is the Motion tablet right for me?

[slatedreamer]

I want a machine on which to read documents (mostly PDFs) and write/edit Word and perhaps Excel files away from a desk situation (public transport, outdoors, standing etc), so think I want a 12.1 inch SXGA+ screen tablet or slate that is as thin and light as possible. I think convertible tablets are a great idea, but think I would prefer a slate right now because (a) I have a year-old 17 inch laptop as my main computer and have a psychological barrier to getting something of the same “form-factor” so soon (not being wealthy enough to buy multiple gadgets at will!) and (b) keyboards add a bit of extra weight and bulk etc.

However, for writing I really really want to be able to type with 2 fingers, and have the fantasy that I could do this with an on-screen keyboard of a dual-input slate (thinking Motion LE1700WT, probably; definitely want an active digitiser for pen input also, but really don’t want to rely on handwriting conversion for text input). My question is: am I seriously deluded about the possibility of extensive on-screen typing?

Perhaps I would be mad not to go with a Lenovo Thinkpad x61 tablet instead, which in addition to giving me the security of an attached keyboard has a Santa Rosa chipset; downside is that I would have to to choose between SXGA+ resolution and MultiTouch (which I would not need for finger-typing, but would desire!); another issue is that Motion may be offering a SSD alternative to hard-drive soon (very compelling)…

Any insights/opinions welcome.

(I have an earlier thread with Steve S exploring other queries I had, “LE1700WT screen uncertainties” at http://www.tabletpcbuzz.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=35462)

[Steve S]

slate: I think that many people are wondering if virtual keyboards on dual mode slate screens may be a solution for those people who simply [u]must</u> have a keyboard. See:

http://www.gottabemobile.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2362
http://www.gottabemobile.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2604
http://www.gottabemobile.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2605

It's not clear that the Motion screen will support a virtual keyboard very well if it's limited to sensing only single touches.

Only time will tell on this one...

[slatedreamer]

Thanks again Steve S. Forgot about the single-touch issue in the context of key-combinations – at the very least one needs to be able to use the Shift key simultaneously with other keys, or have some work-around for the functionality. But then the same must be true when using a pen on these keyboards. From the last thread you linked, it seems that the Thinkpad MultiTouch really does recognise simultaneous multiple touches (rather than the term just referring to pen and finger-pressure), although I have things that suggest otherwise elsewhere(?) Perhaps I’ll put a query out to x60/61 users re their on-screen typing capabiilities.

Also, one of your links mentions that the N-trig pen system does not have an eraser function; not having used a digitiser before for writing/drawing, I wonder if this is likely to be a problem – are there other ways of removing material that one has “drawn” on the screen?

[One of the posters in that thread also adds the following: “Hopefully there will be a VA version of the WriteTouch screen plus eraser pen functionality. That will put the LE1700 on par or just abouve par with the Lenovo X60.” However I got the following reply from Motion re the ViewAnywhere issue: “In answer to you question, while Motion is always looking for ways to improve our product offerings, the current technologies commercially available to provide write touch and out-door viewable functionality on a Tablet PC are fundamentally incompatible (both rely on being the outmost layer of the screen panel). As a result it is not in Motion’s short term road map to offer a combined Write-Touch/View-Anywhere LE1700 Tablet PC.”]

These and other uncertainties re the new technology certainly make me realise that I will have to be brave if I go this route!

[Steve S]

<<...are there other ways of removing material that one has “drawn” on the screen?..>>

slate: Vista, and most applications, provide for "scratch'ing-out,", whereby three quick horizontal strokes serves to erase inking. It's so handy that I use it almost exclusively, and essentially [u]never</u> use the eraser on my pen...

Regarding a WriteTouch / VA screen, Motion is probably being a bit coy. In fact, there are more ways than one to achieve that effect. By shifting to an LED-backlight, the LCD screen can be made brighter, partially overcoming the problem. Bonding the various layers together can help to eliminate air gaps, another small improvement... and so on. It might not end up being "VA," but you can be sure that improvements can still be made...!

[slatedreamer]

quote:Originally posted by Steve S

&lt;&lt;...Vista, and most applications, provide for "scratch'ing-out,", whereby three quick horizontal strokes serves to erase inking. It's so handy that I use it almost exclusively, and essentially [u]never</u> use the eraser on my pen...&gt;&gt;


Thanks Steve S - do you konw whether there are similar tricks when drawing, as opposed to dealing with discrete words in the writing recognition program?

[Steve S]

<<...do you konw whether there are similar tricks when drawing...>>

slate: The good news is that it works exactly the same whether you are writing or drawing. Although there are some subtleties, most eraser functionalities are implemented as "stroke" erasers. That means that if you draw a long arc, for example, "scratching out" on any part of it erases the whole arc. If you write the letter "t" as a two-stroke character (the "stem" and the "cross stroke"), then scratching out on the stem will erase only that stroke. The cross stroke has to be erased separately...

[WNewquay]

Hi Steve S.

I've found the eraser functionality as "stroke' or other is application dependent. In some cases the behavior can be set in the software's options.

Windows Journal has several options for example.

[slatedreamer]

Thanks Folks