Run, don't walk from HP TC1100 Tablet PC

[niharika]

I was so excited the first time I learned about the HP Tablet. I replaced my heavier Dell and thought that, as a woman, how wonderful to have something that was lightweight and had the tablet writing capabilities.
So my business partner and I both bought machines - $5000+ was a huge expense for a small business but, at the time, we thought it was worth it.
Over the past three years, we have both replaced hard drives every year.
The last straw for me was when I learned that the power supply is connected to the mother board. When my power supply plug in on the side of the machine broke and I was going to have to replace the mother board - or try to resauter the power supply to the mother board with no guarantee that that would work - I gave up.
This was the most frustrating, depressing experience I've ever had. Now I have a machine that has a new hard drive in it but isn't reliable enough to use or fix.
This has been a very, very expensive decision.

[Chrissss]

Sorry to hear about your issues with the TC1100's.

These machines have quite a loyal following and are not known for having HDD problems. Just bad luck there, I guess.

However, the power receptacle issue is known. You have to be careful to not put lateral pressure on the power plug when it is plugged in, or the solder joint of the receptacle can crack.

This is not that difficult to repair if you have experience with soldering and the guts to open op your machine. If not, a good electronics repair shop or computer shop should be able to fix this fairly cheaply.

Chris...

p.s. I love my TC1100!

[jpfx]

hdd's and power connectors are reknowned for breaking when mistreated. try an etch-a-sketch instead.

[flecrone]

A cheaper option might be to get used docking stations from eBay. The computer charges through the docking station when docked, not the power connector. Of course, if you want to use the computer while it is charging, you will need to use it in the docking station, which means it is desk-bound.

Occasionally, you can also find inexpensive external battery chargers, allowing you to charge one battery while using another. You can then hot swap them as needed.

Despite the sarcasm in jpfx's rely, he does have a point. Hard disks are probably one of the most fragile parts of the computer, and can be damaged by moderate impact while the disk is being accessed. This is a great advantage of solid-state drives, although they are currently very expensive and limited in capacity.

Tablets are meant to be carried around, but I am still always very careful when setting down a tablet (to avoid letting it drop slightly onto a hard surface like a table top), and always put it in hibernate mode when in a carry bag, to prevent any possibility of it turning back on while in transit. Newer computers have motion sensors that detect drop-like motion and instantly park the drive head to help prevent damage.

[bcdechert]

Not discounting the fact that bcarls had a problem, I have to wonder about the title of the thread. I have been using a TC1000 since 2003 and a TC1100 since 2005, daily use, mobile (car, air, field) environments and have been well pleased with their durability. So I don't know what bcarls was doing with her TC1100, but it does not jibe with my experience. AND I still, even two days ago, get the amazed questions from people that see the tablet and me writing it. How sad to tell people that this model is no longer manufactured!

Anyway, while I'm sorry for bcarls, I would run, no, sprint to the nearest dealer if HP re-issued the TC 1100 with up to date features. It is still the best!

[WNewquay]

Hello bcarls,

I am sorry that you have had difficulties with your TC1100. I have had several Tablet PCs over the past 3-4 years and of all of them, my TC1100 gets the most use. Things can go wrong, and they do, but I have not found that the TC1100 was any more prone to failure than any other make or model.

Tomorrow when I head out I am probably going to grab my TC1100 over anything else lying around here.

[lrknight]

I am also sorry for your experience but wanted to reiterate the strengths of the TC1100. I have two and both have performed superbly over the several years I've used them. I take mine in and out of manufacturing facilities daily (high temperature, high humidity, oil vapor, dusty, etc.); it's never failed me.

I also bought one for my property manager (she is not gentle with electronics). She loves the machine and hasn't had any issues.

I have upgraded the HDD a few times; not due to failure but to increase performance/storage.

[jgallaway]

I worked at Staples [businessEXPO] for eight months and sold the TC1000 many times. A year after I traded in my retail sales uniform for a locomotive engineer's certification, I purchased the TC1000 demo unit from the store I worked at. I've had the unit now three years and love the hell out of it.

As a railroad conductor & engineer, I can't guarentee my bags don't get tossed around, scrunched, crunched, crashed or bashed during my 12-16 hour shift. Yet my tablet has survived many bangs clangs crash and bashes.

After three years, the only real problem is the power connector is damaged, but I've found a way around that for a while untoi the thing breaks off competley. Then I'll crack it open to play with and experiment.

My experience? The tablet's outer protective screen has protected the system more then once and I'd gladly take a new tc1000 when my current unit dies out.