<p>I was just wondering if any CCers have a tablet PC and how you like them...</p>
<p>I've researched them quite a bit and have read lots of pros and cons but most aren't from a students perspective. </p>
<p>Thanks....</p>
<p>Give them a few years to let the technology mature because right now they are incredibly expensive for not all that much in added functionality.</p>
<p>Well... I was looking at one from Gateway(only because I can get a 20% discount because of my father corporate account) which starts at like 1699 then with the discount is like 1390 or around that. IME not bad for a 1.8ghz, pentium M, 512MB, 60G hard drive, 14" screen, CD/DVD combo... plus the added features of a tablet.</p>
<p>Have you heard of a device which looks like a leather bound notepad but has an electronic slate type screen instead of paper and the notes can be downloaded via USB to a computer... it has a special pen like a tablet but not the whole Windows OS just a notetaking program. I remember seeing something like this but now I can't seem to find it.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>I like tablets, and I definitely think the technology is there already. The price is steep, so that's the only negative. But a lot of them, especially the Toshibas, have the same functionality as many notebooks. There's one by Averatec which is only $1,000, but it comes with the risk of being a no-name brand. I like the Toshiba Portege m200 and the Toshiba Satellite r15. Both go for about $1500, but you have to buy an external CD drive for the Portege which can go for $150.</p>
<p>toshiba makes great laptops in general, so if you get one i'd go for one of theirs.</p>
<p>yes... but how is their customer support?
I know Gateway has a bad rep in that dept. but I've always done well with them.</p>
<p>I have the Averatec one, the C3500 . . . I really like it a lot. I've started taking notes with it in class, which is really cool, and handy for keeping my notes all in one place. The only bad thing is that my classmates always get distracted by it :p . . . The handwriting-->text feature works pretty well. . . What else...there are cool powertoys like a font creator, New York Times crossword puzzles (what I do during calc class, hehe), art programs, handwriting analysis programs, etc. I'm definitely bringing this thing to college with me next yr.</p>
<p>Toshiba's customer support is great. They make great all around products. I have a Toshiba Laptop, TV, and Digital Camera.. and they are all wonderful. Dell is one of those companies that has HORRIBLE customer support.</p>
<p>Would a convertible(a full keyboard/laptop but with a screen which can fold like a tablet) type tablet PC be okay for complete college type work or is another traditional computer needed?</p>
<p>Anyone have experience?</p>
<p>Hilary, how's the battery life on the Averatec? I've heard it can run pretty low, and I doubt it would last for more than one lecture a day.</p>
<p>I went and looked at an Averatech tablet today but it seems a bit small for everyday use. I'm thinking that maybe picking up a used (read: cheap) tablet and then having a traditional laptop might be an idea.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>A traditional desktop would be a better idea, since they're much cheaper and much higher performing. Take the tablet when you're on the move, and use the desktop when you're at home. I wonder if it's easy to transfer notes from a tablet to a desktop.</p>
<p>But there are bigger tablets. The Toshiba satellite has a 14 inch screen, which is pretty standard size for regular laptops.</p>
<p><a href="http://studenttabletpc.blogs.com/%5B/url%5D">http://studenttabletpc.blogs.com/</a>
<a href="http://www.tabletpcbuzz.com/forum/default.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.tabletpcbuzz.com/forum/default.asp</a>
<a href="http://www.whatisnew.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.whatisnew.com/</a></p>
<p>Anovice: I remeber you from another laptop thread! Good to see that you're considering a Tablet PC. </p>
<p>I've listed three sites that have a lot of information on Tablets. The Studentabletpc.blog site is run by a couple of students and have tons of good and pratical information on how students can benefit using Tablets in school. The site is planning to add a student forum section.</p>
<p>Tabletpcbuzz.com is probably the oldest and best site for Tablet PCs. The link goes to their forum section and is broken down by manufacturers and special interest groups. Averatec and Gateway have their own forums so check them out. There's also a General Tablet forum section for newbies. Do a "student" keyword seach on any of these forums to see how students use and like their Tablets. </p>
<p>Whatisnew.com is another valuable site for Tablet news.</p>
<p>You had a question about a notebook like pad device that can transfer your written notes to a computer via a USB cable. I researched theses devices over a year ago. I seem to recall that CompUSA carried them. The problem is that the "notes" are stored in an image format. In reviewing them on your computer, think scrolling through a bunch of flash cards... </p>
