After a less than spectacular start, the computing world has discovered the Tablet PC.
Four yeasr after Microsoft's Bill Gates first introduced it, the Tablet PC is now being embraced by medicall professionals, salesperople, students, journalists and everyday consumers who want to get a full-featured portable pc with the extra ability to be used like a pen and a tablet of paper,
Small, lightweight and rugged, these powerful machines are branded by well-respected manufacturers and consumers can chose between the Gateway Tablet PC, the Motion Computing Tablet PC, the Fujitsu Tablet PC, the Toshiba Tablet PC and many other rugged tablet pc types.
Tablet PCs come in two configurations: the slate model pc tablet, which is like the old childhood etch-a-picture toy. You use a tiny pen-stylus device to write on the surface of these tablet pcs, with your handwriting digitally converted and showing up on the screen just like it was a piece of paper.
Then there is the convertible model tablet pc. It is a tablet pc laptop in form, combining a screen which can be turned around to cover the keyboard and used just like a slate model tablet pc or, when flipped upright, the screen works just like a laptop computer or notebook computer.
The weight of these tablet pcs ranges from around 2 pounds for some fujitsu tablet pcs to over 6 pounds for some of the HP Tablet PC models.
Shopping for a new tablet pc is best done online. Although some of the large box computer stores carry tablet pcs, the best selection is found through the many specialized sites, which often offer tablet pc comparisons. You can also find the cheapest tablet pc for you by shopping online.
Expect to pay between $1,000 and $2,000 for an average model with a 40GB hard drive, wireless wi-fi capability and an ethernet port. To get a larger hard drive (I recommend 60GB) and an upgraded screen optimized for indoor and outdoor viewing, you'll have to pay close to $2,500.
The author is publisher of Online Christian Shopper (www.onlinechristianshopper.com), which specializes in Christian T-Shirts and jewelry. He is also the publisher of Tablet PC Scoop (www.tabletpcscoop.com [http://www.tabletpcscoop.com]), a resource site for the Tablet PC. And yes, he uses a Tablet PC in all his activities.
