I think Lora started out with her latest Tablet PC entry making suggestions, "Sorting through which Tablet PC model would be best for school sounds like it would be a simple process, but really does become overwhelming for some people. Here are a few suggestions to help in the decision making process" ...

However, the introduction is well worth the reading time (yes, your time is valuable but read it!).

Yesterday I was helping a woman whose son is going to UNC as a freshman this fall. She proudly told me that he'll be in the pre-med / pharmacy program. Since I have several friends who are physicians and pharmacists, I allowed us to get off topic and we talked about how some start working for an Rx the summer before college and then that Rx helps pay for a Pharm-D. Then, we joked about how college students need to stand in line for money where ever they can.

Once we got back on topic, she said that she'd spent hours going down the recommended hardware and software list and though spending $2000 - $2500 on a mobile PC was not unreasonable to her, she wanted to make sure he was getting a work machine and not a gaming or entertainment notebook. UNC recommended the IBM T41, but when she was on ESC's website she saw the Acer TravelMate Tablet PCs and wasn't sure if she understood correctly that he could actually use a digital pen to write his notes. Yes! Upon getting confirmation Mom was sold immediately. She could see how he could use it throughout the day. She ended the call knowing she would be happy with him using a Tablet PC yet questioning how hard she was going to have to convince him that she made the right decision.

A conversation with a different mother also stood out this week. Again, a fairly typical discussion about product features. This mom was overwhelmed sorting through the choices and options. She was looking for a Tablet PC for her 13-year old daughter to use in school on a daily basis. The state of New Jersey had bought her daughter an HP notebook that weighed over 8lbs. The daughter, smaller than an average 13-year old, can't lift the heavy notebook out of her backpack to rest it on a desk. She needs a mobile PC that is 4lbs or less. Because the mom knew that fighting with the school to change the notebook to an Tablet PC could possibly take most of the next academic year, she decided to buy her daughter a Tablet PC now. Her plan is to help her daughter learn to use it this summer and then train the teacher just before school starts in a few weeks.

These mothers immediately saw the practical aspect of their children using Tablet PCs. They didn't question the usefulness and the advantage over a traditional notebook. However, each had spent hours sorting through specifications and were overwhelmed to the point where they just felt they had to decide immediately and get on with their day.

In the case of the pharmacy student mother, she knew she wanted the most powerful processor, minimum of 512MB of memory, and an internal optical drive. Right there, she narrowed her choices down to the Acer TravelMate C30X or the Gateway M275. She wasn't going to buy from Gateway, but liked Acer. So, Acer it was.

In the case of the mother with the daughter in middle school, weight was her number one priority. After talking with her a few minutes, it was easy to find out that battery duration was her second priority, so Electrovaya or Tatung Tablet PCs were the best choice. (Her daughter would be the only one in the classroom with a mobile PC, no electrical outlet, and adding multiple batteries in her backpack would be too heavy. The Electrovaya battery could get her through an entire school day.)

Man, oh man. I've been there many, many times. I have such a difficult time choosing one Tablet PC over another. May I have one of each please?

Tablet PC Choices for Students

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Layne P. Heiny / Administrator for Tux Reports Network

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