Manage Packages With UPS My Choice
HP Compaq Tablet PC TC1100
Pricing not available
Set price alert
Scroll Left Scroll Right
CNET Editors' Review
CNET Editors' Rating
stars Very good
- Reviewed by: Stephanie Bruzzese
- Released on:
- Reviewed on:
The good: Small and light; long battery life; much faster than its predecessor; stylus doesn't need a battery.
The bad: Cramped detachable keyboard; docking station costs extra.
The bottom line: Despite its quirky, clip-on keyboard, this system is still one of our top tablet picks for the office or the home.
Review: HP juiced up its new Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 today, adding many of the improvements we sought in the old TC1000. Upgrades include a 1GHz Pentium M processor, which leads to better performance and longer battery life; a battery-free writing stylus; and sturdier hinges and latches. Thankfully, HP didn't change the tablet's basic design: at 3.1 pounds, it's still small and easy to tote. Although a few quirks remain in the form of a small, snap-on keyboard and a costly docking station, the TC1100 stands as one of the best tablets available for both home and ... Expand full review
HP juiced up its new Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 today, adding many of the improvements we sought in the old TC1000. Upgrades include a 1GHz Pentium M processor, which leads to better performance and longer battery life; a battery-free writing stylus; and sturdier hinges and latches. Thankfully, HP didn't change the tablet's basic design: at 3.1 pounds, it's still small and easy to tote. Although a few quirks remain in the form of a small, snap-on keyboard and a costly docking station, the TC1100 stands as one of the best tablets available for both home and business users.The 3.1-pound, 10.8-by-8.3-by-0.8-inch Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 is one of the smallest and lightest slate-design tablets available. Clip on the 1-pound, detachable keyboard, and it resembles a 4.1-pound ultralight laptop with a twist: the tablet rotates 180 degrees, allowing others to view presentations without having to turn the whole system around. The keyboard can also twist and hide behind the tablet, and the entire setup snaps into a 7.2-pound docking station/monitor stand that features a swappable bay for secondary storage drives. Unfortunately, the detachable keyboard will cramp your style, but you can always attach a full-size keyboard into a USB 2.0 port on the tablet or the docking station. And if you plan to write and tap on the screen with only the stylus, you can leave the small keyboard behind.
Our test configuration, featuring a 1GHz Pentium M, 512MB of memory, and a 40GB hard drive, performed more than twice as fast as the previous model did in CNET Labs' tests. The Pentium M's power-saving capabilities also lent a hand with the Compaq's battery life, helping it last 34 minutes longer than its predecessor. The Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 features more software than its older sibling, including a few useful tablet PC apps, such as Corel Grafigo for tasks such as sketching and annotating, plus a trial version of FranklinCovey's TabletPlanner--personal organizer software that's designed specifically for tablets. HP also bundles its useful QMenu program for manipulating system settings, as well as Roxio Easy CD & DVD Creator for those who have purchased an optional CD-RW or DVD/CD-RW drive. The operating system remains Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.The Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 delivered good performance in our tests, earning it second place in this small tablet test group. But the Acer TravelMate C110--even with its slower 900MHz Pentium M processor--still beat the Compaq by nine points. The Gateway Tablet PC's score, the lowest in this test group, was undoubtedly hurt by its lesser amount of RAM. In short, the Compaq Tablet PC TC1100's performance while running office and content-creation apps will satisfy most users.
