I’m a Picky Tablet PC User, Are You?

Posted by | 04/10/2009 | 28 Comments

In the early years of Tablet PCs, I was happy with just about anything that flipped around, was a slate, or I could write on. Over the years, though, I’ve become quite picky about what I like / don’t like in a tablet pc. Instead of becoming enamored with everything that crosses my desk or I read about online, I’m looking for those little things that mean a great deal, and in the end, help me be productive and mobile.

Here is a quick rundown of the things an OEM could do to win me over, and the things to avoid. What does your list look like?

  1. I like a crisp, clear screen.   If I see one more grainy screen in a tablet pc, I’ll scream.
  2. I’m so over loud fans. I like to be able to hear what is going on in a meeting and not be a disruption to the other participants.
  3. I like manual volume switches that are easily accessible whether I’m in slate or convertible mode. Toshiba’s Tablet PC nailed the design perfectly with their volume rotary dial. Whoever thought that touch-based volume controls were a good thing, especially when hidden under the screen, should be taken out to a usability study center for a week. There is something to be said for function….
  4. I like flush bezel screens. They enhance the writing experience rather than interfere with it.
  5. I LOVE extended batteries, but I love them even more when I can charge them while also docked. What use is an extended battery when you can’t charge it while docked? I especially love battery slices and those that provide a nice gripped handle. The good thing about handle grip type of extended batteries is that they tilt the tablet at an angle for typing and writing while in landscape mode.
  6. Whether the keyboard is removable or built-in to a convertible tablet pc, I like a keyboard that has good travel, has decent spacing between the keys, and is not glossy. Lenovo’s X series keyboards are the best ever. I don’t like HP’s dura-finish keyboards – they are too slick. Why in the world does HP put the PG / PG down keys at the very top of the keyboard and make them tiny? Shouldn’t they be next to the arrow keys for goodness sakes?
  7. I like a pen that actually feels like a real pen rather than a stick stylus. Motion Computing’s tablet pc pens are some of the best I’ve used. I also like an eraser on the back of the pen. I don’t like it at all when folks like Dell decide that a button can act like an eraser. Do you see a button on the side of a pencil? Then don’t make me use a button on the side of the pen, either, ok?
  8. I like touchpad buttons that are quiet. HP’s tx2000 touchpad buttons are some of the loudest ever. Surely they can make them quieter. Again, Lenovo’s touchpad buttons are awesome.
  9. I like a nice scroll wheel on the side of the tablet for use while in tablet mode. HP’s 2710p / 2730p scroll wheel is awesome! I miss Lenovo’s scroll wheel in the X200.
  10. I would love a tablet pc that makes me feel lost in the art of writing / notetaking in a similar way that Amazon’s Kindle 2 does for reading a book.

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Category: Editorials, Hardware, Mobile

About the Author (Author Profile)

As the Founding Editor for GottaBeMobile.com, Rob oversaw the growth and overall direction for content, advertising, and management of the site. Keep up with Rob at RobBushway.com Send email to Rob
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  • http://rcd.typepad.com/ Robin Capper

    Many of your requirements match mine but I also want the power to run design applications (sep graphics). I like the HP2710 extended battery design, hate their slidy touch control for volume.

    See http://rcd.typepad.com/rcd/my-perfect-computer/

  • Wade

    So dudes, which existing tablet comes closest to having all of the features you like? I’m asking as a tablet newbie who’d like to have a tablet that could take full advantage of inking/sketchbook interfaces like Inkseine.

  • Mikey

    Love my tablet kisok i440d – but do with the extended battery was lighter and fit in the dock somehow – annoying to switch it around all of the time for multiple purposes.

    I like Wade’s question – what does come closest to these specs? (PS – Love Inkseine)

  • Rob Bushway

    Next week I’ll address which tablet comes close “to me” to meeting those needs. I’m not sure right now….

  • Bristolview

    I’ve lost much of the use of my right hand over the past few years. As such, I lost the ability to touch type. To keep working, I opted for a Tablet PC and TIP/Handwriting recognition. I am now nearly 100% pen based for all my work, and that’s working in the software industry and writing technical documentation. As such, I may be a bit picky too, as I cannot fall back to the trusty keyboard that many use in addition to the tablet functions.

