Tablet PCs

[naomikritzer]

Does anyone own a tablet PC?

I have a friend who suffers from severe RSI; at times it's been very disabling. She can do almost everything except type on a computer keyboard; when she's tried to use voice recognition, she always gets so frustrated that she caves to temptation and uses the keyboard or the mouse and hurts herself again. She's a writer, so you can imagine how frustrating this is. She mostly hasn't written for the last few years, but really misses it.

We were talking today and she mentioned that she can write by hand without a problem, which got us wondering if a tablet PC would be an option for her. Does anyone own one? Does it feel fairly similar to writing with a pen? Are there stores where she could try one out? Are there any electronics stores with a good return policy? There's really no way to know if she could use one without hurting herself unless she tries one out, and these are really not cheap. I went looking for rentals, and found a few options but mostly they seem to be available for rental in bulk.

Comments

[jiawen]

I've got a Wacom tablet, which isn't the same thing, but close. Using it for long periods of time is actually almost more painful than using a keyboard and mouse. It could be the angle, or the lack of space (I don't have a desk big enough for a tablet, so I use my lap), or the pressure involved, or some other factor that she might not experience.

[tg2k.livejournal.com]

I have a coworker with a tablet PC, and I got the idea she found it a welcome break from RSI, but myself, I have a hard time imagining it. I have ergonomic keyboards and mice and find them overall more comfortable than writing anyway...but for me the problem is much more the mice than the keyboards anyway (it's in my wrists, not my fingers, and the ergo keyboards keep me typing at the right angle).

[branna.livejournal.com]

I've used a Fujitsu tablet PC for a while (of the sort that converts to a normal laptop), and loved it. Admittedly, when I'm handwriting with it I'm usually taking fast notes, and I'm not usually planning on using the handwriting recognition to convert it to typed text---I just leave the notes in handwritten form. The handwriting recognition can be somewhat inaccurate, but it is usable, and there's also the alternative of using the on-screen keyboard with the stylus to correct something if you need to.

The "feel" of writing with the tablet is fairly similar to writing with a pen. I was startled, in fact, by how much. I think it's because the letters are appearing on the same surface that you're writing on, so the tactile-visual feedback is properly synchronized.

[(Anonymous)]

I've got two of them. They are awesome for reading and doodling. Writing on them works just fine too, I'm just so much better at typing I rarely do it. My tablet has made lawschool much easier because it's perfect for notetsking in any form. I'm planning on selling my old toshiba m200.. It's a good machine with a brand new screen and keyboard... Feel free to pass my email address along to your friend...

Hope all is well!

-Rudy

[coldtortuga.livejournal.com]

...when she's tried to use voice recognition...
May I ask which voice recognition software she tried? I have heard a little about Dragon Naturally Speaking, some good, some bad.

[wordswoman.livejournal.com]

Not a tablet PC, but my older daughter uses a drawing tablet *with* the PC, and she says it feels very much like using a regular pencil/pen. So I suspect that writing with it would feel much the same too. There would still be a few keystrokes required to get the application open and save the files, but not many compared to word processing.

[malachitefer.livejournal.com]

I don't own one, but I've done tech support for people with them and have played with their devices. Ergonomically speaking, I rest my hand and arm on the desk surface when I write and I find the thickness of the laptop to be awkward. The handwriting recognition software on the Toshiba that one of my end users has works pretty well for my writing if I print a little more carefully than I would if I were only writing for my own reading. It can't make heads or tails of my cursive, but I've got a funky backslanting thing going on, so that might be most of the problem.

ergo issues

[healthygopher.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

Having dealt with ergonomics in an industrial setting - I suggest your friend contact someone who does this, to get advice. There are a couple of really little things one can do to help "ergonomically". But, looking at the *whole* work area is the best course of action. Correcting one problem would be nice; correcting all/most of them would be even better. E.g. when using a laptop, put a 'normal' (3/4-1") paperback sized object under the hinge. The minor tilt will actually make one's wrists more comfortable.

I knew someone with a digital-gizmo (it might have been a blackberry) which one could use a stylus - it took a bit for the machine to 'learn' to recognize the person's handwriting, and one had to write slowly. There are better programs, I'm sure. Just pointing out that 8 years ago, technology was available, and must (perforce) be astronomically better today.