The tablet turns for computing
Late last year, Cox Communications in Omaha needed new computers for its field technicians. In the past, the telecommunications company had chosen laptops over newfangled tablet PCs, the so-called next generation of portable computing. But after inspecting the new Panasonic Toughbook CF-18 computer ($3,200), a durable shock- and water-resistant gadget that resembles an oversize personal digital assistant, the company had a change of heart. "As far as we're concerned, the tablet represents the future of computing," says Cox spokeswoman Lisa Turner.
Times indeed change--and now the tablet PCs are changing, too. The newest crop of these fledgling devices capitalizes on the best portability features of their finicky predecessors while adding wireless functions that make them more practical. And, although most are priced for business use, a U.S. News test of four models found there's plenty of appeal to the home user even if the devices haven't quite cleared every hurdle.
Tablets still haven't tackled their chief obstacle, the stylus vs. keyboard trade-off. Through tapping on the screen with a stylus--the way one does with a PDA--tablets could eliminate the keyboard altogether, making the device even easier to use than a laptop while you're on the go. But writing a long E-mail or report with just a stylus can be tiresome. Thus, some tablets, such as the ViewSonic V1250S ($1,895), have a convertible keyboard that flips onto the screen's backside when not in use. Others like the Motion Computing M1400 ($2,000) offer a detachable keyboard that plugs in through a USB port.
But now that wireless computing is more common, tablets are becoming a more appealing option for Web surfing, reading E-mail, or other situations when you want to check a few things quickly. Unlike with laptops, you can use tablets without sitting down and folding them out, and tablets' screens are easier to read than those on PDAs and cellphones. The models from Panasonic, ViewSonic, and Motion Computing and HP's Rugged Tablet PC tr3000 ($3,450) all have integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi standard communications, so you don't have to bother hooking up to a printer or storage device if you're in range of compatible devices.
Although all four models had clear, bright screens and reasonably long battery lives (the Toughbook lasted five hours), they still have a way to go before they're ready for prime time. The ViewSonic, for example, tended to get uncomfortably warm after a few hours of use--too hot to rest on the lap. The HP Rugged Tablet ran a little slow, and its screen edges didn't always respond well to the stylus. Motion Computing's USB keyboard, which snapped on as a peripheral, proved awkward to use. The Toughbook? It just looked more like a Hummer--and was similarly expensive.
This story appears in the May 3, 2004 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.
advertisement
