Tablet PC Recommendations

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DanniBoy

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 1, 2007
Messages
147
I am looking for a tablet PC for school use and only been able to check out the Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet (how is the Thinkpad Tablet?). Any other suggestions? No budget yet but probably something around the Thinkpad unless otherwise.

Mainly for Office programs, internet surfing, and maybe/some photoshop.

Thanks in advance.
 
My favorite tablet is the Lenovo X61T. I got the high resolution screen (SXVGA+ = 1400 * 1050) for good pdf viewing. Long battery life of about 5 hours. There is no other tablet with these specs. Check out http://www.gottabemobile.com/

I've used the Motion Computing LE1600 a lot too. But it is heavier, less battery life and the standard SXVGA resolution. Solid tablet though, but if you are going to use the keyboard regularly forget the Motion. The click on keyboard is impractical, hard to get on, clumsy, and fugly.

For note taking stick to the Microsoft stuff at least that guaranties a little bit of software life. I have a ton of notes in FranklinCovey tabletplanner, which is not developed anymore. I got the GoBinder replacement but it refuses to read the older notes. :mad:
 
Another good one is t4220 which I have. One advantage this has over x61t is the modular bay which can house either optical drive or a 2nd battery which can give 10+ hrs battery life. That said, If I were to buy a tablet today, I think I'd be inclined to get x61t because of the touch screen option. Fujitsu is a solid choice as well though. Fujitsu also has p1620 and u810 lines which are sub-compact size.
 
I only have experience with the Lenovo X61t since I bought one for ~$1500 in December with a big coupon. I really like the system, though I really had to bump up the RAM to not make Vista churn. Bought it with 1 1 GB DIMM and installed a 2 GB DIMM myself. Other than that, it's really nice to have what is basically a portable computer white board.
 
I've had the X60T for about 5mo now and I love it. At the time you couldn't get the X61 with the high res screen... so I would def get the X61T now with the high res screen, and a 7200rpm drive. Watch fat wallet or whatever deal site you track for coupons. I ended double stacking coupons and saving like 35%
 
I'm also looking for a tablet PC but I'm an artist and I need it to handle very heavy graphics. The faster the computer, the better. Any suggestions? Price is not an issue. :D
 
The last time I really looked at the tablet landscape was over a year ago, so I won't make any recommendations based on that.

However, I will suggest going to a Big Box store and trying out some models. See which ones feel comfortable for you and give you a good interface.
 
wasteofaces said:
I'm also looking for a tablet PC but I'm an artist and I need it to handle very heavy graphics. The faster the computer, the better. Any suggestions? Price is not an issue. :D
Click to expand...

I think IBM and Gateway are the only ones putting gaming-quality CPUs and GPUs in their systems.
 
IBM in fact aren't putting gaming-quality CPUs or GPUs in their tablets. The x61T uses a ULV Processor and Intel X3100 as graphics.

If you check out tabletpcreviews, you'll get multiple in-depth reviews of tablets.

http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=1084

That review has the most updated PCMark05 & 3Dmark05 values of the most popular tablets in use.

From the values, the c-140x provides the best performance overall. The Fujitsu t4220 + Asus R1E also perform quite well but are lacking in the graphics department. The M700 uses similar processors to the Fujitsu and Asus but I believe there's a glitch (according to the forum) that's not allowing it to perform to its fullest potential.

Fujitsu has unprecedented service out of all these companies. If you read up on the Lenovo service nightmares on the forum, you'll agree. Users who ordered SXGA+ screens have had to wait weeks to have their laptop fixed, only to have the issue come back within due time. Lenovo also replaced the SXGA+ with incorrect screens.

Anyhow, I believe the C-140x battery life isn't the very best, it won't reach 8+ hours like the Fujitsu T4220 main + modular bay battery life. The Asus battery is also mediocre when you use the main + modular bay battery, but at least 5 hours. All these times are what the majority of users are reporting and it all depends on personal usage, so it may vary when you get it.

Overall, I find the T4220 to be the preferable choice as it provides a balance of CPU power, enough GPU power, VERY good battery life, and amazing service. However, it's up to you to decide which is right for you.
 
wasteofaces said:
I'm also looking for a tablet PC but I'm an artist and I need it to handle very heavy graphics. The faster the computer, the better. Any suggestions? Price is not an issue. :D
Click to expand...
I've been looking at getting a Modbook so I can work on art when I'm outside the shop, myself. Wish they'd make a model without the Remote, webcam and GPS for a couple hundred dollars less...

2.2GHz C2D and 4 gigs of RAM = $2629. should be pretty fast.

Having a killer graphics card will only matter to you if you're an artist that works with certain 3d programs. Or video guy using some of the 3d transitions, etc.
 
Thanks for the replies. Tablepcreview.com is a awesome site. I am now looking for a tablet for around 1K. This will probably drastically reduce many choices. Recommend any?
 
I had a Toshiba tablet PC, and I loved it--and I did get it for right around $1000.

My only issue was that it was kind of unwieldy to walk around with, but the pen sensitivity was awesome. I doodled for hours on the damn thing. It was very, very structurally sound, the hinges and LCD were sturdy, and after a year of fairly negligent use, it still looked new.

I liked it so much, I actually just ordered another Toshiba, this time just a regular laptop, because I wanted something in the 13" range for under $1K.
 
THanks everyone, I ended up going with the C-140xl. I hope it works well...I should be getting it this week.
 
motion computing also has a very highly rated slate...intel core2duo...
also for the artist poster above, there is a review on tabletpcreview.com from an artist but
i cant remember what one he is using....
 
DanniBoy said:
Thanks for the replies. Tablepcreview.com is a awesome site. I am now looking for a tablet for around 1K. This will probably drastically reduce many choices. Recommend any?
Click to expand...

For that price range, I think you're best served getting a used one. You should be able to find Lenovo x60, Fujitsu tc41**, and HP TC4400. They are all very well built and should perform about the same. I think they all have 3 year standard warranty, so you should have some warranty time left as well. TC4400 can be had pretty cheaply especially.
If you need new, I actually liked tx2000 line from HP. Maybe you can find those for around $1000 on a big sale. These have athlon procs though. I don't think battery life is great either. But the price is good for a tablet that has both digitizer and touchscreen.
 
I've found my tiny Nokia N800 and N810 are perfect for on the go VERY mobile solutions, carry along a foldup bluetooth keyboard and you've got the whole deal, all in your pocket. They last a whiel on battery too.
 
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