X41T goes bye-bye

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#1 Post by **aamsel** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 8:38 pm

I am sending my X41T back to Lenovo tomorrow.

I have made the following determination about pen-computing for me at this time:

Without handwriting recognition involved, just storing it as graphics, there is nothing I can do with handwriting that I can't type faster and less awkwardly.

I am not in meetings needing to compute discretely.

With recognition, my handwriting is somewhat irregular, and I use weird upper-lower case combinations and a lot of caps, and recognition is a B to B+ at best, which doesn't cut it.

I don't draw at all, none, zero. Can't even draw a stick figure well.

I might have waited around for a pen-based application to come along that I couldn't live without, but...

The deciding factor was the slow hard drive.

After using WD Raptors and SCSI in desktops, and 7200rpm drives in notebooks, a 1.8" 4200rpm iPod hard drive just doesn't cut it for me. Even with the memory maxed at 1.5GB, the drive is just too darned slow.

Andrew
Austin, TX

DavidNZ · #2 Post by **DavidNZ** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 10:17 pm

Interesting. Personally, i've never really understood the allure of the TabletPC, despite listening to podcasts such as the TabletPC show and reading online how people use them. I teach at a University, and most students these days type far faster than they can write. I can see them being useful in boardrooms, but i've often taken my X40 into meetings and haven't had a problem typing and keeping up.

#3 Post by **aamsel** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 10:23 pm

Well, they certainly haven't become mainstream at this point, although that is somewhat due to price point.

The X41T does have a very nice screen, but overall I just don't need it.

I would use it for a little bit as a tablet, then I would be relieved when I switched it back to notebook mode, so that in itself told me something!

Also, in tablet mode I was always looking down on it in my lap or on a desk which was killing my neck!

Ah well, back to conventional laptops!

Andrew
Austin, TX

tanstaafl · #4 Post by **tanstaafl** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 10:56 pm

I would buy an X41T but since I already have two tablet PCs I can't justify the expense.

I teach economics at a university and I can't begin to tell you how useful a Tablet PC is for me. I connect the Tablet to the classroom projector and use OneNote to type, write, and draw my lecture notes in place of a chalkboard. I can type definitions and such so my students don't have to read too much of my poor handwriting. I can draw the many graphs and tables inherent to an economics class. After class I convert the OneNote file to .pdf and upload it to the class website.

Regular laptops are not good for note-taking in an economics class, since there are so many graphs and tables that need to be drawn.

My dream machine would be a tablet in the T-series form factor that I could use as my sole computer. As it is, my Tablets (HP TC1000 and Viewsonic V1100) make bad main computers due to poor screens, sluggish performance, and lousy keyboards.

#5 Post by **aamsel** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 11:18 pm

Sounds like you have very good uses for them.
I wish that I did, but I am quite certain that I don't.

Don't get me wrong...this was not meant as a "Tablet PC's are worthless" thread! I am simply saying that they don't currently work for me, as I don't have adequate need or adequate uses for them.

I had thought for some time that I would like a PDA, but found them far too small for my vision. I thought the TPC would be a "big PDA" for me, but it just wasn't a good fit.

Again, I don't draw or sketch ANYTHING, don't do graphs, don't keep a detailed calendar, and my handwriting is slow and not great. It just didn't work for me.

Andrew
Austin, TX

tanstaafl wrote:I would buy an X41T but since I already have two tablet PCs I can't justify the expense.

I teach economics at a university and I can't begin to tell you how useful a Tablet PC is for me. I connect the Tablet to the classroom projector and use OneNote to type, write, and draw my lecture notes in place of a chalkboard. I can type definitions and such so my students don't have to read too much of my poor handwriting. I can draw the many graphs and tables inherent to an economics class. After class I convert the OneNote file to .pdf and upload it to the class website.

Regular laptops are not good for note-taking in an economics class, since there are so many graphs and tables that need to be drawn.

