Is a tablet pc worth purchasing?

[jianada]

I’m going to college soon and was wondering if I should invest in getting a tablet PC. I would probably get an eee pad transformer cause its awesome but i don't know if it is really worth it. Its main use in college would be note taking and surfing the web and simple stuff. Mostly note taking. So with that in mind would you recommend that or something else or nothing at all. Paper and notebook never worked for me cause i was disorganized so don't mention that. Thanks!!

[3Miro]

What you are asking is way too person dependent. Tablets certainly help some people be more organized, however, they are really bad for others. The best people here can tell you if whether or not it worked for them. I am sure it worked for some people and it didn't work for others.

Find a way to try this and test it for yourself. See if you personally would be more or less organized on a tablet and the consider if you can afford the price.

[kerry_s]

tablets are great, i don't think I'll ever go back to a computer. lol
make sure you get a capacitive screen & at least 512mb ram, anything else is just not worth it. i now use a galaxy player 5.0, paid $200 when it was on sale. it's just a 5 inch but is packed with features, the Swype keyboard makes writing so fast. i chose 5 inch cause i take it every where, everything else was to big, iPod was to small & slow, as well as limited.

[AllRadioisDead]

tablets are great, i don't think I'll ever go back to a computer. lol
make sure you get a capacitive screen & at least 512mb ram, anything else is just not worth it. i now use a galaxy player 5.0, paid $200 when it was on sale. it's just a 5 inch but is packed with features, the Swype keyboard makes writing so fast. i chose 5 inch cause i take it every where, everything else was to big, iPod was to small & slow, as well as limited.

The Galaxy player isn't a tablet, it's a PMP.

[MoonLitOwl]

I’m going to college soon and was wondering if I should invest in getting a tablet PC. I would probably get an eee pad transformer cause its awesome but i don't know if it is really worth it. Its main use in college would be note taking and surfing the web and simple stuff. Mostly note taking. So with that in mind would you recommend that or something else or nothing at all. Paper and notebook never worked for me cause i was disorganized so don't mention that. Thanks!!

Might as well get an ultra portable laptop. It will make taking notes much easier and you'll be able to write up your work on it as well. The only downside is taking math notes, which is where the tablet would come in handy. But in that case you might as well buy a small note book and just write that down, and use the laptop for everything else. Typing up a report on a tablet will not be easy unless you can also get the keyboard extension. And than you might as well just have a laptop! :P

I'm a college student as well and have taken my laptop with me.

[guyver_dio]

Can't help you decide whether to get one or not, thats up to you, but if I were to get a tablet I'd go with the asus transformer too. Tablet and netbook in one with decent specs.

[lykwydchykyn]

Maybe I'm an old fuddy-duddy, but I wouldn't want to be off to college with anything less than a laptop. You're going to be typing a lot of stuff, and chances are you're going to need to run some kind of Microsoft product at some point because some prof refuses to understand what a PDF is.

It's not as hip or portable, but since you'll be lugging around twice your bodyweight in overpriced books already, an extra couple pounds isn't going to make a big difference.

Now, if you already have a laptop and just want to have something portable to take to classes, it might be ok but personally I'd want a good keyboard.

[tjeremiah]

a little side note. The first transformer will most likely have a price drop due to the newer Transformer being released (Transformer Prime). The first Transformer as it is, is no slouch and will run the newest Android OS (ice scream sandwich). So if you really want to dig into the tablet world, getting the original transformer for less would be a good start.

[guyver_dio]

bah get the transformer prime, he's going to college, he'll be gaming not studying 8)

[LowSky]

Get a real laptop. Tablets suck for note taking.

Even a netbook would be better for class than any tablet.

[HappinessNow]

I’m going to college soon and was wondering if I should invest in getting a tablet PC. I would probably get an eee pad transformer cause its awesome but i don't know if it is really worth it. Its main use in college would be note taking and surfing the web and simple stuff. Mostly note taking. So with that in mind would you recommend that or something else or nothing at all. Paper and notebook never worked for me cause i was disorganized so don't mention that. Thanks!!I am in college and have been successfully using a Google Chromebook for over a year. I highly recommend the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook to meet all your academic needs.

[Paqman]

I highly recommend the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook to meet all your academic needs.

What do you use for writing papers?

