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Melissa2009B is offline Melissa2009B
2009-04-14 , 06:40
Posts: 5 | Thanked: 0 times | Joined on Apr 2009 @ Denver
#1
Hi all,

I'm TOTALLY new to tablet computing and to this forum, dont know a thing yet.

I need a mobile computer for the car, for my work, which involves using XP; Streets & Trips to route a bunch of stops. I'm one of these small businesses that you hear about, the smallest, just me.

For the first time, I can afford SOMETHING for the car, though not much. Been thinking about something like an Asus EEE 1000H but a colleague suggested getting a tablet instead.

Is it more rugged? Easier to use in the car? Or what?

One big issue is cost. The 1000H would be around $350 shipped. Can I even get near a tablet for that much? Something rugged and reliable?

Why use a tablet instead of something like the 1000H, and what kind would be most bang for the buck?

Thanks!
 
GeraldKo is offline GeraldKo
2009-04-14 , 07:16
Posts: 1,950 | Thanked: 1,174 times | Joined on Jan 2008 @ Seattle, USA
#2
You can get an N800 on eBay for < $150. But unless you like tinkering to make it do what you want, I suspect this isn't for you. If Streets & Trips is Windows software, it won't run on a Nokia Internet Tablet, although it has other mapping software, e.g, Maemo-mapper.

I wouldn't be surprised if you'd be happiest with a cheap GPS unit, augmented by a Palm or home use of your computer.

These Tablets are rugged, small, flexible, and pretty much all software for them is free.

Look here for a general idea:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N800

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N810


Good luck with your business!
Last edited by GeraldKo; 2009-04-14 at 07:27.
 
geneven is offline geneven
2009-04-14 , 07:43
Posts: 5,795 | Thanked: 3,151 times | Joined on Feb 2007 @ Agoura Hills Calif
#3
If you are saying that what you use in the car must run xp, these tablets don't do that.

The advantage of tablets is that you can take them anywhere in your pocket and do many things you can do on other computers.

You can buy the current top of the line Nokia N810 for less than $250.
 
Melissa2009B is offline Melissa2009B
2009-04-14 , 08:06
Posts: 5 | Thanked: 0 times | Joined on Apr 2009 @ Denver
#4
Originally Posted by GeraldKo View Post
You can get an N800 on eBay for < $150. But unless you like tinkering to make it do what you want, I suspect this isn't for you. If Streets & Trips is Windows software, it won't run on a Nokia Internet Tablet, although it has other mapping software, e.g, Maemo-mapper.
Thanks Gerald.

Ok, I didn't know about these forums so I must have picked the wrong area, sorry. Yes Streets & Trips is Windows XP stuff ( or for Mac ) and I use it on the PC in the house.

As far as a GPS unit, no, what I have in mind is putting in 20-30 stops and routing them on my home PC, then popping that into the mobile computer and running it with Streets & Trips. Dedicated GPS units wont import from Xcel or run Streets & Trips and appear tedious to use.

So I need an XP mobile computer for the car, and assume my friend was talking about a tablet for that, instead of the EEE 1000H.

She's been super busy, having just gotten into the bail bonds business, so we havent had much time to chat about it.

So what's a good starting point for me in these forums? Do they have one for XP mobile tablets, where I could re-post this?

Thanks!

M
 
GeraldKo is offline GeraldKo
2009-04-14 , 15:25
Posts: 1,950 | Thanked: 1,174 times | Joined on Jan 2008 @ Seattle, USA
#5
I think you might want a netbook that runs XP. Maybe start here.

This might help, too, but they tend to cost more.

And I just saw this, a good deal on an HP XP netbook.
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Last edited by GeraldKo; 2009-04-14 at 16:49.
 
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BrentDC is offline BrentDC
2009-04-14 , 15:55
Posts: 903 | Thanked: 632 times | Joined on Apr 2008
#6
Hi,

If you've decided to go the Windows XP -> Subnotebook/Tablet route, I would suggest browsing around this site. Try reading some of the reviews and getting a better feel for what is out there.

By the way, welcome to Internet Tablet Talk!
 

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Melissa2009B is offline Melissa2009B
2009-04-14 , 19:22
Posts: 5 | Thanked: 0 times | Joined on Apr 2009 @ Denver
#7
Originally Posted by GeraldKo View Post
I think you might want a netbook that runs XP. Maybe start here.

This might help, too, but they tend to cost more.

And I just saw this, a good deal on an HP XP netbook.
Thanks. It looks like I'm back to my original idea of the Asus EEE 1000H.

I guess my friend was suggesting a tablet because it's one piece. It had me thinking of the big tablets that the UPS drivers use when they come to the door. I suppose the advantage would be that it could be mounted in one piece, without the hinge?
 
Melissa2009B is offline Melissa2009B
2009-04-14 , 19:27
Posts: 5 | Thanked: 0 times | Joined on Apr 2009 @ Denver
#8
Originally Posted by BrentDC View Post
Hi,

If you've decided to go the Windows XP -> Subnotebook/Tablet route, I would suggest browsing around this site. Try reading some of the reviews and getting a better feel for what is out there.

By the way, welcome to Internet Tablet Talk!
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.
 
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BrentDC is offline BrentDC
2009-04-14 , 19:51
Posts: 903 | Thanked: 632 times | Joined on Apr 2008
#9
Originally Posted by Melissa2009B View Post
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).
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Mobile Device lineage: Palm Z22 -> Palm TX -> Nokia N800 -> Nokia N900
 
Melissa2009B is offline Melissa2009B
2009-04-14 , 20:27
Posts: 5 | Thanked: 0 times | Joined on Apr 2009 @ Denver
#10
Originally Posted by BrentDC View Post
...

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).
Thanks Brent.

Well the main use will be to mount it in the car when we go out on a route, then use the GPS and Streets & Trips with it, to go through a route of 20-30 stops in a night. I'd dump the map file into it from the home PC after routing it. So the main issues are reliability, endurance and ease of use. I suppose a single panel tablet might have an advantage that way, over a hinged screen sticking up and bouncing around, but we should probably go look at some in the stores and get an idea. Thanks!
 
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