    Working pen based all the time is a bit different than working on a typical notebook, namely, the typical working mode is handheld. No desk anymore. Holding the PC 100% of the time puts a lot of strain on cable connections, so it’s best to run without any, thus battery power is the way to go. The other HUGE thing is that typical use (pen based and handheld) is in Portrait, which many makers seem to overlook.

    Motion almost nailed the battery thing with the new J3400, having hot swappable batteries is great, and allows a full day without powering the PC down to swap a dead battery with a charged one. I said almost, because they didn’t launch an external battery charger, meaning you have to charge your hot swappable batteries in the PC itself. Um….. (Yes, I know the Dock can charge, but that’s not really portable, fine in an office, not elsewhere). Motion almost got it right, hopefully we’ll see an external charger from them soon.

    The other item I mentioned is Portrait use. Motion typically botches this, and the J3400 is in character. Not bad, just not great with regard to port location. The J3400 is a rockin machine, but in portrait orientation… you can’t really access the USB ports. Not great. The Fujitsu P6012 nails the portrait optimization just about right. The grips are clear of ports, the bottom is free of ports and the ports are arranged such that you can hold the unit in portrait and not interfere with them. Wow, they actually get it. If Motion did that, the new J3400 would be amazingly great. The other aspect of Portrait use is display resolution. at 1280×800 landscape resolution, it changes to 800×1280 resolution in portrait, which is really poor. Browsing and working in 800 wide is a lousy experience. The SXGA+ displays on the x61 and LE1700 were perfect for this. It seems nobody is offering these on tablets anymore, and I suspect the device makers are subject to what the display makers are making, such is life. Tablet makers, if possible; push the display makers for higher resolution.

    So, for me… in addition to most of the comments above, a higher width for portrait orientation, and port location realizing that people actually use portrait.

    With regard to the Dell eraser button, I actually like that. I didn’t at first, but now I prefer it. It’s faster to not need to flip the pen over.

  • Rose

    The screen is absolutely critical, but don’t forget the extended viewing angles! Unlike monitors, tablets need a very wide viewing angle from all directions. For me and my old eyes, 12 is the minimum, and I’d love more (for the same current weight as my T2010.) 512 levels of pressure is a minimum. I would really like to see at least 1024,
    AND DEFINITELY, pen rotation.
    I also don’t want to skimp on cpu and graphics power. The T2010 works ok for the price I paid, but I’ll expect a very nice bump in power when I buy again.
    I decided I prefer the keyboard attatched because : 1)it provides a safety cover always ready to hand (broke my previous motion tablet’s screen) 2)the keyboard is always ready for ememgency recovery (I mostly use the pen in everyday use, but had to cart a keyboard in my pack for emergencies) 3) It provides a built in reading stand, adjustable to any angle (another seperate item with a slate) 4)when reading in bed at night, the tablet can stand by itself on any edge and all you have to do is push a dedicated button occasionally for “page-down” 5)there was no weight penalty for the built-in keyboard with my fujitsu. All the aforementioned “accessories” are neatly packaged and save room in my pack.

    The fujitsu failed to have dedicated buttons that can be distinguished in the dark. I had to “tag” mine. Speaking of buttons, tablets need MORE MORE MORE. (fujitsu has 5). Think of all those nice buttons on the cintiq’s and you’ll keep me from casting green eyes in that pasture (of course I’d wait the cintiq’s can communicate wirelessly over USB3 instead of messing with all those cables)

    I’m also hooked on the extended battery that came with my Fujitsu. Instead of charging and swapping batteries, one battery lasts me all day most days (unless kids are playing games on it). So I just plug it in every night.

    I’d like a pull-out lip under the fan exhaust. When I’m sitting with the machine in my lap (cross-legged), I have to be very careful about positioning to allow for airflow. A pull-out lip would solve this problem.

  • Joe T.

    As harv said: “9. Scroll wheeels are essential. The 2710p really needed the 2730p upgrade.”

    I hate my 2710p for only one reason: its lack of a scroll wheel. You might want to change that mistake in #9, to remove giving credit to the 2710p for awesomeness of its non-existent scroll wheel.

