Re: [NTLK] A thank you and newcomer report

From: Dylan Stewart (rxs015500_at_utdallas.edu)
Date: Tue May 13 2003 - 20:32:40 PDT


Actually, the new Tablet PCs have pretty good HWR. It's adaptive and it
learns pretty well. However, to put this in perspective, remember that
Apple was doing that years ago with about one tenth the processing power.

I have actually found Tablet PCs to be a pretty cool idea. However, the
price far outweighs the cool factor and the utility. The only real reason
that I would get one is either as a laptop replacement (in that case, a
laptop is much cheaper), or to use it for digital art. I already have a
Wacom for my desktop, but it's kind of hard to draw on one surface while
looking at another. Once the technology matures and they begin to be
competitively priced with comparable laptops, then I might consider actually
getting one. Who knows, I might use it as much as I use my Newton!

Another big problem with Tablet PCs is that they run a UI that was designed
for desktop use. Windows xp's Luna interface is NOT a pen-based UI. Far
from it. Using a Tablet PC is almost as awkward as using the earlier
Windows CE devices. They both try far too hard to be portable desktop
computers. Only by ridding yourself of the inapplicable metaphors can you
get a good UI. Microsoft doesn't seem to grasp that.

 Dylan Stewart AC5ZH

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