So, I’ve been thinking about getting a new laptop for a couple years, but never did anything about it.  A couple weeks ago I went into MSY to pick up a $10 USB drive and walked out with a “new” Toshiba W100 “Concept PC”.

What?  Well, it’s not really new as it’s been on the market since 2010, but it was “new” in that it was still in a sealed box.  It’s a “concept pc” because it has two touchscreen LCDs, no keyboard or trackpad, and Toshiba apparently couldn’t think of a better name.

I remember reading about the W100 when it was announced in 2010.  It was odd, expensive, and I wanted one.  Fast forward to 2012 and the W100 is odd, I still want one, but no longer expensive.  In 2010 it was about $1500 AUD / $1100 USD, but I picked up my very own for $400 AUD/USD.  Not bad.

You can go read any number of two-year-old reviews of the W100 to get the specs, but I’ll just sum it up as a 1.2 GHz Pentium U5400, 2GB RAM, 62GB SSD, two 1024×600 7″ touchscreens, and it runs Windows 7.

If you can think way back to 2010, you may remember than another touchscreen device was released, the iPad.  Unlike the W100, I did buy an iPad in 2010, and here’s what I thought about it.  Bringing us back to 2012, you’ll find that “vintage” iPad 32GB/3G still getting daily use along side a slightly-less-vintage iPad 2 64GB/3G.

Having used the iPad(s) for a couple years and the W100 for a couple weeks, I have some observations:

• Having used both, it is very clear why Windows 7 on a touchscreen tablet/”Concept PC” wasn’t and isn’t a good seller while the iPad was and is.
• A dual-display laptop is one of the best form-factors I’ve used, and would be even better with 12-13″ displays.  A dual-screen/keyboardless 11″ MacBook Air?  Two iPads taped together? A Microsoft Courier?  Do I just miss my RAZR?
• One of the best features of Apple devices is the lack of fan noise.  The fan on the W100 sounds like a dental drill and brings me back to my unpleasant and noisy CPU-overclocking days in the late ’90s.  Tip: to quiet the fan, set the W100 fan to “Battery Optimized” (Control Panel > Power Options > Advanced Power Settings > TOSHIBA Power Saver Settings Vx.x.x.x) Easy to find, huh?
• The controls in Windows 7 on 7″ 1024×600 displays are way too small and are frequently difficult to use.  Changing the Windows GUI element sizing does make the system more usable, but many applications (as well as much of the OS) don’t fit on the small 1024×600 screens with anything but the standard settings.
• The audio (in and out) on the W100 is terrible.  The speaker and mic on every one of my other portable devices (a c.2005 12″ PowerBook, MacBook, iPads, Nexus S)  are better.
• The Toshiba touchscreen keyboard (different than the standard Windows 7 tablet keyboard) is excellent and on par with the iPad.
• The W100’s battery life with the big 8-cell battery is poor, likely due to the dual LCDs.  On the other hand, the iPads run so long that the battery has never been an issue, and I don’t have to think about it.
• The iPad 2 screen is significantly brighter than both the iPad and W100, and was difficult to photograph.

Oops.  I added another bike.  This one is a Surly Steamroller, and it’s pretty basic.  I didn’t change much, but I did steal the 35mm WTB All-Terrainasarus tyres off of the Gunnar, used the original c. 1994 105 aero levers off of the Trek, and found some old SPD pedals in the garage.

The plan is to commute to work this winter to spare the Gunnar and Trek the indignity of commuting in the rain, and spare me the tedium of draining water from the Gunnar’s chainstays and bottom bracket after every ride.

Impressions of the Surly Steamroller:

• The stock brake blocks are terrible.  I like brakes that work, so I’m going to swap them for some Dura Ace cartridges and pads.
• The weird/bent WTB saddle isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
• 165mm cranks on a 56cm frame is a strage spec;  170-175mm cranks would have been more sane.
• No rear brake cable guides/stops or downtube cage mount. Really? At least the brake bridge and fork crown are drilled.

My solution for the lack of cable stops or guides:

So far this season, I’ve raced the Eriksen in both of the 2012 AMTBC enduros.  The first was a four-hour at Mt. Torrens, where I raced solo.  The second was a six-hour at Craigburn Farm, where I raced on a two-man team.

The Mt. Torrens track is always fun with great downhills, but it’s also difficult with long, technical climbs.  My race went well with no mechanical issues.  However, riding across the very fast and rocky top section, I was contemplating the advantages of the 4″ FS 29er following me.  Bouncing off rocks for four hours can be fun, but big wheels and some travel would make it less painful.  In the end, I finished in the middle of the pack at 27th of 45.  More importantly, here’s what happened according to Strava.

On to Craigburn Farm. This is currently one of my favorite trails, and the track layout for the enduro was excellent.  The race covered almost all of the trails in the park, and the conditions were perfect thanks to rain the night before the race.  I’m happy with my six laps (our team did a total of eleven), and I set several personal records (PR) on many segments in Strava.   Better yet, there was a coffee van at the race, so I got to sit and relax with a latte between laps– I’m not sure if that helped my lap tims.  Anyway, of the 20 teams racing we finished 7th: one lap up on 8th, and within a few minutes of 5th and 6th.  Again, here is an account of the race from Strava’s perspective.

Aside from briefly coveting a FS 29er at the Mt. Torrens enduro, I’ve been vary happy with the Eriksen.  The new SID Team fork has been great, and the WTB Bronson 2.3 front tyre has been a good compromise between grip, weight and volume, with grip and volume being it’s strengths.  The 1×9 drivetrain with a 32t ring and 11-34 cassette has worked out well, although the 34t cog has been of limited use– a 33t or 34t ring might make a better pair to the 11-34 cassette.  While I’d like to take the rigid 29er out for another enduro, it’s hard to pass on the relatively cushy ride that the Eriksen’s Ti frame and 100mm fork provide.

Official race results for both races are posted on the new and improved AMTBC site.