Tablet PC functionality on a "typical" laptop

I'm about to enter medical school, and my particular program pushes the use of tablet PCs for the ability to annotate note sets and whatever other reasons. I can certainly see the benefit, but I'm just not a tablet PC fan.

So, my question is this: is there ANY way to have some of that same ability -- being able to insert drawings, figures, etc. into OneNote -- without going for an HP EliteBook 2730p or Lenovo's X200 tablet or something like that? Sony's about to put out their Z790, and I'm kind of wanting that.

 

Might want to consider something like this:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=391044

cheers ...

 

So expensive.

http://www.iogear.com/product/GPEN100C/

$30.

 

There is also a wireless version of it so that you even don't need a computer to be connected and the pen remebers what you've written or drawn. I have one.

However, it is not exactly what would be properly called a tablet function on a notebook, though it can do what the medical school may require from the guy.

One can actually transform the notebook screen to make it capable of tablet functions. I have seen the kits sold on ebay for different screen sizes. I myself have abandoned the idea because of concerns about the performance and resolution of the kits.

Can google for more details if there is demand.

 

Ooh...

As far as demands, I assume they're requiring tablets because of charts, pathways, and other such things that might be better drawn than described. I am also told that there are some students who skipped the tablet thing entirely in classes ahead of me.

That digital pen looks damn cool, though. Wonder if that would do the trick..?

 

yea nice find. that thing does look pretty cool

 

With a tablet PC you don't have to buy and bother with external interface. The HP tx2500 or tx2 series are affordable for your need as they have active digitalizers.

 

Yeah, I'll be sure to check them out, but something bothers me about spending a good chunk of money on something with lesser hardware and displays compared to, say, Sony's Vaio Z. Or a MacBook. Or one of many other thin and lights.

And I admit it, the aesthetics of things are important to me; have yet to find a tablet that tickles my fancy.

 

You can buy a Wacom tablet and connect it via USB. With this setup you will get the best drawings, sadly it's not that portable any longer.
A cheaper alternative (cheaper in many ways, not only price) is such a pen, but it's a more portable solution, and probably a good alternative for occasional drawings.

If you have to draw more than just once a week, and don't have to type that much, then better get a tablet PC.
The used hardware is the same, they just don't have a dedicated GPU. The display panels used in tablets (except of the HP TX) are superior to any notebook display panel, they are brighter and have perfect viewing angles.

 

This surprises me. It was always my impression that due to the hardware and coatings required to make a usable, durable tablet PC panel, the image quality is typically a notch or two below the "good" traditional notebooks, no?

 

If you'll be walking around with your tablet at some point, using it in place of charts, then a standard laptop probably won't be an option. I'd ask your student advisor for advice, and maybe try to contact a graduate who didn't buy a tablet and ask how the lack of a tablet impacted him/her.

 

If you really want a quality tablet PC it will cost you more sometimes more that $2K! Besides you can claim a tax deduction on your income tax for buying a computer for your scholastic need. The University will also probably give you a student discount to buy one and with discounted softwares in the mix you won't spend as much as you think. Taking notes on a tablet is much faster than typing and with diagrams and charts you have to draw it can't be beat. One Note is perfect for scholastics and people who likes things organized.

 

One can get old Toshiba Portege M200 for less than 300$ off ebay and it will do quite well. One can even install Linux or Windows 7 RC on it and almost everything will work.

 

I love my hp 2730p. Have you actually tried one, or dismissed it in advance? I use it for everything, it's my main notebook.

Maybe you could rethink dismissing it?

 

You can buy a tablet for much less than 2k$ nowadays.
The tablets in the past had a grainy surface and thus poor displays, today most tablets have a clear LED backlit display which has great color accuracy and perfect viewing angles.
The best displays have the Fujitsu Lifebook T2010/T2020/T5010 tablets.
Then comes the Lenovo X200t and HP 2710p/2730p.
You just should avoid tablets with a passive digitizer in front of the display, because this will add a lot of grain to the display again.

To get tablets for less money you can buy them refurbed units. For more informations and reviews you should take a look at the Tablet PC section of this site.
If you want a slate, then you'll be forced to spend more than 2k$.

 

What do you consider the difference to be between a slate and a tablet?

Gary

 

The majority of tablets used for university or as a home and business user are convertibles, which are laptops with rotatable displays.
The other type of tablet PCs are slates, which don't have a keyboard any longer, look like the Amazon kindle or any eBook readr and are often very solid built, used in the field, hospitals, ... and are more expensive than a convertible because they don't get produced in such a high quantities.

 

I prefer convertibles, as for ordinary usage, "Notebook Mode" is best. But the occasional tablet use is a huge pro.

 

I actually saw a co-worker walking around with her 14" notebook in a messenger bag across the shoulder, the external pen tablet in her hand, connecting to the notebook via a long USB cable - real cool.

cheers ...

 

I'd advise getting a convertable or a slate tablet, as it seems the medical field is starting to transition into these devices. My mother who works as a nurse in a hospital said the other day that Doctors are starting to walk around with tablets, or laptop carts. I've read from the sister site tabletpcreivew.com that many engineering and medical schools require having a tablet pc, not an external digitizer. I'd hop on and get one of them HP tablets with the passive (allows for finger input) and active (allows for accurate pen input) when Windows 7 comes out. Usually they hover around 1.2k to 1.5k for decent tablets. I had a Gateway CX210X, worked wonderfully, but it's video chip got fried for some reason.

 

If I do get a tablet, that will likely be it. Of the choices I seem to have, that appears to be the best one.

There is definitely a push towards more widespread EMR usage, but I suspect that for my purposes through MS-1 and MS-2, it's a notebook in general that we'll need. Unsure that even my clinical years will require a tablet.

 

Well, I have seen a pretty descent slate with Core 2 Duo, Motion Computing LE1700, sold for less than 800$ on ebay.