Gateway slate vs. Toshiba M200

Anyone have any info on these? I want a slate and the Toshiba becomes one,
but can also be used as a notebook which is nice. Other than that the
Toshiba doesn't have firewire but the Gateway does. Anyone know any other
reason why one might be better than the other?

One of the most useful things for me with the toshiba is the built in
SD and CF card readers. I love not having to deal with a separate
card reader for my PDA's and my digital cameras.

If Motion put card readers in their slates, I'd probably buy one in a
heartbeat. Otherwise Toshiba has me hooked on their tablets.

The biggest question to ask yourself is how often will you be doing
pen, and how often will you be doing keyboard. If you'll spend time
on your feet using it as a tablet, the slate models are lighter and
easier to hold. I ended up with a convertible from Toshiba because I
knew I'd use the keyboard enough that I would be better off having it
as part of the unit so it was always there. A friend of mine doesn't
type well, so he went with the slate, and uses his computer far more
now than he would have with a keyboard.

Don't be surprised if your habits change, too. I have found I use the
keyboard less than I would've expected, though I still use it enough
to warrant a convertible. But had it changed a little more, I
might've regretted the convertible. But there's no way to tell that
until you get one and see just how much you either enjoy the pen
input, or find it too awkward because you're so accustomed to the
standard keyboard and such.

You'll get a lot of good info in the group here though, and you'll
find some great websites that some of the people in here run full of
info, reviews, etc...

Good luck with the decision.

John



On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 19:45:34 -0800, "MikeJ" <> wrote:

>Anyone have any info on these? I want a slate and the Toshiba becomes one,
>but can also be used as a notebook which is nice. Other than that the
>Toshiba doesn't have firewire but the Gateway does. Anyone know any other
>reason why one might be better than the other?
>
>

Hi, Mike.

The Gateway slate is a rebranded Motion M1300. Gateway also now has a
convertible model as well, the M275. I rarely use the keyboard, so I'm very
happy with my Motions. The new ViewAnywhere screen makes it usable both
indoors and outdoors and there's a nice keyboard stand available that will
let you use it as a notebook as well.

Also, you might want to check out Electrovaya's new Tablet. It's like the
Compaq in that it can be used as either a slate or attached to a keyboard
for use as notebook. It's 9 hour battery life is an advantage if you won't
be near a power source.

You can check the site in my signature for information on all available
models as well as a comparison chart.

--
Terri Stratton
Microsoft Windows MVP / Tablet PC
http://thetabletpc.net
Expert Zone - http://microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/default.asp


"MikeJ" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Anyone have any info on these? I want a slate and the Toshiba becomes one,
> but can also be used as a notebook which is nice. Other than that the
> Toshiba doesn't have firewire but the Gateway does. Anyone know any other
> reason why one might be better than the other?
>
>
>

Thanks for the info. I would really like the CF/SD reader, that is a very
cool feature.

1. Do you have the Toshiba M200?

2. I'm not too clear on the definitions for TabletPC, but I understand this
device allows you to disconnect the keyboard if you like and use it as a
slate, or connect the keyboard and use it as a notebook. Is this correct?
How difficult is it to disconnect/reconnect?

3. Does it have FireWire? I don't see any info about that?

4. What accessories would you recommend to get with it?

Thanks!

Thanks everyone for the info. I did look at the Motion and the only
difference between that one and the Gateway appears to be that the Gateway
has firewire and the Motion does not. That is the only reason I was looking
at the Gateway.

How does the ViewAnywhere screen work?

No, I have the 3500 - I got mine a little over a year ago.

You can check out www.microsoft.com/tabletpc for some more info and
details about them. Basically, you have convertibles, such as the
Toshiba, that has the keyboard permanently on them. It's just like a
notebook, but you can pivot the LCD panel around to face backwards and
close it over the keyboard to use it as a slate - but the keyboard is
always there. That's one of the reasons toshiba can stick a few more
things in theirs than some of the other manufacturers can, like the
card readers. They have more room, since the keyboard is always
there.

Then there's the pure slate, which has keyboards that come with them,
but aren't permanently attached, so you can leave the keyboard (and
the associated weight) behind and just take the display and your pen.

There's quite a variety of models out there, and each has something
going for it one way or another. It's just a matter of going through
the features, figuring out what you want / need, and coming up with
the right balance. For me, the "always there" keyboard of a
convertible tablet was the tradeoff for the card readers and the speed
(when they came out Toshiba was the fastest machine available). I
probably would've tried a slate had there been one with the card
readers built in and a decent processor speed back then. I could've
learned to live without typing as much.

Enjoy the research and looking around - for me that's always one of
the funnest parts of buying a new toy.

John



On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 20:10:15 -0800, "MikeJ" <> wrote:

>Thanks for the info. I would really like the CF/SD reader, that is a very
>cool feature.
>
>1. Do you have the Toshiba M200?
>
>2. I'm not too clear on the definitions for TabletPC, but I understand this
>device allows you to disconnect the keyboard if you like and use it as a
>slate, or connect the keyboard and use it as a notebook. Is this correct?
>How difficult is it to disconnect/reconnect?
>
>3. Does it have FireWire? I don't see any info about that?
>
>4. What accessories would you recommend to get with it?
>
>Thanks!
>

Motion does have firewire. There really aren't any feature differences in
Gateway and Motion since Motion makes the Gateway. Gateway uses some
different internal hardware, like it's own harddrive.

As for the difference, convertible Tablets do not separate from the screen,
only the hybrids do that. Some slates have keyboards that can be attached,
but they're not considered hybrids. Most of these keyboards are optional,
whereas a hybrid includes the keyboard..

--
Terri Stratton
Microsoft Windows MVP / Tablet PC
http://thetabletpc.net
Expert Zone - http://microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/default.asp


"MikeJ" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Thanks everyone for the info. I did look at the Motion and the only
> difference between that one and the Gateway appears to be that the Gateway
> has firewire and the Motion does not. That is the only reason I was
looking
> at the Gateway.
>
> How does the ViewAnywhere screen work?
>
>

Thanks everyone!

The Toshiba M200 has a screen resolution (and digitizer) of 1400x1050. That
is what sold it for me.

--

Gary A. Bushey
SPS MVP


"MikeJ" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Anyone have any info on these? I want a slate and the Toshiba becomes one,
> but can also be used as a notebook which is nice. Other than that the
> Toshiba doesn't have firewire but the Gateway does. Anyone know any other
> reason why one might be better than the other?
>
>
>