I’m sitting here in the Salt Lake City airport with three hours to kill (I already downed one by going shopping) and then three more hours on a plane, so I actually have a chance to write an article I’ve long promised: why I’m trying a slate (again).

But first, may I remind my audience that the opinions posted in this article are my opinions and only my opinions. They are not the opinions of the entire tablet and/or student community. Thank you, and, please, continue reading ^_^.

Giving a slate another chance

When I say I’m giving slates another chance, I’m referring to last summer’s failed attempt to convert to a Motion M1300VA. I bought it, used it for a couple weeks, then quickly decided it was annoying to hook up the keyboard every time I wanted to type, and that the keyboard wasn’t responsive enough to work for the amount of typing I do on a daily basis.

So if I’ve tried a Motion slate as my full-time computer, why would I try again? Because the Motion slates have greatly improved since the M1300. I’ve also found out some things about the way I work best.

Improvements Motion Computing enticed me with

There are quite a few major improvements from the M1300VA to the LE1600VA. Yes, both are slates, both have a ViewAnywhere screen, and both have an attachable keyboard, but the comparison really ends there.

I likely would not be trying a slate again if the LE1600 didn’t have the 180 degree viewing angle introduced with the M1400. It’s pure heaven not needing to fight with how you naturally want to hold the tablet just to read the screen.

Upgrade number two is the performance factor. My M1300VA only had 900 MHz (I think) and the LE1600 I purchased has 1.5 GHz. As my Acer C302 had a 1.6 GHz processor, I know it’s fine for how I work, though some of the betas I run may push the limits. I’m not really worried about what I’ll need to run Vista. I thoroughly enjoy buying new toys, and if that means upgrading in a year or two…well that’s just an added benefit!

Upgrade number three that, the real wowser, was the improved keyboard. No more playing a balancing act with a wobbly stand and USB plug; the LE series keyboard is a secure and simple snap-in. It has its own USB port on the keyboard, so there’s no more need for a specially shaped USB adapter simply to use another USB device while the keyboard’s attached. The keys also feel more like a standard keyboard and don’t require banging on simply to get a letter out. Since I’m a gentle typist, that was a huge deal for me.

Shh, it’s not really a computer…

While this may be considered a Tablet PC promoter sin, I want a tablet that no one really can tell is a tablet until they’re right next to me. I want to blend in while trying to work. I think I’ve mentioned this before (but I can’t find a link).

With a slate, there is no swivel of the screen to draw attention, no thick bulk raised above the desk to catch an eye, and generally less to mess with. If I really wanted to, I could stick it into a zip-binder and then only people right next to me would know there was anything other than lose paper in there. To me, that’s an attractive feature that I am constantly wishing my convertible could give.

Some convertibles are thin enough, small enough, to stay discrete. The ThinkPad X41T and the Fujitsu P1500 are two examples (but those also have other flaws that take them out of the pickings for my personal use). Even with the thin/small examples I named above, the problem with convertibles is you have to convert them to a tablet. This means any convertible screams, “Look at me!” as soon as you pull it out and, well, convert it.

(The Acer C200 does not swivel and technically stores in slate mode, however it’s bulk takes it out of the running for my uses).

When I use a slate, it is so simple, easy, low key, to pull it out of your bag and start using with a pen. It’s as natural as pulling out a pad of paper. I like that.

Thin is in

For the situations where I don’t care if I stand out, or if I’m by myself, I still want thin. You may think it doesn’t matter, once you’re on your own, if your writing pad is 1.2” thick or .75” thick, but it does. Perhaps I’m simply a dainty girl who reduces bulk is as many ways possible, but I think this is a natural desire.

I’ll be honest and admit that most of my computing/homework/reading is done relaxing in bed or lounging on a couch. After two years of holding a tablet in my lap in both situations, I can say with certainty that my tablet experience will be greatly improved simply by losing some weight and thickness, and I don’t mean by dieting.

If most of my tablet use were on a desk or table, I doubt I’d even consider a slate. Once you can adjust the height of your chair or writing surface, little does it matter how thick your pad of paper is. Unfortunately, lying stomach down on a bed does not offer that convenience, nor does sitting cross-legged in a chair.

