A good Tablet for a writer

For what you're after, perhaps you'd be better off getting a cheap netbook? Physical keyboard, USB, etc.

If you specifically want a tablet and don't want an iPad, you're limited in your options right now. I casually follow tablet news and from what I've read, the Galaxy is the only real contender at this stage. A number of companies have tablets scheduled to come out in 2011, though, if you don't mind waiting.

Cheers.

Georgina said:

For what you're after, perhaps you'd be better off getting a cheap netbook? Physical keyboard, USB, etc.

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Seconded. Before buying a tablet to write on, make sure to borrow one and write a few thousand words on it to test out if it's actually comfortable to write on that touch keyboard.. Writing without haptic feedback sucks, and many people who are used to writing decent-length texts manage more keystrokes per minute than touch keyboards can handle.
Even when buying a netbook i suggest trying it out first to see if you're comfortable with the keyboard size. Keyboards are like fountain pens, not all of them are comfortable to write with for every writer.

Thump said:

I've thought of that. I like the physical keyboard but at the same time, it's only a small improvement in portability compared to a laptop. Also, I would like something that turns on almost instantly like the iPad does (from what I've seen).

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Small netbooks are the same size as the iPad. How long it takes to boot has almost nothing to do with the hardware, it's a question of how you set up the OS. Windows and linux can be set to go to sleep mode instead of switching off, and will turn on instantly as well. You could even turn a netbook into a hackintosh if you like the apple software.

Thump said:

:-S It's looking like the iPad is the only real option, at this point anyway. Do you know if you can write .doc files on it? Or at least a format that is compatible with Windows computers?

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According to this Apple support page, Pages (the iPad word processor) supports .doc. There's some other info there on importing and exporting documents with the iPad that might be of interest.

Regarding hackintoshes, I've known several people who've tried to get that up and running, and all of them had varying degrees of trouble. I'd research carefully before buying a netbook specifically to convert to hackintosh, if that's your end goal.

Cheers.

Yes, it's not something for people who don't have fun fiddling around with their machine. But there's no real good reason to use Apple software anyway, except personal preference. So if the goal is just to have any netbook, just stick with windows or linux.

Lhun said:

Seconded. Before buying a tablet to write on, make sure to borrow one and write a few thousand words on it to test out if it's actually comfortable to write on that touch keyboard.. Writing without haptic feedback sucks, and many people who are used to writing decent-length texts manage more keystrokes per minute than touch keyboards can handle.
Even when buying a netbook i suggest trying it out first to see if you're comfortable with the keyboard size. Keyboards are like fountain pens, not all of them are comfortable to write with for every writer.

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Thump said:

I've thought of that. I like the physical keyboard but at the same time, it's only a small improvement in portability compared to a laptop.

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I wouldn't necessarily go by how well you type on it after a few thousand words. Touch keyboards take getting used to, but some people can write pretty damn well on them.

However, if your main purpose is writing, and you don't plan on using it for other purposes, then definitely don't jump in if you don't like typing on it. You may get better, you might not, so it's not really worth it if you're not planning on using its other capabilities.

Also, I would like something that turns on almost instantly like the iPad does (from what I've seen).

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That's partially because it's not actually turning on and off. It's sleeping, like most other computers can do. If you really want something that will wake from sleep that instantly, though, get something with an SSD.

If you want a hardware keyboard, instant-on, and good protability — and budget isn't too much of an issue — the new 11" MacBook Air is a good choice.

:-S It's looking like the iPad is the only real option, at this point anyway. Do you know if you can write .doc files on it? Or at least a format that is compatible with Windows computers?

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Georgina said:

According to this Apple support page, Pages (the iPad word processor) supports .doc. There's some other info there on importing and exporting documents with the iPad that might be of interest.

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Pages can read .doc and export to it. It can't *natively* save to .doc, but since you'll (I assume) be transferring your docs back and forth between a regular computer anyway, that's not too big a deal.

What can be problematic, is that you may lose a lot of special formatting. Pages and most other word processors for the iPad aren't quite as capable as their desktop brethren yet. You should keep as much basic stuff though as, say, going between .doc and .rtf.

Regarding hackintoshes, I've known several people who've tried to get that up and running, and all of them had varying degrees of trouble. I'd research carefully before buying a netbook specifically to convert to hackintosh, if that's your end goal.

Cheers.

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Lhun said:

Yes, it's not something for people who don't have fun fiddling around with their machine. But there's no real good reason to use Apple software anyway, except personal preference. So if the goal is just to have any netbook, just stick with windows or linux.

