The HP 2710p and the Dell Latitude XT are two very similar Tablet PCs.

Paul Kennedy, a GBM forum member, is going to be doing some side by side comparisons between the two machines as he has his hands on both of them! This should be an awesome comparison.

While we wait for Paul to start posting those comps up, I thought I'd offer up my own opinions, since I've also used the 2710p before and am currently using the Latitude XT. Don't view the fact that I've listed more XT feature improvements than 2710p feature improvements that the XT is better. It depends on your need and own desires. View this list as just a helpful comparison from someone who has used both Tablet PCs. I'm sure there are more differences, and I'd welcome others opinions.

I have not used the Fujitsu T2010 enough to do the following comparison to the Latitude XT, but you can review this chart where I compared the 2710p to the T2010 and come up with your own conclusions.

Where I see the Latitude XT improving upon the 2710p

• by offering a vertical scroll wheel on the side of the screen
• by offering up to six programmable buttons where the the 2710p offers only one, and it is not accessible when in tablet mode
• by having an on-screen rotation button that is accessible with the finger, where as the 2710p rotate button is on the side and can only be accessed with a pen. In addition, the 2710p is not accessible when in laptop mode. The Latitude XT rotate button is always accessible.
• by putting the fingerprint reader on the bottom right hand corner of the screen, whereas the 2710p is located on the side of the screen, often interfering when being held in tablet mode.
• by offering a touch pad, in addition to the track stick
• by including capacitive touch, plus active digitizer. The Auto Mode allows you to quickly turn touch on / off. The 2710p is an active digitizer only
• by supporting DVI in the docking station
• by including 3 USB ports ( one being powered ), 1 1394 ports . The 2710p has 2 USB ports and 1 1394 port.
• by having a better designed pen garage - the XT pen does not eject from the garage when accidentally pressed like the 2710p pen does. The  XT pen actually sits flush against the tablet casing
• by having a more responsive technical support department ( at least in my experience )
• by having a faster screen rotation, and being able to rotate in all four directions. The 2710p only rotates in 2 directions ( primary landscape and primary portrait ).
• The Latitude XT offers 2 different screen options: LED and a 400 nit Outdoor Viewable display. The 2710p single display option is both Illumi-Lite and Outdoor Viewable. Take your pick on which is better.
• by offering 3 processor options: 1.06, 1.2, and 1.33. The 2710p offers two: 1.06, and 1.2
  

Where I see the 2710p improving upon the Latitude XT

• by including a built-in web cam
• by including a built-in eraser on the top of the pen, whereas the eraser on the Latitude XT is activated by a side button
• by allowing the 2710p to be docked while it also has the battery slice attached, allowing the battery slice to be charged while in the docking the station. The Latitude XT cannot be docked in the media base if it has the battery slice attached, so the only way to charge the media base is while undocked.
• by having a thinner battery slice than the Latitude XT
• by having a keyboard light
• by supporting up to 4 GB of RAM, whereas the Latitude XT supports up to 3 GB of RAM.
• by feeling better while in tablet mode, thus providing a more tablet-like experience. It has better balance and is more svelte. The 2710p is the most slate-like convertible I've ever used.The XT still feels like a laptop, and feels heavier than the 2710p. UPDATE: Antimatter, a GBM reader, pointed out that my DLV ( outdoor screen, 400 nits ) version of the XT is 4.2 lbs and 1.2 inches, compared to the 2710p, which is 3.7 lbs and 1.1 inches ( it certainly feels thicker than a .1 inch difference though ). However, the LED version of the XT ( non DLV ) is actually thinner and lighter: 3.7 lbs, and 1.0 inches. I still think the 2710p would win the balance and sveltness area, but it is worth noting the different versions in regards to weight and thickness.
• by having a flush screen with the casing, whereas the Latitude XT screen sits slightly below the casing.
• by being up to $800 - $900 cheaper than the Latitude XT at their most basic models. Review the above differences to determine if the money saved is worth the differences.