Seriously thinking about buying a graphics tablet PC; a little help?

[kzm007]

I would like to get one for college so I could just jot down my notes directly and then print them off, and not have to worry about copying fees or uploading them through something like a LiveScribe Pulse Pen (http://www.livescribe.com/) which is also a great invention, but requires specialized notebook paper to capture the information.

Getting back on track, I would preferably like something that runs on Wacom digitizers/drivers, since they're quite reliable, but I would prefer to be able to see exactly what I'm writing and where; with the Wacom tablets, which I've owned, but ended up selling, you have to train your eye to stay on the monitor screen while your hand is moving on the graphics tablet.

So to summarize quickly, I would like to:
1) Be able to write directly on the screen, and I'm assuming I can then save these notes and print them off.

2) Have something running with Wacom or another decent-quality digitizer.

3) Buy a tablet that is Windows-based.

I'll fuss over prices later; for now, I'd just like to see what else someone else might be about to come up with for me, knowing more about these than myself.

Thanks folks -

Kegan

[SSatVT]

I have a Fujitsu T4220, it was a requirement for the college of engineering when I came to school. It is a decent computer, and eventhough it is 3 years old, it is a still not too far from the top of the line. I am running Windows XP Tablet edition 32 bit with 4 GB of ram (it only recognizes 3.2 G though).

I used it for everything my first semester and it was great, but by the beginning of my second year the battery wouldn't last 10 minutes. I could use microsoft offics's onenote for all of my notes, it allowed me to be as organized as I desired and I could import powerpoint slides or print pdf's to it and they would should up in a notebook, you can also write on powerpoint slides directly. I also have a program that allows me to annotate pdf's and the resave the pdf. As for writing it is a lot like writing on never ending paper, albeit slipery paper.

Overall, it is a great computer for note taking. I think it is a wonderful teaching tool for teachers, esspecially if they use powerpoint slides. However, I would not buy it again, due to the not so great battery and the high price ($2000), I could have replaved the battery but that was a little too pricey for me at the time. I believe that you can buy tablet for a little less now, but still significantly higher than a regular notebook built with the same specs.

If you have any particular questions about a tablet, I can probably answer them.

Seth
Posted via Mobile Device

[kzm007]

Seth and others -

I'm considering the Fujitsu T900 Tablet PC:

Intel® vProTM Technology *

PROCESSOR:
Intel® CoreTM i5-520M Processor (2.4 GHz, 3 MB L3 cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.93 GHz *
Intel® CoreTM i5-540M Processor (2.53 GHz, 3 MB L3 cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.06 GHz
Intel® CoreTM i7-620M Processor (2.66 GHz, 4 MB L3 cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.33 GHz

OPERATING SYSTEM:
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 32 (MUI), Bonus Media (ENERGY STAR®qualified) (Note: Systems with Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 32 preinstalled will include Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 32 HDD based recovery and Genuine Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 recovery and utility media.) *
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64 (MUI), Bonus Media (ENERGY STAR® qualified) (Note: Systems with Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64 preinstalled will include Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64 HDD based recovery and Genuine Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 recovery and utility media.)
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 32 (MUI), Downgrade Service (Note: Downgrade service to Genuine Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition 2005. Systems with Genuine Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 preinstalled will include Genuine Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 and Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 32 recovery and utility media.) [LIST]

DISPLAY INPUT:
[LIST] Active Digitizer (pen input) *
Dual Digitizer (pen input plus capacitive multi-touch screen supporting touch gesture)

DISPLAY:
13.3" WXGA LED backlight bright display
13.3" WXGA LED backlight bright display with webcam [FREE UPGRADE] *
13.3" WXGA LED backlight bright display with anti-reflective coating for outdoor viewing
13.3" WXGA LED backlight bright with anti-reflective coating for outdoor viewing with webcam [FREE UPGRADE]

HARD DRIVE:
160 GB (5400 rpm) *
320 GB (5400 rpm) hard drive
320 GB (5400 rpm) hard drive with full disk encryption
500 GB (5400 rpm) hard drive
320 GB (7200 rpm) hard drive

OPTICAL DRIVE:
None - 20
Modular Dual-Layer Multi-Format DVD Writer *

WIRELESS COMMUNICATION:
Atheros XSPAN® (802.11 a/b/g/n)
Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6200 (802.11 a/b/g/n) *

The asterisks symbolize hardware that comes stock with the tablet PC; everything else is basically unknown to me.

I figure I can always just buy as cheaply as possible from the site, and then sell off parts to purchase higher-grade parts to upgrade; would this be possible, or more correctly, worth it? I've never used a 64-bit OS.

Also, I have a dedicated laptop which I use as a desktop, and two netbooks; would this purchase make this tablet purchase redundant?

My laptop is an HP DV9000 CTO running Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit, which I paid about $1000 for four years ago for college.

My netbooks are a white Samsung NC120 with 2GB memory running Windows 7 Ultimate, and a blue Samsung NC10 running Windows Vista Ultimate (The only disks the university provides are the highest versions). I paid $308 shipped for the blue Samsung, and $300 for the white one, upgrading the memory afterwards.

I primarily use the computers for writing for my English major, related classes, and pleasure.

If anyone would care to explain the unmarked items' differences to me, and help me make an intelligent purchase, I would appreciate it :) Thanks in advance.

Kegan

[SSatVT]

Kegan,

I'm not too sure what your main goal with the tablet would be, but I believe that any configuration that you pick (of what you listed) would be a more capable computer than what you currently have. You can connect the tablet to a docking station and external monitor(s) and run it like a desktop (that is what I do, in addition to using it as a laptop and a tablet).

As far as choices:

I would definitly go with an i5 processor, largely because the i7 requires a lot of energy (meaning not very long battery life). I would also choose 64 bit, because they are more capable (however, I am not sure if you would see the advantage in everyday use). The other options depend on what you want the computer to do for you.

[kzm007]

Seth,

Essentially, what I am looking for is a decent tablet PC to run an artwork application such as Autodesk Sketchbook Pro and a good note-taking application such as Windows OneNote 2007. I anticipate only really using it for sketching, note-taking for class, and writing/drawing on-the-go.

I would prefer as large a screen as possible, for my comfort in drawing and sketching.

Brand really isn't an issue, but if possible, I'm hoping for one that carries Wacom drivers, since they're top-of-the-line with pressure sensitivity; I'm mainly just seeking something of quality to draw and write comfortably with. Preferably with as little ink-lag as possible when doing such.

If my handwriting could be converted to text, that would be all the better for my English major and courses.

I would also like my pen to have an enabled eraser, where I can use it as though it were real, and not have to activate the erase function in whatever application I am using.

Hope this clears everything up, and I can make an affordable purchase. I'm leery to buy used in case screen damage/scratching is present, but if it's a solid product, buying new might not be such a bad idea for me. Let's cap the price at $1,500 or less, unless there's something out there that a little more money would be worth losing.

Could you also kindly explain your comment regarding 64-bit over 32-bit OS's, please? It seems to me the exact opposite; that I would notice a difference in usage day after day, after only using 32-bit all these years...then again, I suppose I would need a heavier processor, or no?

Thanks for all of this - Kegan