 and the reaction to the pen is not so good as the X60/X61 series. The X60 is older, has only a GMA950 gfx chipset and only a Core Duo CPU, so it isn't capable of running OS X Lion, which needs the SSSE3 command set. So my choice was the X61 Tablet with Intel Core 2 Duo and high resolution screen. They're fully compatible to OS X Lion, except PCMCIA. The touchscreen is used with the TabletMagic driver. Lenovo also provides a docking station with serial and parallel port and an Ultrabay slot for various devices. And they have an extremely wide range of drivers and good service manuals.

But buying a tablet only for making skins is no good idea, and also not neccessary. Real tablet skins have not to be big, 1024x600 and 1280x800 for 16:9 tablets and 1024x768 or 1400x1050 for 4:3 tablets. The rotation problem on 16:9 tablets is too extreme, no skin designed for 1024 or 1280 will look good on 600 or 800 pixels width. An easy way to implement rotation would be to use 2 skins at the same time, depending on rotation. One for horizontal and one for vertical use. Pictures, music and settings can work in both modes, video and maybe programs only in horizontal mode. These functions will be especcially useful if XBMC is ported to Android later, but they should be also in other operating systems, and if it's even for the reason to eliminate a possible error source. This also could happen on desktop systems if you have professional monitors with auto-rotation feature, like my Eizo Flexscan L997.

[Jezz_X]

I already have an iPad and have already made a nice skin for it called touched. it's the default already but you just can't make a 16x9 skin on it. And it's hard to tell how things work without testing

[xbmcmomomo]

Got to say I love xbmc eden b2 on iPad it's almost perfect.