<p>The Averatec has a 12" screen which makes it ideal for carrying around school. The early batches had problems and it does have some detractors. If you got a good one, you're happy. Make sure you can bring it back for a refund. Check out the Averatec forum at Tabletpcbuzz.com. One person on that forum uses his Averatec for drawing. Check out his art. It's impressive.</p>
<p>One of the best Tablet PCs in the market is the Toshiba M205 (also with a 12" screen). This is the one my nephew took with him to college this past fall. No problems so far... He had a required Freshman writing class where the final project was to create some kind of Flash presentation. The class was divided up into groups. His Tablet was the one that was used for the project. Flash animation wasn't a problem. Let's just say his group did well in that class!</p>
<p>If you want a bigger screen and some more weight, Toshiba has introduced the R10/R15 Satellite Tablets. Both have the 14" screens which make them the size of a typical 8 1/2 x 14 legal pad. These Tablets start in the mid teens.</p>
<p>As for whether or not a Tablet PC and another desktop back in your dorm room makes sense, I asked my nephew that same question. If he needed a faster, more powerful machine, I could build him a gaming machine like I did in high school. He was fine with his Tablet. He discovered that college is a lot of work. His first semester was managable compared to what he was used to in high school. His second semester was an eye-opener! He got dumped on hard. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>In regards to screen sizes, why do they insist on making laptops bigger and bigger. the 14.1" standard is such a good size. Anythign 15 or larger just takes up more and more space on what should be a portable computer (the 15inch powerbook is an exception because it is smaller in every other direction). I see these giant behemouths of a notebook and wonder why they have to increase the trend (of course once one starts, the rest must follow or lose business).</p>
<p>Does he take notes on the tablet often? Is it working out for him? I like the idea of my notes all being on my computer. And the tablet can convert writing into text, so it would be cool to have two sets of notes, one written and one typed. Looking at my desk right now, I think less paper would really help me out in college.</p>
<p>About the battery life on the Averatec, aim78 -- It really sucks. I hate that word, but it's pretty bad...I'm usually plugged in during class when I'm taking notes, but w/o it charging it only lasts between 1 and 2 hours, depending on what I'm running. Taking notes and stuff...I'll get maybe 2 hours, but playing The Sims 2, I'll only get an hour or so. </p>
<ul>
<li>Hilary</li>
</ul>
<p>I also hear that the speakers are crap. I would think that a battery could be replaced with a stronger one, but I guess I don't know enough about laptops. That's a big negative, because you're not guaranteed a seat next to an outlet.</p>
<p>aim78: My nephew uses his Tablet everyday in class. He uses OneNote (a program that's part of MS Tablet PC OS/XP Pro) and Gobinder which is a class/note organizer program: <a href="http://www.gobinder.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.gobinder.com/</a></p>
<p>No more separate notebooks to lug around. All your notes are available to you on your Tablet PC. You do not have to convert your handwriting to text. Your hand written notes are searchable as-is!</p>
<p>His Toshiba M205 has a three microphone array (noise cancellation circuitry) built into the screen. If you have a large class where the instructor uses a PA system (my nephew's first year Chem class), you can use the OneNote program that comes standard with a Tablet PC. That program has a voice recorder function in the tools menu. Start the recording function at the beginning of the lecture. Start writing your notes and anywhere you choose, you can "paste" a "timestamp" next to a keyword or sentence that you wrote. Back at your dorm room, click on that "timestamp" icon and you can replay the audio at that point in the lecture... Very cool technology.</p>
<p>Averatec battery life: most people get around two hours. There are some power settings that you can set to increase it a bit, but two hours seems to be tops. The mobile AMD processor that Averatec uses is less efficient that Intel's ...</p>
<p>That is really low battery life (its not because of AMD though, the AMD mobiles work just fine...it speaks more to the other components and battery quality). You really cannot simply get a better battery, you can get another battery and swap them (requires turning it off) if you want more life.</p>
<p>Compare this with an IBM Thinkpad T series that can easily more than double that battery life.</p>
<p>Wow--GoBinder seems ideal for any college student! Thanks for the link, michuncle.</p>
<p>I am planning on buying a Tablet PC for college next year. Anyone else know of any software, etc. that might be useful?</p>