thinking of a new mobile solution, which may result in selling my Jornada 720

currently, i use an IBM Thinkpad T40, the jornada 720, and a Nokia 6820 (the one with the foldable keyboard). i was also planning to buy a tablet pc (for drawing and other things), but now i'm thinking of selling all of this, including my older Nokia 6800, and buying a IBM Lenovo X41 convertible Tablet PC and a Treo 650.

i found myself using the touch-typeable keyboard of the jornada only at school when i'm taking notes at lectures. it allowed me to leave my 4lbs laptop at home. but now with the extremely small Lenovo X41 tablet pc i'll have a better notes-taking device in a very compact package that is also very portable.

the treo 650 with its palm os and thumb-board will replace the other jobs of my jornada and my Nokia messaging phone.

i will be carrying less devices. they will all be supported. the treo should support audible.com. it also has a decent camera (i saw samples), and it can use a 2gb SD card, which can be inserted in lenovo x41 built in SD slot. i will not have to purchase a separate tablet pc.

i will make-up for the small screen (10") on the x41 by buying an external screen, a mouse and a keyboard. this will also help my back and sitting posture when using the laptop for extended periods of time. it's unhealthy to be hunched over a laptop for extended periods, right?

it will be an extremely expensive switch. With the accessories and everything it will cost me 1500+ USD in addition to everything i'm going to sell.

however, this mobile solution seems very convenient and plausible to me.... am i missing something?

why not have a look at the toshiba libretto?

http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cfam.to?seg=SMB&coid=-29330&sel=0&rcid=-26367&ccid=1291021

it has a smaller screen, but higher resolution. sizewise it seems to be the same size as a NEC MP900, and runs windowsXP.
it's slightly cheaper as well. also there are convertable tablets as well.

Just a point of intrest I guess.

oh yeah cute idea.. i've always liked toshiba librettos
it could replace my desktop (with an external monitor i guess) & laptop & hpc, but for the latter.... it isn't perfect for using it as a hpc and then i haven't talked about price either... (and it's missing the tablet mode, best is a convertible tablet!)

Edited by cmonex 2005-06-14 8:37 AM

if you feel it's a good solution, go for it! don't hesitate, i don't see anything you're missing. in my case it wouldn't be a solution but that doesn't mean anything, i probably use my hpc in a different way than you.

Or the numerous convertible tabletPCs on the bay. They are going mostly between $400~$700, depending on condition and make.

msafi, you (Insert-GeekDom-Title-Here!)

thank you all for the replies. there is an information error in my first post, the x41 has a 12" screen and not 10".

@PocketDVD
if i buy the toshiba libretto i would still have to buy a tablet pc. to me, the x41 convertible tablet pc seems more practical while the libretto is more like a toy.

@cmonex
so far, there are no Windows 9x, NT, or XP computers that can replace the HPC as a PDA. but in my case i will be using the treo for the pda functions and i will have a portable full size convertible tablet pc for other things.
i don't have a desktop. the power of a laptop is good enough for me.

@Snappy!
there are no good convertibles on ebay. the cheap ones are beat up. i bought a very thin (1") slate tablet pc from NEC for $800, but it had a screen defect and i had no time to replace it or fix it, so i just sent it back for a refund.

and compared to some other people, i really am nothing close to a geek. i'm just a person who likes computers and tries to find ways to utilize them.

here's a link to the beautiful x41: http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/thinkpad/xseries/tablet/index.html

The X41 is not "extremely small" by any measure. Most convertible Tablet PCs are a bit larger and heavier than an equivalent laptop, not to mention more expensive. Yet, most owners end up using them as laptops all the time.

I know the feeling of wanting new toys. But think about it, do you really want a Tablet PC?

Edited by takwu 2005-06-15 7:54 AM

It sure looks nice though.
(I use an IBM T20 for development) and is even has the trackpoint, something that only IBM still offers.
However, IBM is always the most expensive when comparing similair hardware. The durability and the beauty does show off though.

But wht a tablet PC.
If you need to draw, ok, I can understand that, but wouldnt it be way easier just to use a notebook(paper one) and scan it in later? scribbling that way works way faster. There are also programs for PocketPC's that allows you to use that as a mouse, making it into a drawing tablet.

My reasons are that the pricing of Tablet PC's are still outrageous.

