Tablet PC and PDA anyone using both

[MacBriar]

Hi all

For years now I have been using a combination of a laptop and PDA to manage my life. As an overworked :boohoo: , and underpaid teacher I have plenty of things to remember and unfortunately due to illness not a great short-term memory. Because of this I depend on my PDA etc to remind me of things.

Increasingly my 2210 is becoming almost part of me ! When I leave the house I always tap my short pocket to see if it's there - and I feel undressed if I go out without it. My mother believes I couldn't function without it :crazyeyes: .

Now I am at the stage of replacing my current laptop (Compaq presario 919EA) and am seriously considering (almost deciced on) a Tablet PC.

However I almost feel that I am betraying my 2210 (I am a very sad geek) !

Do other people use both a Tablet PC and a Pocket PC and if so how has your useage of your Pocket PC changed ?

MacBriar

[dangerwit]

I have both a 2210 and a Toshiba Portege tablet. They definitely fulfill different purposes and I love 'em both. The tablet PCs are, to me, underrated by the community, since they offer some really good potential for someone who needs a laptop for work, and not for high-end Quake III gaming.

*Phil

[jimski]

I have a laptop and a tablet to compliment my PPC. I have tried to get used to the tablet (Acer TravelMate) but I just find the 15" screen and integrated DVD/CDRW Combo on my laptop keeps drawing me back.

I am not a big fan of handwritten notes and forget about handwritting recognition. It still has a way to go. I have used the tablet for short business trips and to browse the web while sitting outside on the back patio, but have not found anything that I can't do with my laptop. The smaller screen just seems like a step back to me.

Maybe I just don't get it, but the tablet will never replace my laptop. Now maybe a; desktop, tablet, PPC, but even that would be a compromise.

[yvilla]

I have a Tablet PC too, and unlike jimski, am totally in love with it. But I agree with dangerwit, in that my tablet in no way replaces my equally beloved PPC. They really do have separate functions and each has important roles in my life. My tablet did replace my laptop however, and pretty much my desktop too! :mrgreen: I can't imagine life without it.

By the way, handwriting recognition was pretty darn good to begin with, but now with the Lonestar upgrade (in XPSP2), it's phenomenal! I never use a keyboard any more except for truly long documents. All of my email and posting and the like, for example, is handwritten.

[Aerestis]

even that post?

[Ryan Joseph]

My mom works for an online school and she's going to be getting a tablet within a vew months. I can't wait to try one in real life and not on the store display.

I keep trying to tell her how much use she'll get out of it and what a great tool it'll be, but I don't think she'll truely realize how great it is until she has it. :roll:

[yvilla]

even that post?

Yes. All my posts, for the past year and some months (I've had my tablet since launch in November 2002). :wink:

Oh, and I post a lot on tabletpcbuzz.com, a great community for tablet pcers.

[Kowalski]

a tablet and a ppc?
what kind of a person would need both?
i mean i can imagine laptop+pda but...

[Sven Johannsen]

A Tablet, in most of the current incarnations, is a laptop with a rotatable touch screen. Even regular laptops can have HWR, it is just hard to write with a mouse or a pen tablet off to the side of the display.

There is beginning to be little extra cost in adding the tablet features, and I'd say that soon those will just be standard on laptops. There are environments and scenarios that make the tablet an ideal platform fo almost anyone, sometimes. Personnally I'd like a better capablity to use the screen portion without the processor portion. Almost a very light SmartDisplay that can be disconnected but used in the proximity of the base (keyboard/processor/drives) would be what I am thinking of.

In any case, get a convertible tablet. It's a laptop with some additional features you may grow to like. Doesn't supplant the PPC at all.

[gohtor]

I use both.

I can see why some people wonder why you need both. But in my case I need the pda for reminders and brief notes. I carry a tablet pc only when i need to take extensive notes (through visio or onenote) and demonstrate my line of software in person.

a laptop could be just fine but I like the advantages of cradling the computer on my arm without relying on a table to place my laptop on.

I'd like to know what others use tablet pcs for.

[Aerestis]

a tablet and a ppc?
what kind of a person would need both?
i mean i can imagine laptop+pda but...

I don't know if anyone neeeedds them but I definitely want them :wink:

[Kowalski]

I don't know if anyone neeeedds them but I definitely want them
sure about it! ask me and i want a smartphone with my pocketpc and i want a tablet too! of course if i had that much money!!!

[MacBriar]

Speaking as a teacher I can see the benefits of a Tablet in terms of annotating pupil wotk. I teach IT in a high school and I can see how being able to annotate the coursework drafts electronically will drastically reduce the amount of paper I have to handle, and yes I have looked into annotating the work using comments in Word.

At present we have bought 4 tablets (of differing makes) into the school to see how useful they would be, rightly so the decision has been made that the tablets will go to non-IT teachers to see if they will make use of them.

MacBriar

[dean_shan]

I want to get a Tablet. Any one here use 'OneNote'? How do you think somthing like that will do for College notes?

