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Bush grasps a Latitude XT to show off his budget proposal  (Source: Associated Press)

Dell Latitude XT Tablet PC  (Source: Dell)
The Internets are at Bush's disposal thanks to the Latitude XT

Dell's Latitude XT Tablet PC was one of the most highly anticipated tablet releases for 2007. Dell first gave wind of the new offering in late May and images/specs began to slowly leak out as the year came to a close.

In early December, Dell officially announced the Latitude and its over-reaching starting price of a whopping $2,499. Rabid Latitude XT fans were deeply disappointed and expressed their frustrations on various sites online and on the Direct2Dell blog site.

Dell did its best to defend the $2,499 price of entry for the Latitude, but the bogus comparisons and tap-dancing fell on deaf ears.

Since mid-December, no one has heard much on the Latitude XT front other than a user review over at NotebookReview.com... that is until today.

I was over at GottabBeMobile catching up on my daily diet of mobile gear when I came across images of our very own President George W. Bush holding the now infamous Dell Latitude XT.

Bush today introduced his new $3.1 trillion budget proposal which includes a $35 billion increase for the Pentagon, $200 million in cuts for Medicare and Medicaid, a $2 billion cut to funding for the Health and Human Services Department and an 11% budget increase for the Department of Homeland Security.

Bush showed off his new budget proposal using the Latitude XT in tablet mode. As GottabeMobile's Rob Bushway put it, "It is pretty ironic that he is showing his budget proposal using the most expensive Tablet PC on the market!"

Dell could use all the exposure it can get these days. The company recently announced that 900 employees will get the axe at its Canadian call center and that all of its U.S. kiosks and direct sales stores will be closed.

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Classic Photo!
By amanojaku on 2/4/08, Rating: 0
RE: Classic Photo!
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 2/4/2008 4:20:33 PM , Rating: 2
We've been testing the Dell tablet here at work and I must admit it is quite nice as well as having a proper touch screen. You can use your fingers no problem. The HP equivalents do not have such capability :(


RE: Classic Photo!
By othercents on 2/4/2008 4:32:59 PM , Rating: 2
Actually the Tablet PC was originally designed to only work using the stylist. This is so you can lay stuff on the screen and not cause the computer to think you are inputting stuff. Think of wearing a suit and dragging your cuff across the screen and it inputting information you didn't intend.

Some complain about the original design and some actually like it. I know most of the time I use my finger to type on a Treo or to wave at other drivers.

Other


RE: Classic Photo!
By Sazar on 2/4/2008 5:04:57 PM , Rating: 4
The Dell XT has the best input recognition on the market. The rejection technology is hard-wired so the input is accepted only with finger point or stylus, palm's are rejected as well as other items which are not recognized.

Again, anyone who has not used this product or done a side-by-side compare with other "cheaper" products on the market has absolutely no idea what they are talking about when it comes to the price of the device or it's capabilities.

This tablet is head and shoulders above anything else on the market and while the price is higher, none of the other tablets on the market have even close to the same level of technology as this device.

Capacitive > resistive by a HUGE margin.

For Brandon - try this before you bash it, like you have been doing since day 1. Just have a go at it and see if you continue to trash it.


RE: Classic Photo!
By AnnihilatorX on 2/4/2008 6:41:18 PM , Rating: 2
I think the palm rejection technology was fist seen on the Fujitsu Lifebook P1610


RE: Classic Photo!
By pauldovi on 2/4/2008 8:09:29 PM , Rating: 1
X61t?


RE: Classic Photo!
By wordsworm on 2/4/2008 9:31:10 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
The article's photo is a winner. Who managed to get a picture of Dubya looking so retarded?
What are you talking about? I was thinking the ad would run something like this: So easy, even Emperor George II can use it.


RE: Classic Photo!
By tdawg on 2/5/2008 2:56:26 PM , Rating: 2
Priceless!


RE: Classic Photo!
By Screwballl on 2/6/2008 12:15:36 PM , Rating: 3
Emporer? Get your head out of Hillarys rear

When in England at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of 'empire building' by George Bush. He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return. It became very quiet in the room.