[forrestcupp]

I’m going to college soon and was wondering if I should invest in getting a tablet PC. I would probably get an eee pad transformer cause its awesome but i don't know if it is really worth it. Its main use in college would be note taking and surfing the web and simple stuff. Mostly note taking. So with that in mind would you recommend that or something else or nothing at all. Paper and notebook never worked for me cause i was disorganized so don't mention that. Thanks!!

I have a Transformer, and I love it. If you're going to be doing a lot of note taking, you'll probably want the keyboard attachment, though. An onscreen keyboard is decent for jotting down short things, but a pain for writing a lot. The attachment is easy to put on and take off.

I think if you get the keyboard, you'll be very happy with a Transformer or Transformer Prime, if you could afford it. The good thing about the Transformer for you is that it comes with the full version of Polaris Office. It's no LibreOffice, but it's not bad for Android. I hear they're working on an Android version of LibreOffice. Bring it on!

[BrokenKingpin]

The Transformer is a pretty sweet device, and would work pretty sweet for not taking. That being said, you could get a normal netbook for half the price, and you would have a lot more options in terms of the OS and software you can load on it (Like the full version of Ubuntu, etc.). The only down side is that you would not be able to detach the keyboard to use as a tablet (not a big deal if the main purpose is note taking).

[jfreak_]

bah get the transformer prime, he's going to college, he'll be gaming not studying 8)
+100

college days are awesome when exams and assignments are not on top of you. Definitely go for a desktop for gaming.

PS- The excitement for studying and changing the world will fade away by the end of your freshman year. :lolflag:

[mamamia88]

Get a netbook they actually fit on your desk nicely. Also what good is a tablet with no keyboard for writing up reports? I have absolutely no problem using my netbook keyboard to write up reports and I have large hands. Also, since they aren't very powerful you won't be tempted to watch youtube or play games while working on homework.

[Primefalcon]

I second a netbook, very portable and great battery life, and lets face if can plug a full keyboard and mouse into it for when your at home... a lot of of them also even have vga ports and the like for full size monitors....

so while at home in dorm whatever you can have it plugged in and still super portable while still having a keyboard for on the go..

@post above I only have a 900ha and I can watch youtube and even play gameslike runescape (on low detail) fine.... so yeah netbooks rock

[forrestcupp]

People mention the battery life of netbooks. But if you buy the keyboard attachment for the Transformer, which has a 2nd battery, you can get around 15-16 hours of battery life usage. And that's actually using it.

Also, from Honeycomb up, Android is very capable as a real netbook OS for using with a touchpad/mouse and keyboard. You get all of the benefits of a netbook, plus you can detach it easily and get all of the coolness of an awesome quality tablet.

[usmanasim]

Simple solution

Tablet will limit your ability to do more than what it offers.

Laptop will be something more than you need.

Ideal thing is to purchase a netbook.

[x1a4]

It depends on your needs. If you decide you need one, I recommend you get the Lenovo ThinkPad tablet (http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/products/tablets/thinkpad/thinkpad-tablet/) with the Keyboard Folio Case (http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/webca/LenovoPortal/en_CA/catalog.workflow:item.detail?GroupID=38&Code=0A36370&category-id=3E4775DAD190B61F7FE4559E4F52B16B&hide_menu_area=yes) with which it can double as a laptop. Alternatively, you may want to consider the ThinkPad Convertible tablet (http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/products/laptops/thinkpad/xtablet-series/?menu-id=learn&current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087&current-category-id=7DCDBCE6F7B544808DEE1B6053CE2BCA) which is a laptop with a rotating touch-screen that can turn the laptop into a tablet-like device. Certainly better, but more expensive too.

[kerry_s]

The Galaxy player isn't a tablet, it's a PMP.

lol, it's pmp+
it does everything a tablet does, so to me it's a mini tablet :)
the battery life is awesome, i'm getting around 12 hours if i watch movies (1:30 long) & days if i'm just using the browser & checking mail.

[stonewilson]

Definitely worth I would say. Especially in the cold winter, I really hate sitting in front of the computer, having a tablet pc solve the problem for me. Now I can do my job almost everywhere. Of course, it will take a little time to learn how to use the tablet pc effectively first, but after you can use it skillfully, it will be fun.

[HappinessNow]

What do you use for writing papers?

Google Docs

[Nytram]

I'd also suggest a netbook over a tablet or laptop for college.

The battery lasts longer than a laptop and they are less bulky and heavy to carry around; they cost less as well.

With a tablet it's difficult to type using the onscreen keyboard; I wouldn't want to do much note-taking with one.