[BTS]

As a teacher I think that OneNote is a great product because it replaces that old spiral notebook where you would keep your annotations in. I'm looking forward to SP1 where you can take notes from you PPC and transfer them directly into OneNote.

I'm not sure if you need a tablet and PPC in the classroom. Certainly you are not going to lug the tablet throughout the hallways and classroom all of the time.

A PPC is useful because you can do you annotations on it, create CSV files that can uploaded to your gradebook program and, best of all, it's instant on. The tablet, from my understanding, can take up to 10 seconds to power on. But, to I want one? Oh yeah!

As for being a student I think OneNote will really help you out. It's like a collection site that you can then move information back and forth between OneNote and Word when writing papers.

[JTWise]

I want to get a Tablet. Any one here use 'OneNote'? How do you think somthing like that will do for College notes?

I use OneNote and Journal for my work needs and I know a few users that are students who use both. Each program has its pros and cons. From a student perspective, I hear lots of good things about GoBinder.

I suggest you check out some of the posts on TabletPCBuzz in regards to students and binder packages. There is also some great info about OneNote SP1.

[senfeng]

I don't see how a tablet would replace your PPC. I admit that I don't have a tablet (I've got a notebook), but one of the features that makes the PPC so useful is its quick start up time.

I use my notebook for writing docs, using 2D graphics apps, heavy management of contacts, etc. I use my PPC for contacts, appointments, thesaurus/dictionary work lookup, taking down quick notes (very important) and other (weather, stocks, etc.). I also use both to do project management stuff. Its easier to create and to do heavy modifications to GANTT charts on my notebook, but when I walk around the office or when I'm in a meeting, I'm only a couple of seconds away from accessing project schedule or scratchpad or cantact info yada yada yada.

If anything, the combo will make you reconsider the usefulness of your desktop. I still use mine for 3D and for compiling, but that's about it.

[minimage]

While I am miserable in my lack of TabletPC-ness (since the accepted definition of a TabletPC means that it runs the version of Windows XP designed for tablets), I do have two tablet-style devices. My Fujitsu PenCentra 130 runs CE 2.11 (aka HPC Pro or HPC 3). And yes, it starts up as quickly as any other CE device. Had I been able to view PDF/Zinio documents on it and login to my employer's wireless gateway, I might never have bought the Fujitsu Point 510. The PT510 is a 100mhz (my first AMD, I think) device and runs Win98. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to get DRM activated on the darned thing, so I still cannot read my digital PC Magazines. If I could afford a TabletPC, I would surely have one. I have stopped carrying my laptop (even though it's a 600mhz device) in favor of the tablet. Before I hosed the operating system and had to do a re-install, suspend was nice, and brought the tablet back rather quickly. My 510 does some really cool things, but I keep wondering just how cool it would be if I just had...

I saw an 8.4" screen TabletPC for under a grand (I'd love a small one), and I nearly dived for my credit card, but then reason was restored (it probably helped that I noticed the screen res would go up to only 800 x 600, and that it had no PCMCIA slots, but with built-in WiFi, modem and ethernet, do I really NEED slots?). Anyway, I know adding on debt is not the way. I just wish I had a way!

[Mark Johnson]

Do other people use both a Tablet PC and a Pocket PC and if so how has your useage of your Pocket PC changed ?


I got the Toshiba 3505 TabletPC in 2002 and then the newer M205 in 2003. The handwriting feature is very cool, but has not really revolutionized my life.

For awhile I was enrolled in a college class during which the TPC was invaluable. It was just night-and-day superior to taking a regular notebook to class. Even though I can type MUCH faster than I can scribble (uh, I mean write) that doesn't make a keyboard/notebook a good choice for classes. There is just so much "free form" and "diagram based" information in the average college (or even high-school) class lecture that trying to type it is futile. In a class or business meeting "not taking" situation the TPC reigns supreme!

My situation is that since that class, I have had few regularly "intensive" note taking situations, and I find the pen provides NO benefit to normal notebook usage. I use OneNote a great deal, but I find I almost never use the pen.

I carry my iPaq with me all the time and use it constantly to jot notes. I think there is a real possibility that with a VGA iPaq I might not even want the TPC anymore.

But I have tried to take notes in a class setting with a TPC on one occasion and then on a PPC on another and the TPC won hands-down. The amount of "screen real estate" on the PPC is completely inadequate, and the responsiveness of the PPC OS is much lower.

You might think about it this way: The "effective resolution" of writing on any LCD screen is substantially lower than on paper. In other words, since the "screen ink" lines are generally thicker, and (more importantly) less "sharp and accurate" than with paper and pen, you get a reduction in the "effective size" of the screen that is not obvious from the "published spec." What I mean is that on my M205, the screen is roughly the same size as an 8.5x11 sheet of paper, but I end up having to write with exaggerated strokes and "oversized" letters to make it clear. So I end up filling one "screen" with about the same amount of information I would write on a 3x5 card or maybe a 5x7 "memo pad" sheet of paper. Similarly, on my iPaq screen I can only write legibly about as much information as I get on one of those tiny 1x2 post-it notes. There should be a term to describe this (maybe the "LCD Deflation Penalty" or something?) but I haven't heard of one...