Then there was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?'
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck... We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'
Once again, dead silence.


RE: Classic Photo!
By bpurkapi on 2/6/2008 12:26:48 PM , Rating: 1
This is all crap you post no source, give no date, most likely from some right wing newsletter you get. This is just rumors you have heard. First and foremost Aceh, the province hit hard in Indonesia didn't want Americans there. They are muslim as well and don't like what America has done to other muslims. And they have been at war with the government of Indonesia for a long time and guess who we support? So I would honestly say that your post was a bit skewed and not really factual or verifiable.


RE: Classic Photo!
By wordsworm on 2/7/2008 12:59:25 PM , Rating: 1
I often used to joke that Hillary was the real president of America about 9 years ago. She seems like a rather intelligent woman with an unintelligent man. A friend of a friend saw him speak once and he said that he was the smartest man he'd ever seen. I thought Clinton was a bit of an airhead. But, I can't really point out to anything in particular. I don't even have to try to do that for the current Emperor. He does it all by himself. My personal favorite is, "The French don't even have a word for entrepreneur!" Unfortunately, I've heard that this one has been denied. Dan Quayle was another Republican 'genius.' Can someone please tell him how to spell 'potatoes'? What is it with Republican politicians and basic English? I'm willing to bet next month's allowance that he could spell 'potatoes.'


RE: Classic Photo!
By tdawg on 2/5/2008 2:53:21 PM , Rating: 2
Not that hard to get a picture of our president looking foolish. :)

Personally, I think the tablet looks slick. I'd take one if someone handed it to me, at least. They can add $2499 to the budget to get me one. :)


RE: Classic Photo!
By fifolo on 2/5/2008 5:35:38 PM , Rating: 1
take one where he doesn't, and you've got yourself a Pulitzer.


RE: Classic Photo!
By sprockkets on 2/5/2008 6:42:01 PM , Rating: 1
Getting a pic of bush looking retarded is not hard whatsoever, just watch him anyday lol


What's wrong with this picture
By SavagePotato on 2/5/2008 10:20:29 AM , Rating: 1
Shouldn't the word "budget" be upside down?

Or maybe this is one of the benefits of bush using a tablet, if it has some sort of auto sense thing that always rotates the screen to right side up, that could be a life saver for him.

On second thought budget should be hovering over a toilet as well.




RE: What's wrong with this picture
By murphyslabrat on 2/5/2008 12:54:39 PM , Rating: 2
No, in case you didn't notice, the special-function keys are immediately to the left (our perspective) of his hand. He is holding it correctly.

And, please, he may be a politician, but that doesn't warrant calling the President of the United States an idiot. Some respect for your nation, please. Even if the man doesn't deserve it, he is still the current figurehead of democracy.


By murphyslabrat on 2/5/2008 12:55:24 PM , Rating: 2
Democracy, as in the ideal, not the party. Just...yeah...


By Black Rainbow on 2/6/2008 10:51:45 AM , Rating: 2
So you're saying you can't call the president of the USA an idiot? That's the most stupid thing I've ever heard. He probably has an IQ lower than a chimpanzee! If he's not an idiot, I don't know who is.


RE: What's wrong with this picture
By sweetsauce on 2/6/2008 11:43:09 AM , Rating: 2
Hes an idiot and you are a bigger idiot for even suggesting that he deserves respect. Respect is earned.
quote:
he is still the current figurehead of democracy
Now i've heard it all.


By Master Kenobi (blog) on 2/7/2008 11:42:57 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
Hes an idiot and you are a bigger idiot for even suggesting that he deserves respect. Respect is earned.

I'm guessing you've never had a corporate job before.
Positions command respect, like it or not. The position of President of the United States of America, is a position that commands respect. Regardless of your personal opinion.


RE: What's wrong with this picture
By SavagePotato on 2/7/2008 1:00:27 PM , Rating: 1
He isn't my president. Not being American and all.

I consider him more of a figurehead for war and stupidity, not a figurehead of democracy.


RE: What's wrong with this picture
By murphyslabrat on 2/7/2008 3:15:24 PM , Rating: 2
yeah, that's right, not everyone on here is an American...heh-heh...