My dream machine would be a tablet in the T-series form factor that I could use as my sole computer. As it is, my Tablets (HP TC1000 and Viewsonic V1100) make bad main computers due to poor screens, sluggish performance, and lousy keyboards.

fongj · #6 Post by **fongj** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 4:41 am

No drawing needed for taking notes in any humanities class, but I can see how perfect a Tablet will be for math, science, and engineering classes, whereas typing would fail horribly. Hopefully I'll have an X41T next semester.

Yotam · #7 Post by **Yotam** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 7:20 am

I begin studying computer science in a month, and the tablet seems to be perfect for me. I asked the CS dean about using laptop in class and he said "it's not needed, the lecturers upload all their presentations to the school website and you just have to print the PDF before class, bring it with you and draw some comments for yourself". At that moment I thought - I need to buy one of these: Economical laser printer, or tablet pc. I went on the latter one, hope it will be usable for me.
Currently I started math classes and I don't use it, mainly because no one else use any laptop there, and I don't want to be "different". Also, I still prefer papers and pencil for math only stuff.

But if you have nothing to do with the tablet, and you need more powered machine - I understand you.

#8 Post by **aamsel** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 8:44 am

I sure am sorry I started this thread.

Once again, I was not looking for any pro vs. cons on tablets.

Simply saying why it didn't work for me.

I am glad that it will work for many of you!!

Andrew
Austin, TX

K0LO · #9 Post by **K0LO** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 11:53 am

I sure am sorry I started this thread.

Once again, I was not looking for any pro vs. cons on tablets.

Simply saying why it didn't work for me.

I am glad that it will work for many of you!!

Andrew
Austin, TX

Andrew:

No, don't be sorry; this is a good thread! I agree with your comment about hard disk performance. When you have a lot of memory in the machine and do something that does not require hard disk access, the X41T is really snappy and responsive. However, when you need to go to disk it really does feel slow.

Personally, I am willing to accept this compromise. I am using the Tablet PC to teach Electrical Engineering, and it's really nice to be able to sketch and write all over the display.

Our classrooms have blackboards and video projectors, but in most of them the screen covers the blackboard, so you have to choose one or the other. I need to do both.

With the tablet's video projected on-screen, I can do both. My students tell me that they prefer the video; it's easier to see than the blackboard. Plus, I can save all of the notes developed in class and post them later.

If anyone else is doing this, look into getting a D-Link or Linksys (or your favorite brand) of wireless presentation adapter. I'm using the Linksys WPG54G. You connect a video cable between the adapter and the video input to your projector, then using the Tablet PC, make a wireless connection to the adapter. A provided software app then transmits the video from the tablet PC to the adapter at the full 1024 x 768 resolution.

You can then walk around completely untethered, drawing on your tablet with a clear image shown on the projector screen. It's a really neat way to teach.

Mark

#10 Post by **BillMorrow** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 2:11 pm

ok, time for me to weigh in on this subject..

i have the top X41 tablet..
HDD is !$#*(&&*^~! SLOW..!! i agree..
a bit of defrag helps, though..

and ibm (lenovo did not design this one) HAD to use that lousey intel graphics chip and wifi card ALL just to get the "centrino" label (i guess)...

unleash ibm in design/engineering/innovation and it was hard to meet them let alone BEAT them..
some h/p and most all other brands are testimony to this fact..

in SPITE of its slow response, after using the X41 tablet, i just love it..
beautiful display..! flexview..!! (IPS)..
small though not as small as the X40 series..

it will same many many users huge amounts of time..
and as for handwriting recognition, i'm sure that there are apps that can easily do that..

on the transnote (i must dust off my transnote and play with it and refresh my memory, a bit) there was a way to do JUST that..

i have been thinking to do a review of the tablet but to do a good job i would need to buy some of the competing brands for comparison..
and right now i do not have a surplus of cash for such things..

also, this is a GOOD thread..

#11 Post by **aamsel** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 2:28 pm

Well, they couldn't get the Centrino label on mine, because mine was the bundled 18666TU with Antheros-based 802.11 a/b/g, not Intel.

Anyhow, FEDEX has just hauled it away.

