Tablet PC

Tablet PCs resemble laptop PCs and have a LCD screen that allows you to write on it using a special tablet pen or stylus. Tablet PCs differ from laptop PCs primarily because they can rely almost completely on input from the stylus using hand-writing recognition, and this gives the effect of writing on paper. Most tablet PCs come with Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or Vista installed as the operating system. These are modified versions of Windows which contain a few extras specifically for tablet PCs.

Tablet PC Types

Tablet PCs come in two basic designs: convertibles and slates. Convertibles are similar to traditional laptop computers except for the screen which can open to resemble a monitor, swivel 180 degrees and fold back onto the keyboard. Slates do not have integrated keyboards and therefore rely more heavily on entering data through the stylus. Docking stations and keyboards are available for slates, but may need to be purchased separately.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Price and Technical Specifications

Tablet PC prices are relatively higher when compared to laptop PCs with similar technical specifications. Currently, tablet PCs can cost up to $500 more than comparable laptops.

NUIT's laptop purchasing guidelines regarding memory and disk space should be considered when purchasing a tablet PC.