Mind you, I am an American, and hence my narrow-sightedness.

My point is that (as I see it, from an American) America is a symbol of a democratic nation. We are one of the largest and oldest (not the oldest, one of) "democracy," and as such are one of the first things that come to mind when one thinks of democracy.

President G. W. Bush happens to be the current faceplate of America.


RE: What's wrong with this picture
By SavagePotato on 2/7/2008 6:45:21 PM , Rating: 1
So despite the fact he is a giant warmongering turd sandwich he is the paragon of democracy because he is American?

I don't believe is someone getting to cash in for the accomplishments of others. Your founding fathers made it a democracy, idiots like bush have only taken away freedoms with baloney like the patriot act.


By murphyslabrat on 2/9/2008 9:14:22 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
So despite the fact he is a giant warmongering turd sandwich he is the paragon of democracy because he is American?

No, because, like in Civilization, he is that person that comes up whenever that country sends you a message. It is not because he is an American, but because, as the President, he is the icon of the United States of America.

I am saying that, due to his position, at least Americans can hold off on calling him a buffoon for a bit. At least till February 2009.


It's magic, ladies and gentlemen!
By Griswold on 2/4/2008 2:07:56 PM , Rating: 5
How does one hide $35 billion in a budget of $3.1 million? Magic, ladies and gentlemen!

;)




By Brandon Hill (blog) on 2/4/2008 2:09:03 PM , Rating: 2
Tr icks are for kids ;)


RE: It's magic, ladies and gentlemen!
By mdogs444 on 2/4/08, Rating: -1
RE: It's magic, ladies and gentlemen!
By Griswold on 2/4/2008 3:55:41 PM , Rating: 3
No kidding? Well, if you look at Brandons reply, you may or may not realize that he did made a typo - and I pointed it out in a somewhat colorful metaphor. :)


By mdogs444 on 2/4/2008 4:16:44 PM , Rating: 2
Okay - that makes sense now lol. He must've fixed it before I read the article because I wasn't sure where you got that from. My bad!


By jconan on 2/5/2008 3:16:03 AM , Rating: 2
If he's running Office 2007 hopefully it's been patched with SP1 since Excel 07 does have it's own share of computational issues. e.g. (before office 2007 patch) =77.1*850


Endorsement
By phaxmohdem on 2/4/2008 2:43:14 PM , Rating: 5
Wow, somebody on Dell's marketing team deserves a raise... because when I'm thinking of people I'd want to endorse my new product line.. Dubya is definitely in the top spot on that list.




RE: Endorsement
By quiksilv3r on 2/4/2008 5:01:00 PM , Rating: 2
but how are people going to know when he so lovingly covers the dell logo?


RE: Endorsement
By spluurfg on 2/4/2008 11:25:16 PM , Rating: 3
He was going on how he saved money by distributing it electronically. If he really wanted to save money, he could have just written the word 'budget' on a piece of paper for that silly photo-op rather than buying a tablet.


Necessary?
By Ringold on 2/4/2008 9:10:55 PM , Rating: 2
Quoting numbers out of context is how statistics can become lies and propaganda, and then linking to a CNN recap of the budget that doesn't even attempt a balanced perspective compounded the issue.

First, it fails to explain why deficits would be increasing, somehow suggesting it has something to do with the budget rather than the business cycle. Second, it links to a chart which looks impressive but might as well be labeled "USELESS CRAP" for using non-inflation adjusted dollars; it'd also be useful to mark various points of the business cycle on there for context, but that's asking too much of CNN.

Then it quotes an angry Democrat, then links to a video of Harry Reid who does more fearmongering and dreaming of a bygone era's budgets where a bubble (tech) economy drove unsustainable tax revenues in to the sky (only to later collapse). As is typical, no such contextual information provided by CNN.

Finally, it gets around to one weak marketing quote from Bush versus one of substance from someone authoritative.

Once it gets half way down, it starts to become a better article, but continues to the very end to provide only part of the story, such as the slashing of 151 programs "he considers unnecessary." It's not he, the OMB and third-party groups have singled out scores of programs that've long outlived their usefulness and everyone at DT can probably name a few (farm subsidies, anyone?). Better, apparently, to phrase it as Bush strangling public services.

