Tablet PC's

[Guest snap2005]

Just wondering if anyone has purchased a tablet PC - if so, what model? - how do you like it? - would you purchase one again over a traditional laptop? etc. and any other comments you have.

 

I am considering purchasing a new computer and trying to decide between a laptop and a tablet PC - any suggestions / considerations would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Snap

[Guest peachy]

I've got a Motion M1300. At the time that I bought it, I was deciding between buying a small laptop or buying a tablet. My old laptop was a Vaio 505-series, and I knew that I didn't want to go back to something too heavy to throw in my backpack, so I felt like a tablet PC was a no-brainer for me. It's basically the same cost as an ultraportable laptop, with increased flexibility of use.

 

I'm not sure about whether I'd buy a slate again (vs a convertible). It's a bit of a pain not to have the keyboard immediately handy. On the other hand, I love being able to type when it's in portrait mode vs in landscape mode, as it's a much more logical format for using documents or reading, and that's something that you can't do with a convertible.

 

I don't use it much for class, though. I tried a few times during our most recent course, because our fantastic professors provided the notes in OneNote format. But, really, in medical school, because you're given all the notes anyways, it doesn't make much of a difference.

 

I did use it quite a lot when I took a summer math course last summer, and that was fantastic. Being able to search through handwritten notes was tremendously helpful in making the notes useful after class; I wished that I had had a tablet during undergrad! The handwriting recognition is much better than you'd expect.

 

So, I'm happy with my tablet purchase, although I wouldn't pay a huge premium for it. I'd probably go with a Motion again. Their tech support is just fantastic - when you phone them, a real person answers, says "How can I help you?" and then does! The first time I was just so taken aback to be speaking to a person instead of an automated system. On the other hand, they're a bit more expensive than some of the other brands.

 

Definitely check out tabletpcbuzz.com, and read through some of the forums there. They have lots of great information.

[Guest papink]

Although I'm not in med school (yet!), I do know a bit about laptops and Tablet PC's. I use one for work on a regular basis and when I return to school full time to upgrade my marks this fall, I'll continue using one... I just have to shell out my own cash for it.

 

I agree with Peachy - if you go tablet, go with a convertible. Sometimes you'll love the tablet, but sometimes you'll want a laptop! In fact, if you have the opportunity - try out a friends tablet PC for a few hours, or don't be shy and go to a store and get friendly with one of their floor models.

 

I've done a lot of reading up on Tablet PCs as I'm going to be purchasing mine in August and I've decided to go with the one I use at work - it's the Toshiba M200 (I'll go with the new model if its out). Toshiba is highly rated, but it's also one of the most expensive.

 

There are lots of pros and cons to the different models of tablet PC's so you should read up on them before you buy one. I've posted a few links on review sites that I trust.

 

Some of the things you'll want to consider are:

Processor speed: (not really that important)

RAM : (cheapest way to upgrade and extend the life of any computer)

Weight: what good is a portable tablet PC if it's 10 lbs? Toshiba is over 4lbs, and some models are about 2 or 3 lbs.

Cost: Sometimes you pay for what you get - but not always!

 

Good luck with your purchase! Sorry for writing so much!

 

www.pcmag.com/category2/0...379,00.asp

 

zdreviews.search.com/sear...k=44464323

[Guest peachy]

I agree with Peachy - if you go tablet, go with a convertible.

Actually, I'm just not sure about which is best! :lol I like the flexibility my slate gives me of being able to hook up an external keyboard and then use the whole thing as a "laptop", but in portrait orientation, which is a big advantage of a slate. (The Motion tablets have a "hard top keyboard" which basically takes about 30 seconds to hook up and turn the tablet into a laptop on the go.) Also, with the new M1400's that have bluetooth built in, it's easy to use it in "laptop" format with a bluetooth keyboard, without any wires. But yeah, most people who buy tablets seem to be pretty anti-slate.

 

To add to papink's list, a couple other factors to consider when deciding are:

- noise: my tablet has no fan, so it's pretty much silent, which is nice when using it in a quiet room.