To measure mobile application performance and battery life, CNET Labs uses BAPCo's MobileMark2002. MobileMark measures both application performance and battery life concurrently using a number of popular applications (Microsoft Word 2002, Microsoft Excel 2002, Microsoft PowerPoint 2002, Microsoft Outlook 2002, Netscape Communicator 6.0, WinZip Computing WinZip 8.0, McAfee VirusScan 5.13, Adobe Photoshop 6.0.1, and Macromedia Flash 5.0). Performance analysis written by CNET Labs assistant lab manager Eric Franklin. Find out more about how we test notebooks. System configurations: Acer TravelMate C110 Tablet Windows XP Tablet; 900MHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Intel 82852/92855 GM/GME Graphics Controller (up to 64MB shared); IBM Travelstar 40GB 40GN 4,200rpm Gateway Tablet PC Windows XP Tablet; 1GHz Intel Pentium M; 256MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Intel 82852/82855 GM/GME Graphics Controller (up to 64MB shared); Hitachi DK23EA-40 4,200rpm HP Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 Windows XP Tablet; 1GHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Nvidia GeForce4 420 Go 32MB; Fujitsu MHT2040AT 40GB 4,200rpmThanks to its 11.1V, 3,600mAh (40WHr) battery, the Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 achieved very long life, clocking in at nearly 4 hours. The Gateway Tablet PC was only a few minutes behind it--not surprising, considering its battery is the same size as the Compaq's. The Acer TravelMate C110 Tablet, with a smaller battery, came in a distant third, clocking in at 2 hours, 17 minutes. In other words, the Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 offers great battery life--a must for a tablet PC--when running office and content-creation apps.
To measure mobile application performance and battery life, CNET Labs uses BAPCo's MobileMark2002. MobileMark measures both application performance and battery life concurrently using a number of popular applications (Microsoft Word 2002, Microsoft Excel 2002, Microsoft PowerPoint 2002, Microsoft Outlook 2002, Netscape Communicator 6.0, WinZip Computing WinZip 8.0, McAfee VirusScan 5.13, Adobe Photoshop 6.0.1, and Macromedia Flash 5.0). Performance analysis written by CNET Labs assistant lab manager Eric Franklin. System configurations: Acer TravelMate C110 Tablet Windows XP Tablet; 900MHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Intel 82852/92855 GM/GME Graphics Controller (up to 64MB shared); IBM Travelstar 40GB 40GN 4,200rpm Gateway Tablet PC Windows XP Tablet; 1GHz Intel Pentium M; 256MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Intel 82852/82855 GM/GME Graphics Controller (up to 64MB shared); Hitachi DK23EA-40 4,200rpm HP Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 Windows XP Tablet; 1GHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Nvidia GeForce4 420 Go 32MB; Fujitsu MHT2040AT 40GB 4,200rpmNo surprises on the Compaq Tablet PC TC1100's warranty: it comes with the same one-year term as most portables. Still, we'd prefer a three-year standard warranty for a system with this many moving parts. The policy includes free parts and labor via return-to-depot service. HP offers additional service options, such as three years of service, accidental-damage protection, and onsite repairs for various prices. As always, HP's toll-based tech support forces you to pay for the cost of a call to a support rep, even while the system is under warranty, and unfortunately, the company's support Web site lacks user forums where customers can go for help from each other. Luckily, Compaq's printed documentation provides extensive, clear information on setting up and operating the tablet, and there's detailed troubleshooting help on a CD. To find out more about how this product's warranty really stacks up and what you should look for in terms of service and support, take a look at CNET's hardware warranty explainer. Hide Review Compare to other laptopsCompare SelectedUser ReviewsSee all user reviewsRating BreakdownMost Helpful User Reviewstars 18 of 30 users found this review helpful "Piece of Crap" By dswproPros Small, light, who cares? Cons Poor Construction, fit, finish, NOT durable at ALL Summary I ordered a loaded one. Lots of RAM, 80 Gig 5200 RPM Hard Drive, Docking station, DVD Drive, extra battery and carrying case. I could not get the pen into the unit. the corner of the unit looked like it wasn't assembled correctly, or even closed all the way. ... Expand full review Most Recent User Reviews (Showing 2 of 40 reviews)Where to BuyPricing not available Set price alert SpecificationsSee full specsQuick Specs
 Where to BuyPricing not available Set price alert 
Tablets Buying Guide
Tablet computers have rocketed into the mainstream. In this guide, we'll provide an overview of the options, as well as some general buying advice. Visit now  
|
