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Actually in the past, most tablets were only touch screens, which kept me away from them.

http://www.tabletpctalk.com/faqs/hwcomparison2003. shtml

I've been doing research on the newer tablets that implement WACOM digitizers, since I'm an artist and came upon the above link when trying to find out their specs. The first tablet I tried out was only touch screen and the problem with that, is that if you wrest your hand on it for sketching, or writing, it screws everything up. A digitizer using WACOM's tech, even though it's dated with no "tilt" feature, and only 256 levels of pressure sensitivity, is vastly more accurate than any touch screen I've tried, and more importantly, you can wrest your hand any where on the screen.

IMO, these things are just too big and kind of fall into an awkward inbetween area, where a product really isn't needed. They're too big to be convient like a PDA and are too limited to replace a notebook. I just can't see that many peeps buying one, since a notebook can provide soo much more for not much more. Samsung's version is selling for $1100, which makes it way too expensive for what it can't do.

I personally would like one of these, since they're full fledge computers in a smaller package, but at $3k, I'll be investing in a Wacom 21UX instead;
http://www.motioncomputing.com/products/tablet_pc_ le1600.asp (These things can be upgraded to 180 viewing angles.)

<]=)

... in simple words, why you seem to be smoking crack while posting your comments?

A tablet has a keyboard, can be closed to protect the screen (though these ones don't run MacOS), and you can run Linux on it.

Obviously, a random Slashdot reader like myself is better at this than you are (and I'm not making one dollar a year plus benefits), but it would seem that you're not a very well-informed person.

... in simple words, why you seem to be smoking crack while posting your comments?

A tablet has a keyboard, can be closed to protect the screen (though these ones don't run MacOS), and you can run Linux on it.

Obviously, a random Slashdot reader like myself is better at this than you are (and I'm not making one dollar a year plus benefits), but it would seem that you're not a very well-informed person.

... in simple words, why you seem to be smoking crack while posting your comments?

A tablet has a keyboard, can be closed to protect the screen (though these ones don't run MacOS), and you can run Linux on it.

Obviously, a random Slashdot reader like myself is better at this than you are (and I'm not making one dollar a year plus benefits), but it would seem that you're not a very well-informed person.

... in simple words, why you seem to be smoking crack while posting your comments?

A tablet has a keyboard, can be closed to protect the screen (though these ones don't run MacOS), and you can run Linux on it.

Obviously, a random Slashdot reader like myself is better at this than you are (and I'm not making one dollar a year plus benefits), but it would seem that you're not a very well-informed person.

I have a similar complaint about tablets. Why can't someone take a decent screen resolution and throw it into a tablet? According to TabletPCTalk.com there's only one option that has higher than 1024x768 resolution. Give me a few more pixels and it'll start to be a viable art tool (seems like an obvious target market, since almost all of 'em have pressure sensitive stylus input).

-David

"Whats next? Revolutions..."

Don't ask... (but they pulled the pictures, anyone got a copy?)

Try checking out the comparisons here. Why? Check out the links on the comparisons, as well as the owner of the domain via whois... At least you know this (unlike Computer Shopper magazine) site is not being whored out by some vendor. It's a pretty detailed site on specs, vendors, etc.

In btw, these are not a fake. They is real and I think she deserves a lot of credit for puling this one off.

Carly and Bill are in the midst of spat.

Not too long ago, elReg had a story about how Carly snubbed Bill by not showing off her ...um... tablets to the world when Bill specifically wanted her to at the great unveiling or tablet PCs. As per the gossip, the HP staff was banished from the after-show party. ...meeow...

cheers- raga

Or even this.

It is just me, or does Bill G in leather jacket look vaguely like someone from the history books?

The picture: is here

If only he had a small mustache and wore jackboots ;)

Hell, I bet he *is* wearing jackboots.

Ummmm Bill you didn't tell me about the oestrogen in the red pill. I've got boobies!!

http://images.tabletpctalk.com/pictures/comdex2003 /billgkey/01280023%20(Small).JPG
I've never before noticed billg's resemblance to the villain of the X-Files.

is a hard pill to swallow. And the blue paint doesn't make it go down any easier. And it sure won't taste any good now. You're just making it harder on yourself.

I sure hope someone gives Bill that IBM/Linux blue pill as a suppository...

i dont believe it. thats either the funniest or the sadest thing i have ever seen IN MY LIFE...

microsoft trying to be 'counter culture'. thos images will haunt me till the end of my days.

it doesnt even make any sense. he is give then red pill that says "ibm/linux" on it. presumably he takes it and then is awakened.. they cant even parody things correctly.

its like rewriting brazil to make bill gates the protagonist and steve balmer that psycho bitch with the car....

