For most, a laptop still beats a tablet PC
By Kim Komando
Microsoft is touting the tablet PC as a must-have item. So must you?
Fujitsu.com
A tablet PC is a portable computer about the size of a clipboard. Most tablets run about $2,200. Usually, that price does not include essentials such as a mouse, keyboard, or CD drive. A docking station also is extra and you'll want it.
The Fujitsu FMV Stylistic TB80 Tablet PC can be attached to a docking station, with keyboard and mouse.
Docking stations stand the tablet up, so it can be used on a desk. They include extra Universal Serial Bus (USB) and networking ports. And they also often include a CD drive. Bringing a tablet up to usable standards will raise its cost to $2,500 to $3,000, depending on the make.
Microsoft claims that the tablet PC is a replacement for a desktop computer. Laptops have served this purpose for many years. But tablet PCs are a much iffier proposition, because they just don't have much power. Most tablet PCs are powered by an Intel Mobile Pentium III microprocessor. Compare this with to a lower-end laptop and you are paying twice as much for a less-powerful machine.
The Fujitsu Stylistic ST4110 (www.fujitsupc.com) was tested for this review. The comments in this review refer to tablets in general and their operating system, not the Fujitsu in particular.
The tablet's big selling point, besides its portability, is its supposed ability to recognize handwriting.
Fujitsu.com
You use a stylus to write directly on the screen. And the special edition of Windows XP, used in every tablet, translates handwriting to text.
The stand-alone tablet is a small package.
If you're an inspector, for example, it would be very useful to walk around and write notes directly into your computer. Imagine no longer having to double your work by writing your notes on a pad and then typing those notes into a report.
That assumes the handwriting recognition works. If you write in longhand, you'll find yourself spending more time correcting the converted text than if you had just typed it in.
Trying to edit on the fly also is exasperating. To edit without a mouse and keyboard, tablet PCs use "gestures." These are shorthand methods to move your cursor. If you've used a personal digital assistant, you'll be familiar with them.
Commands such as backspace, enter and tab are all done with the stroke of your stylus. But it's not easy — you can fill an entire line with hyphens while trying to make the backspace stroke.
The handwriting recognition program does not learn from the user; rather, the user must bend to the program. There was a noticeable difference between writing standing up and writing with the tablet flat on a desk. Recognition was more accurate on the desk.
However, if you have a desk available, you have enough space for a keyboard.
Tablets are relatively light, usually weighing no more than 4 pounds. It's very comfortable to cradle a tablet in your arms and interact with the stylus.
However, there's a serious issue with glare. Often, the screen is difficult to see if it's not at the correct and often uncomfortable-angle.
So, what does this mean? Microsoft is pushing the tablet hard as the next step in computing. In reality, it is an expensive, under-powered machine in search of a niche.
If you are a graphic designer and want to sketch your ideas out directly into your computer, this could be a great tool. But the average person is going to be much happier with a traditional computer.
