Tablet proves hard to swallow

Technofile: It seemed like a good idea at the time. Sales of laptops have soared in recent years so why not bring out one with no keyboard and a touch-sensitive screen? The Tablet PC was born.

So do Tablets have a future? The theory goes that they will become more useful as software utilising digital ink technology becomes available.

This term refers to programs that use the Stylus pen to interact with computers, to write, draw diagrams and use the Stylus as a pointer for presentations.

One example is the OneNote software, which makes it easier to store, organise and look up notes.

Handwriting recognition is a must, especially for notes taken during meetings. The Tablet PC edition of Windows XP 2005 also features "link-to-text recognition", which allows you to personalise your e-mail and instant messaging with handwritten "ink".

Tablets are aimed at niches like the education market and in a move to support their growth, Microsoft recently announced the education pack for Windows XP Tablet PC edition, a free download to help students learn and share work with classmates.

It includes a personal planner and a revision tool as well as a feature for Microsoft Office OneNote 2003, enabling students to compile their notes, pictures and diagrams in one place.

Of the latest models in the genre, the Toshiba Protege M200, Compaq TC1100 and Motion 1400 are reasonably performing machines, but their usage is important.

Motion's M1400 Tablet PC has all mod cons, including Bluetooth, a 12.1 inch XGA TFT display, an integrated fingerprint reader for extra security, a voice recorder and Centrino wireless internet access. It also has a 256MB Ram (upgradeable to 2GB) and a 20GB hard disk (upgradeable to 60GB).

Costing around €1,570, Tablets aren't cheap, but the question is, do they have a future?

They may do if you are constantly on the go, but where does a tablet PC end and a handheld PDA begin? Palm recently brought out the 4GB hard drive PDA called the LifeDrive, and PC maker OQO has a tiny model, "01", a fully functional Windows XP personal computer with a 1GHz processor, a 20GB hard drive and 256MB of Ram, in the size of an outsized iPod.

Tablet PCs have another problem. A bug found in the Tablet PC version of Windows eats up all the memory in your computer until it crashes.

Microsoft has said it will post a fix for the bug but to date there is no timeframe for this. It suggests that the use of the Tablet PC is so niche (education, medical, warehouse stock control) that it is not a priority for the firm. In the meantime, think carefully about whether you need a Tablet PC over a laptop. At least consider models like the Motion, which have a detachable, portable keyboard.