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What do you think about convertible notebooks?

J

jhtrico1850

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 5, 2007
186
32
http://www.gateway.com/programs/convertible/
Good: The computing power of a notebook (which is near desktops, except GPU)
Draw!
Take notes!
Keyboard! (unlike tablet pcs)

Bad: battery life
premium (though you get more functionality)

They look nifty. Would be a good buy for college. They seem so good, though I wonder why they aren't as popular. Maybe most people just want a laptop that works? I'm interested in more than "just works" though. I know ModBook is out there and I heard about a "tiny" macbook (UMPC), but this is different.
 
Well I've only recently been aware of convertibles and didn't realize how much they penetrated the MicroCenter:D And why would you classify the convertibles as a class of tablets rather than notebooks? Why classify them as one or the other? They look like a 50/50 mix of both to me.

Those hybrids (convertibles with detachable keyboards) take things a whole step further, though I think quirks of convertibles (battery/price) should be amended before we go there.

The x60 looks kind of plastic/ugly to me, but they always look better in real life:) I wonder what will be Apple's take on convertibles.
 
Tablets aren't all that.

Let me say first this is in my oppinion. :) Tablet PCs or the converted macbookpro really aren't all that great. Their good if its a second computer and you only use it for one purpose, (like working with graphic) but as a multipurpose labtop or notebook, to use at school or work and to be able to bring home play games or listen to music, its not for me.
 
i have always wondered, 'if you have a keyboard, why do you want to write?'

people can type alot faster than they can write and use a mouse to click.

and it probably isn't that great for drawing either

it is a little too gimmicky for me, plus the hinge looks like it will snap really easily
 
Gateway said:
Software Documentation: End User License Agreement for Non-Microsoft Software
Standard Software: Adobe® Acrobat Reader® 7.0 and Google Toolbar
Click to expand...

Man, what the heck. How are those important? License Agreement as documentation on how to use software? What about Windows Live Messenger as standard software?
Guess they didn't think weight and size were important enough specs for a portable...

I've always wanted to own a convertible. Mainly for the ability to control the cursor with a pen when photoshopping and to draw diagrams.
 
How do you do complex math functions on a keyboard? I realize there is code like this but eww
http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=8997

ElectricCircuit.png

Imagine drawing that in paint.

plus the hinge looks like it will snap really easily
Click to expand...

lol
 
I had a friend who had an X40 from IBM before they became Lenovo branded. He used it as his second computer in addition to his desktop. They're perfect for taking notes in Engineering classes where you rarely write down words, mostly formulas and diagrams. Of course, the rest of us just used a pad of paper and pen/pencil, and we seemed to get along just fine.

I find they're a bit more gimmicky than useful though, and the Lenovo's have a large price premium on them, but they are probably the best of the lot in terms of quality.
 
They can be useful for some classes, but yeah, a pad and paper will do just as well. Also, if you try and push their utility to all your classes, you're just gonna screw yourself over. I know this idiot who uses one to take notes directly on his slides in class, it ends up looking insanely messy because it's hard to write properly and the writing seems to be too thick. Luckily you can erase, but why put yourself through that trouble?

But if you insist on having all your notes on computer and you're taking classes that you can't easily type up, like math, physics, etc, then it could be useful.
 
Nice! I had alot of ppl ask me how to do it... cause I admit it, it's not very easy right now, it will be simplified in the future with quicksteps.
The only advantage now is that you can do everything you can with a LVZ. Like add sound files, or help files, or whatever
 
If you want to get an idea about how good a convertible tablet pc is for a student check out studenttabletpc.com.

I have Toshiba m400 and a 17" C2D MacBook pro, both have their uses. I'm currently a graduate student and read hundreads of journals in PDF format. You can not beat the ability of organizing them and annotating them while not having to spend all the money on ink and paper to print them. Taking notes in class is great, you never run out of paper and you can even record classes with most tablets (internal mic) and match the recordings with the handwritten notes. It's also not as loud as typing your notes during class. If your professor e-mails out powerpoint slides before class, even better, you can open the file and make your notes on the slides by hand.

As a grad student I give lectures, with my tablet I can emphasize items on my slides and make drawings on slides while giving the lecture, adds a nice level of interaction.

Tablets have their uses but as someone mentioned above they are not gaming rigs. They are not supposed to be, they are a business tool with specific uses. I love both my laptops. I have the MacBook to run certain programs I need and for that I love my MacBook. For me a tablet is not a gimmick.

Check out the site I mentioned above.
 
My Dad has an HP one (and a Mac Pro).

It lets him surf the internet still with his medical issues. The poster above me has some great points too - ones i hadn't thought of!

For my needs, i don't need one - but they do have their niche.
 
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