Technology Solid Tablet PC or Excellent Notebook?

[subtle1epiphany]

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Okay, I'm starting med school in August and I'm considering the laptop I'll be purchasing. It's between two: a top IBM Thinkpad and a Fujitsu Tablet. Please don't try to persuade me from the Thinkpad, but if you know another tablet pc comparable to the Fujitsu, feel free to inform me (it must have an optical drive or I'd go for the new IBM tablet). The specs for each are as follows:

IBM Thinkpad T43
1.86GHz Pentium-M w/ 2MB L2 Cache and 533MHz FSB
768MB PC2-4200 CL4 RAM
ATi Mobility Radeon X300 64MB
14.1" SXGA+ (1400x1050) TFT
80GB 5400rpm HDD
4x max DVD Recordable
Gigabit ethernet, 56k modem
Intel wifi B+G
2x hi-capacity 9-cell batteries - 5-6hrs each
4 yr onsite repair - 9-5/next business day
$2463

Fujitsu T4010
1.8GHz Pentium-M w/ 2MB L2 Cache and 400MHz FSB
512MB RAM
Intel Extreme Graphics upto 64MB dynamic RAM
12.1" SXGA+ (1400x1050) TFT w/ electrostatic digitizer
80GB 5400rpm HDD
Multi-format DVD Recorder
Gigabit ethernet, 56k modem
Intel wifi B+G, Bluetooth
High capacity battery + Modular battery for upto 8hrs
1 yr warranty
$2533 total

So the differences are as follows:
- IBM has a longer and better warranty, with onsite repair and a service record second to Apple's (second best in the business)
- IBM has a better build quality, with a magnesium alloy frame and HDD protection
- IBM has one of the best keyboards in any notebook
- IBM has an excellent graphics adapter
- IBM has a larger screen, which is a pos and neg as it adds more weight
- IBM has a slightly faster cpu, faster FSB, more RAM for the same money
- Fujitsu has similar specs, solid construction, and it's a tablet (don't know about their service

It comes down to choosing a solid tablet pc or an outstanding conventional notebook. While I've had little experience with tablet pcs since all my local computer stores (CompUSA, Circuit City, etc) tend to have no demo devices, I can see it becoming a very decisive factor. IBM's top line of notebooks is regarded by every review as the business machine to beat. Fujitsu has also received rave reviews for their T4000 line and many have hailed it as the best tablet pc. So after all this information and listing of specs, it comes down to choosing the Fujitsu for it's tablet or otherwise sticking with the IBM as I've planned to do for months now.
Any other analysis or advice from those who have used a tablet pc or are in med school is very welcome, thank you in advance!

 

[Sessamoid]

The situations where a Tablet form factor have any sort of advantage are few, and those require custom applications. They're a solution looking for a problem. My brother played with the Tablet PC early in its life (he did the ad campaign for them). They had a couple of them in the office. After the initial novelty wore off, they just kind of sat in a corner collecting dust.

Data input on a tablet is a pain in the neck. Handwriting recognition really needs to be amazingly accurate before it can supplant typing. Tablets are heavy because they're mostly glass and batteries. And if you use them to their best advantage, you're using it while standing a lot. This just exposes them to more chances to get dropped and broken. The last downside is you have to deal with Microsoft shoehorning their desktop interface onto a tablet form factor.

My advice is to go with the Thinkpad. Proven reliability and usefulness there.

 

[topworm]

Okay, I'm starting med school in August and I'm considering the laptop I'll be purchasing. It's between two: a top IBM Thinkpad and a Fujitsu Tablet. Please don't try to persuade me from the Thinkpad, but if you know another tablet pc comparable to the Fujitsu, feel free to inform me (it must have an optical drive or I'd go for the new IBM tablet). The specs for each are as follows:

IBM Thinkpad T43
1.86GHz Pentium-M w/ 2MB L2 Cache and 533MHz FSB
768MB PC2-4200 CL4 RAM
ATi Mobility Radeon X300 64MB
14.1" SXGA+ (1400x1050) TFT
80GB 5400rpm HDD
4x max DVD Recordable
Gigabit ethernet, 56k modem
Intel wifi B+G
2x hi-capacity 9-cell batteries - 5-6hrs each
4 yr onsite repair - 9-5/next business day
$2463

Fujitsu T4010
1.8GHz Pentium-M w/ 2MB L2 Cache and 400MHz FSB
512MB RAM
Intel Extreme Graphics upto 64MB dynamic RAM
12.1" SXGA+ (1400x1050) TFT w/ electrostatic digitizer
80GB 5400rpm HDD
Multi-format DVD Recorder
Gigabit ethernet, 56k modem
Intel wifi B+G, Bluetooth
High capacity battery + Modular battery for upto 8hrs
1 yr warranty
$2533 total

So the differences are as follows:
- IBM has a longer and better warranty, with onsite repair and a service record second to Apple's (second best in the business)
- IBM has a better build quality, with a magnesium alloy frame and HDD protection
- IBM has one of the best keyboards in any notebook
- IBM has an excellent graphics adapter
- IBM has a larger screen, which is a pos and neg as it adds more weight
- IBM has a slightly faster cpu, faster FSB, more RAM for the same money
- Fujitsu has similar specs, solid construction, and it's a tablet (don't know about their service

It comes down to choosing a solid tablet pc or an outstanding conventional notebook. While I've had little experience with tablet pcs since all my local computer stores (CompUSA, Circuit City, etc) tend to have no demo devices, I can see it becoming a very decisive factor. IBM's top line of notebooks is regarded by every review as the business machine to beat. Fujitsu has also received rave reviews for their T4000 line and many have hailed it as the best tablet pc. So after all this information and listing of specs, it comes down to choosing the Fujitsu for it's tablet or otherwise sticking with the IBM as I've planned to do for months now.
Any other analysis or advice from those who have used a tablet pc or are in med school is very welcome, thank you in advance!

Most students who have tablets seem to love them. They are made for an extremely vertical market, but the two biggest users seem to be a) students and b) health care workers. Check out this website. It certainly sold me! I"m going for the motion le1600, since I plan on using it as a digital notebook to keep everything in one place and rarely find the need for an optical drive (and it comes with an optical drive emulator you can use if you need one)

http://studenttabletpc.blogs.com/

 

[lord_jeebus]

I don't know which of the two is best but if you decide on the Fujitsu I'd recommend getting it from portableone.com

They have options like an upgrade to a 7200 RPM hard drive (only 60GB but it improves performance) and if you ask they'll check for and fix dead pixels before they send it to you.

Also consider the T4010D instead of the T4010 -- the only difference is that the D has Atheros wireless (super ABG) instead of Intel. Supposedly the atheros has better range although I've never done a head-to-head comparison.