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Yeah, if you don't enjoy tinkering with your machine, it's probably best to stick with Windows or Linux on non-Apple hardware. On top of getting it to work in the first place, there's the problem that software updates can sometimes break your machine until there's a hackintosh fix. Sometimes they do work flawlessly, though.

Thump said:

Hullo,

If the question has been discussed, please link me I searched but found threads that weren't really relevant.

I really want to get a tablet pc to do some writing on during the commute etc. So far, I've been using a notebook but I'm terrible at typing what I've written longhand :S

I wonder if any of you use a Tablet for writing manuscripts?

I've considered the iPad. I love Apple products but I'm not a blind follower. I'm not convinced it's the best option for me. For that price, I'd like something that can do more of what my laptop can. I don't expect it to do everything but...

Ideally, I'd like something that can connect to the internet, Wi-Fi only will do as I don't want to have to pay for a monthly contract on 3G. I also want a USB port or at least an SD card slot. A large screen I think would be best as I need space to write and see what I'm writing so not a touch keyboard that takes up the whole space. I like the size of the iPad. It's big but then, my notebook's bigger I would also like some of the fast response of iPads, it's all so smooth! I don't care what OS it operates, I can learn... and I don't need it to have cameras and phone capability. I already have a camera and a phone... although, admitedly, a camera for having Skype video calls would be nice (but not required).

Suggestions? It seems like the only reviews I find are "iPad vs. Galaxy Tab" and as the Galaxy is too small for my taste, it doesn't give me much of a choice does it?

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Also consider your first need. You said you want to write during your commute. I don't know of any form of transit that is smooth enough to allow you to write cleanly and without jerking the pen all over the tablet screen every time the vehicle bumps or moves.

I use the HP TMt2 tablet Pc. It runs Windows 7 and retails for about $899. Mine is powerful enough to play games has a huge harddrive, 500 gigs and has a key board. It has a Stylus AND touch screen like an Ipad. You can use them both interchangeably.

Also W7 is tablet ready. It recognizes my handwriting and I can handwrite onto the screen and it changes it to type.

It's a great commute computer. The battery does last 6 hours. It has an SD slot and usb ports.

Thump said:

I've thought of that. I like the physical keyboard but at the same time, it's only a small improvement in portability compared to a laptop. Also, I would like something that turns on almost instantly like the iPad does (from what I've seen).

:-S It's looking like the iPad is the only real option, at this point anyway. Do you know if you can write .doc files on it? Or at least a format that is compatible with Windows computers?

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Ipad really isn't the only option. HP TMT2.

Dell do something similair - cheaper too.

Thump said:

I'm looking at the Tm2t and it sound very good even though Engadget shows it to be a bit sluggish (yeah, I'm impatient like that...). It looks a bit heavy though.

Tirjasdyn: do you ever have any issues with the weight of the Tm2t?

JimmyB27: That is a lot cheaper but it's Dell and I haven't had good experiences with Dell. Do you have one of these or have you tried it?

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Mine isn't sluggish at all, but it has six gigs of ram. I don't run the HP desktop app very much. I find that I forget I can't touch the screen of other computers.

As for weight...nope. I read on it, draw on it, edit on it. It's like snuggling up with a hardback book.

I took a look at the dell. oooo pretty. THe ram is on the low side and no way to add more though.

tablets are in general too expensive. Either a netbook or the iPad is your best bet. I used to have a netbook and it was okay (a bit too small). I love my iPad when I travel and I can write on it just fine (using Pages for iPad, which syncs with my computer). I have an iPad case with a built-in bluetooth keyboard ($99). Perfect for travel (the whole thing weighs about 2 pounds).

maestrowork said:

tablets are in general too expensive. Either a netbook or the iPad is your best bet. I used to have a netbook and it was okay (a bit too small). I love my iPad when I travel and I can write on it just fine (using Pages for iPad, which syncs with my computer). I have an iPad case with a built-in bluetooth keyboard ($99). Perfect for travel (the whole thing weighs about 2 pounds).

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Tablet PC's have dropped in price significantly since the intro of the iPad. In general you can get a nice one for under 900$.

OP specified that they wanted SD card, the ability to write on screen with wifi. None of which the iPad has.

Tirjasdyn said:

Tablet PC's have dropped in price significantly since the intro of the iPad. In general you can get a nice one for under 900$.

OP specified that they wanted SD card, the ability to write on screen with wifi. None of which the iPad has.

