Motion Computing makes Tablet PCs that appeal both to the general consumer and to certain vertical markets. The M1400 has most of the bells and whistles of other Tablet PCs, but Motion Computing has added a more responsive internal microphone, a display that can be viewed from very wide angles, and biometric (in this case, fingerprint) security. The M1400 is a very good choice, but it’s not without some quirks.

Ergonomically, the M1400 is a mixed bag. The handsome silver slate has rounded edges that are easy to grip, and at 3 pounds, it's notably light. The function buttons include a Task Manager and two programmable hot keys that you can pair with a function key to trigger two more operations. Also, the 4-way scroll pad at the center is very responsive.

On the other hand, the button positioning seems to favor using the M1400 in landscape orientation, as the portrait configuration puts these buttons either at the center top of the unit or bottom. We found this to be a bit more awkward than the standard button placement on most other Tablets. The M1400 also leaves all of its I/O ports unprotected.

The pen-sized stylus is quite comfortable, with a function button that is large enough to avoid mistaken hits, although it does not have an eraser function. The pen and screen work well together, but the hovering sensitivity was not as sharp as we'd like. We had to hold the pen quite close for the screen to recognize it, making Tablet gestures a bit difficult.

The M1400's unique display, with a very wide angle of view, is one of its big selling points. The 12.1-inch LCD on the M1400 does not wash out, even when you look at it from extreme angles. The display also has an ambient light sensor, so that it can adjust itself to changes in external light intensity and eke out some extra battery power.

Another standout feature is the dual-array microphone, which is more sensitive to voice recording and commands than most Tablets. This microphone is also adept at canceling out background interference like hallway echoes and ambient noise. The clarity and relative cleanness of our voice recording was impressive. For those who take voice notes or use the voice-command features built into Microsoft Office, the M1400 is a great choice.

Like other high-end Tablets, the M1400 has both Bluetooth and 802.11 b/g as standard features. In fact, the M1400 has some excellent Bluetooth utilities that let you find and pair up with compatible devices.

We were pleasantly surprised by the software suite, which includes a Dashboard utility that gathers all of the major hardware settings for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, display orientation, audio, and so on. For $34.99, Motion Computing also includes a copy of the OneNote information manager, Alias Sketchbook Pro, xThink Calculator, and several other programs.

The M1400 tries to distinguish itself with a biometric security system that can fingerprint-protect documents or Web sites, but it's a good idea that doesn't work. The problem with fingerprint sensors in general is that users have to learn exactly how to swipe a finger across the sensor, and at what speed. It was maddening for us just to get the training software to recognize our fingers accurately, and it left us with little confidence that we would be able to access any files that we had locked.

The M1400 is a bit more sluggish and limited than other Tablets. The 1.1-GHz Centrino processor delivered acceptable if not sterling performance. During basic stylus operation, the unit kept up with even feverish pen scrawling without noticeable lag, but programs took longer to load than they would on higher-end Tablets and convertibles. We were also surprised at how hot—uncomfortably so—the M1400 got after less than an hour.

Overall, the Motion Computing M1400 is one of the best slates yet. Even though the biometric feature is more a showpiece than a user-friendly tool, Motion's microphone and display technologies alone are worth the price of admission.

View the quick specs for this product Motion M1400 Tablet PC >>