How often do your use your Tablet as a Tablet?

This topic came up doing a recent Skype chat James and I had. How much do you use your Tablet PC or UMPC as an actual tablet? I was reminded of this question as I watched JKK's video of the SH6, a UMPC that mimics the form factor of a convertible Tablet PC. I know there's a bunch of readers that own devices with touchscreens or active digitizers and I was curious how much time you spend using your keyboard vs. the time you don't.

Although I use multiple devices, my primary mobile device continues to be the Samsung Q1P. If had to guess about my own usage, I'd estimate 80% of the time is spent using it as a slate Tablet while 20% of the time, I use it with a Bluetooth keyboard. Actually, this post was entered in ink with the TIP, so make that 81/19. ;)

Comments

[LewisSteve]

Fujitsu pl610
90% as a tablet, 10% with a keyboard

Steve

[Bryan]

Toshiba M400

90% keyboard, 10% tablet (mainly during class)

[Andrew Beery]

Fujitsu p1610

Virtually 100% tablet... 90% OneNote 2007, 10% Logos

[Jose]

Samsung Q1
I'd say 80% OneNote, 10% Firefox (slate) and 10% with the keyboard

[Alslayer]

The year I had my tablet I used the keyboard maybe twice. The rest of the time I used it to couch surf, take class notes, copy big files.

Oh wait when I went on vacation I used the keyboard for a week to play video games.

[JKK]

"normal" slate umpcs 100% tablet

kohjinsha sh6 99% keyboard

predictions for htc shift:
work hours 70% keyboard ( in car use mostly slate or slided )
other time 70% tablet 20%slide mode 10% keyboard

shift does not have a stand so maybe i'll make one or maybe have to use it more in keyboard mode when in table.... ( videos etc. )

[Jose R. Ortiz]

I bought a bluetooth keyboard for my LE1600 when I first got it about a year ago and I used it once when I paired it up. I use it as a slate 100% of the time mostly because I use it in class to take notes. OneNote is by far the most used application on the tablet with the occasional web browsing. I use the bluetooth keyboard with my UX (which already has a "keyboard") about 90% of the time. Go figure.

[vm-01]

Samsung Q1

100% slate using dialkeys or inscribe mostly except that when I get to the office I "dock" it and use it 95% of the time with mouse and keyboard.

[scott]

p1610 - 90% keyboard. I guess I just have not caught on to inking. I tried but seem more comfortable just using keyboard.

[Jenn]

Samsung Q1P: 100% keyboard w/organizer

I tried and tried, but I just don't think slates are for me. Sometimes I even forget that the Q1P has a touchscreen! (Same goes for the UX180P)

I still love the idea of being able to use the Q1P as a tablet if I wanted to, though. It's all about choices (even if they're never actually chosen!).

[JKK]

forgot to say that in tablet mode 100% onscreen keyboard... never handwriting.

[Rodfather]

About 50/50.
If I'm just browsing around, I'll mostly use my fingers. When I need type some short text, I'll pull out the on-screen keyboard.
If I need to type more or get tired of pecking at the screen, I'll use the external keyboard with pointy stick.
I generally don't like to use the stylus and handwriting for input. For writing notes with Onenote or inkblogging, it's great. But for character input? Hardly.
That's a bit why the SH6 is appealing for me. It's a convertible. So I have the option to lounge around in slate mode and browse or watch a video. I can still use my fingers for input. Or not and use the nub. If I get tired of that, I can go into laptop mode and use the touchpad. I wouldn't have to plug in the keyboard. And I could put it on my lap if I'm in the car, something that's very awkward with the Q1.

[GoodThings2Life]

My Satellite R10 at home spends probably 95% of its life in tablet mode as I mostly use it for IM and email while lounging on the couch watching TV and movies.

My Portege M400 at work is about 50/50... At my desk I keep it in laptop mode, but any time I leave my desk it flips to tablet mode and goes with me.

[Travis Carnahan]

80% tablet and 20% keyboard. I don't break out the keyboard unless I have to do some really heavy typing, but unfortunately my job requires it at least a few times a month.

[Jamie Poster]

I'm using the TIP to write this but I'd have to say, sadly, that my tablet mode usage is really like 20%. No matter how cool slate mode is, the reality is that I type much faster than I write. I want to be more slate-o-centric; I really do! :)

[Fred Yeomans]

I use a Motion Computing LE1600 slate, and before that TC1000 - I use it almost 100% in Tablet mode. I do have a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and for a while this was my only computer. I used the keyboard when I was creating documents, or doing a lot of text entry, and for programming. Now I have a laptop for that.

