Tablet PCs - Anyone use one?

[lowkee]

Hey all, I'm wondering how many of us boat crazies also have/use a tablet PC for hobby stuff?

I just ordered one up (the HP tx2z, which seems nice) because the lure of being able to literally draw what I'm thinking and save it, email it or modify it later sounds too good to be true to me. There is another thread about custom wakeboard towers, and I'd LOVE to share my idea for one, but using photoshop (or paint) to make something 3-d just isn't in my abilities, where hand drawing one would take all of 2 minutes (including shading).

Just today I found myself designing a slate fire pit and half way through it, thought "Wow, this would be so much nicer to draw in a way I could resize everything" .. tablet PC! I could change the dimensions and just resize my drawing to keep in scale.. no more wearing through the paper erasing the same scribble 5 times while I make up my mind!

Is this something a tablet PC will excel in? Personally, I'd love to just doodle on one, just to avoid using colored pencils.

Does anyone else use a tablet PC for this/similar stuff?

 

[i386]

Re: Tablet PCs - Anyone use one?

It's a neat idea, but in practice most people don't flip the screen and use them as tablets anymore after the novelty wears off. If you like hand drawing and find drawing software that works for you I think you'll like it just fine.

Let us know after the honeymoon is over.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Tablet PCs - Anyone use one?

They keeping telling me here at work that they have a tablet PC laying around that I can use but they never seem to produce it. Dam IT guys. On another note, I recently purchased an Acer Aspire One netbook and I think it's the greatest thing ever. Mine has the 8.9" screen and my boss just bought an HP one with the 10.1" screen and it really makes a difference. I love mine but his is even better.

 

[lowkee]

Re: Tablet PCs - Anyone use one?

I hope with Windows 7 the honeymoon may last longer, as Microsoft is concentrating a lot of effort in the new release towards Tablet and touchscreen PCs. I just installed the RC1 here on this PC and various menus have 'no tablet found'.. which is making me excited to find out what happens when it does find one.

Sadly it won't be shipping until the 21st, then 5 days shipping time. They sure do take their sweet time delivering the product after they have already charged your card.

I'm so giddy about this thing I often wonder if the whole 'growing up' thing was a lie from the beginning. I'm 33 and I don't feel any more 'grown up' than I did when I was 18. Only difference is I have better toys, less pimples and stay home for what I used to go out for.

 

[ImNu2Boats]

Re: Tablet PCs - Anyone use one?

I hope with Windows 7 the honeymoon may last longer, as Microsoft is concentrating a lot of effort in the new release towards Tablet and touchscreen PCs. I just installed the RC1 here on this PC and various menus have 'no tablet found'.. which is making me excited to find out what happens when it does find one.

Sadly it won't be shipping until the 21st, then 5 days shipping time. They sure do take their sweet time delivering the product after they have already charged your card.

I'm so giddy about this thing I often wonder if the whole 'growing up' thing was a lie from the beginning. I'm 33 and I don't feel any more 'grown up' than I did when I was 18. Only difference is I have better toys, less pimples and stay home for what I used to go out for.

The tablet pc code has been around since XP, Vista added enhancements to it. I don't see any huge differences in W7 RC1 on the hp/compaq tablet. I've been pushing out tablets lately but not because of the tablet feature, it's the weight and size that just seems better suited for travel than the mini's or a full size notebook. You can't get a cd/dvd player in the business class tablets because they generate too much heat.

One irritating problem with the HP tablets is the need for a 50.00 hp stylus. The stylus locks into the notebook and has an anoying string tether which often breaks. Once it breaks it isn't long after that the stylus ends up getting lost.

 

[ImNu2Boats]

Re: Tablet PCs - Anyone use one?

They keeping telling me here at work that they have a tablet PC laying around that I can use but they never seem to produce it. Dam IT guys. On another note, I recently purchased an Acer Aspire One netbook and I think it's the greatest thing ever. Mine has the 8.9" screen and my boss just bought an HP one with the 10.1" screen and it really makes a difference. I love mine but his is even better.

I issue the HP/Compaq tablets here as standard mobile equipment for our traveling staff. We tried the mini's but even at 10.1 it's too hard to read with any decent resolution. I even went as far as setting up application dependent resolutions but they complained about that too. Dam IT guy's just can't seem to please everybody all the time. I don't understand that at all.

 

[slongholio]

Re: Tablet PCs - Anyone use one?

