Microsoft launched Windows XP Tablet PC Edition at last fall's COMDEX computer show in Las Vegas. Since then, according to IDC, vendors have shipped about 72,000 devices based on the new OS. That's not a large number, but it's big enough to represent one of the few bright spots in today's depressed PC market, and it was a sufficiently large volume that some vendors reportedly sold out of their initial designs.
Tablet PCs from Acer, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Motion Computing, Toshiba America Information Systems, and ViewSonic represent a variety of different approaches to designing a device to exploit the XP Tablet PC Edition feature set. In evaluating these devices, I concentrated more on ergonomics, usability, and suitability to task than on specific performance benchmarks. I also put each device through a fairly severe usability and battery-life test by editing a book chapter on it. All five devices worked well, although each has strengths and weaknesses. Some of the devices have docking stations, and I tested those units in both docked and undocked modes. All come with built-in 802.11b wireless network support, which I used extensively on my home office wireless LAN (WLAN).
What Is a Tablet PC?
Before I get into the specifics of the various units that I tested, let me review what makes a tablet PC different from a conventional notebook or laptop PC. A tablet PC is a mobile computer that runs a special version of XP that you can operate with an electronic stylus rather than (or in addition to) a conventional keyboard and mouse. The stylus communicates with an active digitizer built into the tablet PC display that accurately reports the stylus position (typically, at four times the resolution of the display) and, in most cases, the stylus pressure against the display (e.g., pressing harder against the display draws a darker line).
The OS used for tablet PCs, XP Tablet PC Edition, is a version of XP Professional Edition that supports electronic ink and handwriting recognition. XP Tablet PC Edition includes an application called Windows Journal that allows onscreen note-taking and a pop-up Tablet PC Input Panel that lets you use the stylus for input to text fields in any Windows application. Figure 1 shows Windows Journal and the Tablet PC Input Panel. You can use print or cursive forms, and you can use the stylus to select one letter at a time from an onscreen keyboard at times when handwriting recognition won't work.
XP Tablet PC Edition retains, and in some cases provides enhancements to, XP Pro features. For example, speech recognition is integrated into the Input Panel. People rarely use speech recognition on conventional notebook PCs, but the tablet PC form factor is well suited to it; add a headset and boom mike, and you can dictate text while holding the unit in one hand and the stylus in the other hand for editing. I did this while testing the units in this review, and it works. I also used Windows Journal for note-taking and Microsoft Office XP with the Office XP Pack for Tablet PC add-on, which all the tablet PCs I reviewed provided, for extensive writing and editing. The tablet PC prices listed in this article don't include the cost of Office XP.
To answer the big question right up front, yes, the tablet PC form factor really does work. Each of the devices I reviewed provides the full power of XP Pro running on a high-end processor, but the small size and light weight of the units (and built-in 802.11b wireless network support) provide unparalleled mobility. When you need it, you can add a keyboard—by plugging the unit into a docking station, setting it on a stand, or (for some of the units) twisting the display around to uncover a hidden keyboard. After spending 2 weeks testing these units, I'm completely confident that I could live with one as a full-time PC (although in most cases, I'd want an external monitor for use on my desk).
Let's examine separately the five units that I tested. Note that Table 1, page 45, shows the common specifications for each unit, including physical size, weight, display size, and processor speed; the sidebar "Other Tablet PC Vendors" lists the Web sites of other vendors in the tablet PC space; and the sidebar "Tablet PC Applications," page 46, identifies some applications designed for this form factor.
Acer TravelMate C102Ti
The Acer TravelMate C100 was the first tablet PC device I had an opportunity to use (see Mobile & Wireless, "Acer TravelMate 100," November 2002, http://www.winnetmag.com, InstantDoc 26688); and the Acer TravelMate C102Ti retains its features. It's a convertible device—in one mode, it looks exactly like a conventional notebook PC, but press on the hinges at either end of the display to unlock them, rotate the display 180 degrees horizontally, fold the display down over the keyboard, and you find yourself holding a tablet PC.
The C102Ti works extremely well as a conventional notebook PC, benefiting from a high-resolution display and good keyboard. It's a bit more problematic in tablet mode, in part because you must carry the weight of the keyboard and external ports even if you don't need them. The large primary stylus is easy to lose (I lost both the C100 and C102Ti styli) because the device has no place to stow it. A small backup stylus that fits into a slot at the top of the C102Ti's display works but is less than ideal for extended use. And you can use the keyboard only when the display is in landscape mode (you can vertically orient the nonconvertible units—the ViewSonic Tablet PC V1100, Motion M1200, and Compaq Tablet PC TC1000—when you use them with a keyboard). The C102Ti's on/off button for the 802.11b wireless network card is a nice feature and is easy to use in notebook mode, but you must open the case to use it when in tablet mode—a minor inconvenience.
The C102Ti makes a fine presentation platform. If you store your presentation on the hard disk, you need only carry the C102Ti—you don't need a docking station or adapter to connect the device to an auxiliary monitor or LCD projector.
The C102Ti comes with trial versions of WebEx Communications' WebEx Mobile Meetings and FranklinCovey's TabletPlanner for Tablet PC (for brief descriptions of these applications, see "Tablet PC Applications") and is covered by Acer's standard 1-year "carry-in" international traveler's warranty. The C102Ti is a fine choice for users who want a lightweight notebook PC that can also be used as a true tablet PC when required. Acer recently announced the availability of the TravelMate C110, which is built on Intel Centrino mobile technology.
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