Personally, if I were you I'd wait for the VGA PPC's in the next couple of months and get one of those just to see. It's a lot cheaper that an m205 and even if you decide you can't write "enough" on it, you'll probably use it anyway so it won't be a wasted purchase.

[Glisson]

Anyone have any idea of how to set my Desktop and my laptop to sync the My Notebook folder between the two devices when I log onto my home wireless network? I would love to start using onenote at home and away but manually synching seems like it would be a pain in the rear!

Thanks,

Glisson

[OSUKid7]

Anyone have any idea of how to set my Desktop and my laptop to sync the My Notebook folder between the two devices when I log onto my home wireless network? I would love to start using onenote at home and away but manually synching seems like it would be a pain in the rear!

Thanks,

Glisson
Yep, very easy. Just setup offline files. When you're on your network, just open that "Notebook" folder. When your away, it'll be synced, so you can still open the remote location. Then when you get home, they'll be synced over. :)

I use an Acer TravelMate C104Ti...definitely a first-gen Tablet lol. I've had it for about a year. I should have saved up to get a better one, but it works for now. I'll probably get a new one in a year before I go to college. I'm leaning towards the top-of-the-line Toshiba Tablet PC. :) Who knows what they'll have in a year though.

[Sheena]

Do other people use both a Tablet PC and a Pocket PC and if so how has your useage of your Pocket PC changed ?
Well, Mac, I don't have a Tablet PC yet (where #%$^ is that tax return? :evil: ), but hopefully soon. It won't replace my beloved iPaq 2210 or my PC, but it will certainly replace my laptop. I have different reasons for wanting one though. Yes, the inner techie wants gadgets :drool: , but there's more...

I use all my computers mostly for reading & writing, anything, anywhere. The PPC is ideal for small spaces, commuting, bed, whatever, but you make the sacrifice of size & capability. A tablet has the cure for all that (full screen, full computer). True, a laptop works the same way too, but have you tried opening one on a plane lately? Especially if the guy in front is leaning back and/or you're not a size 2? Don't even try it on a bus or subway. A tablet with a hidden keyboard for when space is available is perfect.

As time goes by I see my (future) tablet maybe replacing my PC (just a docking station to connect to the printers, scanners, big monitor, broadband, etc), but it might not, desktops are just too easy to upgrade. In any case the tablet will never replace the handheld. It's too convenient & small & you don't have to wait for it to boot just to check those directions again, write yourself a reminder, or catch up on another chapter while waiting for the bus.

Rosie

[minimage]

Is there anyone else out there who entered the Microsoft Great Moment contest in hopes of winning a TabletPC? I'm seriously going nuts here. I wrote one heck of an essay, but I know I won't win, and I just need them to go on and post the announcements, so that I can get on with my life LOL. They said they would post the winners around the end of April 2004...you can't get much closer to the end than now! I'll bet they've already contacted the winners; I figured my essay was worth at least a mouse or something...

[Sheena]

Is there anyone else out there who entered the Microsoft Great Moment contest in hopes of winning a TabletPC? I'm seriously going nuts here.
Here's my best hopes you win, hon. I never even heard of it, so I've been pinching pennies & counting on the return. If it's any consolation (that's how I keep myself sane), tell yourself the longer you wait, the better the software/hardware gets & the cheaper the prices! It's stopped me from many a credit card pull when I go surfing for the latest updates.

Rosie :dilemma:

[minimage]

Here's my best hopes you win, hon. I never even heard of it, so I've been pinching pennies & counting on the return. If it's any consolation (that's how I keep myself sane), tell yourself the longer you wait, the better the software/hardware gets & the cheaper the prices! It's stopped me from many a credit card pull when I go surfing for the latest updates.

Rosie :dilemma:

Thanks! Ever since I finally saw that an actual Tablet running TabletXP can be had for less than $1000 (I sort of mentioned before, without specifics, that I saw the HugeBee for $999; I think at 8.4 inches, it has a smaller screen, and it's best res is 800x600, but I would get it, if I could), I'm becoming rather hopeful of owning one someday soon.

[BTS]

I bought an HP 1100 TPC in September (at the same time my e750 went to Toshiba for 2 months of repairs - don't get me started!!!). I can now say that they both complement each other nicely!

The TPC has a 10 inch screen. With the new SP2, the handwriting reco is simply awesome. I literally scrawl on the screen (try that with Calligrapher) and it still picks up 98% of what I'm writing. I find, though, that I'm leaving more and more in simply digital ink.

The PPC still carries my appointments, to-dos, CSV files, and notes (all synched with my tablet). I find it is better when I need to take a quick note on the fly when I'm teaching.

My tablet is used to make presentations (try using Journal for this if you are a teacher - the kids LOVE it), and keep plans, notes, etc. in OneNote. Now that you can move PPC notes into OneNote, the two are complementing each other perfectly!

I can't believe I'm saying this but Microsoft did VERY well this time!