There is also the option of adding a touch table to a regular PC or laptop via the USB port, if that helps any. Tablets PCs are pretty cool, but are underpowered vs another form factor unit in the same price range. Much of the cost goes to the miniaturization, so they have to skimp on the inside components to keep the price down. Also upgrade options are sometimes more limited.

Just my 2c, this is my area of expertise, not boats, but at least maybe I can offer something here.

 

[ImNu2Boats]

Re: Tablet PCs - Anyone use one?

There is also the option of adding a touch table to a regular PC or laptop via the USB port, if that helps any. Tablets PCs are pretty cool, but are underpowered vs another form factor unit in the same price range. Much of the cost goes to the miniaturization, so they have to skimp on the inside components to keep the price down. Also upgrade options are sometimes more limited.

Just my 2c, this is my area of expertise, not boats, but at least maybe I can offer something here.

The number 1 reason the tops here like them is because they think they're cool. CEO has had three in the past year, mini, Vista Tablet and now back to an downgraded XP tablet. The reason he said he wanted it was because it's easier to deal with on his Jet (Cesna Citation III). Later I found out it was because one of his friends laughed at his full size notebook.

You know the IT world, everybody is chasing the golden egg. If they'd just learn to use what they have they'd be eating goose and not worring about the non-existent egg. That's my 2c.. but then I have an excuse, I've been chasing Viagra spammers all week.

 

[wuttja]

Re: Tablet PCs - Anyone use one?

I use a tablet PC for work and have for years. I mostly use it as a regular laptop, but it is useful for the web application I work on. It allows the users to check out work that they can do without an internet connection, and then check that work back in once they have internet connectivity again. The handwriting recognition is decent, and the built in voice recognition works ok too if you spend the time training it. Naturally Speaking by Dragon is a better voice recognition program, but it's a 3rd party application that needs to be purchased.
My 5 year old loves to draw with it too, just need to be very clear that only the special computer pen works, and that any other writing tool does not!

 

[lowkee]

Re: Tablet PCs - Anyone use one?

Well, I got my tablet PC today. Afterburning the Restore DVD's, l immediately installed windows 7 on it. After some not so fun driver issues, l managed to get it working quite well! l wrote this entire post by hand, which is totally cool! Tomorrow I'll see about getting some drawing apps on here.

 

[wuttja]

Re: Tablet PCs - Anyone use one?

I'm testing Windows 7 at work to see how our web application works with it and IE 8. So far, so good. I'm not much of a Microsoft fan (I own Macs) but after the Vista nightmare, Windows 7 even in release candidate status is MUCH better. My tablet PC at work is set to dual boot. I can go into Windows XP or Windows 7, and lately I've been in 7 because I actual like it better. I even installed 7 without any CD/DVD ROM drive using a little program that mounted the iso image like a separate drive (it mapped to be my Z: drive) and it worked like a charm. The install took about a 1/4 of the time it takes to install XP or Vista.

 

[i386]

Re: Tablet PCs - Anyone use one?

Well, I got my tablet PC today. Afterburning the Restore DVD's, l immediately installed windows 7 on it. After some not so fun driver issues, l managed to get it working quite well! l wrote this entire post by hand, which is totally cool! Tomorrow I'll see about getting some drawing apps on here.

I'm really glad to know you made those restore CD's. With regular data backups you will never have to worry if/when your PC royally screws up. Good for you!

If you want to take it a step further I would highly recommend getting Acronis True Image and a nice USB external drive. Those two items will make extremely time consuming tasks trivial.

I hope you enjoy your new tablet.

 

[lowkee]

Re: Tablet PCs - Anyone use one?

Phew! That only took forever! Finding drivers for Windows 7 has been a nightmare, but I think everything is finally working as it should seven multi touch, which feels a little gimmicky but works as intended. The handwriting recognition works freaking great! Handwriting a forum post is definitely a unique feeling. It really does make it feel more personal.

 

[lowkee]

Re: Tablet PCs - Anyone use one?

Well, so much for 'all is working'. Apparently, after a good 10 driver reinstalls, the touchscreen on the tablet is defective. Doh! Long story (and not a happy one) short, I'll have my replacement tablet pc on about June 13th .. PS, HP is a ripoff; They actually managed to extort $127 from me. They said if I wanted a replacement (not just a return), I had to pay full price for the replacement tablet, since the coupon I used when I bought it was now expired. Don't get me started..

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Tablet PCs - Anyone use one?

It's sad but I've heard nothing good about HP in a long time. They are consistently dead last in customer service ratings in PC World by a large margin. I wonder how long they can continue like that. Dell had gotten pretty bad but I believe has been forced to shape up (like bringing call centers back to the US).