maemo.org - Talk - View Single Post - Total Newbie Pre-purchase questions

	BrentDC	2009-04-14 , 19:51
	Posts: 903 \| Thanked: 632 times \| Joined on Apr 2008	#9

Originally Posted by Melissa2009B

Thanks Brent!

I'm looking at http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=1343
there and it's confusing to someone who's never even had anything but a desktop PC yet. I was thinking that tablets were the kinds of computers that the UPS guy brings to the door, one piece with no keyboard. I can see an advantage to that in the car. But these ones showcased here, have keyboards too, so I'm a little baffled, as to why they're called tablets, when they essentially look like the EEE 1000 series, but without the main hinge.

I'll have to go look at some locally and bug the sales people with some questions like that.

Tablet is sort of a "loose term"; I think it can mean with or without a keyboard. For example, this is the tablet I own (Nokia N800):

As you can see, no keyboard.

But here is a very similar product, the Nokia N810 and it clearly has a slide-out keyboard:

I think the only main distinction you should make between mobile pc's is what type of form factor it has. Both those devices above can be held in the hand and used like a UPS-type tablet, while the EEE series is more a "clamshell" style device (and can not be used like that, in fact, last I checked they didn't have touchscreens).

So I think you should try to evaluate how you will be using the device: holding it in your hand and interacting with a touchscreen (tablet) or setting it on a table/your lap and typing on it (clamshell).

__________________
-Brent

Author of TouchSearch -- web searching software for Maemo 5.

Mobile Device lineage: Palm Z22 -> Palm TX -> Nokia N800 -> Nokia N900

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