From typing to tapping

Using the ViewPad 1000 as a portable Web browser and a data-entry tool was an addictive experience. Though I occasionally used the keyboard while the ViewPad was propped up in portrait orientation by its foldaway support bar, for the most part, I relied on the tablet PC's touch screen, which I tapped on with the included stylus instead of using a mouse. The stylus has a couple of advantages: It reduces the inaccuracy that's common when using pointing devices, and it offers a viable alternative for RSI sufferers who need to avoid mice or trackballs. Right-clicking is the only awkward part of the process; you have to use a little tray applet that switches the tap to emulate the right mouse button, and you can't set it to revert to the left button after one tap.

To facilitate stylus input, ViewSonic bundles both Paragraph's PenOffice for handwriting recognition and digital-ink capture. Also included is Innovation Management's versatile, onscreen My-T-Touch virtual keyboard. My only complaints are that PenOffice doesn't recognize single characters nearly as well as full words or sentences, and My-T-Touch can get lost off the screen when you switch display orientation from portrait to landscape. But these are minor gripes; entering data on the ViewPad with a stylus is as easy as it gets.

On camera, over the airwaves
The ViewPad offers a host of other handy features such as a top-mounted, 640x480-resolution CCD camera, which swivels to face toward or away from you; 802.11b wireless; and 10/100Mbps Ethernet. Other connections include two USB ports, headphone and mike jacks, a VGA port, a v.90 modem, and a connector for an optional ($299), slick, little docking station. The dock holds the ViewPad 1000 in portrait orientation, adds a CD-ROM drive, and replicates most of the aforementioned ports.

I didn't run the ViewPad 1000 through any official performance tests, which, in my opinion, have assumed a status that far outweighs their actual importance. The ViewPad is easily fast enough to handle the Web browsing and the other everyday tasks I used it for, and that's all anyone should really care about. Battery life is good, too. About a quarter of the ViewPad 1000's weight comes from its hefty 5,400mAh battery, which ran for about four hours--well worth the extra ounces.

How heavy is it really?
After using the ViewPad 1000 for a couple of weeks, I can address the weight question realistically. Standing, I was most comfortable holding the tablet in the crook of my elbow, and that was tolerable for about five minutes. Carrying it from place to place (say, to take an electronic survey or to enter data in the field), I could handle for about an hour. Just don't think you're going to like toting it around any more than you would a thin-and-light notebook. ViewSonic also missed a major portability detail by supplying a carrying case with no shoulder strap to ease the load. The company says a rugged carrying case with a shoulder strap and room for accessories will be available about a month after you read this; its price is not yet set.

I've loved using the ViewPad 1000 as a substitute for the daily newspaper and as an electronic TV guide. But while 90 percent of my usage involves Web browsing, I'm 100 percent sure that you'll find this tablet PC an excellent choice for presentations or light data entry in the field.

And so good-bye...
One should never go quietly into that good night, so it's time to inform you that this is my last column. But dry the tears--I'm still writing lots of articles for CNET and other publications. That's right, there's no escape! The biggest problem I now face is figuring out how to write off my upcoming cross-country jaunt in the roadster as something other than research for the column. We should all have such problems! Later, folks; it's been fun.