  • fabb

    are there really no 14″ tablets on the market or comming up?
    less than that would feel a bit awkward for me too.

  • Boojumhunter

    I’m still using my trusty Toshiba M200. Like Sumocat, I’ve found it difficult to settle on an upgrade, though it is clearly time to do so. Every time I start looking for the right upgrade, I’m annoyed by what seem to be serious (and obvious) design errors.

    Any upgrade will give a hefty bump in raw oomph. While nice, the fact that I’ve not *had* to upgrade shows that processing power isn’t the primary concern. What is needed is to find a machine that doesn’t annoy me after a month or two of use. Perhaps the M200 spoiled me. It’s run without issues since mid 2004, and after removing the grainy screen film, I honestly have only one complaint: the keyboard’s too flexy.

    Have been leaning towards a Lenovo… but will now wait for your next article, Rob. Over the years you’ve stated much of what I was thinking about tablets. Very interested in what you think of as “best of breed” now.

  • http://friendfeed.com/minimage MiniMage

    I prefer erasers on the end, as well.

    I like portables that, when docked, can be turned on when the lid is down. I really think Dell knew better; they had this all figured out back in the days of the Latitude X300, but then they made me see red with the XT. I keep hoping there’s something I overlooked with this; if there is, someone please tell me, and I’ll eventually get over the embarrassment.

  • blash

    Priorities for me:

    1) Battery life: 7-8 hours real-world, with WiFi on. Screen brightness isn’t as much of an issue since I work indoors.
    2) Weight, and to a lesser degree, thickness – my X200T has very nice thickness but is just a tad heavy. Below 3 pounds would be perfect, although I realize that in order to make a stronger, high-quality product this may not always be possible.

    I agree with 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 above. I don’t do my photography work on my tablet so the graininess doesn’t bother me in the slightest, having used the non-flush touch screen on my X200T I don’t see why I’d prefer a flush screen (especially if it adds cost/weight), and although I sort of agree with 7, I have no problem writing with my medium-size X200T pen although it would be nice if it was thicker since I have big hands and I like those big, thick pens for writing on paper.

    To a smaller extent, I’d like some performance. nVidia’s Ion platform looks like it should slot into a TPC quite nicely.

    High-resolution is almost mandatory nowadays for almost any application, be it programming, note-taking (the toolbars take up less space and you therefore have more room to write), image work, games (like EVE Online, which is essentially a lot of spreadsheets), even web-browsing (nice when pages don’t have to cram stuff in to fit your screen). Although it’s not a priority per-say, I would definitely pay extra for one and I could make a decision to buy one laptop or another on the basis of this.

    SSDs are also almost mandatory on tablets due to their mobile nature. If I was an OEM, I would not even offer a TPC with a traditional HDD anymore even if it ended up making my product more expensive than anyone else’s at first glance because it lends such a positive aspect to the experience, both in speed and in utility (jamming with your TPC, using it while you’re riding your bike or walking from one place to the other, etc.)

  • MichaelS

    I am picky too. I am still using my Toshiba Tecra M4 because nothing has come along that approaches the spec (dedicated graphics, screen size and resolution etc). That said, I would upgrade in a nano-second if someone would come out with a flush screen slate, screen the size of an 11×17 sheet of paper, decent dedicated graphics, SSD, lots of hardware buttons, multi-touch, and at least 6 hours of battery life. I am an industrial designer, so I am mostly using SketchbookPro. I find that I rarely use the keyboard on the Tecra, so that is why I would be willing to go slate. A large, bright, view-anywhere type screen would be ideal for presenting or doing demos.

    I am getting a bit nervous about what will replace the Tecra, it is already on it’s second motherboard (after the first one got cooked by an energetic graphics chipset and marathon Half-Life 2 sessions)

  • Eric

    Amen on most of it Rob!

    I also look for the computing power to use my tablet as the primary computer at work (I’m a graduate student and I need to buy my own computer), which is why I have stuck to an X200 tablet so far. I realized my X41 was just too underpowered to survive all the use.

    The lighter the tablet, the happier I am, but I still need to have the extended battery so I can go all day unplugged. I would dream of a tablet the weight and size of a macbook air with the power of an x200.

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