@takwu
you're right, but it depends on how you look at it. i consider the X41 to be "extremely small" for what it offers. my current laptop and only computer is, as i mentioned, an IBM T40 which has a 1.5Ghz Centrino and 40HD and 2GB of memory (max) in a 4.5lbs. the X41 offers equivalant and better features in 3.2lbs (except the memory, it only supports up to 1.5GB). And it also gives you the Tablet function. So for what it offers, it's really the smallest and lightest in its class. as for the money, i think it would be at most just as expensive as buying separate laptop and tablet pc.

yes, the tablet is much more expensive. i will have to think it through before i go ahead and make the purchase. but i really think that i will be using the tablet function enough. as i mentioned earlier, i have purchased a tablet pc before and i liked it very much. at any rate, i'm not making the switch before i go back to the states, which is not before 16 days have passed. if this is just an itch for new toys it should go away by then.

@PocketDVD
I AGREE.

from my point of view, there are lots of advantages of using a tablet pc for drawing over regular paper and pencil. one personal thing i have is that i like to use a tablet because on it my hand would feel free and not scared of making mistakes or having to erase or dispose of the paper all together. i also like using "layers" in digital drawing. it's very convenient. these are just few advantages of using the tablet over regular paper and pencil.

i've used a normal drawing tablet before that is similar to the WACOM and it didn't work well for me, so i don't think the PocketPC as a drawing tablet would work for me.


i have to admit that the jornada is the only PDA that i have kept for so long. nothing has worked for me as well as the jornada. i used it pretty heavily, but now i'm really thinking that i could substitute it along with my current laptop and cellphone for a better solution, albeit an expensive one.

Have you checked out the Sharp PV6000?
http://www.pdasupport.com/SharpTriPad.htm
The link does not give it justice. It will convert to a tablet and to a basic HPC. They are going for a fair price on Ebay now.
http://search.ebay.com/Sharp-PV-6000_W0QQsojsZ1QQfromZR40

Edited by Yoldering 2005-06-16 2:28 AM

If you're really into grahpics, don't waste time with a webpad device, get a proper graphics tablet and plug it into something with some teeth
http://www.wacom-europe.com/int/products/graphire/index.asp?lang=en

These are pressure sensative for shading and contours, and they feel like you're making contact with a surface - rather than writing on glass. You can lean on it too.

Of course if it's mobility you need for graphics you want something at least SVGA and quite some pep.

On the other hand, Vadem CLIO 1050 (with faster proc, 16-bit color etc) is on eBay recently. A whole bunch of them just came and went recently on eBay.

EDIT:

CLIO 1050 on zBay

SimPad SL4 on zBay

Edited by Snappy! 2005-06-16 9:50 AM

@Yoldering
the problem with that machine is that it uses a touch-screen and not an active digitizer, so it's not pressure sensative and you cannot rest your hand on the screen while writing or drawing. otherwise, it's really a nice machine.

@C:Amie
i own a drawing tablet similar to the WACOM but i couldn't get used to it. i can't have my hand drawing on the tablet and my eyes on the screen. it's really difficult, to me at least. however, i have considered the WACOM Cintiq, which is an LCD tablet, but that one is really expensive. it's like $3k or something. there is a cheaper model from a different company, but it isn't as nice and it's really heavy (11lbs).
WACOM LCD drawing tablet here: http://www.wacom.com/lcdtablets/index.cfm really nice.

@Snappy!
my problem with the CLIO i just explained to Yoldering. if i really wanted to buy one of those i'd buy the newer CLIO NXT.

Here are some of its specs from pdastreet.com: "features include built-in 802.11 wireless, a larger screen than previous Clios, a 400MHz Intel XScale processor, USB connectivity, multiple memory slots, an MP3 player and audio in/out ports. The Clio NXT will run on Microsoft's Windows CE .NET 4.2 Professional operating system."

thank you guys for the suggestions. i'll really have to consider different options before i make the purchase.

OK, so long as you've considered it - just wanted to suggest it. Nice LCD device... I wonder....

With all Snappy!'s talk of new filters for LCD's, I wonder if there is some sort of tactile membrane you can place onto the LCD of a Tablet PC to provide a better level of feedback through the stylus. You'll not get the pressure sensitivity but if such a product exists, may be it will help with the 'writing on glass' sensation.