[DNel]

I have been looking into convertible tablet/slate PC's as my next computer purchase. I have eliminated the slate for lack of a keyboard with no real weight savings. I have recently purchased(?) the Sony eReader with Sony points. I have found that one of the better sources for tablet PC info is from Gottabemobile.com

Originally Posted by NatCh

Motion Computing offers a switchable model too, I'm very interested to see others doing the same, I thought they were the only ones.

There is also Tabletkiosk's i440D that swithes between touch and active digitizer with a button click.

As for any purchase that is that major, I would highly recommend getting a first-hand look at the device before you buy, to make sure it will work for you... catalogs and websites can't tell you what it's like in your hand.

I whole heartedly agree. I think it was mentioned earlier that you can get a 48 hour test demo of select tablet PC's from allegiance Technology Partners (www.alltp.com)

The main drawbacks to the tablet are portability, weight and battery life (3-4 hours w/o WiFi).

There are a number of tablets (convertibles) that have come down in weight to around 3-3.5 lbs. and have battery lives around 7-9 hours (Fujitsu t2010 and HP 2710p) Slates tend to weigh a little less but don't have a keyboard. The Fujitsu has hardware buttons an the bezel(?) that will allow for page turns so you don't need to use the pen. To be honest, touch screens don't interest me as I'm comfortable using a pen and if there are hardware buttons for minor tasks all the better. Using my desktop to read eBooks just doesn't cut it and the Sony eReader does what I expect from it wonderfully. A tablet I believe will combine the best of both with the biggest plus being able to read many different formats.