The drill goes like this. Someone is looking for a new computer that is strong, portable, and new. They need it for all the mundane tasks and they want it to last a while. Laptop. That’s basically where people get in their thinking when they say these things to me. Now that I have been familiar with a Gateway Tablet PC for almost four months now, I suggest you enjoy having a Tablet PC as well. They cringe with an unspeakable expression on their faces and I am constantly bewildered.
Frankly, I thought these things were the cat’s meow and they still do. I thought my thanks would be instantly seen by others as ‘all clear’ in somewhat new technology. I figured I’d be able to sell some and stocked up. I can’t be clear enough how wrong I was and I can’t for the life of me figure out why!
I’ve spent ten years using computers almost daily and Tablet PCs seem to answer every wish a common computer user has. There are multiple ways to interact with it, the operating system (XP in my case) is exactly the same as XP on a desktop, apps for a stylus have come on in leaps and bounds, RAM starts out in outrageously large amounts and can fold the thing in half to make the little device even smaller!
So this is for you, the laptop craving, the dreaded Tablet PC consumer thinking about buying the next rugged, new laptop. You may have wished you could speak commands to your computer to start programs, write a document, or browse the web; Tablets do that. You may have been afraid that learning something new after learning Windows XP will tax your mind too much and kill any fun or productivity you once enjoyed; Tablets use the same stuff, so there’s no learning curve!
Between spreadsheets and checking your emails, you may have wanted to draw something or try painting a rose for a quick anniversary card that you almost forgot about; Tablets can do that with exceptionally painterly ‘pen’-based apps (called a stylus) that can detect how light or hard you press, making artistic endeavors fun and responsive. Also, you may have finally heard that more RAM means a faster computer; Tablets typically start with a full gigabyte of RAM, which eliminates the upgrade cost that comes with standard laptops that ship with minimums starting at a quarter of the amount of RAM.
All the interactivity, voice commands, stylus sensitivity and familiarity with XP and improved RAM packs add up to match DVD players, journal writers, email checkers, web surfers or anything else you keep in mind for this strong, portable, new machine you imagine. Since I started using my tablet, it’s now the only computer I have to use for quick notes (handwriting recognition is pretty good), DVD viewing (battery life is great, means two movies with one single charge) and occasional surfing (running has 802.11 b/g wireless built-in). So, with such testimony, why are you so afraid of tablets?
Thanks to the inexplicable and universal fear that prevails among my clients and potential clients, I have had to start using or give away every last Tablet PC I had. So you have nothing to fear from me; I couldn’t sell you a tablet even if I wanted to! In fact, I must be so bad at selling these excellent little foldable workhorses that maybe not even this article can convince you to consider spending your money as wisely as possible when you get that new, beefy, portable computer. .
So while you’re unplugged from your expensive Vista OS, which only folds in half and doesn’t rotate, underpowered and remarkably heavy, I’ll continue to watch DVD after DVD on airplanes, turning my screen from side to side, painting small masterpieces between taking notes and issuing commands to my subordinate, light and overloaded Tablet PC, all the while wondering what you’re so afraid of…