Comments on: Tablet Schmablet

By: past_a

past_a — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 23:57:01 +0000

I own both products and recently built another MCE for my dad who can’t stop talking about how much he loves it. The tablet I can see some people not being into but calling them a total failure is incredibly clueless. They haven’t done anything on the mass market but in niche applications they have become must haves in some industries. I know a couple doctors who use them exclusively. I watched him do things like pull up a record of a test, look it over, add some notes, save it and then link to it in the notations of the check up he was completing. Easily some of the best use of technology I have ever seen. I mentioned this to a doctor friend of mine and he knew the system having just fallen in love with it himself – to the degree that his office was planning to do away with the massive file storage cabinets as soon as everything was digitized. Look beyond your own need, or lack thereof, for a tablet and you’d see that they were not a mistake.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Jul 2003 13:57:23 +0000

I picked up a tablet pc last week. In many cases the laptop will do the job. I think (like anything else) it all depends on your individual needs. There is no one solution for everyone. It works for me because I do a lot of one one one powerpoint presentations and take a lot of notes at meetings. I can sit down with someone after a presentation and explain things and answer questions with a drawing pad for notes and I can even email them the notes later or beam them to their handheld right on the spot. As for Media Center, I would by one as my next PC only as a replacement for my existing pc. You have to use all of it's features to make it worthwhile. It's an expensive toy if all you use it for is Watching TV/movies and listening to mp3's. The only one I really like right now it the alienware version. Small and not obtrusive and would look nice in your entertainment center.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 10 Jul 2003 05:04:59 +0000

There is nothing inherently wrong with the TabletPC, and some manufacturers can't keep up with demand for them.
The Toshiba is a good example… a laptop with Tablet features.
One thing I like about Tablet PCs over PDA is the larger screen. To me it is easier to read an e-text (book, magazine, etc.) on the larger screen.
I think I'll hold off on getting one until they have the option for a built-in DVD burner.
The Media Center PC is OK, and might be viable if they unbundle the hardware from the software. If, for example, the software was available to ATI AllInWonder upgraders, I'd buy the software today. But, no, I won't buy a whole machine just to get the software.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Jul 2003 05:56:16 +0000

I don't own any of these products either. I would think a laptop would be better since you can do more with it. EX. Burn CDs, DVDs, edit movies on powerful ones, and chat. With a tablet PC you can mostly only take notes. Leo from Call For Help on Tech TV had a question with a college student about this and he said that a labtop would probaly be better. The Tablet does let you just scribble down some notes, but it doesn't do much more.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Jun 2003 07:38:25 +0000

I have to disagree with you here – I LOVE the Tablet PC. It's somewhat like my idea of a dream computer come true – I can scribble on it, jot down ideas, draw concepts…and it'll all be saved in the comp for future reference so I don't have to look through a muddle of paper or battle with sticky keyboards and mice. My dad and I test-drove a few, from Acer…they were absolutely brilliant. I have one of the worst handwritings ever and it picked up what I wrote just fine. Even my signature came out right! :D Now if only I had the money to buy the thing…*glares at Dad*

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Jun 2003 02:10:40 +0000

Picked up a Compaq Tablet at the beggining of the year and have used it every workday since. In a project management environment, it has the necessary tools to keep on top of all the details of multiple projects while dashing from meeting to meeting. The Franklin Covey Tablet planner works great to keep track of the day to day to-do's, upcoming meetings, and “where did I put that number”s, while MindJet's MindMapping software is the best solution available for capturing meeting notes and planning any type of project.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Jun 2003 21:05:46 +0000

When Da Goddess and I went to Joe Bonamossa's show, there were a couple of 'cigarette girls' pawning Marlboro cigs and premiums. They each had Tablet PCs.
Not being one to turn down free smokes or other freebies, I let them take my information.
She clutzed around on the tablet PC. It freaked out on her twice, she had to start the program again. It gave her fatal errors, wouldnt respond, It even BSODed on her, in true Microsoft form.
Ooh, really made me want one.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Jun 2003 18:17:30 +0000

Perhaps a sloped podium would be good but no matter what, you can't win. A sloped podium (actually a multimedia cabinet) would make it taller and the shorter instructors would complain. Trust me, it has happened and when you are putting in a $100k system into a 1000 seat lecture hall…but really, I would like to redesign future cabinets but we have 100 existing classrooms that cannot be changed. I have high-end and reliable Wintel systems built in to these systems but many people insist on bringing their toys. I just got done pulling Macs out of 80 classrooms because support/upgrade costs too. ;-)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Jun 2003 16:26:35 +0000

I work for a major publishing firm and we purchased a few Toshiba tablet PCs to try out. These things are great for us magazine creators. We can make notes on the screen, edit images, draw concept sketches along with many other features. As for price, they aren't that much of a price hike when you look as saving the money you would spend on a Wacom Cintiq to be able to draw on the screen and edit photos on the photo in Photoshop. I'm not saying every home user needs one just as not every user needs a digital camera or PDA but it does have it's applications for the photo/artistic people and for business collaborators.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Jun 2003 15:01:52 +0000

TK: it sounds like you'd be a lot better off with the Toshiba, which works like a laptop and can be converted to a Tablet.
It sounds like your teaching area isn't very well designed. Maybe you need a sloped podium?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Jun 2003 14:23:37 +0000

The only reason I don't have a convertible Tablet PC is they're too expensive.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Jun 2003 13:15:00 +0000

Um, yea I have used one. A new Fujitsu. Put it on a flat surface and it is useless unless you are hovering right over it. The angle is too poor. I (and other people) fought to prop the think up on an angle while teaching. To make it useful, we had to manufacture a prop-holder and carry a usb mouse and the infrared keyboard with us. Then connect it to a instructional system with video-out and network (no wireless unfortunatly) and you ended up with a squid-like system that was not much use. A true laptop is much better designed. You have your keyboard, touchpad and a screen that can be adjusted to the angle you want without having to prop up the entire ssytem. Oh yes, I have used them.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Jun 2003 13:14:00 +0000

I don't have either. They are just too expensive. I would love to have a Media Centre PC but who has the money to keep two PCs up to date?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Jun 2003 13:03:44 +0000

and for my next trick I will show you all how to put this little chip in your wrist………….. don't worry we are not tracking you! muhahahahahahaha

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Jun 2003 12:29:11 +0000

I don't think Bob was a mistake. Sure it was slow, but get a few 5 year old kids playing with it and they'll think it's the best thing ever!