I use OneNote and MindManager mostly, and PDF Annotator as well. I LOVE TABLET MODE! It is great for what I do.

[Kwiix]

100% of the time. I only use my tablet pc for art (Photoshop CS3, Sketchbook Pro2, etc.). I do everything else on my desktop. =)

[Tax Man]

As much as I enjoy the experience of using my Q1 as a slate, My usage gets skewed toward using it with a keyboard when I'm doing serious work. For web browsing and casual computing, it is definitely slate all the way, baby! I like handwriting much better than the on-screen keyboard, except for typing URL's.

[uMP2k]

My Fujitsu LT C-500 is an older Pen Tablet rather than a Tablet PC or UMPC, but I use it in Tablet mode maybe 80% of the time and with keyboard and mouse in desktop mode the rest of the time. As a longtime Windows Mobile user (from back in the days the OS was PocketPC 2000)and a Newton user before that I am very comfortable with the tablet mode.

Now I just have to get Windows XP Tablet installed on the LT P-600 I am waiting to arrive and see how that runs!

[John in Norway]

When my Toshiba m200 was my primary mobile device I used it 99.9% in slate mode. In fact when I did use the keyboard one day I was surprised to find all sorts of things living in it!
However, since I've been using my OQO as my primary mobile device I use it almost exclusively with the keyboard. This may have something to do with the fact that the TIP doesn't work as it should (I used a tweak program when I installed Vista and I think I did something wrong). Once I've worked up the courage to reinstall Vista I may try inking more because using it in portrait as a notetaker is awesome, as you Americans say.

[Mike Harrison]

With my R2HV I would have to say I'm using slate at least 95% of the time. I have not purchased a BT keyboard or mouse yet and messing with the cables isn't worth the trouble most of the time.

[Anton P. Nym]

Over 90% slate usage with my Samsung Q1, slate mode rocks! Mostly split between the TIP in web forms and One Note.

-- Steve

[KillBill]

OQO 02 with Vista Business, 1% Tablet inking & 99% thumb keyboard for everyday use, except when using OneNote 2007 then 90% Tablet. Once I start in one mode rarely switch until using different application. Also slide out thumb keyboard is far more handier with no built in pen silo, plus more familiar and a great thumb keyboard & trackstick mouse to boot.

[James Kendrick]

My answer is "depends on which Tablet I'm using". With the Fujitsu P1610 which I carry every day I would say 90% slate.

With the Lenovo ThinkPad which I use mostly at the house it would be slate 60%.

With the OQO Model 02, and I don't have much time to build a real scenario, so far it's only 10% slate. I'm finding it's not a very good Tablet for a number of reasons.

[Chip]

75% as tablet 25% keyboard. Keyboard for creating documents and longer email.

[Bruno]

With Samsung Q1U 95% as tablet, remaining 5% nearly exclusively with the built-in split thumbpad.
This is largely due to the fact that when I envision needing keyboard a lot, I reach for Sony VAIO TX - very portable, but no tablet support.

[Doc]

TC1100
Use with the keyboard about 70%
Tablet use in meetings using OneNote 20%
Tablet use in the car using StreetDeck 10% (I don't know if I'd call that strict tablet use though)

[Alain Chappaz]

Fujitsu P1610 - 95% tablet, 5% keyboard.

[Sumocat]

My tablet-as-tablet use clocks in at maybe 85%, which is extremely high considering it is my desktop replacement. I typically plug in a keyboard and mouse for gaming or coding sessions. Away from the desk, I use the keyboard as needed, which is not often. That figure would drop if I could use my tablet as my workstation, but not by much since that would enable me to shift even more of my document work to digital.

[Major Malfunction]

95% Tablet (Onenote 2007)
05% Keyboard so I can type faster than the thumbpads can handle.

My Q1 is having this odd problem in that a small portion of the screen has lost sensitivity.

[DarrenS]

I have a good 'ole TC1100. I use it everyday 50/50 as a tabletpc/laptop.

Generally when I am at work it is in laptop mode, except for meetings. At church and at home it is in tablet mode.

[DarrenS]

@Bruno

Do you mount your TC1100 in your car? If so, what are you using?

[Bruno]

@ Darren: I think your question was not aimed at me but the poster below. I did however have TC1100 until last year when I sold it, never mounted it in the car though. A friend of mine mounts it in an airplane, I can ask him what does he use.

[Bruno]

By the way, the number of responses about TC1100 makes me think (yet again) that HP really screwed up when they discontinued it!

