I am a student and would like a tablet pc not on

[Trilobite]

I am a student and would like a tablet pc not only to save paper and organize better but to wow my peers! :D

Anyways, I was wondering if there are Tablet PCs that have only a notetaking program and not all the fancy things I may not need. And if so would I want this or are the fancy things worth it.

The reason I would prefer a tablet over a notebook is that some of my classes may involve math, which would be hard to type, or diagrams that I could draw.
When you use the function to turn your writing to text what happens if it comes across say a diagram or symbol it doesnt know?

Also, I currently have one year left in my degree. I then plan on going to Japan for a year, then coming back and getting another degree. Would I be better to a) buy a tablet soon b) wait till before going to Japan c) get one in Japan or d) get one on returning from Japan. Are prices predicted to lower that much? Will battery time increase or would I be better off buying a spare for if I have a long school day?

Thanks for any/all answers.

[WNewquay]

Trilobite

A good place to start reading, besides here, that is, is
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/tabletpc/default.asp

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/t...n/benefits.asp

this is a very long URI that your will have to copy/paste into your browser.
http://www.informit.com/isapi/product_id~{6DF4853B-3A82-42B1-96A0-E5AD0908DB22}/element_id~{36448B4A-AEC0-42E5-B724-FF29390E4498}/st~{6775BCCB-20E0-46F1-8957-E5E34D7BA854}/session_id~{3A4D5758-18F7-43F1-AA3B-51F686034D81}/content/articlex.asp

Windows XP Tablet PC Edition comes with a nice note taking tool called Windows Journal and you can try that for awhile to see it it suits your needs.

You can get Microsoft One Note if your need move organizational capability. You can probably get that at Academic pricing through your campus bookstore, for a lot cheaper than regular retail . Before you spend the money you can download a 60 day evaluation version from Microsoft. Some vendors bundle One Note with the machine.

That should get you started.

But if that isn't enough, there are lots of students here and you can search the forum for words like student, journal and One Note

Awhile back i compiled a list of questions a student could ask to get them thinking about what kind of Tablet PC would be best suited for the way they work .

Here they are:

A few questions

What kind of student
What's your major field of study
Assuming post-secondary, does your campus support wireless connectivity
How long do you expect to have to run on batteries
Does the school provide power outlets in classroom/lecture facilities
Are you using your notebook(s) at school now? How?
Mainly lectures or labs?
As a learner are you more:
kinesthetic
auditory
visual
When you take notes do you

write longhand
type
draw pictures or doodle or use mind maps
use colours as you capture information
Do your professors/teachers provide material in

printed format
electronic format
web references
In a typical week, what percentage of the time you spend on the computer do you think you will be:
typing
reading
using the pen interface for capturing "ink" (writing, annotations, drawing)
Do you attribute much importance to being able to converting "ink" to "text", particularly for retrieval of data and sharing it with others
Besides school related activity, things do you plan/need to do with your Tablet PC
What is the most demanding application you use on your computer(s) now

[Trilobite]

I guess I will answer the questions and see if that gives anyone an idea if a tablet it right for me.

What kind of student University
What's your major field of study Geophysics for one more year, then later will be taking Paleontology for another degree
Assuming post-secondary, does your campus support wireless connectivity currently no, not sure of next school
How long do you expect to have to run on batteries anywhere from 2 to 6 hours
Does the school provide power outlets in classroom/lecture facilities some of them
Are you using your notebook(s) at school now? no How?
Mainly lectures or labs? lectures
As a learner are you more:
kinesthetic
auditory
visual
When you take notes do you
write longhand
type
draw pictures or doodle or use mind maps some diagrams required
use colours as you capture information currently no because it would slow me down
Do your professors/teachers provide material in
printed format
electronic format
web references
In a typical week, what percentage of the time you spend on the computer do you think you will be:
typing 15
reading 25
using the pen interface for capturing "ink" (writing, annotations, drawing) 60
Do you attribute much importance to being able to converting "ink" to "text", particularly for retrieval of data and sharing it with others retreival of data would be very useful
Besides school related activity, things do you plan/need to do with your Tablet PC cant think of any
What is the most demanding application you use on your computer(s) now kazaa seems to take up the most memory when i use it, but i dont plan on using this on the tablet if i get one

[WNewquay]

Trilobite

There is an interesting thread here for you:

http://tabletpcbuzz.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10028

[Wcrocker]

Not trying to send you on a wild chase, or ignore your request for advice, but WNewquay's advice about checking out these forums is an excellent way to get some answers. (you may have already done so, so if you have, you can ignore this.).

I and many othes believe that tablet computing puts the personal in personal computing and that it truly is an individual's choice as to what type of machine and how one uses it that gets you started. It has everything to do with how you plan to use the tablet to budget.

Check out the posts for those with similiar (and different) needs and see what they went through and how they ended up or where they moved to.