Looking for USED Tablet PC for Comic Strip Artist

[TedRx]

UPDATE -

Just got!!!
Fast shipping ...
Powered up on first try and the battery is at 90% (computer estimate of 2+ hours... ALWAYS a good thing after buying on Ebay. And if 2+ hrs holds up, that will be PERFECT for me, especially since I usually don't have more than 2 hrs at a time to work on projects.

Came with extra stylus and very well packed.


Even though it has a slight 1/4" 'scuff' mark on screen, noticable when power off, but not when powered up ...

The Screen looks GREAT no matter what it is ...it is better than any laptop or desktop I have had. It is not a ultra-bright slick "glass" finish, more slightly textured surface (good for pen resistance for artist info) and extremely wide-view angle ... looks 180 degrees to me ... NO WASHOUT AT ALL ... LOW GLARE ALSO ...I foresee NO issue with spinning tablet around to get optimal drawing stroke angle. Tonite I will review it under flourescent light environment and report back. Personally I can't envision a BETTER screen for me.

Hey Shogmaster, if WideAngle is VA then why did the linked review discuss them as different and the VA was high priced?

-->> Initial reaction to my TabPc??

It was worth all the hours and hours of research and scaping and saving of b-day and Christmas money !!!

Also, it IS the M1400 model as indicated on back markings and obvious by the sceen type, but system info on software reads M1300 ... anyone know why? ... not big problem for me just curious.

More to follow ..

[TedRx]

UPDATE-

Does not come with wifi, or Motion Pak that would have included Dashboard and OneNote ...neither are deal breakers .... but I will have to get a Wifi card, if nothing else than for my Tivo-to-Go !!

Apparently there are 3 models of M1400 and this is the base model ... if anyone has links to any other issues that may arise from only having the base model please post !!!

Aslo, if anyone has link to the differnces for the 3 models also please post for others researching the M1400 ....

STILL LOVING IT ANYWAY ...

Will load Corel tonite and let ya'll have brief art review tomorrow.

[Shogmaster]

quote:Originally posted by TedRx


Hey Shogmaster, if WideAngle is VA then why did the linked review discuss them as different and the VA was high priced?

I never said wide angle = View Anywhere. I said trans-reflective = View Anywhere. Did you even look at my link?

[TedRx]

Sorry Shogmaster ...

I am near the end of seven - 10hr graveyard shifts in a row and when I read link it was AFTER being woke up by mailman's TabPc delivery. Which would be like reading in the middle of a normal person's sleeping at 2:30am for most people. Plus overwhelmed with whole "I got my tabPc" thing. So I couldn't fully grasp it ... and after fianlly getting up for my "day" , I still can't, but I will try again in the AM after I get off work ... maybe then I will finally understand the whole Wide-Angle / Transreflective / ViewAnywhere issue with the M1400 and then figure out which one I have.

Thanks for post and patience ...

[Billzilla]

Congrats, Ted!!! I definitely can't wait to hear more about your experience with the M1400. I honestly can't believe how similar an experience we're having as I just found out the difference between the screens yesterday. Only I haven't taken the plunge yet.

Also, read your earlier suggestion of the book to another poster, and now that you've recommended it again and explained a bit more about it, I'm going to head to the bookstore tomorrow to see about it.

Although I honestly plan to have a very nontraditional method of producing this book (I am doing this mostly just to see if my ideas will work for me, if it turns out I can sell the thing, so much the better), I always like to read the advice of people trying to accomplish my same goals (hence my closely following this thread).

Actually, in that spirit, may I recommend Dave Sim's "Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing." The specific technical stuff he talks about isn't particularly useful anymore, as it's about ten years old and just about everything is done differently now, but his insights on marketing and distribution are great. And it's a good read, and not too long. And I think pretty cheap, as was produced as a comic book, just all text. I picked it up at midtown comics for under ten bucks.

Seems I've gotten a bit off topic there.

Back around: Last night I was struck with some kind of unexplainable lust for the TC1100. I don't know why, but some screenshots I was looking at of it (despite having looked at thousands of screenshots of it previously) suddenly made the thing look ultra-sexy. I know this impulse is bad, since I believe the TC1100 only has a 10" screen, but the design of the thing has been weighing heavily on my thoughts for some reason. I'd definitely like to see some kind of head to head comparison of it to the M1400 for art purposes, but I suppose that may be too much to ask.

