I disagree with most of the replies. Except for cxk6111, I don't know if others have used a tablet extensively. I used a Compaq (now HP) TC1000 hybrid tablet for almost a year and for several months, it was my only computer.
General advantages:
1. Handwriting recognition IS decent: approximately 85% to 95% out of the box. You can't 'train it', but it is better than what I have on my Palm AND PocketPC. Also, unlike what 'law guy' wrote, I had no problem writing on the smooth surface. From what I understand, newer tablets are even better.
2. You can write in situations where it is inappropriate to type. If you have to partake in small meetings or if you're taking notes that tend to be highly graphical in nature, nothing beats handwritten or drawn notes.
3. Tend to be more portable than any laptop. The newest convertible tablets (Tecra M200, IBM X41 Tablet, Fujitsu T4010, TC4200) come in at about 4.5 lbs or less: they are at least as light if not lighter than the 12" PB. Slate only tablets (NEC, Motion) are usually under 3.5 lbs.
4. If you're not a very good typist or if you're a 'free form thinker', a tablet can be a god-send. There are Windows specific programs that take advantage of this: OneNote, Agilix GoBinder, Franklin Covey, and a host of scheduling, project coordinating and ART programs.
5. If you fly a lot in economy or are in situations where you have to take notes literally on your lap, a tablet is superior to a laptop in terms of form factor and ergonomics: trust me, I've used both.
6. There are some tasks that lend themselves to pen oriented input, as opposed to a mouse/keystroke input. There's a reason graphic designers like their Wacom tablets.
7. Sure, I could take notes on my PDA and I have, but I challenge anybody to do so for an hour or more and not wish they had a larger writing surface.
8. Contrary to what most people believe, you do NOT have to have everything you write transcribed: you can save your notes in your own handwriting as a digital 'picture', transcribe it later only if you want, and you can even send it 'as is' electronically to someone else. They only have to download a free viewer - sort of like Adobe Reader.
9. Even better, you can import a document somebody sends to you, you can mark it up as if you were correcting an actual sheet of print on paper, and then send the whole electronic image back to them. Using the same reader, they can view all your comments or changes. This saves printing and hauling around huge wads of paper all the time.
General Disadvantages:
1. If you can type faster than you can write, then getting a 'slate only' style can be inefficient. You'd probably want a convertible style that allows you switch from keyboard to pen: this switch only takes a few seconds - you don't have to reboot or anything.
2. Not the fastest out of hibernation or standby. Say you're in a meeting and you want to take notes and your computer is in standby: it could take 10, 20, maybe even 30 seconds before you're up and running. Windows is NOT as good as OS X for coming out of standby or hibernate. For me, this was a big pain and if you always need to catch every little word, nothing beats trusted technology - pen and paper!
3. Toting a tablet around can get heavy. However, this applies to any laptop. Don't buy a 5 to 6 pound tablet and expect it to get lighter with time. Go as light as you can or can afford.
4. Screens vary a bit: some are more clear than others. The best ones outshine anything on any Mac portable; the worst ones, eh... take a good look before you buy, or at least read some trustworthy reviews.
A lot of the complaints or disadvantages that the other posters have written were more true of the first generation tablets that appeared two years ago - I owned one of them. But even then, they weren't that bad: the new generation tablets have come a long way. Just like everybody advises NOT to buy the first generation PowerBooks whenever there is a major change, so it is with everything else.
IBM has just introduced one (X41 tablet) and I am seriously considering getting back into using a tablet that is a convertible, rather than a pure slate or hybrid-connect/disconnect-the-keyboard type. I've used an IBM ThinkPad and their keyboards are superior; PBs a close second. The TC1000 I had previously didn't quite do it for me, but it has been an absolute delight for my PhD student, who CANNOT touch type. She can't imagine going back to stricly using a keyboard: her productivity has increased tremendously.
I make no bones about it: tablets CAN be very useful if your situation demands it. This thread has been quite polite, but I've found a lot of other posters on Mac Rumors tend to bash tablets simply because it runs Windows and/or do not have any real experience with them.
If you want more information, check out:
http://www.tabletpcreviewspot.com/
http://www.tabletpcbuzz.com/
... and there's a bunch more. Good luck with your decision!
By the way, what mkrishnan wrote:
- >3.5 lbs
- 1024x768 or better, on a small screen (maybe 10.4", or 12 at the most)
- >8 hours battery life?
- Built-in Wifi and BT, and enough speed to be effective for surfing.
... does exist. But it'll cost you! Hey, nothing's perfect...
