wanna SXGA+ on a 12.1" tablet PC??

[Rose]

this week i was trying out the Toshiba Tecra M4, a 14.1" fully equiped Tablet PC with optical reader, S-video out, discrete graphics and all those standard features of a good desktop replacement laptop, inkluding a SXGA+ drive. the only downside is that it weights 2.9Kg.

But i didnt realise untill now that the toshiba Portege M200 12.1" tablet PC ALSO has an SXGA+ screen (still in 12.1 format!) and is ALSO equiped with discrete graphics. and weights 2.0 kg.

I dont know if this is old news but it really surprised me atlest. that has to be one nifty mashine if you ask me.

[brainpicker]

SXGA+ on a 12" screen? Ahhhhhhhhhh my eyes, my eyes . All kidding aside, I've owned Toshiba's laptops in the past (and still have some around in the "room from hell") and their horrible customer service is what brought me back to Thinkpads (IBM 1992-1995, Toshiba 1995-2001, IBM 2001-Present). I'm old enough now to realize that service is the number one reason to go with a laptop brand (or run away from one). When I called Toshiba about something like a defective keyboard and their "highly trained" representatives would tell me I had to completely reinstall Windows first before they could assist me... yep, I started to think it was time to go somewhere else. If all I did was look at features I wished I could have in a consumer laptop I could see reasons for buying lots of other brands, but until one of them supports me AFTER the sale like IBM does I won't buy them. Toshiba surely isn't one of the manufacturer's I'd consider. Look, Lenovo (or Len-Oh-No! as I used to call them) has lot's of problems that bother or have affected me directly like "vaporware" (or advertising models 4 months prior to their ability to deliver them to a non-employee or large business), UPS (who ships laptops to someone besides the buyer... in my case 7000 miles away), UPS (who can't get anything through customes despite their TV ads stating they are the best at this), and on my last 5 tries at direct ordering I've received a laptop with numerous defective pixels, but they retained IBM service so I'll work around the problems to get a Thinkpad I can live with rather than another brand. Toshiba would have to come out with the mother of all laptops (and at an unreal price) to get me to even try them right now. Pick up an X41 Tablet and use it, and then any other Tablet and you tell me truthfully what you think. I do this every time I see another brand and after trying quite a few (including a Portege') I'm still glad I bought the Thinkpad Tablet and probably will be for quite some time.

-Yak

[dr_st]

No.

[christopher_wolf]

Yup, what both of them ^ said

I think it would be a better idea to have a slightly larger tablet rather than a higher screen resolution on the same size tablet; sometihing like a 14.1" but no larger along with the X41 Tablet and an X60 Tablet. Most Tablets I have seen however, excluding the Tecra M4, are generally smaller, lighter, and do not mind giving up screen real estate for portability. S-Video and an Optical Drive are nice, but aren't really critical for the role of a Tablet on the go; most just hook up to a projector via VGA and work just fine. If a 14.1" Tablet is in the works, it will probably be made ligther, the hinge(s) will be re-enforced, and an OD Drive might be an option; it still might be a bit heavier for those who have carried around X41 Tablets.

I think that you should also be able to quickly point-and-click on Tablets; seeing a SXGA+ tablet with some websites and small fonts really negated this ability IMO; sometimes requiring two goes at it.

[Rose]

If i were to go and sit behind the school bench again, a tablet would really be of interest for me. But the whole point of the tablet would be to write notes, diagrams and other graphical illustrations in a fast and convenient way while having a lecture. Pointing and stuff can still be done with a traditional mouse.

Along that, if I where to have a tablet, its purpose would be to provide me with a complement to other notebook functions. The screen resolution is one of those functions I feel I cant compromise. XGA resolution isn’t doable for me, and I think this is the case for many others as well.

I agree with brainpicker that buying a notebook is not just about buying the physical product but also about service and support. It is really the main reason why I favour Thinkpads, but what comfort is that when your favourite brand doesn’t even have a product that meets your requirements in its fleet.

The M4 is in no way near the build and engineer class as any of the Thinkpads. Its somewhat bulky and not as thought out designed as you would wish for, among other things. But to my knowledge there is no other 14.1” SXGA+ with optical drive, or even any standard 12.1” SXGA+ notebook out there, and that certainly is somewhat unique. Maybe time for a T-series tablet?

[brainpicker]

Maybe time for a T-series tablet?

There you go! Now a 14" SXGA+ with optical makes sense as a tablet.

-Yak

[christopher_wolf]

Maybe time for a T-series tablet?

There you go! Now a 14" SXGA+ with optical makes sense as a tablet.

-Yak

Wasn't that what I said in my post too?