Andrew
Austin, TX

BillMorrow wrote:...and ibm (lenovo did not design this one) HAD to use that lousey intel graphics chip and wifi card ALL just to get the "centrino" label (i guess)...

Kenn · #12 Post by **Kenn** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 4:52 pm

I used to draw quite a bit, and the idea of an X41T with Alias Sketchbook (described as the leading killer app for tablets) is really tempting! But if I were to switch from my T-series today, I'd have to say it would be for the tiny non-tablet version of the X.

Get them to cram an SXGA+ screen on it like the Portege, and I'll be all over it!

#13 Post by **aamsel** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 5:02 pm

Put an SXGA+ screen on a 12" notebook or tablet, and I would be blind within a month!

Andrew
Austin, TX

Kenn wrote:...Get them to cram an SXGA+ screen on it like the Portege, and I'll be all over it!

Orbitz · #14 Post by **Orbitz** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 8:30 pm

SXGA+ on the X41 would be godly

Just thinking about gives me goose bumps.

#15 Post by **aamsel** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 8:45 pm

Godly or Ungodly ??? <grin>

Andrew
Austin, TX

Orbitz wrote:SXGA+ on the X41 would be godly Just thinking about gives me goose bumps.

Orbitz · #16 Post by **Orbitz** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 9:14 pm

Hehe...that is deep...now I am not sure

beq · #17 Post by **beq** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 10:54 pm

Orbitz wrote:Hehe...that is deep...now I am not sure

Hehe that's funny

Anyways, I'm also really liking my X41 Tablet, but I admit I'm also still in my infatuation phase. In the past I'd been able to use my X40 notebook to take notes of meetings and lectures just fine, supplemented by paper notetaking for graphs, equations, etc. But now I can imagine that the tablet functionality would've come in handy...

I also have an executive colleague who's using a small USB digitizer tablet with his X40 in order to write Chinese characters in emails and documents (it came with some PenPower Chinese handwriting recognition program). I had him try my X41T to write directly on the screen, and needless to say he was drooling

I also showed the bundled Ink Art (part of free MS Experience Pack) and Alias Sketchbook to my artistic gf, and she loves it. She's been wanting to get a large Wacom digitizer tablet for her desktop PC to do the same stuff...

And, everyone had enjoyed testing the Handwriting Analysis Tool (part of free MS Powertoys for Tablet PC), hehe.

#18 Post by **aamsel** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 8:16 am

Well, it appears that EVERYBODY except me loves these things!!!

Andrew
Austin, TX

Greg Gebhardt · #19 Post by **Greg Gebhardt** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 6:05 am

aamsel wrote:Well, it appears that EVERYBODY except me loves these things!!!

Andrew
Austin, TX

I gues much depends on what you use it for. I moved from a T43p to the X41 tablet and love what it does for me. My T43p, due to it's form factor was only used on the weekends to sit in the easy chair and doe the Internet. My x41 tablet has become a valuble partner in my daily work in the field.

The tablet format allows me to directly enter data in Excel spread sheets and do my bids in "real time". I used to have to record info on a digital recorder and spend hours playing it back and getting this info into the spreadsheet.

Now after doing a little more work on the spread sheet I use to estimates, I need only touch a cell with the pen and it lists what needs to be done and adds it to the total for the bid price.

This is a savings of 1-3 hours a day for me. The X41 tablet is just what I needed and I can't believe what it does for me.

PRGeno · #20 Post by **PRGeno** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:13 am

aamsel wrote:Well, it appears that EVERYBODY except me loves these things!!!

Andrew
Austin, TX

No, you aren't alone. I passed mine onto a coworker after I simply couldn't get over the horribly sluggish performance.

I use an HP TC1100 for my occasional tablet use, and my A31p for real work.

The X41T looked like it might be a good compromise, but it just didn't cut it for me either.

