Does a Tablet Make Sense?

Are you using any Tablet PCs?  We're experimenting with a couple of Lenovo X60 tablets and trying to figure where they make sense.  The folks at Microsoft believe that tablets are what *everybody* should be using and the claim is that they are the greatest boost to productivity.  It's a good story, but is it real?

I constantly struggle with the WinTerm vs. Desktop vs. Notebook decision, and now there's one more variation -- the tablet.  (and, of course, there's also the WinMobile PDA factor, but that's another story)

Who are the "right" users for a tablet?  Perhaps more important, who are the WRONG users?  It seems a tablet would be a great fit for the "artsy" types, but they're also typically the non-PC types, so doesn't that introduce a support challenge?

Then there's the challenge of those people who use multiple machines.  How do you sync files like OneNote, such that, at least from the user's perspective, they can get to the *current* file no matter what machine they happen to use?  If only there were easy answers...

Comments

[Brian Marquis]

I'm a big fan of TS. One server to rule them all... No need to sync anything.

A few years ago, mobile users presented a huge challenge to TS, but with today's prolific hotspots and cell phone technologies, TS is more compelling than ever.

There are even solutions for printing that allow TS to print to local printers without requiring the installation of dozens of printer drivers.

With TS, the local machine is a commodity, easily replaced regardless of it's OS (WinTerm, Windows, Mac, Linux, whatever) just so long as it has RDC, Citrix client or rdesktop installed.

[Jim Walton]

My wife bought a Gateway tablet a little over a year ago, she designs graphics, she's an artsy type. She debated over the tablet or a Wacom pad, she went with the tablet. For graphics, apparently, it's not all that precise, so she did not use the tablet functionality of it much.

I went to a couple of conferences last fall and had my laptop but I wished I would've had a tablet, for notetaking.

Thru a series of events recently, she bought a Wacom tablet and we swapped laptops, so now I have the tablet. I think it's more of a novelty than anything. It's fun to have, but practically speaking, it's mainly just a laptop to me. If I was back in college, it would be very useful for classroom type notetaking and I'm glad to have it now for any future conferences.

I've got a buddy who is back in college and he just got a tablet and uses it alot in class.

I don't think "everybody" should be using a tablet or even benefit from a tablet but for the right application/ right type of user it's great.

[Joe Suh]

When I was at Intel, we did a lot of Netmeetings where we'd doodle schematics and diagrams in real time (drawing with your mouse onto MS Paint was a pain!)

We looked at tablets, Wacom pads, electronic whiteboard (e-beam.com), and eventually settled on LCD tablets from a company called finepointinnovations.com

At the end of the day though, taking free-hand notes was more of a novelty that didn't catch on. Cool technologies and innovations behind these things. But if 90% of your notes are text, you'll rarely decide to switch to tablet mode, take out the pen, and doodle.

At least that's what our group found...

[KevMc]

If you really need to doodle...
If you don't type quickly...
If you just hate attaching that peripheral mouse...

To me, it's just one more point of failure and a higher price point.

I won't buy them for my church until someone proves to me their productivity will change based on a specific circumstance or a specific application of the tool to their job.

Later!

Kevin.

[shellie]

I like the tablet, but RARELY use the tablet features. The note taking was great at the ICC. MS is including OneNote in its packages now so more and more pc users will be able to play nice with tablet notes.

With the exception of note taking, I see little need for tablets.

However, it does make poker, spades, and blackjack on yahoo games much easier with the stylus. :)

[Jeremy Hoff]

I had a tabletPC for about a year. It was a hand-me-down from my boss -- he didn't get into the tablePC thing, so I gave it a go. Try as I might I always flipped the screen around and used it like a standard laptop. I now have a Macbook Pro instead.

We have one other tablePC in our organization. I hope the user champions it, but at the moment I think it's more novelty than useful. It does not yet improve pen and paper...

[Dean]

My experience was much like the rest of the comments. Neat Gadget.. Cool Feature.. Not worth the price point and certainly didn't get the hang of it enough to "need it".