Ultra portable tablet PC

[stevo1210]

I'm looking for one of these devices since I do ALOT of field work these days. It's very difficult to stand there with a laptop wide open in one arm and then typing on it at the same time while standing over the edge of a creek etc. for site management related stuff.
Anyway, I'm looking for a tablet type of PC, like small tablet type of PC... that IS NOT an iPad or iPed or anything that runs a "mobile" OS. I want a native x86 based PC type of thing that looks and feels like a tablet. So some research reveals the Samsung Q1 or the Asus R2H. Both have a Celeron 900MHz processor which I am hoping is enough to redraw sketches on the go.

Qhat do you guys think of these choices? Willing to put about $200 and hoping my employer gives me half of it back by the least

[shovenose]

Re: Ultra portable tablet PC

Asus Transformer?

[ratdude747]

Re: Ultra portable tablet PC

asus transformer?

qft.

[stevo1210]

Re: Ultra portable tablet PC

Already looked into the Asus transformer. No-go thanks to Android. I need X86 based and Windows for the proprietary plan sketching application.

[shovenose]

Re: Ultra portable tablet PC

OOps, sorry, I didn't notice that.

My friend has one of these, and likes it a lot:
http://www.dell.com/content/topics/t...ding?c=us&l=en

[Morsetlis]

Re: Ultra portable tablet PC

I wouldn't consider tech from 2007 when it's about to be 2012.

Consider the Samsung Series 7 Slate with an i5 processor. http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/16/s...ate-pc-review/

[thesloc]

Re: Ultra portable tablet PC

IBM ThinkPad X41.

Fits well with your budget and it's very lightweight and professional.

[stevo1210]

Re: Ultra portable tablet PC

IBM ThinkPad X41.

Fits well with your budget and it's very lightweight and professional.

Thanks for that tip. I got a similar one to that instead. I ended up going with a used HP TC4200 tablet. Beautiful unit and does what I need!

[Scenic]

Re: Ultra portable tablet PC

Stay the heck away from the X40 and X41 series IBM's.
Those use proprietary 1.8" IDE HDDs from Hitachi which hardly last 1 year. They're not manufactured anymore an no one else made 1.8" IDE HDDs.

They're decent tablets, but you have to fit a (expensive) 1.8" SSD from ebay or w/e.
Another strange thing is that internally, the HDD is SATA, but for some reason it goes straight into a SATA-IDE converter on the mainboard, and to the HDD connector from there.

You can easily get a 1.8" IDE SSD for them or mod a 1.8" SATA one and end up with a neat tablet, but considering what those SSD's cost.. better stay away unless you're fine with a tiny 8-16GB SSD. Larger ones usually end up costing you more than the whole thing is worth.

[thesloc]

Re: Ultra portable tablet PC

If you shell out a few bucks for a 1.8" SSD, you will find out that the cost difference will be very worth it.

eBay if your friend here.