Not that the budget is perfect, not saying that at all. However, it only brings to light the issues CNN desires to bring to light, leaving any justifications or non-left-wing criticisms out entirely.

Not that they'd ever admit it's not a big deal, but:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=637939251&pl...

Rick Santelli, who lives in the bond market, who says "the deficits arent something that scares them", refering to the bond market. He cites instead how tiny the budget deficit is as % of GDP; he's more concerned with the steepening yield curve, another issue entirely. Others on there note criticisms, but none are brought up by CNN.

The point: CNN might report some things well enough, but if it's not a balanced article, shouldn't link to it. Especially a biased article on the federal budget when it's a tech news site and blog . Just my opinion, anyway.




RE: Necessary?
By masher2 (blog) on 2/4/2008 10:47:33 PM , Rating: 1
I always find it amusing that that the folks who continually attack Fox News as biased have no trouble with propagandistic hatchet jobs like this CNN story.

Not that Fox is any better, of course...but its certainly no worse than any other media outlet.


RE: Necessary?
By pauldovi on 2/6/2008 1:10:41 PM , Rating: 2
I have seen Fox actively censor content. I have yet to see CNN do that.


RE: Necessary?
By Ratwar on 2/6/2008 3:35:37 PM , Rating: 2
Hmmm... Not exactly...

Obviously, the current down turn is helping to cause the deficit, but to say the chart is useless based on not accounting for inflation is wrong. Since inflation relatively stable year-to-year, comparing one year to the next isn't that far off (and it is interesting to note that every year that Bill was in office, the budget was either closer to balanced than the last, or more of a surplus regardless of inflation). Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

As for it not being Bush personally cutting programs, it is still his job. He appoints the people that do the work, he presents the budget, it is his administrations work. Saying that he's not the one making the cuts is like saying he didn't send soldiers to Iraq. Sure, he never personally ordered a solider (or if he did, very few), but he picks the people that do the ordering.

Oh, and for your little note about budget deficits not mattering, Alan Greenspan is of a differing opinion:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/21/business/21cnd-f...
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2004-05-06-g...


You're all confused
By DeepBlue1975 on 2/5/2008 2:10:55 PM , Rating: 1
Budget is not what you think,

It really should be written like Bud get, which is the standard practice developed by the government to get the generic arab terrorist guy which they call Bud. The complete name given to this abstract terrorits is Bud-Adlib, which might sound really old, though you can't deny it's creative!

The description of this character is that of a guy who wears earbuds all day long while he listens to his iPlod (explosive version of the iPod, you can buy at

Don't forget that the government's duty to double as a terrorism blaster needs serious money to be accomplished, specially if they wanna involve the pentagram in those hi-fi like operations.

PS: yes, I am being completely stupid. Feel free to bush this post of mine.




RE: You're all confused
By ZoZo on 2/5/2008 5:23:01 PM , Rating: 1
I think you've been smoking too many Sound Blaster sound cards...


RE: You're all confused
By DeepBlue1975 on 2/7/2008 9:21:03 PM , Rating: 2
Just a nostalgia attack.
I miss my original sound blaster 8bit mono, which shipped with those funny programs called "talking parrot" and "Dr. Sbaitso".

Recording @11khz mono back in 1990 was like the cutting edge , and being able to record sounds with a crappy PC was very exciting.

In fact, DOS command prompt was so more inviting than GUIs to me... but well, that's just me.


Please
By UppityMatt on 2/4/2008 5:04:58 PM , Rating: 3
Can we get a little balloon over his head saying
"where is the any key"




By Hokum on 2/5/2008 5:03:24 AM , Rating: 2
The word today ladies and gentlemen is budget... B...U...D...G...E...T...




By DOSGuy on 2/6/2008 12:19:20 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
The company recently announced that 900 employees will get the axe at its Canadian call center


This implies that Dell currently has only one call center in Canada. The call center this article is alluding to is in Edmonton. Dell also has a larger call center in Ottawa, Canada. Dell canceled a plan to hire 1200 additional employees at that location.




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