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Except for SD card storage, the iPad has wifi and you can write on the screen. The iPad has internal storage and will sync to your desktop or an online site. The iPad is $499 vs the cheapest Windows (crap) tablet for $900.

Then why not just get a Windows 7 tablet? Why consider Linux which you don't know anything about? It's not the time to try a new OS when you have writing to do. . Ps Linux is good if you know it and if you have software to run on it.

Sorry about the commentary but I just don't like Windows and I wonder about the build quality of a $900 tablet PC. But you're right. Let's not get into that debate. I just wanted to correct tirjasdyn about the iPad.

maestrowork said:

Except for SD card storage, the iPad has wifi and you can write on the screen. The iPad has internal storage and will sync to your desktop or an online site. The iPad is $499 vs the cheapest Windows (crap) tablet for $900.

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Yup. It doesn't have a hardware keyboard, though. You can get a keyboard dock, but unless you might as well just try to get used to the software one if you want to be more portable.

Thump said:

I've been reading about Android lately. I know it has fewer apps and all that but what are your opinions on that?
What about Linux? I've heard a lot about it and my computer savvy friends all use it but I don't know much about it except that it's open source. Would it be a good idea to get a Windows 7 tablet and install Linux on it instead like I've seen suggested in other places? I don't know how well Linux works with touchscreens...

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Android is good for smartphones, but it's not optimized for tablets yet. This is according to Google. The next 3.0 version (Honeycomb, I believe?) will ready it for tablets. There are several manufacturers like Samsung with their Galaxy Tab that have pushed out tablets with the current 2.2 (2.3 as of very recently) Android version.

I prefer iOS personally. I think Android will be fine and good for tablets soon, though, BUT I would recommend waiting for one that supports a version that Google says is ready for tablet-sized screens. And definitely get one that's bigger than the 7"ers that everyone seems to be pushing out.

Linux is great on a notebook or desktop. Despite it being touch-capable.... I wouldn't use it on a tablet. Both Linux and Windows 7 suffer from the same problem of being a keyboard-and-mouse OS that are being pushed onto tablets without being re-designed for a touch interface. Of the two, while I'd put Linux on a desktop or notebook before Windows (my preference), I'd definitely put Windows on a touchscreen before Linux, at the moment.

If you look to Windows, you have to ask yourself whether you really want a pure tablet/touch experience or a hybrid of touch/mouse/keyboard. Windows 7 is touch-ready, but it's not really optimized for a touch screen, which is why options like iOS or Android, which are built from the get-go as touch OS's, are preferable for a machine meant to be used primarily as a tablet/touch device. Obviously, there are other trade-offs there, in that it can run desktop applications like a real version of Office, it's more stand-alone, etc., but I'd probably just put my money toward a nice ultraportable notebook at that point. If you're looking for something that can transition between a regular notebook and a tablet, it can do that, though.

I use a netbook with XP on it. Battery time is great, starts almost instantly if you just let it sleep rather than shutting it down. In the case of mine I just physically put the lid down. They're getting cheaper too

I'm pretty happy with Windows 7. I've had the tm2t for almost a year now and have had no need to call tech support, no hardware issues, and no reason to reinstall anything. The screen is still solid and pen slot hasn't lost the pen yet.

As for the iPad, of which we currently have 3 in the house for gifts and the one my BF uses, has no app for writing on the screen with a digi pen. If you want a keyboard we've had good luck with bluetooth keyboards. The only writer I know who considered an iPad stuck with his iPhone 4 and a netbook.

Android - we've come up with a few examples but kuwisdelu is right...might want to wait till the next update and what folks do with it.

Linux is really not a good idea with a tablet. If you go netbook, I know quite a few folks who are happily writing on a linux netbook but they all have a linux guy or gal they can go to in an emergency which I would recommend.

Tirjasdyn said:

As for the iPad, of which we currently have 3 in the house for gifts and the one my BF uses, has no app for writing on the screen with a digi pen. If you want a keyboard we've had good luck with bluetooth keyboards. The only writer I know who considered an iPad stuck with his iPhone 4 and a netbook.

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Just a simple Google search came up with this:

http://jaxov.com/2010/04/writepad-handwriting-recognition-app-for-ipad/


$9.99

There are others, including note-taking, sketching apps such as PenUltimate, which is only $1.99.

I also have a Pogo Sketch Stylus which is $15. I like it a lot of sketching, writing, etc. I still prefer using my fingers for gesturing and swiping, etc. however.