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What Kind of Tablet PC to Buy?
nic barajas asks: "I'm going to be attending college this fall, so I have been looking into a computer to use on campus. My preference has been to looking at the Tablet PC, although they are still in their proverbial infancy. I have been looking at a multitude of vendors, including Sager, Acer, and Toshiba. I'm looking for something that has a sizeable screen (at least 12"), decent storage (40GB+), and a long battery life. What are some of the better models on the market with these characteristics?"
I agree. Of the 3 people I know that own them, not one is happy with it. Battery life and crashes are the reasons, too. Although, the crashes tick them off more, cause it usually happens at a seminar or meeting when it is most needed.
Stay away from Tablet PCs. When I was at Microsoft, we *begged* for one, because they seem so cool: they aren't. What you are going to get is an underpowered laptop for the same price as an expensive laptop. As laptops, they suck. As tablets, they are too bulky to carry usefully.
Don't believe the hype. KISS.
I read an average of 1 paper per day and like writing in the margins and would love something where I didn't have to rape trees. Can't do it until someone makes a screen that fits 8.5x11" page without zooming/scrolling. Why is that so hard?
I'm a double major in Microbiology and Immunology(Science) and East Asian studies (arts).
for the sciencey stuff, nothing beats a legal pad and a stiff drink. Drawings come up frequently, diagrams, Rxn mechanisms, metabolism paths etc...
for the Artsy type stuff, nothing beats my ibook, I can type much faster than I can write so I can get down everything prof of the day says. I can also write down a timeline as shown on the overhead projector, then add in details as we go along. Instead of (as with pen and paper) kind of guessing at where the hell the teacher is planning on going today and scribbling in the margins.
for studying, I just pop down to the library, re-read the notes, put them into some sort of format that's presentable form and print them. While I'm doing this I add in my own ideas for good places to start essay questions and maybe future term papers.
Studying in science (FYI): Memorize the fuck out of 400 pages of random acronyms... Promptly forget everything.
Well, I for one LOVE my Tablet -- I have a Motion Computing M1200. It's a slate tablet at only 3 lbs, and the battery lasts for 3.5 to 4 hours. MUCH longer than my wife's heavier and bulkier laptop. It's perfect for research, reading, surfing and jotting down notes. I use it for what it shines at and I love it (I use it a few hours everyday). It has never crashed either... So I don't know which one your friends had that "constantly crashed" or had "bad battery life"...