Tablet PCs: the marriage of handhelds and laptops.

• Author: Hay, Laura A.
• Position: Gadgets & Gizmos - Product/Service Evaluation

New portable computers using Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC edition, with pen-based input capabilities, take off for mobile users who need note-taking and collaboration capabilities. We tested one model for use in a standard business setting.

More Than a Coloring Book

"It's a cool coloring book" said the IT staff person as he handed me the new Tablet PC I would be testing over the next month. It was not meant as a compliment. Not much respect was forthcoming for the latest in mobile computing, due to the slower processors currently installed in these models as compared to standard-issue notebook computers.

I was intrigued, however, by the potential for this tool to replace my current multiple-device dependency. If this unit performed well enough to function as my primary desktop computer, yet was portable enough to carry to meetings where I would not normally carry my laptop, I could eliminate the need to maintain and synch two devices with my laptop and handheld. In addition, I am in a position that requires attendance at many meetings that often involved significant note-taking. The potential to eliminate the transcription of notes into electronic documents and tasks would provide significant efficiencies for the way I work, which was my primary interest in the tablet PC format.

And They're Off!

Tablet PCs were first issued in November 2002, and are a new form of the traditional notebook computer that allows for data input using a stylus on the screen instead of having to use a keyboard. Initially marketed to industries relying upon forms and checklists (e.g., medical charts,) the tablet has exceeded early projections, with sales of more than 70,000 units in the fourth quarter of 2002 (IDC research firm). While this volume has not even begun to approach the 8.5 million in laptop sales, tablet PC sales are expected to increase fivefold in 2003. More than a collaboration and design tool, tablets are being implemented where real-time information is needed on the job--on shop floors and work sites. With wireless connectivity and handwriting recognition, tablets are saving hours in re-keying of data in standard business applications.

Our Test Model

I selected the HP Compaq Tablet PC TC1000 T for this test, as it was one of few early tablet PCs designed in the "slate" format, where the "guts" of the computer are in the monitor portion of the tablet, which is detachable from the keyboard. You carry the screen portion only of the computer in a...