- viewing angle on the screen: this varies HUGELY with different tablets. One of the disadvantages of mine is that it has a narrow viewing angle which makes it less than ideal when using it flat on a desk. Newer tablets (eg the M1400) have much better viewing angles - definitely try to see the screen before you buy it, and to use it from every angle.

- battery life: you probably want at least a few hours so you can get through a few classes without plugging in. Keep in mind that if you are using wifi / have the screen at a bright setting then you'll get far less battery life than the reported numbers.

 

Also, when reading the reviews in places like PC Mag / ZDNet and generally most American sourcs, they tend to be heavily biased against small laptops, with the attitude that the vast majority of people need big, powerful bricks, and that performance is the most important factor. So if you don't share that viewpoint, you need to be careful when reading those reviews.

[Guest papink]

eep! :eek sorry for putting words into your mouth peachy! I re-read what you wrote and I think I was agreeing with myself rather than you! I tend to do that sometimes.

 

I'm actually reading up on 'The Motion' one now... I'm not buying until August, so I could still change my mind!

[Guest nextstopmd]

I'd just like to put my vote in for a Mac. Either the 12" iBook or the 12" PowerBook are both tiny enough to put in any backpack. I really love my iBook and it was only 1400 or so with everything I wanted (including Bluetooth). The Powerbook will run you around 2100 or so depending on what you're looking for.

 

I know they are obviously not tablets, but in my experience, I just couldn't beat the price and convenience of the iBook. Many of the really small PC laptops I was looking at were at least double the price.

[Guest NorthernMed]

I have been considering the Motion LE1600, I am a bit hesitant to drop that much money on a computer though. For those of you who did choose to go with the tablet, are you happy with your decision? do you think the tablet would be worth while if you already have a PDA?

 

Thanks for your help,

N

[Guest peachy]

The LE1600 is a really sweet machine - I'm jealous!

 

I think that whether or not you have a PDA is irrelevant. A PDA is a convenient device to slip into your pocket and use for scheduling, quick notes, small programs, music, video, etc. Definitely a useful device. But a Tablet PC is a full-fledged laptop running Windows XP! My Palm broke a while ago, and I haven't replaced it, but I don't use my laptop for any of the things that I used to use my Palm.

 

I am happy with my M1300. It's fast, quiet, fun to use, and light to carry. Is the tablet aspect necessary? Absolutely not. It was a bit of a splurge, but I was buying a laptop anyways, and the price difference between the M1300 and, say, Dell's smallest laptop was not huge. But it's fun to use, I like using it (typing, taking notes, etc) in Portrait mode, there are times where it's really convenient to have tablet capabilities. The only downsides, really, are crummy battery life and poor viewing angle on the screen, and those have been solved for the LE1600. (Plus, snazzy pens!)

 

However, is it useful for the particular application of taking notes in medical school? Not for me. I tried it a few times, and I realized that I prefer paper notes for taking notes and studying. But there are certainly others for whom it would work. I've used it for math courses, though, and for that it's totally great!! I really wish I had had it in undergrad.

[webshy]

I am considering purchasing a Tablet, and am wondering if anyone has any opinions on their usefulness in class. I currently have an portable Toshiba laptop, which I quite like (12.1" screen, about 4 lbs). While my laptop has been handy in classes where all I need to do is write what the prof is saying, it hasn't been overly helpful in classes where diagrams are used extensively, profs provide PowerPoint notes, etc.

 

For those who use Tablets... Can you just type directly onto PowerPoint files? Do you find doing so convenient? Does writing directly into files prevent the need for printing so much material? Do you just keep an electronic copy of your notes?

 

I haven't seen too many slate Tablets on the market lately; though I'm presuming they still exist. What are your thoughts regarding slate vs convertable Tablets?