While I’m speaking on thin, I’ll also mention that the thinner the tablet, the easier it is to get a better viewing angle on it. The LE1600 has a 180 degree viewing angle, so this really doesn’t matter on it, however on a tablet like the M200, it’s thickness only makes for a worse viewing angle if you’re like me and put your head almost flat on the desk while intensely writing. Maybe it’s a lefty thing, but I don’t write with a hook, so it’s likely just me.

Did I mention the viewing angle on the LE1600 is the main reason I wanted the slate? Well it is.

I’m young; my attention span is short

Convertibles are great. So versatile, so easy to use for typing. So easy to get distracted.

I know I am likely one of the few whose most distracting activities all include typing (blogging, email, forums…), however that goes to show how you really need to consider your personal usage scenario before taking someone’s advice. Usually activities labeled as “distracting” involve only mouse-work (or pen-work), but considering my “job” is reading and doing homework 9/12 months of the year, little of that really requires typing (and when it does, I really have a hard time ^_^).

While sitting in class, it’s so tempting to switch to laptop mode and act like I’m just typing notes when really I’m typing emails or posts. When I have a pen in my hand, I’m in creative/learning mode. Creating a greater distinction between typing time and pen time is a great benefit to me, or so I hope, and I call not having a keyboard quite a distinction.

Juicy battery for all day

As much as I love my M200, I really, REALLY, wish it had an extended battery option, be it a media bay battery or a bulkier regular battery. I understand Toshiba didn’t leave themselves many options in this arena, however it would be nice.

And yes, before you suggest it, I do have an extra battery, and I have considered an external battery, such as the PowerPad. Why don’t extra batteries work for me? Because my Toshiba doesn’t let you hot-swap them. This means I can’t simply hibernate the computer, change out the battery, then go right back to working (or at least every single time I’ve tried it, it failed). I have to close all my work, shut my computer down, switch the batteries, then restart it. Imagine how much you miss doing THAT in the middle of class.

The Motion LE1600 I ordered (and that arrived today!) has the extended battery I so longed for with my Toshiba. While I don’t have more than 3 hours of class in a row, I do have more than three hours of class in a day. If all goes as planned, I can make it through class, lunch, class, and then lab without plugging in. That’s attractive. Maybe I can find a better seat at the library than the crummy ones by the wall plugs ^_^.

It’s the little things

While these small features are available on most convertibles, I don’t have these on my M200. Guilty pleasures, I’ll call them. Not worth buying on their own to add to a tablet, but because they only bump up the final cost of a new tablet a small percent, why not add them.

The two features I’m referring to are the fingerprint reader and Bluetooth technology. I know, it’s sad to get a new tablet simply to get these two small features, but really they just add to the attractiveness of the entire package. I’m full of all sorts of excuses to get a new tablet, aren’t I?

Closing thoughts

As I mentioned, I’m on a plane going from Salt Lake City, UT, to Austin, TX. Austin is where my LE1600 is sitting patiently waiting for me to open it (or reopen it, so I hear from my family who claims they were just “making sure it was the tablet”). As you can imagine, this is a really, really long plane ride because of it.

As you can also likely imagine, I’m crossing my fingers that I made a sound judgment converting to slate-ism. It seems logical to me, and I feel like it was a good choice, however I am giving up a permanent keyboard (aka, safety blanket), losing my nVidia graphics card, and going from 1.8 GHz to 1.5 GHz. It’s not often I step down in computing power, but I think it will be worth it and not a horrible loss. Perhaps the loss in computing power will help with my multitasking problems, such as watching a video podcast or TV show off iTunes while doing homework. Oddly enough, not much homework gets done that way.

With still another hour left on the plane, I’ve drained my mind on this topic for the moment. Since I’m on page 3 in Word, that’s probably a good thing, and I’ll sign off with the promise of a full Motion LE1600 review in the near future.

Other posts that may interest you:

1. QUESTION: How do you like your LE1600?
2. The Student Review of the Gateway M280/CX200X
3. LE1600, The Series: All About the Convertible Keyboard
4. Review: TabletKiosk Sahara i440D Slate PC
5. LE 1600