Conclusions


 
Thus we have taken a whirlwind tour of the Tablet PC and the importance of both the hardware and the software sides of the equation.  The tc1100 is a very nice tablet, and if you are considering a tablet and actually want to use tablet-style functionality – I can strongly recommend it because of its unique ability to detach the keyboard.  This reduction in size and weight makes the tablet very versatile, allowing it to truly replace that awful spiral bound notebook once and for all.

However, if you are looking for a laptop that also doubles as a tablet, you will probably want to go with a heavier desktop replacement style tablet with a faster processor and hard drive.  However, be forewarned that if your tablet is too heavy you will not end up actually using it as a tablet.  Also, choosing a high screen resolution could also be a serious mistake, as everything will be too small to use comfortably with a pen.

OneNote has been a truly transformative experience for me.  I am a somewhat naturally disorganized person and paper has always been the bane of my existence.  With OneNote I can stay fairly organized, print and email notes, and – most of all – search through hundreds of pages of notes instantly.  Tablet PC is also very useful for presentations and emailing diagrams and annotations.

On the other hand, the Tablet Input Panel – although slick, and well-designed – does not work very well with my handwriting.  If you are considering using a pen to replace your keyboard, you would do well to try before you buy to make sure your recognition rates are acceptable.

The tc1100 is an incredibly powerful tool, and makes a terrific supplement to a desktop.  The software side of the equation is also fairly solid – and is actually quite useful – because of digital Ink, not handwriting recognition.  Tablet PC is a killer app.  Just don’t expect to throw your keyboard away just yet.