 

Do you recommend any particular Tablets? So far, I have looked at Toshiba, Fijitsu and Dell tablets. They all seem to have somewhat different specifications. Weight is important to me, as when I had an older, heavier laptop, I found I didn't carry it with me. Otherwise, I'm not too sure what specifications I should be picky about.

 

Thanks for your help!

Elaine

[bones]

Hi elaine,

 

I use a tablet PC to take my notes. In powerpoint, I open up the "notes" section and type most of my notes (as I type faster than I can write), and when I need to make a drawing on the powerpoint, I can do that too. This feature, as far as I know, comes built in with tablet PCs running powerpoint. The tablet also comes with something called Windows Journal, which comes with a printer driver. This means that you can send PDF files into the Journal software and edit them (draw on them, highlight, etc.). I can also draw on Microsoft Word documents.

 

My tablet is small and light (it's an LG, maybe 3-3.5 lbs). I don't have paper notes; all my notes are on the computer. I turn down the brightness of the screen, making it easier to read off the screen.

 

I don't know much about the different tablet's out there, but I like having all my notes electronically, and it's never been a problem for me.

[Julie]

All (or almost all) students at Ottawa U med get a tablet for their studies (this year was Lenovo X61). Opinions vary, but personally, I don't think I would ever go back to a non-tablet computer. I handwrite almost all my notes directly on the powerpoint slides (in a program called OneNote that came with our laptop). I find I can go faster, add arrows & diagrams, circle, highlight, etc. There are ton of pen & highlighter options, which means I don't bring any to class. It's easier to make really clear notes, I find, with a tablet than on paper. Our laptop is also super lightweight, which is nice since we bring it everywhere we go.

 

I do end up printing many of my notes before exams. I find it easier to study on paper, for some reason. I tried it with just the laptop, but couldn't get used to it. It works for some people in my class, though. I think the tablet still somewhat saves paper for me, because with a zoom option, I can write way more on a ppt slide than I could otherwise. When I zoom out & print it's still really clear, so I can print 6 slides/ page no prob. Also, I don't print all my notes, just the classes I want to study more throughly.

 

Everyone in my class is different though. Some people love the laptops, some hate them. Some people use the tablet function, some don't. It depends on your style, I guess.

[webshy]

Thank you both for your replies! I downloaded a trial version of OneNote for this term, which based on my first week of classes, seems useful. However, I can see how having a tablet to write on the notes rather than just typing on them would be even more useful.

 

Julie - thanks for the information regardng printing. I didn't think about the ability to print more slides per page (ie: 6 instead of 2) to reduce the amount of printing.

 

I'm still trying to decide whether to purchase a tablet (which seem to vary considerably in price - from around $1000 to well over $2000), as well as a laser printer. Likely, I will wait until I find out if I get into med school before proceeding with the purchase.

 

Thank you both for your help!

Elaine

[Asclepius]

For a while I was crazy about the lenovo x61 tablet. I have switched to having all my notes in digital format which saves a lot of time and paper as well as keeping my notes super organized, however not being able to add diagrams etc has been a drawback with my regular laptop. I researched tablets a lot and decided I liked the Lenovo over other models and was ready to buy but decided to wait since my current laptop is still in good shape. Suffice to say, my next laptop will be a tablet but the model will depend on what is available in the next year or so. I think that the prevalence and range of available tablets PCs will continue to grow especially with the integration of tablet functionality in Windows Vista. [/2cents]

[Oak]

HP sells good tablet PCs.

[ploughboy]

HP sells good tablet PCs.

 

Agreed.

 

(10char)

[bones]

There's also the option of getting a cheaper, more fully-loaded laptop that is nice and portable, and buying an add-on Wacom tablet to attach via USB. You'll probably end up saving money in the end, even after purchasing the Wacom add-on.

[xi88]

HP sells good tablet PCs.

 

They do, but they have problems with repair service if something were to go wrong. I had an HP tablet, and just a month after warrenty ran out, the motherboard gave out. I brought it in to be fixed in March, and HP sent 5 new motherboards that were defective in a row. It remains currently unfixed.