Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 Review

The Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 is a compact tablet device for road warriors who move around a lot. Designed to run Microsoft’s Windows® Tablet PC Edition, the Compaq TC1100 features nice tweaks here and there including several internal boosts that make it a worthy upgrade from the TC1000, its predecessor.

Hardware Stuff

The Compaq TC1100 is actually a slate device that becomes a tablet with the addition of a keyboard. This keyboard brings on a huge performance boost to the device and is easily attached or removed at the touch of a button on the panel. Call it a hybrid, the TC1100 weighs in at 4.0 pounds with a keyboard attached and 3.1 pounds working alone as a slate.

Just as you would expect the Compaq TC1100 comes with a pen/writing stylus that doesn’t require a battery this time around. Also on its externals are handy three programmable buttons that default to the Enter, Escape, and Tab commands on Windows, a jog dial or scroll wheel to let you scroll through documents and web pages. Other stuff you may find on the TC1100 are two USB 2.0 ports, a VGA port, a Type II PC Card Slot, Secure Digital Slot, and three audio jacks. Included in the box are Ethernet & Phone cables to get you up and running in no time.

Processor

The Compaq Tablet TC1100 is powered by a 1.00GHz Intel® Pentium® M Processor that truly does a great job of handling your processing demands as well as the operating system. Included in the TC1100 is an Nvidia GeForce 4 Go420 graphics processing unit delivering 32MB of memory.

Display

In yet another way the TC1100 differs from its predecessor, HP decided to upgrade the screen to a better one. The screen on the TC1100 is a 10.4” XGA display with 1024 x 768 as its native resolution. The screen supports wide viewing angles and with the tablet sitting in its dock it supports orientation changes from Portrait to Landscape with the operating system adjusting the screen image depending how the device sits on the table.

Ports

The Compaq TC1100 wields a number of handy ports so users feel at home. You will find two USB 2.0 ports, a VGA port, a Secure Digital slot, a Type II PC Card Slot, and three audio jacks. Purchasing the optional dock for the TC1100 gives you access to an additional three USB 2.0 ports, and other connectivity options.

Storage

The TC1100 comes available in a number of configurations. Harddisk storage is available in 30GB, 40GB and 60GB options and internal DDR SDRAM also ranges from 256MB to 2GB. Any system you eventually purchase will have a configuration in between the listed options.

Battery

Under normal usage scenarios with WiFi turned on and Backlighting at 50%, the TC1100 should last for just under 2hours 30 mins.

Software Stuff

HP bundles a number of software on the TC1100, some proving to be handy and worthy inclusions, while others are not so useful to the average user. Included is a trial version of Frank Covey’s TabletPlanner software, a personal organizer primed for tablet devices. Roxio Easy CD & DVD Creator helps burn CDs or DVDs for users who purchase an external optical CD-RW or DVD-RW drive. Corel Grafigo is a tablet based software that brings out the artist in you, letting you sketch images with the help of the tablet’s pen.

Summary

All in all, the Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 is a hybrid tablet device best used by individuals who tend to move around a lot. It offers a lighter weight and less bulk solution to carrying a laptop or notebook around. Giving that the tablet comes with the Pentium ® M processor, tasks are executed promptly, and the tablet shows no lag during normal use.