Are You Interested in a Tablet?

I'll probably always want real ink and paper for reading 'lit-ra-chur.' Part of my love of the Harry Potter books is all about quality printing.

But I'd love a very sturdy tablet PC if it was clearly designed as a sort of peripheral for my PC, something I could use to read the web and do 'ink' work on Word documents, email, and my timesheet in Excel. Mainly, though, I'd want to read all sorts of reviews about how "My dog carried it off and it still worked when I found it" and "I drop it all the time and it never seems to mind."

After spending 1-1/2 hours waiting in line to see a movie premier last Thursday (it was a free showing, so the wait was acceptable), I could certainly see the desire to own one.  The 2-inch screen on my cell phone was a pain surfing the internet with, and if I didn't have something to divert my attention to the fact that I was packed like a sardine in the queue, I'm pretty sure I would have passed out.  The biggest feature I would like to see in a tablet would be excellent battery life.  There's nothing worse than depending on a gadget, only to have the thing die on you before your need for it's functioning is over.  Of course, I'm dreaming big, to think that will ever happen, (or that I'll ever one).

I see the value in some areas, but I think the NetBook is putting a big byte into it.  A major shortcoming of the tablet is one that afflicts all computers - handwriting recognition.  Removing handwriting and what do you have?  A netbook.

Microsoft's Companion Courier looks very functional to me, as well as being of a size that wouldn't require a special garment alteration...

I could see using that on rounds and in private life. I saw a vid about it which I can't find at the moment, but Steve Ballmer questioned the role/future of the tablet at CES on 1/7 while they were unveiling the HP tablet. Strange...and everyone's hyped up about the "Super iPhone" which hasn't been shown (and no one knows if really exists).

Odd goings on.

edit: Found the vid! HERE

Man techs getting crazy... I like it...

My opinion, and only mine, just another hand held gadget that we have to figure out how to dispose of when we tire of it.  Just can't throw it into a land fill now can we.  Sort of a 'BIG' downside.  Just saying. 

Nothing, really.

It's just the usual techno_gimmick_of_the_trendy_moment. Besides, anyone knows how fast stuff fades away in the 'puter world.

Truth be said though that i *do* own a tiny portable (which serve(d) only as a backup solution when the main desktop PC failed temporarily last summer, btw) and i don't use it much if anything. Steady, solid, reliable supply of continual volts from any regular wall outlet or rechargeable battery time(+++s), anyone?

So, yet another "toy" in the collection with a more recent tablet would simply mean a few days of interest, then gather dust in a corner - eventually.

The small Bamboo drawing (and quick pointing!) capacity is enough for my needs anyway... your mileage may differ.

I don't believe I'll be getting one.  Its to big to be a portable solution like the touch (toss it in my pocket), and not big enough to be a replacement for my laptop (which I carry around to work/home/vacations).

I have a convertible tablet (the HP tx2500z), and it's not only the tablet features, but the software you can use with it, in my case, OneNote. I wanted to get rid of paper and have a central place where I could have all my meetings notes, brainstorming,... and the combination of Tablet + OneNote has been a total success so far.

Bleh.... I don't even like laptops! B[]

That's exactly what I'm looking for. OneNote is an excellent piece of software.

Me either... so this tablet thing will be of no interest to me.  I prefer screens to be full-sized (19" - 22") so anything smaller is unacceptable.  Besides, I have no need of a laptop, netbook or tablet because I don't do/run a  businessand all my comuting needs are well catered to on my desktop PC at home. 

In fact, I don't like or use mobile phones, either... they're too damned small and fiddly to use, not to mention that I'm never too far from a landline if somebody needs me, or visa versa.

I could see it being viable in the graphics world.  If it has a touch sensative screen that would be on par with a standard tablet, it could work.  I love me my pen tool!

However, it will need to have the power to run the graphical apps, and I dont see that happening on this scale for another 5 years.  Maybe if it can wirelessly interface with your work, home, entertainment computers...

So yeah, just another gadget that everyone "just hasta have!"

The HP tx2500z screen is a Wacom tablet. I'm not sure if it's as good as a Intuos, I suppose it's not, but it's pretty good. And it has more than enough power to run PS and other tools to work with. The main problem I have seen with PS is that the screen is small, so you have to zoom in and out a lot for detailed drawings.

Then you will be happy, it works like a charm and even if my writting s*cks, OneNote transforms it to text pretty well when it has to.

Need I tell you what a Doctor's handwriting looks like? 

Actually mine isn't bad....but the possibilities with this little jobbie look really super.

I have a tablet convertible laptop now for a couple of years.  I like the looks of the newer 'tablet-only, no convertible' aspect of these devices, but I question practicality.  As it stands, I tend to use the laptop form more than the tablet form.

What I do think might have potential is increasing hardware capabilities of the so-called smartphones.  I will likely have an Android OS powered device shortly, and it will be my first PDA-type device since some old Blackberry and Palm Pilots I used to use religiously.  Beef up the horsepower on those, provide a OneNote-like feature set, and cumbersome tablets might fall by the wayside.

I'm sorry I couldn't find that video...if you saw it, it would have sold you. Really.

*edit: Found it!!! No embed code, but here's the link. It's the one with the sneaker picture on it (the second pic on the page...scroll).

HERE

I am glad to hear you say that.  My laptop stays in it's case and I am mostly glued to my desktop.  A tablet would be one more case in the closet 

Very interested indeed!

Will be getting iSlate as soon as it comes out