Oh yeah, and speaking of head-to-head comparisons. I've been trying to read that cartoonmonkey shootout review for what seems like it must be a couple of weeks now and it's persisted in being absent. I sure would like to read it.

We really should have some kind of tabpc artists forum, yeah. Though there seem to be relatively few of us, we seem to be rather a chatty bunch.

[TedRx]

Dang it!!!

I just had a REALLY good long 24 hr review and hit some stupid button and exited out of post before posting ... argghh!

Ok Second try ...

Bilzilla ...
I am with you on the whole 'doing it for myself' thing, as are most Web Comic Publishers ...

we are in it for passion not sucess as measured by print sales or fame. That is what DROVE me to TabPc ...

a more efficient pursuit of my dream, which is my only hobby , making my own 'newspaper style format' comic strip...

you know 6 dailies make a week and then a Sunday, also following all the guidelines and limits put on a professional cartoonist in both format and time to produce a strip ... and doing it all by myself.

Hopefully in my HUGE recap and review I will remember to write a section just on that whole part of the journey, as it is my motivation for a TabPc.

But back on topic ....

A review of the first 24 hrs ...

LOTSA good stuff ... and a few snags---

Snags first --- some unexpected but none are deal breakers yet --

...Worst one -- My borrowed cd drive dint work out so I haven't got Art progam (Corel Draw Suite X3) loaded yet, so now I have to go get one. I tried Walmart this am on the way home and it had $80 DVD drives and BELEIVE IT OR NOT an external floppy drive, but no just plain external CD drive .. will try Best Buy tonite before work, hoping to keep under $30 bucks.

...Next, my M1400 is the BASE model (3 levels we made from what I can tell) which means --
--- NO SPEAKERS -- I bought a pair of working mp3 speakers that will do at a workstation, but I still am looking for compact MP3 speaker that will just stick out the TabPc at the jack port for on the go solution.
--- NO INTERNAL WIFI -- bought $35 wireless G (that is all I need at home) wifi card this am ... will report later if it works.
--- NO 'MOTION PAK' -- meaning no Dashboard, no Alias SketchBook trial, no OneNote 2002, etc ...
--- All of which add 'peices' to carry/add to TabPc making it less all-in-one AND cost more $$$ in 'upgrading' (trying to keep the 'solutions' UNDER $100 ... which is eating into my RAM upgrade money ... but I will upgrade RAM, it just may be a month or two ... but the RAM is 512mb which is equal to my laptop which porcessor wise did me just fine ... I am not a power user.

Now on to the GOOD STUFF ... and there IS alotta good stuff--

The screen held up very well under flourecents. The screen is plenty big so far (will report on size for art ptograms when I get that up and running), so Billzilla I wouldn't let the 10" screen be a deal breaker on the TC1100. My 12" TabPc "feels" like a traditional desktop configuration of 17" monitor since by default I am closer. As long as the resolution is comparable to what you are used to, the 10" will probably do as well as for you as a 15" desk top monitor configuration would .. disclaimer *** only MY opinion **. The actually screen dimensions to follow later (because 12.1" is a diagonal measurement , not a length wideth which always bugged my in stats) but it is slightly smaller than area of computer paper. For comics people , it is about a 1/4" shorter than, but 1/2" wider than a typical DC Comics monthly book (GreenLantern #25 to be exact ... great end to Sinestro Corps War ... best mainstream event of 2007 and best arc of any A-Level single-character monthly at DC or Marvel in years ... once again, just my opinion ... and yes I realize Green Lantern is considered by some as a 'team' book, but you know what I mean)

The [u]overall</u> size is very good, as it fits snuggly in my new thin $10 Walmart pleather portfolio that was designed to hold a legal note pad ... AND THIS IS EVEN AFTER I ADDED MY BRAND SPANKIN NEW HARDCOVER ONTO THE TAB-PC !!! Why am I screaming? Because I have met one of my PRIMARY goals of getting a TabPc in the first place ... a stealthy all-in-one digital art studio. Even after I slide the WiFi card inside one of the compartments, it all still fits !!! The only thing other that I need for the TabPc is the rather compact AC power cord for long use ... and that is easy enough to put the 2 peices in 2 separate jacket pockets for transportation from site to site. ... yeah, I have to carry earbuds to but those fit in the portfolio too.

