IBM have developed a new laptop that should appeal to those who still shy away from technology, or the mere thought of using a keyboard. The TransNote aims to combine the use of new technology with old by using the IBM's ThinkPad mininotebook and combine it with a scribble pad that both translates and records notes that have been written on paper to the PC.

So this can dispense of the mouse and the keyboard as the ThinkPad will convert pen-and-paper notes into pixcels. Handhelds and other portable devices have certainly grown in popularity and also changes the way that information can be stored, so TransNote owners will have the choice of entering data via a keyboard, touch screen or by writing on the scribble pad.

When people use the scribble pad, there are transceivers underneath the pad that track the movement of the pen, then transmitting the information via handwriting recognition technology to a text file. The TransNote hardware will also include a 600Mhz Pentium III chip, 10.4 inch touch screen, 64Mb RAM and a 10Gb hard-disk, with an ethernet card. It can also be fitted with an 802.11 wireless LAN card. The TransNote measures about 1.3 inches thick and weighs around 5.5 pounds. Battery life will last around 2.5 hours

IBM will start taking orders next month, but potential customers can go on the waiting list on the products webpage. This model is also available for both right-handed and left-handed writers.