Okay okay, While I AM a college student, I'm loo

SoreThumb · 08-10-2005, 07:26 AM

Okay okay, While I AM a college student, I'm looking for buying this in a non-college-related format... I want to use this for my all my art.

Essentially, I've read up a bit on Tablets.. (not enough as in my 3rd month of thinking about it, I've FINALLY found this site).. And talking to a friend who had one, he told me Toshiba makes very reliable Laptops.. (I think he specifically referred to Hinges.)

In addition, since I AM Technically a college student, I have a budget like one. The Toshiba m200 has allured me since there seem to be so many listings on eBay for it.

However, that has also made me wary:

I've read online (in this forum and a blog, specifically) about m200 Harddrive failures, and how a bootCD is irrelevant when it doesn't even come with an optical drive.

Since I am stingy, and now wary of the MULTITUDES of m200 listings (listings), I'm becoming suspicious of where these tablet PCs are obtained, as well as why they're selling so cheap..

I'm lookin to spend at most $1,000 on a Tablet PC ("At most" Because, although before I was willing to spend $1,300 on a m200 with Docking Station, the price of $750 has made me realize its true value), and i know this is a stingy price.

A primary reason I became enthusiastic about the m200 is its docking station: I thought that I could draw whenever I was out, come back home to my desktop, and use the toshiba m200 as one monitor in a dual monitor system, i.e. by disconnecting my desktop monitor, attaching it to the tablet PC, and remote desktoping TO The Desktop computer on the 2nd monitor with the use of my desktop's keyboard and mouse, now attached to the tablet PC in tablet mode... Essentially operating two computers at once.

So, essentially, here is a summary:
1. Please advise me on a Tablet PC, specifically if I should buy the m200 or if there is a great Tablet PC that is as cheap.
2. Does anybody ahve an explanation for the strangely affordable price of the m200?
3. I've heard solutions for the hard-drive crashings of the m200 to be 'simply don't run it as much'. How many other problems are plaguing the m200?
4. Does my setup for my desktop and Tablet sound like something the Card of the m200 can handle? (I think it's a 32 meg Nvidia.. not sure much else.)
5. I'm interested in getting this PC before the summer ends... However at the rate I'm going, I doubt I would get a legitamitely good (and legal for the strange pricing) m200.
6. Are there any other tablet PCs that could do a setup like the Toshiba + The huge MultiDock? Multidock
7. Is there any other laptop as high-quality as the Toshiba m200, and as affordable?
8. Does partioning the harddrive (I will use my desktop for storage) into 2/3 boot partitions, one for backup, and one for emergencies, sound viable as a "emergency restore" system with no CD Drive?

It's a big topic, and I can't wait to see the responses.. Thank you for your help!

WNewquay · 08-10-2005, 08:06 AM

Hi SoreThumb,
So, essentially, here is a summary:
1. Please advise me on a Tablet PC, specifically if I should buy the m200 or if there is a great Tablet PC that is as cheap.
Overall, this is a great machine. You don't have to take my word for it, read through the Toshiba forum.

2. Does anybody ahve an explanation for the strangely affordable price of the m200?
I followed your eBay link and didn't see anything that looked like a surfeit of cheap M200s. I'd be surprised if you could get one for $1000 USD. Rumours about a replacement/upgrade for the M200 have been floating around for the last year. This forum is full of speculation and predictions. This tends to depress the price. Given the track record of the predictions, I wouldn't put any stock in them.

3. I've heard solutions for the hard-drive crashings of the m200 to be 'simply don't run it as much'. How many other problems are plaguing the m200?
Read through the Toshiba forums and you will find very few references to hard drive failures. They use the same drives as used by most major laptop manufacturers. I don't think they are more prone to issues than any other manufacturer.

4. Does my setup for my desktop and Tablet sound like something the Card of the m200 can handle? (I think it's a 32 meg Nvidia.. not sure much else.)[
Yes and you will probably want to look into some software like VNC, Ultramon and MaxiVista

5. I'm interested in getting this PC before the summer ends... However at the rate I'm going, I doubt I would get a legitamitely good (and legal for the strange pricing) m200.
They come up for sale here from time to time. I'd check out previous posts by anyone selling here to get some insight.

6. Are there any other tablet PCs that could do a setup like the Toshiba + The huge MultiDock? Multidock
There are lots of options for docking solutions. Do a ~Search for MultiDock here in the forums for owners' experiences.

7. Is there any other laptop as high-quality as the Toshiba m200, and as affordable?
Probably as good as most, considered by many to be one of the best.

8. Does partioning the harddrive (I will use my desktop for storage) into 2/3 boot partitions, one for backup, and one for emergencies, sound viable as a "emergency restore" system with no CD Drive?
Simpler perhaps, buy an external optical drive. See the M200/205 sticky post for more info on bootable drives.

It's a big topic, and I can't wait to see the responses.. Thank you for your help!

KenMagel · 08-11-2005, 02:34 AM

Even though the M200 is one of the older among tablet models being sold today, it is still
a very nice tablet with more power than most. Given the tightness of your funds, however,
you might wish to consider the R15, also from Toshiba.

