Windows XP Tablet PC Edition - a second opinion

By Tim Danton

Posted on 6 Nov 2002 at 11:01

Before you start getting too excited about Microsoft's much-anticipated new operating system, take a step back. Yes, as a technical achievement, it's fantastic - the handwriting recognition works a treat, the fact that the hardware resumes from standby within five seconds brings it into PDA territory, and there will undoubtedly be occasions when using a notebook in tablet rather than traditional form will be useful.

But listening to Microsoft talk, you'd think that within a couple of years all notebooks would be running this enhanced version of Windows XP Professional. However, there's one huge hurdle to the company's plans: cost.
Let's take the hardware for starters. The touch-sensitive screen is one obvious barrier, while extras such as a reversible lid only add to the expense. What's more, manufacturers will have to pay Microsoft even more money for the privilege of including Tablet PC Edition than they already do for Windows XP Professional.

In return, Microsoft promises greater productivity from employees. But this is a chant we hear over and over again - with each new version of Office there are promises of more productivity, likewise for every new Intel chip. If all the claims are tallied together, we should be working about ten times more efficiently than we actually are. The trouble with productivity claims is that they're easy to shout about, difficult to prove. And, in particular, difficult to prove to those in control of IT budgets.

Then there are the maintenance costs. Not only will you be paying the traditional premium for a notebook, but also more for the two extra things that can go wrong with your Tablet PC - the swivelling lid in the convertible models and that touch-sensitive screen. More immediately, there's the concern of introducing a new operating system that must be supported.

All this seems likely to hamper initial investment into the tablet format by the corporates that Microsoft is so clearly targeting. Only those who can see concrete gains - more concrete than the time-saving of not transcribing notes from meetings - will be willing to put their money where Microsoft's mouth is.

Read the the PC Pro review of the Acer TravelMate C102T

You can read the full PC Pro view of the Tablet PC in the January issue, number 99.