Also in regards to size for you artist out there , writing/drawing on the *nice* screen is similar in height and wideth and texture to writing/drawing on the top sheet of a full packet of 8.5x11 300 series SMOOTH Bristol board paper.

Next GOODIE -- Battery life was well over 2 hrs on full charge with screen on full bright and mp3 playing the whole time while also surfing the tablet pc features. Not sure how video playing or the art progam will affect this but I actually turned it off after 2.25 hrs with 33% still showing. And if I can get 2hrs at one un-cord-attached session of video or art-ing around then I will be VERY PLEASED ... usually I am no longer than 2hrs without an outlet available but i do want that on the run, no cord to carry ability and capability.

Last GOODIE for now is the Handwritting to Text feature --- IT IS *SPOOKY* GOOD!!!. It is in a option at any data entry field via the OS (you get to view and edit BEFORE sending to data field too) ... and it is in Journal too . The letter recognition is freaky ... takes cursive, print or my usually - a hybrid of both with no rhyme or reason for switching in mid-phrase or mid-word. The learning curve is super short, especially compare to the PALM/POCKET PC conversion of a couple of years ago. Now don't fool yourself, longhand can be very tireing after a while for most of us vs typing, but for my limited text entry of e-mail, posting shorter-than-this posts, and limited writting, I feel it will do just fine ... i predict a total abandonment of a keyboard. Also, don't fool yourself, most folks will still need/want a keyboard and if you are one of those, look at a convertible TabPc ... but if you are like me, GO FOR THE SLATE !!

FYI --- JOURNAL is THE best way for those who love to write in long-hand but need to have text at some point in their project. This would be awesome for novelist who loves to, or just happens to, usually create in handwritting then have to type-enter entire document into computer for next stage ... it may not be perfect but trust me, it is easier to edit a converted document than to type the whole thing from copying longhand for start to finish.

That is all for now ... gotta go to bed BUT i can't leave just yet without saying a big huge thanks to the TabletPcBuzz readers and posters for all your support ... and the owner of the site for GRACIOUSLY suppling me with hardcover for my M1400 ... just got it today and it is awesome ... THANKS!!!!

For good or bad ... more to follow

[TedRx]

UPDATE---

STILL haven't been able to add my programs yet ... can't get external cd drive yet, tried 2 Walmarts, BestBuy and Staples and the only thing I can find is $80 DVD/CD combos which is alot more than I am willing to invest, even if it is going to take longer to figure out how to get programs loaded I do NOT want to cut anymore into my RAM upgrade money,

SO ... when I get a chance I will try to utilize home networking and load from my desktop as soon as possible.

Boy, work really can get in the way way of a hobby sometimes ...I am off tommorrow so wish my luck.

[u]Tip-o-the-day</u>: Plan on ANY new to you computer (be it new or used) to take a cuople of days to get set up and all your stuff loaded ... it really puts a damper on that whole "I got something new and want to use it NOW enthusiasm" .... but even after 10 years and MANY MANY computer set-ups for my self and family, it ALWAYS seems to go that way for me ... and in that respect, the Tablet Pc is no different.

Thanks ...

[WNewquay]

Hi TedRx,

I haven't read through the whole saga, but I think you said that you did not get Motion Dashboard.

You can download it from Motion on this page.

http://www.motioncomputing.com/suppo...nload_1400.asp

[TedRx]

Wow ... talk about synchronicity ...

Just before I read you post I found it too! Thanks for the supp

ort!

GOOD NEWS!!! --&gt;&gt; INTERNAL WIFI NOW WORKING !!

I never could get the PCi wifi card to work, so after updating to Win XP Tab Pc 2005 serv pak 2, I took a chance and went to Motion site and found wifi driver and installed it ... and it WORKS!!!

perhaps when the previuos owner did fresh reinstall the Motion drivers got left out ... will try other drivers next

..THIS JUST IN !!!!

SPEAKERS WORK NOW !!!

apparently it is ALL in the drivers !!!

now if I can just get progams loaded via network , then I'll be cooking with gas!!!

[TedRx]

Network is WORKING!!!

installing Corel Draw X3 as we speak !!

How sweet it is !!!

--&gt;&gt; updates to follow ... may be delyed due to "bowl-itis" a common once a year ailment that can only be treated with atleast 2 session of viewing college football bowl games ... GoDawgs