Compare Tablet PC Laptop Computers

Tablet PC devices deliver the benefits of both handwriting recognition and a full-fledged notebook in one powerful and flexible device. Some are slate models with external keyboards, while others are convertibles that change from slate to notebook and back again.

Tablets are best suited for workers who want to take notes and save them in their own handwriting, and have the ability to brainstorm, collaborate, scribble e-mails, and sign faxes with a digital pen.

The first Tablet PC's featured slower processors, such as Transmeta's Crusoe and Intel's Pentium 3. Pentium M-based Tablets are hitting the street, though, which means there's finally enough oomph under the hood for snappy pen performance. Transmeta is working on a new low-power processor that may be a serious rival to the Pentium. Look for it within the next few months in our laptop reviews Tablet PC section.

Expect to find displays that range from 10.4 to 14.1 inches. That's a good thing for tablets, though, especially when using them in pen mode. You don't want to hold a larger display in the crook of your arm for more than a minute or two.

If you haven't looked a Tablets recently, look again. Microsoft is in the process of tweaking the operating system to be even more pen-friendly, and both Office 2003 and One Note let you do more than ever before.

Smaller hard drives (20GB) and limited RAM (256MB) are the norm for most Tablets. You can upgrade to 40GB and 512MB, but it will cost you some serious dollars.

Tablet PC's have been, by definition, one-spindle devices. Optical drives and floppies are often provided as external peripherals. The only current exceptions are Acer's 14.1-inch TravelMate C300 and Gateway's M275 Tablet, both of which come with a combo drive.

It's the extra features that distinguish Tablets, so look for Centrino Wi-Fi or 802.11g so you can do your work in real time.

Quick Tip: Make sure the Tablet system you buy is running Windows XP Tablet Edition. It will be noted in our laptop reviews.

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Tablet PC devices deliver the benefits of both handwriting recognition and a full-fledged notebook in one powerful and flexible device. Some are slate models with external keyboards, while others are convertibles that change from slate to notebook and back again.

Based on features and performance....these are winners.

• Acer Travelmate C204TMi
• Electrovaya Scribbler SC-3000
• Fujitsu Lifebook P1510D
• Gateway CX200X
• Motion Computing LS800
• Toshiba Satellite R15