IT DOESNT WORK

i think im going to be sick
(oh and is it just me or does this image makes bill gates almost look like a swastica... no?)

HP's CEO refused to brandish her own Tablet PC - holding up what looked like a leather-bound paper organizer instead. (Gates reaction here is quite a picture - see photo #5. Fiorina only relented, and presented HP's Tablet PC after backstage wrangling. Gates then banned HP staff from the after-show party)

Here's Fiorina holding her leather organizer instead. Of course, being the richest man in the world, Billy got his way and had her hold a tablet PC by the end.

What gets me is how childish this all seems. "You didn't play right! You and your friends can't come to the party!"

HP's CEO refused to brandish her own Tablet PC - holding up what looked like a leather-bound paper organizer instead. (Gates reaction here is quite a picture - see photo #5. Fiorina only relented, and presented HP's Tablet PC after backstage wrangling. Gates then banned HP staff from the after-show party)

Here's Fiorina holding her leather organizer instead. Of course, being the richest man in the world, Billy got his way and had her hold a tablet PC by the end.

What gets me is how childish this all seems. "You didn't play right! You and your friends can't come to the party!"

I don't want to tell you that this is machine is the one for you and at the risk of being condescending, I feel like you just read the short clips about it here and there but you didn't see the pictures. Honestly, I felt the same way -- I didn't think it was the next big thing at all. But after seeing some pictures and doing a lot of reading, I'm convinced that it's worth a second look. It may not be for me, but I'm definitely going to check it out.

Anyway, I think all of your concerns are already addressed. Take a look at this Compaq Tablet PC. It's 0.8" thick, has a detachable keyboard, weighs 3 lbs (4 lbs with the keyboard), and opens up more or less conventionally. I would like it to be thinner, but that'll come in time if this goes anywhere. It's not the panacea that Microsoft makes it out to be, but I think you'll agree that it's worth a second look. I also hope that the handwriting recognition is fast enough to keep up with me -- I hear that it scans 133 times per second and makes several guesses at what you're trying to write and anticipates. When it misses (something like 5 out of every 10,000), it'll present some options.

Here's a comparison list of Tablet PCs and some specifications. It looks somewhat out of date and incomplete, but it gives you an idea of what will be available soon. I would like to see larger, higher resolution screens, but that, too, will come in time.

I don't want to tell you that this is machine is the one for you and at the risk of being condescending, I feel like you just read the short clips about it here and there but you didn't see the pictures. Honestly, I felt the same way -- I didn't think it was the next big thing at all. But after seeing some pictures and doing a lot of reading, I'm convinced that it's worth a second look. It may not be for me, but I'm definitely going to check it out.

Anyway, I think all of your concerns are already addressed. Take a look at this Compaq Tablet PC. It's 0.8" thick, has a detachable keyboard, weighs 3 lbs (4 lbs with the keyboard), and opens up more or less conventionally. I would like it to be thinner, but that'll come in time if this goes anywhere. It's not the panacea that Microsoft makes it out to be, but I think you'll agree that it's worth a second look. I also hope that the handwriting recognition is fast enough to keep up with me -- I hear that it scans 133 times per second and makes several guesses at what you're trying to write and anticipates. When it misses (something like 5 out of every 10,000), it'll present some options.

Here's a comparison list of Tablet PCs and some specifications. It looks somewhat out of date and incomplete, but it gives you an idea of what will be available soon. I would like to see larger, higher resolution screens, but that, too, will come in time.

1. For some reason, you think that there's no more keyboard. The truth is that you can now use a keyboard if you want to, but you don't have to. When you're on a plane, you don't want a keyboard to read your mail. You just want a screen. So the value isn't in doodles -- it's in portability.
2. The system definitely attracts business types more than code monkeys, but I travel a lot, and if I can carry a keyboard with my Tablet PC for no additional weight penalty than I have now, why wouldn't I just get a Tablet PC?
3. Battery life depends on manufacturer, but is usually comparable to current notebooks. One manufacturer is even claiming 10-16 hours.
4. Tablet PC's are expected to be very popular in Asia due to their ability to read different languages very well. Chinese, for example, has many complex characters that are hard to type. Because of each character's shape and stroke order is very specific, it's actually very easy for handwriting recognition to be very accurate in Asia, relatively speaking
5. Don't knock it till you've tried it. I'm still somewhat skeptical, but I took some time to research it and hope to use one soon.

There won't be any tablet PC with a P4. The fastest Intel tablets will have a PIII 800 MHz which is speed stepped down during battery use. Here is a comparison of tablet PCs. The Compaq/HP tablet is by far my favorit.Unfortunately they removed the specs.