[Montevale]

40% Slate
60% Keyboard
Actually it depends on where I'm and how complex the text is.
I know that simple words will be easily recognized by the engine in WinXP, however if there is something more elaborate or obscure the TIP will hickup and really there is no other way but to flip the keyboard (TC1100).
Here is a question maybe you guys can post as well: Did Vista's better recoginition engine make you use your tablet in slate mode more often?

[Bruno]

@ Montevale: Absolutely! Vista's handwriting recognition is much better and I am much more likely to use a tablet now than what I would be with XP.

[Rodfather]

It'd be interesting to find out of those people who use the TIP for input, the percentage of people using Keyboard, Writing, or Character Pad.

For people with a touchscreen, how many use their finger and those who use the stylus.

For people who like keyboards, the percentage who use a touchpad, touchscreen, tracker pointer for mouse control.

For slate tablet users, if that is their only device and never, ever, use a keyboard. Only the TIP. Wonder how many of those are out there.

[Blake]

Motion LE1700

Its a slate so when Im mobile its always in tablet mode. But when Im home its in the cradle with a keyboard

[ThoughtFix]

I only use it for inking or for precise taps. All my navigation is finger-based.

[MiniMage]

R2H: 99% of the time

[Michael]

Lenovo x60 Tablet

About 30% Tablet, a good portion of that OneNote; 70% keyboard.

But I wouldn't give up that 30% for the world!!!

[Taliesin]

Toshiba m400.
About 95% tablet. The rest keyboard. I mainly use keyboard for writing in word, but just when it's a veeery long wirting (10 pages or more, for example), and this just if I am in my desk. If I am watching tv or the same, I use pen to input even that long writings. A little slower but anyway very more comfortable.

I Like to add that I come from Spain, and input with pen in my language is not as good recognized (even in Vista) that is English Language, but even so is a very good experience, so I think if English was my natural language I would be all the day in slate mode.

[Mark Polino]

70% keyboard, 30% tablet.
It's still tough to spreadsheets and ERP work in tablet mode, but when it comes to meetings, ink rocks!

Mark

[Brad Ray]

When I had my NEC tablet I used it 90% of the time in ink mode. Unfortunately it snapped in half and I ended buying the Samsung. I should have done my research before clicking on the Woot deal because the touch screen makes it almost completely useless to me for taking notes with all the vectoring problems. Now I've gone back to using a paper legal pad and I carry the Samsung with me a mini computer (touch screen is nice)

[MeanSquare]

I hardly ever use my handtop as a Tablet, even though I've enabled the Tablet Features under Vista. The reasons are fairly simple: Even on the built-in keyboard, I can usually type faster and more accurately than handwriting recognition affords. When I do use the screen, it's selecting, scrolling, and other digitizer-related functions. It's faster to tap the screen than to move the cursor with the track-stick.

[josh gilmer]

Asus R1f

95% as tablet in graduate school setting
5% as laptop in general use

[Rudy]

I own a Gateway M275 tablet and a ASUS R2H. I use the Gateway as a tablet all day at work where I do a lot of customer support and ordering by phone. At the begining of each day I time and date stamp the page so I know where each day begins and ends I also have set up several pages for my bigger accounts and vendors. I find this to be a great way to take notes from phone calls and when my boss just starts giving out task with out looking at you. So I would say I use it as a tablet 95% of the time at work.

[Dave]

I've had my tablet to a couple of months and almost never use the keyboard. Inse One Note, Mind Manager and, of course, Ms office Products.

[John Guin]

I use it in tablet mode when meeting with people one to one. Less intrusive, and there is no barrier between us. In bigger meetings, I usually type, but every so often use ink.

Overall, about 1/3 of the time tablet, 2/3 of the time typing.

John
http://blogs.msdn.com/johnguin

[Dave P]

Motion m1300 - 100% as a tablet - I haven't plugged in the keyboard for a year. I do use a desktop for large document creation. I am thinking of going UMPC to cut down on weight and size but I'm scared by the vectoring issues.

[Breeno]

Toshiba M200
99% Ink for me, mostly OneNote 2007

Next tablet will definitely be a full slate.

[Trevor]

I use my tablet 100% as a tablet, in fact I would have preferred a slate but alas our company felt convertibles to be a better bet....

My view is convertibles are what have slowed tablet use, people with them generally plan to use as a tablet but never find the time to stop using it as a laptop! Another barrier is people thinking hand writing must be converted to text!

I'm using an x41 with 16b Ramrunning vista 32 with a ready boostSD card. I work daily on a docking Station at my desk undocking for meetings and going to sleep mode when I leave for home. I generally login from scratch about once every couple of weeks.