Will tablet PC's take off?

[Ioman]

Personally I just do not think that handwriting recognition software is there yet. I think maybe tablet PC's would be good for the hospital, but I do not see people adopting these that fast. It seems like more of a short term novelty to me. Kind of like Smart Displays. I tried the handwriting recognition software on my PocketPC and thought it was terrible. I prefered using the tiny onscreen keyboard over it.

[senoryoshio]

I think the versions that will take off are the tablet pc's that come with a laptop-like keyboard as well. I don't really know what is out on the retail market like this, and I've only actually seen one in real life was pretty cool. A lady that graduated from my department at school and now works in the Tablet PC division over at Microsoft brought one (she said it was some prototype into a class of mine a week or so ago. I was pretty smitten, small, thin, keyboard, stylus, and a swiveling screen....that's pretty sweet if you ask me.:P

[Ioman]

Saw this over at Business Week:

When Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates unveiled Windows XP Tablet PC Edition in November, 2002, he predicted that in five years, tablet PCs will be the most popular type of personal computer. Author Amy Tan and actor Rob Lowe raved about how the tablet gets their creative juices flowing: Lowe reads and marks up movie scripts on his tablet, and Tan draws pictures and jots down ideas for her novels. But analysts remained unconvinced. Market researcher Gartner forecasted in November that by the end of 2004, only a measly 3% of all notebooks purchased will be tablet PCs.

More here: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2003/tc20030226_5785_tc024.htm

I am hanging on Gartner's side of the equation, I think it is just a novelty for now. I think they may take off as people find a use for them, but like the PDA it will take some time before people want to learn something new.

[senoryoshio]

I agree...a novelty now for a lot of the population, but they do have their place now. I know that a lot of people would much rather you take notes in a meeting with a stylus and pad(or paper, of course) rather than the clackety-clack of a laptop. I think that a tablet pc would be ideal for marking up documents in an editing profession. At least that's something I can see myself doing. I also know that a lot of artists are learning to love drawing, etc. on the tablet PC. I've probably said it before, but Gabe at Penny Arcade draws on one and raves about it.

[Archon]

I dont think they'll pick up. I'd rather have a keyboard. Mainly because I can type faster than I can write. A Tablet PC would seem more like a pain to me.

[ninethirty]

I know that a lot of people would much rather you take notes in a meeting with a stylus and pad(or paper, of course) rather than the clackety-clack of a laptop.

A good point. The times I've thought about a tablet PC (or Cross's crosspad, or Logitech's IO pen, which accomplish roughly the same thing) have been in meetings or when I was in school taking notes. I'd love to have those notes on the computer (largely so I don't lose them), but taking a laptop to class or to a meeting and typing on it feels much more conspicuous than, say, writing on a pad of paper or a tablet pc. It is decently common where I am for people to write on their PDA instead of a pad of paper, but it's still not common for people to type on their laptop. I wonder if that will change as we get more digitized? Will it be more likely that people will bring laptops to meetings and to class and type, or that people will get tablet PC's and write? Will the price difference make the slight click of the laptop keys OK?

In Bill's favor, laptops have apparently become about 50% of new computer sales, so perhaps if that trend continues AND tablets start taking over a large share of the laptop market, tablets could go somewhere.

Agreed also that I type faster than I write, and much more legibly. So typing would be over-all more convenient for me. I'd be a hard sell.

[Chris Shaeffer]

I'd love a tablet PC and I can see a very clear niche for them, but I, too, doubt that they will take off right away- if for no other reason than they are expensive and computer technology shifts so fast. Artists, editors, and those who work with documents on the road alot all have a clear use for it- but I don't think it will satisfy the power users out there for a while.

I do a good deal of digital audio recording and mixing and I pay top dollar for hardware mixing surfaces. That would be less needed if I could mix on screen. That is quite a fantasy- moving the faders and effects parameters on screen! Fat chance. I doubt the high end audio apps will run on a tablet.