[KdotJ]

You get used to the on screen keyboard, but don't forget it takes up around half of the screen, so your viewing area becomes small...

[Paqman]

Google Docs

Interesting. I hadn't realised it now had decent support for things like equations and special characters. I might see if it's a realistic option for myself.

[kerry_s]

With a tablet it's difficult to type using the onscreen keyboard; I wouldn't want to do much note-taking with one.

mine has a Swype keyboard, so it's pretty fast to write things out. a little practice & i bet you can Swype faster than you can write. lol :-)
mine has voice recording, i would just click record. lol

[lancest]

Yes! As a second computer.

ASUS TF101.

Continually delighted at it's usefulness.

[KdotJ]

+1 to the ASUS TF101... great piece of kit!

[bjje]

For now, a lenovo/ubuntu laptop should do the trick.
Until we can get a tablet with more horsepower, they will just be appliances. So for a tablet this year I'll hold my nose and use android. I would like to do all computing on a 7" tablet in my back pocket which gets docked when I need a keyboard and big screen. If I lose or break it I'll pull another out and consult the cloud but I do not want to be tethered to the network 24/7. I don't want to lug a 19" ipad. I would like handwriting recognition for notetaking intergrated with the camera.
I would greatly appreciate running ubuntu on it. (OK, ubuntu studio}

[kerry_s]

kindle fire makes it really easy to try a good tablet now, no more settling for a cheap piece of junk. i know several people who have given up there netbooks after using it awhile, it's the best starter tablet you can get right now. even my sister says she hasn't touched her NetBook since i gave her the kindle, so she's passing her NetBook to dad.

[HappinessNow]

I’m going to college soon and was wondering if I should invest in getting a tablet PC. I would probably get an eee pad transformer cause its awesome but i don't know if it is really worth it. Its main use in college would be note taking and surfing the web and simple stuff. Mostly note taking. So with that in mind would you recommend that or something else or nothing at all. Paper and notebook never worked for me cause i was disorganized so don't mention that. Thanks!!

A good friend of mine loves her Amazon Kindle Fire she got for xmas and she loves it. She rooted it to make it fully functional. She also gave good reasons why she wanted a Amazon Kindle Fire vs an iPad. Form factor is a strong argument but also with Android Ice Cream Sandwich she has a more powerful OS then the iOS.

To each his own but for $199 it is hard to beat the Amazon Kindle Fire.

I was surprised that she talked about how easy it was to root it, I was very impressed overall.

I checked it out and the overall quality is outstanding and the Android Ice Cream Sandwich is far superior to iOS.

it also fulfills all her needs for college.

[mamamia88]

A good friend of mine loves her Amazon Kindle Fire she got for xmas and she loves it. She rooted it to make it fully functional. She also gave good reasons why she wanted a Amazon Kindle Fire vs an iPad. Form factor is a strong argument but also with Android Ice Cream Sandwich she has a more powerful OS then the iOS.

To each his own but for $199 it is hard to beat the Amazon Kindle Fire.

I was surprised that she talked about how easy it was to root it, I was very impressed overall.

I checked it out and the overall quality is outstanding and the Android Ice Cream Sandwich is far superior to iOS.

it also fulfills all her needs for college. I have a netbook and a regular kindle and an android phone. I really don't see the point of tablets. If you already have something like this I think it's a waste of money. And even if you don't I still think it's somewhat a waste of money since they do a lot of things well but nothing particualarly better then other devices.

[StewartM]

Netbook for notes-taking and lugging to class.

Cheap (?) desktop for doing working back at the dorm. If you have an apartment, a pricier desktop could work (depends on the apartment). I would be wary of lugging anything expensive into a college environment.

You may have to hold your nose and have Windows on one or both, because some schools require things that will run only in Windows. That should be illegal for a public institution to require that you purchase a company's products, IMHO, to get an education, but it is a simple fact.

StewartM

[mamamia88]

Netbook for notes-taking and lugging to class.

Cheap (?) desktop for doing working back at the dorm. If you have an apartment, a pricier desktop could work (depends on the apartment). I would be wary of lugging anything expensive into a college environment.

You may have to hold your nose and have Windows on one or both, because some schools require things that will run only in Windows. That should be illegal for a public institution to require that you purchase a company's products, IMHO, to get an education, but it is a simple fact.

