Don't write off the pen
Before the iPad, stylus-based tablets tried (and failed) to win consumers' hearts. But the pen/slate combo may still have a future, particularly in niche markets where touch input is just too clumsy. The mPad is a big-screen tablet created to meet the needs of designers. According to future-tech site Information Technology, designer Volker Hubner's concept slate has a 15.6-inch OLED display, a scrollwheel, programmable short cuts for software applications, and an ergonomically friendly case that inclines 15 degrees. The learning curve might be a bit demanding, but this tablet isn't for the Angry Birds crowd.