WilsonF · #21 Post by **WilsonF** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:18 am

After typing on ThinPads since 1983, my handwriting is so illegible that if I don't transcribe it within a day, I cannot read it myself. Plus, it's much slower than typing (or keyboarding as it's now called). A tablet would be useful for taking notes when I don't want the screen between me and the person to whom I'm talking, or in court, but my degraded handwriting destroys even this advantage. So for now it's my T43 and a yellow pad.

bhtooefr · #22 Post by **bhtooefr** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 12:35 pm

WilsonF wrote:After typing on ThinPads since 1983

I call BS, seeing as the first ThinkPad was released in 1992...

I'm assuming you mean computers, right?

Not to derail the thread, but I'll say this. I've been typing and messing with my PDA almost exclusively for a couple of months, and when I write, I catch myself doing Graffiti strokes...

beq · #23 Post by **beq** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 12:50 pm

I spot yet another PalmOS refuge looking to be converted...

What with Treos switching to Windows Mobile, and PalmOS sold to Linux-centric ACCESS of Japan...

Been using Pocket PCs ever since the very first Compaq iPAQ (from the first production batch). Currently using two i-mate PDA2k's and a 128MB upgraded i-mate JAM. It's sad they're now obsolete thanks to arrival of HTC Universal/Wizard...

bhtooefr · #24 Post by **bhtooefr** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 8:37 pm

Well, I've got a Clie PEG-SJ22. Palm OS 4.1, in all it's Dragonball glory...

However, WinMobile might just be the way I go, seeing as Opera runs on it without needing a JVM, and Sprint (my cell carrier) only sells Treos and WinMobile phones...

#25 Post by **aamsel** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:05 pm

Thank god I am not the ONLY one that didn't like it.
(Although, as I said, I absolutely loved the screen, it is primarily the super-slow hard drive that killed it for me).

Andrew
Austin, TX

PRGeno wrote:
aamsel wrote:Well, it appears that EVERYBODY except me loves these things!!!

Andrew
Austin, TX
No, you aren't alone. I passed mine onto a coworker after I simply couldn't get over the horribly sluggish performance.

I use an HP TC1100 for my occasional tablet use, and my A31p for real work.

The X41T looked like it might be a good compromise, but it just didn't cut it for me either.

beq · #26 Post by **beq** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:23 pm

Hey, I'm at home sitting by my desk with its 24" widescreen TFT monitor, but I'm using my X41T instead (to handwrite/type this as I speak).

I'm in love... Sometimes I get so overcome with emotion, I want to kiss my X41T to show my affection for it. Anyone ever feel like that?

pphilipko · #27 Post by **pphilipko** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 12:06 am

beq wrote:Hey, I'm at home sitting by my desk with its 24" widescreen TFT monitor, but I'm using my X41T instead (to handwrite/type this as I speak).

I'm in love... Sometimes I get so overcome with emotion, I want to kiss my X41T to show my affection for it. Anyone ever feel like that?

You need to get yourself a girl..

beq · #28 Post by **beq** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 12:53 am

Heh heh... heh heh... just kidding... maybe

(i have one btw)

Yotam · #29 Post by **Yotam** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 3:46 pm

BillMorrow wrote:and ibm (lenovo did not design this one) HAD to use that lousey intel graphics chip and wifi card ALL just to get the "centrino" label (i guess)...

I know it's an offtopic but what does it mean that I don't have this centrino label on my 18666TU? do I have a different processor than computers with intel wireless (like 18666SU), another chipset, or just another modem? (I have "Pentium M" label and it is also shown on BIOS startup screen).
Thanks for information.

pphilipko · #30 Post by **pphilipko** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 5:20 pm

Yotam wrote:
BillMorrow wrote:and ibm (lenovo did not design this one) HAD to use that lousey intel graphics chip and wifi card ALL just to get the "centrino" label (i guess)...
I know it's an offtopic but what does it mean that I don't have this centrino label on my 18666TU? do I have a different processor than computers with intel wireless (like 18666SU), another chipset, or just another modem? (I have "Pentium M" label and it is also shown on BIOS startup screen).
Thanks for information.

It means that you don't have the Intel wireless card. That's all. It's that simple.

X41T goes bye-bye

X41T goes bye-bye

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