Weekly Project: The $250 Tablet PC and a Project Gone Horribly Awry

Step 7 Or, Buy a PenCentra 130, Instead

If you're still looking for a surplus steal in Tablet PCs, consider the Fujitsu PenCentra 130. For less than $120 from HSC, this handheld PC comes with Windows CE embedded in ROM, stylus, battery, memory, dock, keyboard, and carrying case. Don't expect to load Windows CE applications and games on this PenCentra 130, though. The embedded OS is very finicky, but this sampling of Windows CE-MIPS-formatted products should get you started: Bubblets and Tascal Registry Editor. Also, a recent HPC:Factor forum posting by HSC suggests that the memory module might not be available anymore.

Comments

[zuulthedestroyer]

Can you plug a VGA cable into The PenCentra and use it as a touchscreen?

[ricercar]

Now $50 barebones NIB.
http://www.halted.com/ccp20981-fujitsu-pencentra-130-pen-tablet-computer-pencentra-130-80797.htm

Comes with stylus, battery, 2 screenprotecors, and AC Adapter. No documentation. User Guide PDF from Halted page. Mine has 7 hour battery life. YMMV.

[bwpatton1]

Woa, are they any good? I was thinking about buying one of these and trying to turn it into an internet appliance

[memyselfand1]

Where can you get those in Australia?

[dablckman]

This project doesn't seem like its impossible. What you could do is gut the inside with the exception of the screen. Find a newer motherboard, maybe from a mini laptop. Then you could possialby load the tablet edition of windows xp. *Don't bite my head off I'm just throwing out ideas.

[Guy.Fawkes]

It's an interesting project if you happened to start off with most of the necessary bits, but considering the final price and the results, I think I'd just buy an ASUS EEE PC (selling for around US$260 now).

[hondagofast]

(removed by author or community request)

[hondagofast]

And now I've bought one.