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|2eason · 08-03-2007, 07:47 PM

The latest model from fujitsu is the ST5112. It's a dual cored beast. There's a great review on youtube here. If you're going to be using a tablet for reading, I'd recommend going for the latest like the IBM X61 convertible and ST5112 slate. They have a better quality of screen than previous models. You can still pick up a factory refurb quite cheap on Ebay if you live US (<$1000).

Buying the latest tablet will also allow you to run vista in all it's glory (ie with aero). That might not seem important, but bare in mind that Vista has significantly better support for tablets than XP tablet edition. The handwriting recognition is more adaptive, the on screen keyboard is more refined/integrated and the speech recognition is better afaik. You may be able to run vista on the old tablets, but you'll likely be stuck in 'basic' mode, which really does suck.

I personally wouldn't recommend a tablet for plain reading purposes tho. It's heavy, the battery life isn't great and even the latest screens have glare (more so that a desktop TFT because of the extra screen protection and the digitizer). I personally find them difficult to read from or concentrate on for long periods, so I have to take breaks at regular intervals to give my eyes a rest. The noise from the fan irritates me too at times, although this might be specific to my slate (known in the US a an Electrovaya sc3100)

I'm waiting for a large format eInk reader, but until then a tablet really is the only thing to do most of my books justice (well, an Iliad might at a pinch, but it's too expensive). Even when I have an A4 Eink reader, I'll still keep the tablet. I just don't think I could live without OneNote and Photoshop.

08-03-2007, 07:47 PM	#19
\|2eason Connoisseur Posts: 61 Karma: 56 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Tatung Tablet	The latest model from fujitsu is the ST5112. It's a dual cored beast. There's a great review on youtube here. If you're going to be using a tablet for reading, I'd recommend going for the latest like the IBM X61 convertible and ST5112 slate. They have a better quality of screen than previous models. You can still pick up a factory refurb quite cheap on Ebay if you live US (<$1000). Buying the latest tablet will also allow you to run vista in all it's glory (ie with aero). That might not seem important, but bare in mind that Vista has significantly better support for tablets than XP tablet edition. The handwriting recognition is more adaptive, the on screen keyboard is more refined/integrated and the speech recognition is better afaik. You may be able to run vista on the old tablets, but you'll likely be stuck in 'basic' mode, which really does suck. I personally wouldn't recommend a tablet for plain reading purposes tho. It's heavy, the battery life isn't great and even the latest screens have glare (more so that a desktop TFT because of the extra screen protection and the digitizer). I personally find them difficult to read from or concentrate on for long periods, so I have to take breaks at regular intervals to give my eyes a rest. The noise from the fan irritates me too at times, although this might be specific to my slate (known in the US a an Electrovaya sc3100) I'm waiting for a large format eInk reader, but until then a tablet really is the only thing to do most of my books justice (well, an Iliad might at a pinch, but it's too expensive). Even when I have an A4 Eink reader, I'll still keep the tablet. I just don't think I could live without OneNote and Photoshop.