StewartM

I second that idea. Maybe even get a more powerful netbook and a big monitor/keyboard/and mouse. That way everything can come with you

[HappinessNow]

A good friend of mine loves her Amazon Kindle Fire she got for xmas and she loves it. She rooted it to make it fully functional. She also gave good reasons why she wanted a Amazon Kindle Fire vs an iPad. Form factor is a strong argument but also with Android Ice Cream Sandwich she has a more powerful OS then the iOS.

To each his own but for $199 it is hard to beat the Amazon Kindle Fire.

I was surprised that she talked about how easy it was to root it, I was very impressed overall.

I checked it out and the overall quality is outstanding and the Android Ice Cream Sandwich is far superior to iOS.

it also fulfills all her needs for college.Actually I am surprised to see how many Amazon Kindle Fires are at the University, it appears most students received them as Xmas gifts and for the first time I am seeing more Android tablets then iPads or Notebooks in general in use at the University.

[forrestcupp]

Actually I am surprised to see how many Amazon Kindle Fires are at the University, it appears most students received them as Xmas gifts and for the first time I am seeing more Android tablets then iPads or Notebooks in general in use at the University.

The only reason the Kindle Fire is so popular is because of its name. It's nothing more than a small, extremely restricted Android tablet. You can't even expand its limited memory.

[kerry_s]

The only reason the Kindle Fire is so popular is because of its name. It's nothing more than a small, extremely restricted Android tablet. You can't even expand its limited memory.

i think it's because for a cheap tablet it's very good.
sure it's very locked down, but how long did that last, pretty soon there will be an ics port to give it even more Android back.
i for 1 hated it when i had it, that's why i passed it on to sis, but she loves it.
i just might grab the next version when it comes out if it go's at the same low price.

[aysiu]

It's the name, really. Reviews of the Nook Tablet v. the Kindle Fire rates the Nook Tablet better in every respect except lacking the Amazon infrastructure and Kindle books.

[forrestcupp]

i think it's because for a cheap tablet it's very good.
sure it's very locked down, but how long did that last, pretty soon there will be an ics port to give it even more Android back.
i for 1 hated it when i had it, that's why i passed it on to sis, but she loves it.
i just might grab the next version when it comes out if it go's at the same low price.

A hacked Kindle Fire with ICS doesn't change the fact that it doesn't have a memory card slot or any kind of expansion capabilities whatsoever. I know people who have and love them, but as someone who knows better, I would never buy one. There are plenty of other more capable Android tablets with prices that are getting low.

[kerry_s]

i feel ya, that's also 1 of the reasons i gave it up. i really hate being limited or locked in.
i got a checklist i use now.lol
it has to have capacitive multi touch screen
it has to have Android market
the battery has to last at least 8 hours

[ElanCompaq]

Get a netbook if you want more of a laptop feel, some can be very cheap, and very portable, they are just good enough for web surfing, creating documents, and other basic things. Unless you reallllly want a tablet. Its your choice.

[HappinessNow]

The only reason the Kindle Fire is so popular is because of its name. It's nothing more than a small, extremely restricted Android tablet. You can't even expand its limited memory.

A good friend of mine got one and rooted it right away, she has Android Ice Cream Sandwich on it. I checked it out and it is pretty impressive.

[sanscents]

I just like the way laptops are designed, with a tactile keyboard and a screen with an adjustable angle. Call me old-fashioned :rolleyes:.

[PC_load_letter]

I'll chime in. My wife sold her old Kindle eReader and was tempted to buy a tablet instead. I got her the new 10.1" Acer Iconia A200. It's the A500 minus the Aluminum back and rear facing camera. For $350, I think it's an awesome deal. Now I am tempted to go out and buy one, but I am even more tempted to wait for the quad core tegra tablets later this yr.

What I love about the Iconia 200 tablet is that it has USB ports(one regular sized and a 2nd mini), so you can connect it to USB keyboards, mouse, flash drive...etc. The screen is not IPS like the transformer but it is fantastic. 1280x800 resolution IIRC. The build quality is very solid too. Best part it says on the box that it will be upgraded with ICS in mid-Feb 8-).

[forrestcupp]

I'll chime in. My wife sold her old Kindle eReader and was tempted to buy a tablet instead. I got her the new 10.1" Acer Iconia A200. It's the A500 minus the Aluminum back and rear facing camera. For $350, I think it's an awesome deal. Now I am tempted to go out and buy one, but I am even more tempted to wait for the quad core tegra tablets later this yr.

