Tablet PCs

[tw999]

Am I correct in thinking that MS only want to support the Tablet PC edition
of XP for handwriting recognition?

If that is so, why? Very few people I have spoken to are even aware of
Tablet PCs - and I have looked for them on line and they are expensive! Or
is this some agreement MS has with Tablet PC suppliers to try and push people
into dumping their fully working laptops and switch. I am not convinced ;-)

I think onenote is good but not so good it is worth forking out well over a
thousand pounds just to be able to write direct into it and get the full
functionality. As a student, I cannot justify that kind of expenditure even
if i had the money - just to be able to keep my notes/references on a pc.
Perhaps, if and when, these are more widely produced and the prices come
(way) down...

However, if I am wrong and there is a cheaper way of getting full
functionality out of Onenote than buying a tablet pc (or if any are out there
that are not 1000 pounds plus) please tell me.

Failing that, I am going for the cheaper option of a digital pen and
alternative software which can search my handwritten notes.

 

[Chris H.]

You may want to look at the products again. They are coming down nearer the
$1,000 (USD) range now. After all, they're only two years old and still a
developing form factor.

Actually, OneNote is advanced on the Tablet PCs because it can take
advantage of the digital pens. Office, for instance, can do "handwriting"
but it isn't the same as digital, nor does it have the instantaneous
recognition which Tablet PCs offer.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -

 

[tw999]

Thanks for the response, as you say they are relatively new and developing.
I am hoping in around a year, they will be more available, more
cost-effective and more of the inevitible bugs with new fangled wotsits will
be ironed out .

For this year though, I'll make do with a digital pen and my laptop and
start saving the pennies for a tablet pc as I can see the potential in them.
I did get a bit excited about one which was around 800 pounds - but then
discovered it was the price without VAT included :-(

 

[Chris H.]

I know the feeling. But even though the form factor is small, a lot of
people who have adopted Tablet PCs find they use their desktops less and
less. They're really becoming pretty high-powered with the Centrino
processors and the ability to expand to 2 gigs of RAM.

You may want to check out Tablet PC MVP Terri Stratton's fine comparison
charts on her web site: http://thetabletpc.net .
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone -

 

[krypticide]

You laptop plus wacom pen together probably costs just as much as a
comparable tablet pc would. They're really not that expensive anymore (and
I'm a student who just bought another one).

-Andy

 

[jaszzz]

That comparison might make a little sense if one was purchasing a laptop and
WACOM tablet at the same time. Consider having a latop with 2Gig of RAM and
2.4HGz processor capable of 1280x1024 resolution on the LCD.

Not to mention the screen resolution is priority 2. Then adding a WACOM
tablet may make more sense.