Tablet PCs

GIZMO GALLERY

One look at the HP Pavilion tx1016 and it's easy to brand it as a futuristic-chic entertainment Tablet PC while the LG C1 comes across as a more professional machine.

A tablet PC incorporates a touchscreen or digitizing tablet technology that allows the user to operate the computer with a stylus or digital pen, or a fingertip instead of a keyboard or mouse.

Features HP's tx1016 crams a full suite of multimedia features, complete with an optical drive. The tx1016's basic ergonomics are quite good. The keyboard layout is spacious (for a Tablet PC design) and the touch pad, on the other hand, sports a unique design that uses a small field of depressed dots to read your finger passes.

LG's C1, on the other hand, with its Core Duo 1.2GHz processor will not disappoint in performance either. Instead of an in-built optical drive, C1 comes with an external drive (included in the price). Even if C1's display is restricted by 10.6-inch screen, there are no problems reading documents on it or navigating through different applications.

The 12.1-inch widescreen of tx1016 flips and secures to the system's body to switch to the Tablet mode. The underlying hardware is decent too, a 2.0 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 mobile processor works with a generous 2GB of memory and a roomy 160GB hard drive.

HP has a double-layer DVD writer, Media Centre for organising pictures, videos, and music (included in Vista Home Premium) and a 1.3 megapixel webcam.

All this power makes the fan make more noise than most Intel-based dual-core notebooks. LG, on the other hand, has designed C1 such that when it comes to the heat and noise aspects, both are minimal.

Downsides Both the Tablets do not quite translate into a business workhorse when the tx1016's battery running for around 2.5 hours, and LG's C1 for 3 hours. We were disappointed with the responsiveness of HP's touchscreen.

Granted, users will adjust to the different feel of this pen interface, but there are more intuitive touchscreens elsewhere. The upside of the tx1016's touchscreen is that you can use your finger to tap oversized buttons, such as the embedded HP QuickPlay interface for multimedia playback.

C1's screen is certainly more responsive to its stylus, which helps when writing notes or reminders in a hurry. This Tablet would be great for a student or an on-the-move professional because it's small, light, great for note taking and yes, it runs Vista too.

If a Tablet's screen is too glossy, it can impede wide-angle viewing when the screen is rotated for say, writing. LG's screen seems to lose steam on this aspect, while HP's screen design is top-notch.

Finally, there is enough horsepower in tx1016 for those who crave for media and entertainment from their machines. Priced at Rs 74,990, HP Pavilion tx1016 and LG's C1 for Rs 99,990, make the Tablet PC segment look a little more persuasive, if not discounted.