What I love about the Iconia 200 tablet is that it has USB ports(one regular sized and a 2nd mini), so you can connect it to USB keyboards, mouse, flash drive...etc. The screen is not IPS like the transformer but it is fantastic. 1280x800 resolution IIRC. The build quality is very solid too. Best part it says on the box that it will be upgraded with ICS in mid-Feb 8-).

The Acer is one of the top two tablets that I was looking at when I bought mine. You basically laid out all of the pros and cons that I saw, aside from the fact that the Acer is supposed to have some pretty awesome sounding speakers. But for my personal needs, the Transformer won out with its IPS screen. It wasn't an easy choice, though. The full size hosting USB port was hard to give up.

About the quad core tegras, the Transformer Prime has that, and it's already out. You're going to be spending more than $350 on a tablet like that, though. The Prime is around $499.

[PC_load_letter]

I know, I am saving up :D The USB option was crucial to my wife, I might not value it as much. We'll see.

I know the Prime is a quad core, but right now it's without any competition. I think/hope Samsung, Acer, or Motorolla will get in the quad core game. Also there is talk from Google about an "official" Nexus tablet, that would be very interesting also. 2012 will be a great year :D

[forrestcupp]

2012 will be a great year :D

That it will. In a lot of ways. I can't wait for the Wii U to come out. I'll probably be pre-ordering one when that time comes.

[philinux]

Interesting.

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/01/spark-kde-plasma-active-tablet-200/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+d0od+%28OMG%21+Ubuntu%21%29

[kerry_s]

Interesting.

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/01/spark-kde-plasma-active-tablet-200/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+d0od+%28OMG%21+Ubuntu%21%29

is it me or did every thing look slow in that video?
anyhow that sounds like it would be a nice toy to hack around on.

[Ctrl-Alt-F1]

I have an ipad2 and almost never ever use it. I think they're a waste.

[kerry_s]

I have an ipad2 and almost never ever use it. I think they're a waste.

maybe you just didn't like apples walled garden? lol
tablets aren't for everyone, that's why there's so many ways to do the same thing.

[Lucradia]

See this: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2012/01/new-kde-tablet-to-liberate-linux-enthusiasts-from-walled-garden.ars

[philinux]

Merged

[bjje]

My bet is on the 7" for the back pocket carry and just enough scrren to use on the go. Unity seems like it will be just fine with some work. You need more connections than the Kindle, I would get a ASUS Memo when it's out unless someone beats it first. (Of course I would prefer a Unity pad any day) I'll probably do my part and get a KDEspark also just to start working on it.
What limits this now is handwriting recognition. That's the killer app to make a 7" shine. I'm thinking note taking with smooth handwriting recognition plus fast and smooth incorporation of pics from the camera and screen shots. Then it's the thing to have for work and school and I guess win8 will have that but I won't stoop that low.

[Linuxratty]

Have you seen this?


Ekoore Python S Tablet Triple Boots Ubuntu, Android & Windows

omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/02/ekoore-python-s-ubuntu-tablet/

[alexan]

plase, just avoid android tablet from producer that pay protection money to microsoft

[bjje]

Well it'll run OK from a keyboard but I wouldn't expect much in the way of smooth tablet experience. It would make a good anchor though at that weight. I'm still betting on the 7" and hope that we have behind the scenes talks between Canonical and ASUS, Lenovo, etc. going on to smooth the ARM hardware certification.
Precise on a Tegra-3 for Memorial day anyone?=D>=D>?

[TechZilla]

Love ARM, but hate tablets. I just need a real keyboard, I'm unable to do any real work without it. I would like to drop my x86 netbook, and replace it with an ARM based one. Except I've been looking for a couple years, and nothing I've seen runs Debian based Linux at less than 300$ USD.

[bjje]

Sure, we'd use a keyboard wherever we use it on a desk but also have capabilities on the run. I don't spend most of my time at a desk. You could get a trimslice for the desk anyway. Asus and Lenovo are both pretty ubuntu friendly so opening their bootloader to us would give them an additional market that they might use, seeing as how the tablet segment might otherwise end up being just a battle between Google and Amazon (who probably won't open their bootloaders)later this year leaving everyone else on the sidelines and giving up. If they talk to Canonical now, it might be just in the nick of time for them. Let's assume that Mark meant that 2014 is when ubuntu rules, not starts.[-o<

[DZ*]

The only reason the Kindle Fire is so popular is because of its name. It's nothing more than a small, extremely restricted Android tablet. You can't even expand its limited memory.

