Do I still like my Tablet?

Interesting discussion going on at the GBM forums (http://www.gottabemobile.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=264) on this topic. Thought I'd do a cross response posted here and on the forum (or vice versa, depending on where you're reading this). Well, if you're reading this in ink, the answer is obvious. I don't just like my Tablet; I love it! I made a comment soon after I got it which still applies today: this is the computer I never knew I always wanted. That said, I recognize the question originator's frustration with software interface. I've stated my concern of this when dealing with small screen devices, and much the same can be said about tablets in general. Ink is handled differently in different apps. The TIP doesn't always behave and isn't always the best tool. I personally shuffle between TIP, ritePen and converted ink for text entry, plus app-specific tools like TEO (http://www.tabletoutlook.com/) and extensions for Firefox. While it doesn't bother me, I recognize that most would not tolerate such complexity. And I suspect that's where a lot of apprehension and displeasure toward tablets comes in. Text and point is simple, as simple as computing will ever be until the day computers become smarter than us. The pen merges those two together and adds ink to the mix as well. This drastic reduction in hardware requires compensation by software, a trade-off not eagerly embraced on either end of the producer/consumer sides of the supply chain. Thus, we early embracers, both producers and consumers alike, feel the drag as the mainstream hesitates to support this deviation from the norm. Ink remains a second-class citizen or non-entity among some software makers. Reviewers who worship text as their personal savior (often because they suck at math, art, penmanship, or character based languages) fail to look beyond their own desk-bound computing needs. And Joe Point-n-Type has so thoroughly adapted to that convention that a third option is beyond his scope. These views will change over time and our patience will continue to be tested until then.

CateGoogles: Tablet_PC Mood = curious