Tell me about Tablet PC's

Factual Questions
1

Work is getting me a new laptop/tablet, my choice. I have had a laptop for several years now and think that I may go with the tablet. I like the idea of being able to scrawl notes and save them without having to re-key them in to my system later. This may allow me to go paperless.

However, I am concerned about limitations of tablets. Has anyone had experience with this? I am a software developer using Visual Studio 2005 and Office 2003. Anyone have experience developing on a tablet? How are the keyboards?

I greatly appreciate any insights.

2

Tablets nowadays are just laptops that have a screen that swivels around. Anything you can do on a laptop you can do on the tablet in laptop mode.

3

I’m posting this from my Toshiba R15 convertable tablet.

When I bought it a year ago the specs were in line with a good workstation laptop (not for games or hardcore 3d graphic work). I’ve used it to run VMware linux and Windows Server 2003 machines at the same time I’m using the XP host OS… it lags a bit but is workable. Just running XP tablet and 4-5 applications works fine.

I’ve had zero problems with the hardware and the tablet is a great feature. The keyboard is better than some of the other laptops I’ve used (better than my Dell and my HP laptops that’s for sure).

I’m pleased with it and I’d buy another.

If you are interested in a tablet, check out TabletPCBuzz.com forums. See what people are saying about the tablet you’re interested in. I used that site to decide on my Toshiba.

4

Thanks much for the posts and the link.

5

I’ve had my Toshiba Portege for over 3 years, and I don’t think my next laptop will be a tablet.

The graphics are noticeably slower in tablet mode. This is good for getting high scores on some games, because it gives you more time to react. But really, it’s a bug, not a feature.

My screen got damaged and needed to be replaced. $400 and some dollars later … and the guy only charged $20 for labor. My machine was insured, but with a $500 deductible.

I really haven’t been able to write acceptably in touchscreen mode to take notes or anything like that.

Sometimes tablet features will get activated by accident when I’m in laptop mode, and I have to figure out how to get back to normal.

One thing I do enjoy is just surfing in tablet mode, using the stylus to click links. It’s a bit more relaxing.

And, it does look cool and get oohs and aahs. It is also a fairly small, lightweight laptop that doesn’t weigh me down.

6

It may be worth mentioning that tablets can be tough to write" on if you’re left-handed. Some of them don’t recognize some stylus-created letters unless the stylus is held at a certain angle, or the correct amount of pressure is used, or whatever. This isn’t a problem just with tablets, but with anything that allows/requires stylus writing. It’s a problem for me on my PDA. If you are left handed, I would definitely recommend trying the stylus writing feature out fairly extensively before buying.

7

I really want the functionality of taking hand written notes. I am sick of taking notes and then typing them in to my system. I don’t need any character recognition as the notes are for me only.

I’m sick of paper piling on my desk so I can bang it in my system to file with the rest of my documentation.

Thus, any failures or bugs regarding writing with the stylus is a concern for me.

8

I picked up a Gateway CX2724 a few months ago.

I love it.

A lot.
I’ve been using it to take notes in class for the past month. It’s great for everything (except handouts) I’ve yet to have a problem with it.

Mine’s pretty much the cheapest tablet around. I’ve seen it for sale at the local best buy for $999 CAD. It’s my first tablet (I’d never actually used a tablet before mine arrived) so I don’t really have much to compare it with.

I’ve yet to have a problem with the stylus… The Gateway tablets use Finepoint, not Wacom tablet technology, so it’s a little more difficult to find styluses (stylii?) if mine were to break or stop working, but pretty much every other tablet uses Wacom, and their styluses are pretty much interchangable, cheap and easy to find.

My only complaints:

A) It’s a bit heavy. I think it’s 7 pounds.

B) I have to keep a cleaning cloth handy when using it as a tablet. It tends to smear up quite easily. It’s not bad or anything, I’m just a clean freak when it comes to my computer screens.

C) The screen tends to wash out quite a bit when viewed on an angle… As in quite a bit worse than a similarly-priced non-tablet laptop. This is due to the digitizer pad mounted over the screen. The more expensive models have better screens and this problem is significantly reduced.

I haven’t encountered any of the problems the others complain of. My graphics are just as fast in any orientation. I simply don’t use handwriting recognition (I write in a combination of upper and lower case, and use some pretty strange shaped characters (my “H” is usually a “4”), but when I try and write clearly, it works great. The pressure sensitivity is good in most programs (great for art, but if I’m writing something, I tend to max out the pressure and it all stays the same thickness) I can write just fine left-handed on it too (well, to the extent that I can write with my left hand)

On the other hand, I’ve had it for a mere 2-3 months and it could still be considered “new” but I’m lovin’ it.

My advice: Make sure you go with with a convertible tablet (One with a keyboard). Trying to write a paper using the stylus and handwriting recognition is an exercise in frustration.

If you’re going to walking around with it, find a very light one. Mine’s too heavy to walk around for an extended period with.

Other than that, it kicks ass.

9

http://www.tabletpcreview.com/ is a good place to learn more about tablets. My top picks in the sub 5 pound category if you want some serious performance is the Asus R1F (Which I just ordered for myself, actually), the Toshiba M400 (the R400 is comeing out soon and supposed to be very nice but very pricey) and the Fujitsu T4215. For a 14.1" screen you’re looking at about 6 lbs and the Toshiba Tecra looks nice.

Tablets are not really recommended for gaming since few have dedicated graphics cards and the ones that do have not so nice ones…you’re not going to be playing Doom at some terrifically high frame rate with that. But for business use the graphics is fine, about usual for most business laptops.