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Sorting out the differences

PaceBlade’s Tablet PC has a Tripod Hole that allows the tablet to be mounted anywhere.

Although tablet PCs have been introduced steadily for consumer use since fall 2002, those with long memories will recall that this is not the first attempt at promoting keyboard-free, pen-based devices. A decade ago, in 1992, Microsoft hedged into this arena with an ill-fated effort called Windows for Pen Computing, an operating system and interface designed specifically for handwriting recognition on tablet devices. Industry experts say the demise of this effort was largely due to a clunky operating system, and units that had poor battery life, fuzzy screens, and poor character recognition. Today’s machines are technically superior and designed to work with Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, an enhanced version of Windows XP. Because users are much more familiar and comfortable with the Windows environment compared to a decade ago, learning the subtle differences in how to use the applications is not as difficult.

Motion Computing’s tablet features “grab and go” docking for quick use with a keyboard.

Tablet PC makers include Acer, HP/Compaq, Toshiba, Fujitsu, and Siemens. Compaq’s use of SOM in its tablet pilot program, and its donation of 19 tablets to the University of Texas at Austin, demonstrates the company’s interest in architectural usage, but no company has yet clearly positioned itself as a leader in the field. There are two different designs: the “slab,” a stand-alone monitor that can connect to a keyboard and desktop mount, and the “clamshell,” which has an attached keyboard but can be detached if required. For those who tool around on Macs, Apple has not released its own version of the tablet PC, and the company said it would not disclose what it had planned in the future.

Questions and answers

ViewSonic’s ViewPad 1000.

With the market already cluttered with portable computing products, from PDAs to laptops to cell phone/ PDAs, it still remains to be seen if tablet PCs will make their mark in architects’ offices. “It could just be a fad,” said Al Moulton, president of Graphisoft U.S. “They haven’t quite hit. I’ve seen these things come and go.”

First, the problems have to be sorted out. “Eventually it could change the way we do business,” said Brad Holtz, director of Cyon Research. But first, he says, several issues have to be fixed. Possible improvements include lower prices (tablet PCs are still almost 10 percent more expensive than laptops), lighter weight (most are two to four pounds), and increased ruggedness. “In order for this to really work, I need to be able to plop it down on a couple of two by fours with a lot of sawdust around,” he says. Bentley’s Flynn adds that the machines need to have longer battery life (most have only two to four hours) and improved brightness for outdoor use.

In its carrying case, the ViewPad is camouflaged as a notebook.

For now, the tablets’ biggest strengths revolve around office connectivity, on-site reviews, systems management, and sketching. Good portability gives them a leg up on laptops, while an excellent sketching surface gives them an advantage over PDAs. (Moulton notes, “Palm pilots are meant for people with stubby little fingers.

Pen tablets are made for an artist. It gives them a smooth flow to their ideas.”) But tablets’ limited computing power, small screen size, and less accurate control keeps them, for now, from being used to make important architectural renderings. SOM says it is not ready to venture beyond Architectural Studio because of the limited processing power and memory of the machines, which pale in comparison to most desktop computers.

“For now, drafting is still going to take place using a mouse and a keyboard,” says Holmes. Architectural software specifically designed for tablet PCs remains elusive. “If the demand is there, then we’ll do it,” says Moulton.

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