But its a very new technology and it will take it a whie to become fully featured enough to meet my needs. For now, the combination of my widescreen lappy and PDA/Phone is enough to keep the road warrior in me happy.

[Ioman]

I kind of see tablet PC's as the evolutionary next step in laptops. I think that people will have to become more familiar with laptops especially laptops that are connected wirelessly before they feel that it is time to move to a tablet PC. I think that while computer technology is still moving fast at an alarming speed, consumers have stopped moving with it. I remember when consumers in general would upgrade their computers every 6 months to a year, now they are finding that they can go longer without an upgrade because it just is not needed. (This could be due to the slow moving software industry which is lagging behind the hardware industry by a few product cycles.) So in my opinion consumers just aren’t ready for the next step which is tablet PC's. Sure opinion leaders (trend setters) are ready, but as a whole we aren’t. We are getting there as Senoryoshio pointed, laptop sales are about 50% of all computers sold. So maybe in a year or too, tablet PCs will really start to take off, especially once wireless takes off as well.

[Archon]

I still dont like tablet PCs! I wanna be able to type! I will be happy when there is a 20 hour battery on a 15 inch screen laptop which is 1" thick. ;)

[flashfire]

I have a fujitsu Windows 2000 based tablet. It has all the power that I would need (I've even got linux to run on it :) ). However, it only has the most primitive handwriting software. Its probably the same software that WinCe or the Pocket PC runs, but it does suck. If the interface is completely click driven then it works pretty well, esp if you're showing somebody a presentation, etc. Once you have to type, you're screwed. Also, they're just as fragile as laptop. Drop it and the very least you'll have to deal with is to break the screen. At the worst, the whoie thing shatters.

[sonyman]

I'm with you archon. Just give me a twenty hour battery. If we could get them to create one of those instead of this laptop tablet. LOL. I guess if you're an artist it's great. I tend to write alot and I can definitely type faster than I can write. I think the majority of people lacking typing skills will find this invention handy. As far as the clicking sounds of typing. I have a vaio and my buttons don't click.

[Ioman]

Originally posted by sonyman
I'm with you archon. Just give me a twenty hour battery. If we could get them to create one of those instead of this laptop tablet. LOL. I guess if you're an artist it's great. I tend to write alot and I can definitely type faster than I can write. I think the majority of people lacking typing skills will find this invention handy. As far as the clicking sounds of typing. I have a vaio and my buttons don't click.

Which VAIO do you have?

[sonyman]

After reading your post about the W I will opt for the GRV680 tomorrow. Have you heard any firsthand info about this model?

[senoryoshio]

sonyman...Logan's gonna love this guy:D just kidding, welcome aboard bro.

[Ioman]

Originally posted by sonyman
After reading your post about the W I will opt for the GRV680 tomorrow. Have you heard any firsthand info about this model?

I have one of these coming in for review soon. I personally thin kthe GRV680 is a killer system. It supports DVD writing for both -r/+r formats which is sweet. It also has a 16" screen so this would be a good desktop replacement. I would choose this over the W20.

[sonyman]

I've got a fairly hectic week ahead. I will try to dip in midweek sometime and give an initial review along with my thoughts and impressions on the model right out of the box. Until then.....

[Ioman]

Originally posted by sonyman
I've got a fairly hectic week ahead. I will try to dip in midweek sometime and give an initial review along with my thoughts and impressions on the model right out of the box. Until then.....

Sounds good, we would appreciate that. Thanks Sonyman.

[sonyman]

Nice computer. Enough hard drive space to hold several full length DVD movies and then some. Excellent speed. The display is awesome. Really everything a mobile person could want crammed into a laptop.

Pros:
1)speed
2)display
3)hd
4)DVD+/-
5)CD-RW
6)Easy dual-boot

Cons:
1)give me more memory than 512 to start with for $2500
2)everybody wants to see it when you pull it out-now where is her number?