HP TC1100 or Elitebook 2730p?

[piratesmvp04]

Hi guys, I asked for advice on my tablet purchase in another thread a couple months ago. I am looking to purchase a new tablet for use in medical school for taking notes in lectures on OneNote. My previous tablet, the Asus T101MT, starting having touchscreen problems, but Amazon has been kind enough to let me return it for full refund past due date. I was originally considering the HP Slate 500, but I have decided against it because I think the 8.9" screen would be too small; I already felt cramped on the T101MT's 10.1" screen. I would like to have a decently sized screen, but also some portability. I like the portability aspect of the TC1100, but I'm concerned about battery life and compatility issues with Windows 7. I also have seen the 2730p recommended a lot on this forum and other places, and I like the features it has. But, I don't like that it weighs 3.74 pounds to the TC1100's 3.1 (without the keyboard). But, both are similarly priced on Ebay (TC1100 is selling refurb for $220, and the 2730p is going refurb for $270) So, I was wondering which tablet would you recommend?

General Questions.

1. What is your budget? Free-$450

2. Would you consider purchasing used/refurbished? Refurbished

3. What size Tablet PC would you prefer?
Compact ~ 10"
Mainstream ~ 12.1"

5. Which country do you intent to purchase from? United States

6. Do you have any preferences to brand loyalty or dislikes? HP and Lenovo, but any brand is fine with me as long as the product is reliable.

7. How many hours battery life do you require? At least 3-5

8. What will be the primary usage scenario of this tablet? OneNote, browsing the web, watching movies, occasional Gimphoto

9. Do you have an OS preference? Vista or 7, preferably Windows 7

10. What software and tasks do you intend to run? Microsoft Office 2007, Internet Explorer, Gimphoto and Artweaver

10. Do you intend on playing Games? If so please list.
Perhaps Age of Empires 1 and 2 if the touch interface makes it more fun, but I have my regular desktop for gaming, so it's not necessary.


Screen Specifics

1. What resolution do you prefer? At least 1024x768

2. Do you require the screen to be readable in sunlight? Yes, that's preferable

3. Do you prefer your display to be glossy or matte? Matte, though I can settle with a screen protector

4. Do you require Touch? Preferable, but not necessary.

5. Do you require a Pen? Yes, Wacom. Only N-trig if no other options. No interest in resistive.


Component Specifics

1. What size Hard Drive and Memory do you require? At least 2 GB RAM and 80 GB hard drive

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)? No

Thank you for your assistance.

[Agent 9]

TC1100= very very old: ULV Pentium M processor (or older?), GPU, HDD, fan, CCFL screen, and battery meaning in all likelihood at least one of those will die within the first 6 months to a year and that it won't especially be worth it when it is running (as its so underpowered that it will struggle and heat up quite a bit when actually being used -not to mention the screen will not be bright enough to use for note taking comfortably in even a semi-bright environment... I have two ULV Pentium M machines and while they can be used for note taking and more, it pretty much requires a clean install of windows on a SSD to have it mostly usable and not super frustratingly slow (Its still not what I'd recommend, especially with a much better option like the 2730p out there)

While the 2730p is a lot newer, has very very powerful and capable LV Core 2 Duo processor and Intel 4500 MHD, it has a SATA II 1.8" drive that can use HDD's (up to 320GB) or SSD's (I've seen 512GB ones on the way), it also has a bright LED screen that is quite usable in bright indoor or outdoor conditions. You also have the options for slice batteries and the slim dock.


Unconditionally I say your option really is just the 2730p as its such a great machine and has little problems (plus you can easily overclock the processor with the Dual IDA modded BIOS and Throttlestop)

[pmatulew]

Away team comparison:

2730p - pickup and go = 4lbs

TC1100+keyboard+protective case+power supply=??


4lbs is 4lbs. It's not like it's an 8lbs desktop replacement. You get used to it in exchange for the power and the flexibility. The 2730p is very underrated. Don't think twice.

[darkmagistric]

very much agreed......Although the HP TC1100 has an eternal home in hearts of many Tablet PC enthusiasts.....it is just too damn old. May its unique spirit rest in piece.

The Weight difference is almost negated by how bulky the TC1100s, because of the large Bezel around it....its gonna have roughly the same footprint as a 12 inch tablet. Case in point my old x61t was roughly the same size since it had a smaller bezel.

Screen quality is mostly garbage on the TC, as well performance....etc....I purchased one a few years back....and it died shortly afterwards.

Go with the 2730p

[dceggert]

Agreed with all that is posted here...plus:

- there are no refurbished TC1100's. There may be some 'user refurbished' but that in no way means anything.
- between the two the 2730P wins hands down.
- if you like Win 7 stay away from the TC1100 as it has some issues.

As an alternative, consider the Motion LE1700 as a Win 7 capable slate in a similar format as the TC1100 in your price range. Many have used these and profess to their abilities, especially with the View Anywhere Screen.

[piratesmvp04]

Alright thanks. It seems the 2730p is he way to go. I did check out the Motion tablets be I saw that it is extremely hard to find extra batteries, so I've decided against it.

[dceggert]

pirate,
The 2730P with the base unit and slice battery is probably one of the best systems available on the market from anyone. You would not go wrong with the system but it can be costly to get set up.

[piratesmvp04]

pirate,
The 2730P with the base unit and slice battery is probably one of the best systems available on the market from anyone. You would not go wrong with the system but it can be costly to get set up.

It seems like that from the specs and reviews I've seen. What exactly do you mean be "costly to get set up?"

[Agent 9]

A word of caution though; while there are tons of 2730p's going for really low prices, you have to be sure it is actually coming with all the needed stuff (OEM AC adapter, hard drive/ solid state drive, drive cable, ram, COA key, main battery, pen) reason I say this is because many of the super cheap ones are actually off from cooperate lease and they took the hard drives and had them destroyed (the HDD cable is often removed and either disposed of or sold on the side for an additional $35+ or so by the seller of the 2730p)... the price of the 1.8" HDD's has certainly gone up, it seems the 250GB 1.8" Toshiba I got a year ago for ~$89 and they now cost $160+ so you may want to strongly consider a 1.8" uSATA Intel, Crucial, or Samsung SSD right off the bat

What dceggert is talking about is how the slice batteries can often cost $50+ (I got mine for ~$18+ S&H each quite a while ago from a ebay seller -good deals show up once in a while, but aren't common); then the slim dock will often cost $50+ as well (though sometimes there are decent deals beware of the cheaper ones a they may be severely damaged or non-functioning, be sure to read the description carefully). Sometimes though you can find a deal for a 2730p & slice batteries & slim dock as a decently priced 'bundle'

[piratesmvp04]

This offer seems to have everything. Does this look legit to you? http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Compaq-El...item4ab4cc5cb2