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.