I am writing this blog entry on a tablet PC. When I say writing, I mean that I am actually writing. I am not using a keyboard. I am writing with a stylus on the screen. I have just gotten an HP TouchSmart PC that I am testing out for work. It is a convertible Tablet that can swivel from keyboard mode to tablet mode.
The hand writing recognition is quite usable right out of the box. And I have some pretty sloppy hand writing. But I can type much faster than I can write. So for tasks that do not require a lot of textual input, the tablet mode is great. But for longer typing, I find that I am much more efficient if I switch to keyboard mode. Not only because I can type quickly, but also because the interface in tablet mode is somewhat lacking. (I wrote about half of this in tablet mode before I switched back to keyboard mode.) I find that I need to constantly switch between the writing panel and the onscreen keyboard panel. And those panels are constantly popping up in different places on screen or disappearing entirely. Microsoft has some work to do to make the tablet mode more usable.
What I like most about the Tablet PC is the ability to interact directly with the user interface elements on the screen. I can use the stylus to touch an icon on the screen or to “click” in a check box. It feels much more immediate than using the mouse. And the tract-pad is not great making the stylus that much more attractive.
The device includes a finger print reader. At first I thought it gimmicky. But after using it for a week I am finding it faster than typing my password. And that brings me to the hardware. The device has lots of stuff: Web cam, DVD, ports galore, etc. But the overall design of the device isn’t great. And some of the individual elements feel cheep. Maybe that’s because they are cheap. The device was one of the cheaper tablet PCs on the market and the manufacturer obviously had to save money somewhere.
I’m not sure about the form factor yet. I want to use it some more before I draw any conclusions. Is a device that converts between keyboard mode and tablet mode a good idea? It is a bit heavy for tablet mode and a bit small for a keyboard mode. Likewise the screen is adequate in tablet mode, but this device would be insufficient as a primary work machine. On the whole, I’m pleased with the device and look forward to using it more.