It's not restricted nearly enough ... for reading books, that is :-)

We have a nook tablet, and two simpler, e-ink devices, a kindle and a nook. My 4-year old is the tablet guy, but I just don't see any point in it. I much prefer those simpler versions. They are lighter, hold charge for weeks, and easier for the eyes.

In some situations I actually prefer them over real paper books: nook simple touch fits perfectly on a stationary bike in a gym, and I can choose the font size for reading with comfort during exercise. Before I got that thing, I was never quite able to concentrate on a book while exercising.

[Supermouse]

The Kindle Fire actually it's a pretty nice tablet with a good hardware spec, speccially for it's price.

The customized Android is not so limited as you would think, for people who wants to use it for basic tablet stuff, like reading e-books, watching videos and browsing the internet. Also, it is easily rootable, so you can install the official Android Market and the Google apps. People even found how to run Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich on it (ICS is still very experimental at this time).

The only problem with it is it's low storage space. But I think reviewers are too harsh on this matter, they want to stuff hundreds of hours of video and thousands of music and zillions of books, because they fear that 8 GB will be too little for them if they go camping for a weekend (you may laugh, but I saw a review that bashed the Fire exactly for this reason). 8 GB is plenty, if the tablet is not your primary machine (and it shouldn't be). 64 GB (the most expensive iPad 2, that costs a lot more) should be needed only if you don't have a laptop or desktop to put your stuff. If you have, you can leave your bazillion videos, music and books inside it and put only the stuff you want for the present time into the Fire.

[inobe]

i'm at the point where web browsing and small files end up on the tablet, the htpc handles my HD multimedia, sitting at the desk is more of a work thing rather than entertaining, i'd rather lay in bed with my wife and/or my tablet:P

please no restrictive ipads, that's like my wife saying she has a headache.

[cprofitt]

I returned my Transformer Prime due to GPS and Wi-Fi issues.

Other than that it was a very nice little toy.

[PC_load_letter]

I just wanted to report that my wife's Acer A200 has been officially updated to ICS a few hours ago. Just received the notification, downloaded the update, and it went very smoothly. Seems to be working great so far.
I installed Chrome beta and it's noticeably faster in rendering pages than the default browser. Kudos to Acer for the update as promised.

[forrestcupp]

I just wanted to report that my wife's Acer A200 has been officially updated to ICS a few hours ago. Just received the notification, downloaded the update, and it went very smoothly. Seems to be working great so far.
I installed Chrome beta and it's noticeably faster in rendering pages than the default browser. Kudos to Acer for the update as promised.

I can't wait to get the ICS update on my original Transformer this month. I really want to try out the new Chrome browser that only works on ICS. Is it any better than Opera Mobile?

[PC_load_letter]

I haven't tried Opera mobile. I was comparing it to the default browser on the Iconia. Chrome is still a beta for ICS. I didn't notice a huge difference, but scrolling is smoother and loading times are slightly faster. Rendering fonts on some non-English web sites was not good at all, and unlike the default browser, it seems there is no way to change the encoding.

A lot of people are raving about Dolphin HD, so I'll suggest :D it to my wife and compare performance.

[SFBrother]

The only way to truly know is to give a tablet a try. If your friend has one, ask to barrow it, or go into best buy and play around with them for about an hour, and see if you like it. Ask a lot of questions with whom you might buy it from, just to make sure you are getting what you need.

[forrestcupp]

A lot of people are raving about Dolphin HD, so I'll suggest :D it to my wife and compare performance.

In my opinion, Opera Mobile is much better than Dolphin HD. They're both free, though, so try them both out. Just don't accidentally get Opera Mini. It's not great at all.

[cwklinuxguy]

I take notes on a Asus EEE PC 1005HA loaded with a Linux distro (I had Karmic until I moved to Pinguy OS, and will probably hop back to Ubuntu or something else in the near future) and OpenOffice pulled up. It works just fine for me, but who knows what'll work for you. Personally though, I don't think you're gonna want to be doing a lot of typing on a virtual keyboard. So the transformer would be a good choice, but if you're gonna be using it in laptop mode anyway, why not just buy a laptop?

[kerry_s]

In my opinion, Opera Mobile is much better than Dolphin HD. They're both free, though, so try them both out. Just don't accidentally get Opera Mini. It's not great at all.

+1
i use opera mobile in desktop mode with flash enabled. what i really like about it is the fat finger zoom, if it can't tell what you tapped it zooms that area for you, works great with these forums that have tiny numbers for the next page. i find myself zooming less with opera.