Karim · 08-12-2005, 02:24 AM

My advice would be to go to buy a refurbished HP TC4200 for about $1,200. Advantages over an eBay-bought Toshiba M200:

The TC4200 is faster.
The TC4200 has the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 with up to 128MB shared graphics memory, compared to the 32MB GeForce FX 5200 on the Toshiba, which will probably give the HP a better shot at running Aero Glass on Windows Vista. (The GeForce is faster, but you need at least 64MB graphics memory for Aero, and they recommend 128 or 256MB.)
Likewise, the TC4200 is a newer design using the 915 chipset, instead of the older 855 chipset in the Toshiba. According to one site(http://forum.tabletpcreviewspot.com/...read.php?t=569), the 915 chipset works better with Windows Vista.
The remanufactured TC4200 will come with a warranty from HP. The M200 from eBay will come with... a pat on the back?

Dang I just checked prices at pricegrabber:

http://www.pricegrabber.com/p__HP_He...7293247/qlty=r

They are up to $1,250 now. They were $1,199 last week.

Good luck finding anything for $1,000.

EDIT: Oh, and my guess on the "strangely affordable" M200s appearing on eBay is retailers DUMPING their stocks of M200s. It has been rumored that the M200 replacement is coming out this month. Who wants a warehouse full of M200s that won't run next year's OS very well, when the new hotness is only a few days away...?

SoreThumb · 08-12-2005, 03:52 AM

quote:Originally posted by Karim

My advice would be to go to buy a refurbished HP TC4200 for about $1,200. Advantages over an eBay-bought Toshiba M200:

The TC4200 is faster.
The TC4200 has the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 with up to 128MB shared graphics memory, compared to the 32MB GeForce FX 5200 on the Toshiba, which will probably give the HP a better shot at running Aero Glass on Windows Vista. (The GeForce is faster, but you need at least 64MB graphics memory for Aero, and they recommend 128 or 256MB.)
Likewise, the TC4200 is a newer design using the 915 chipset, instead of the older 855 chipset in the Toshiba. According to one site(http://forum.tabletpcreviewspot.com/...read.php?t=569), the 915 chipset works better with Windows Vista.
The remanufactured TC4200 will come with a warranty from HP. The M200 from eBay will come with... a pat on the back?

EDIT: Oh, and my guess on the "strangely affordable" M200s appearing on eBay is retailers DUMPING their stocks of M200s. It has been rumored that the M200 replacement is coming out this month. Who wants a warehouse full of M200s that won't run next year's OS very well, when the new hotness is only a few days away...?

I'm not really interested in Windows Vista. As far as I've heard from people I know who complain (like me, haha), they say that it will have less features and more file-licensing-protection.. both things I am not completely a fan of.

The stronger card you mention is of interest to me: I am thinking about playing.. er.. emulated games I own on the tablet when it is in 'tablet mode' with a USB joystick.. Sort of a portable TV. How reliable is the HP, REGARDLESS of Warranty? (Because a computer's warranty isnt' very good if I'm sitting there without it.. Kinda like how I don't like rebates very much.

)

Also, to KenMagel: I will look into the R15 now. Hopefully it could still impress me as the m200 has. [xx(]

krypticide · 08-12-2005, 06:32 AM

Integrated intel graphics processors most likely won't let you run Vista in the advanced mode. I think the GeForce on the M200 has a better chance at running it. While you can get more "memory" per se with the integrated 900, it's still shared memory and probably won't perform well.

Spencer · 08-12-2005, 08:33 AM

Another thing to keep in mind when comparing the HP TC4200, R15, and M200 is that the M200 is smaller. The first two units are 14 inch, while the M200 is 12 inch. Personally, I prefer to be 12 inch or smaller when I'm taking notes in class. Any bigger, and I feel like I've got a monster of a thing in my hands.

quote:Originally posted by krypticide

Integrated intel graphics processors most likely won't let you run Vista in the advanced mode. I think the GeForce on the M200 has a better chance at running it. While you can get more "memory" per se with the integrated 900, it's still shared memory and probably won't perform well.

Yes, this is very true. Although, he said he wasn't too concerned about Vista.

KenMagel · 08-12-2005, 10:05 AM

First, Vista is nearly eighteen months away. Second, we have little idea how compelling
the tablet improvements will be in Vista. By early 2007, Vista might be very compelling for
tablet users or it might be largely a non-issue.

Karim · 08-13-2005, 06:48 AM

The minimum for Aero Glass on Vista is 64MB of video memory, with 128 to 256MB recommended. Anyone who thinks a 32MB GeForce will run Aero Glass needs to have his head examined.

The "integrated graphics" on the TC4200 specifically stand a much better chance of running Aero Glass than a 32MB GeForce. This is because the Intel GMA 900 has hardware support for DirectX 9.0, specifically hardware Pixel Shader support, which is a requirement for Aero Glass.

The M200 will run Vista just fine. It just won't run Aero Glass.

Yes Vista is "18 months away." How long do you plan on keeping your Tablet PC?

Excuse me for making the mistake of thinking that people who wanted to be on the bleeding edge of technology (by purchasing a Tablet PC) might also want to upgrade their OS in the next couple of years. <rolleyes>

Have fun running Windows XP until the Messiah returns. [xx(]