Picture this | Best in class

Incoming freshman cadets at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., will hit the books with new Fujitsu tablet PCs.CDW Government Inc. won a $2.5 million contract to provide 1,250 Fujitsu LifeBook T4220 tablets to the cadets.The Air Force Academy's solicitation for the freshmen's mobile computers is an annual ritual.The academy invites technology providers to submit one computer model each. Speci- fications include processing power, graphics quality, battery power and other functions.A committee of faculty members, the director of academic computing and the school's chief information officer conduct an initial review to narrow the field. Finalists then demonstrate their proposed models on-site before the academy picks a final contractor."This is a very competitive selection process, which includes running a battery of benchmarks, hands-on testing by committee members and calling references," said Larry Bryant, academic computing director.CDW-G delivered the computers Aug. 7. The tablet PCs feature a 12.1-inch bright display with a viewing angle greater than 160 degrees, the latest Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology, built-in Wi-Fi-certified wireless local-area network and a built-in modular bay for a media drive or second battery.