Looking for an affordable solution

[Rich.Carpenter]

I've been looking for a good e-reader. I read mostly programming/technical books, so something larger than the Kindle is required. I had been looking at the Kindle DX and the iPad, but decided for that kind of money, I may be able to score a full-featured tablet or slate on which I could install Linux and do some programming as well.

General Questions

1. What is your budget?

$500 max - the cost of an iPad. Would like to find something in the $300-400 range, but would pay more for the right product.

2. Would you consider purchasing used/refurbished?

I am fine with used or refurbished.

3. Do you prefer a Slate, Convertible or Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC)?

If I can find a capacitive touch display, a slate would be great. Otherwise, I would probably prefer a convertible, though I could be convinced otherwise by those with more experience with tablet computing.

4. What size Tablet PC would you prefer?

* Compact ~ 10"
* Mainstream ~ 12.1"
* Large ~ 13.3"


5. Which country do you intent to purchase from?

USA

6. Do you have any preferences to brand loyalty or dislikes?

I'm a big fan of Lenovo. I've heard good things about Fujitsu, but never owned one. I'm on the fence when it comes to HP.

7. How many hours battery life do you require?

I think a minimum of 4 hours, perhaps.

8. What will be the primary usage scenario of this tablet? (Email/Web Surfing/Drawing/Word Processing/Entertainment/Notetaking etc)

Reading eBooks (Kindle reader, ePub, .PDF, etc.), web browsing. If I go with a convertible, programming for Linux and Windows.

9. Do you have an OS preference?

Windows. Would also like to install Linux.

10. What software and tasks do you intend to run? (Microsoft Office or other Word Processing Suite/Photoshop/3D Studio Max/Autocad etc)

Microsoft Office, Kindle reader, Visual Studio.

10. Do you intend on playing Games? If so please list.

No intention of playing games, though I may do some game development targeted at older hardware.

Screen Specifics

1. What resolution do you prefer?

* XGA - 1024x768 ~ large and easy to read text and graphic icons but you fit less on the screen.
* WXGA - 1280x768 ~ has a wider usable area than XGA, ideal for viewing Spreadsheets and other programs that require desktop space. The mainly used resolution for new tablet PCs since 2008.

2. Do you require the screen to be readable in sunlight?
See the above linked FAQ for guidance

That is not a requirement.

3. Do you prefer your display to be glossy or matte?

Would prefer glossy (mainly for durability), but I am fine with either.

4. Do you require Touch? (without pressure sensitivity) (Which one: resistive or capacitive)
See the above linked FAQ for guidance

Touch would be a requirement, I think. As one of the primary uses will be reading eBooks, touch control would be much more convenient.

5. Do you require a Pen? (with pressure sensitivity) (Which one: Wacom or N-Trig)
See the above linked FAQ for guidance

I do require a pen. No preference on type.

Component Specifics

1. What size Hard Drive and Memory do you require?

Need a minimum of 80GB HDD and 2GB of memory. Can upgrade either if needed.

2. Do you require an Optical (CD/DVD) Drive to be built in?

No.

3. Do you require ability to add a second Battery or Hard Drive (Modular Bay technology)?

Not a requirement.

[leaftye]

I read mostly programming/technical books, so something larger than the Kindle is required.

What do you mean "larger"?

[Rich.Carpenter]

What do you mean "larger"?

I mean a larger display. There are a lot of diagrams and code listings involved in what I typically read, and I find neither shrinking them down nor limiting the amount of text visible at one time to be desirable.

[NamelessPlayer]

If you want a large screen in the 14" range for your budget, here's what I can think of:

-Toshiba Tecra M4 (Pentium M, 1400x1050)
-Toshiba Tecra M7 (Core Duo, 1400x900)
-Gateway E-295C/C-14*XL (Core 2 Duo, 1280x768, TN/CCFL)

There are newer ones like the Fujitsu T5010 and T900, but they're out of your budget.

I haven't used the former two (only Toshiba convertible I've seen in person is the Portege M750, a 12" model well out of your price range), but the E-295C is rather heavy, bulky, and the screen leaves a lot to be desired in terms of resolution and viewing angles. The main reason I have mine is that it came loaded with a Core 2 Duo T9300 for just $550, and most others will have T8300s at best.

All of the aforementioned are Wacom pen-only, but convertibles with keyboards. With your budget, the only chance you'll have at a capacitive multi-touch + EMR pen unit would be either the HP tx2 or the Dell Latitude XT, both of which use N-Trig. I was pleasantly surprised with how well it worked on the tx2, but I have no idea how well N-Trig digitizers are supported under Linux or 64-bit Windows (I couldn't confirm whether the tx2 was running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows 7). There's also the HP tx2000 and tx2500, which use a resistive digitizer for finger touch in conjunction with a Wacom pen.

If you wouldn't mind a 12" screen (albeit a good one; must be IPS or Hydis AFFS+) and a Core 2 Duo ULV (1.2 GHz), you could look into the HP 2710p, which goes for $350-400 on eBay sometimes. Nice and light, and the battery life is said to be pretty good.

[Rich.Carpenter]

Thanks for the suggestions, NamelessPlayer. I really don't want anything as large as 14". I mentioned large only in comparison to the the 6"-9" displays found on most e-readers. I've also updated my FAQ form; I think I would really need a touch screen to make it as usable for this purpose as, say, a Kindle or iPad.

[NamelessPlayer]

I've found a Dell Latitude XT for $460 shipped. 12" convertible, so it should be very portable. Looks pretty loaded, too, but the 32 GB SSD will be an issue for your uses if you need an 80 GB drive.

That's about the only sub-US$500 capacitive multi-touch + EMR pen Tablet PC I can find at the moment; other models in your price range will likely have a resistive single-touch digitizer for your fingers. The N-Trig digitizer shouldn't be problematic if you run 32-bit Windows and get the latest drivers, even in Photoshop (where N-Trig generally doesn't have pressure sensitivity), but it seems like pressure sensitivity isn't that important for your uses so long as you can write well.

If that Latitude XT slips by, you could hold out for other ones or seek out an HP tx2 that's also fallen under $500, though I haven't seen any for that much at the moment (over $500). That, or settle for resistive finger touch.

[Rich.Carpenter]

Those two models have caught my eye as well. Price being close and similar configurations, which would you say would provide the best display and touch screen feel and functionality?

[leaftye]

Looks like many good tablet's have already mentioned. I asked about "larger" because I actually prefer a larger desktop, ie, resolution when reading tiny characters in technical books. You might also want to look at the Lenovo X61. Make sure you shop carefully though since not all of them had touch screens.

If page up/down is all you're looking for, then it might help to know that tablet buttons are usually programmable. I change mine to go into and out of full screen mode on my t4210, and also to page up or down on both my t4210 and u820. Even on my touchscreen tablet, I prefer using the tablet buttons to page up/down.