Tablet Computing 101

That thing strapped to my hand at the auctions is a Motion Computing LE1600 Tablet Computer. It is, quite simply, the greatest thing since sliced bread when it comes to taking field notes. Is it perfect? No, but neither is sliced bread perfect for every meal.

The Motion LE1600 is a complete Windows PC with everything a good portable laptop should have except for a CD drive (too heavy) and an permanently attached keyboard. Mine has a 30gig hard drive and 512 megs of RAM. I carry a pocket 60gig hard drive for backup, particularly files of photos. It has a detachable keyboard that doubles as a display cover and I’ve added an extra battery. Used carefully in the field, with the built in Wifi turned off and the display brightness adjusted to ambient light, I get between 6 1/2 and 8 hours use between charges and can recoup 70-80% of a full charge in the course of a meal (or nap) break.

Because the screen is a Wacom digitizing tablet there are some tasks, like photo manipulation, cropping and editing that are actually easier and faster on the tablet PC than on a desktop with a mouse or trackball.

But the key to tablet computing is handwriting recognition.

It is provided by Windows XP Tablet Edition and the software writers at Microsoft have done a marvelous job. It reads my writing (which frequently is difficult for humans to accomplish) with a reasonable degree of accuracy and consistency, converting it to text and inserting it into application programs as needed. It works contextually, putting words together and assessing – within limits – their sense and adjusting until it reaches a compromise that makes the most sense (or the least nonsense) within its limited experience. It learns to some extent, and has an easily accessible user dictionary for adding arcane terminology like “4-barrel”, “Bel Air” or “Giulietta”.

The built in handwriting recognition dictionary caters to tablet computers’ biggest vertical market, medical records, with many arcane medical terms that aren’t in your Funk & Wagnall’s.

It’s far from perfect (you might notice me muttering at it sometimes, trying to get it to realize I really want to write “cosmetic”, not “comities”) but also far better than good enough.

I use the LE1600 to enter a complete description of each car I review at the auctions, right down to the narrative comments on equipment, options, powertrain, history and appearance. I used to take rapidly scribbled and freely abbreviated notes and then transcribe them after the auction. The tablet computer process is slower in the field – I feel it I am able to write up about 20% fewer cars in the field using the tablet computer – but it virtually eliminates data entry after the sale; all I have to do is proof and edit what I wrote on-site and add the sale result and comments. That cuts the redundant data entry time after the sale by 2/3 to 3/4, a huge improvement in turnaround time and productivity.

It also eliminates an unbelievably boring, repetitive and unproductive data entry process that stultified creativity and snuffed out enthusiasm. That alone is enough to make the tablet worthwhile.

The Motion’s novelty has introduced me to some very interesting people on airplanes and in media centers.

Motion makes only tablet PCs. During my research it was clear that most so-called tablet PCs are actually laptops with write-on screens. They are designed to appeal to corporate types who are looking for the latest bragging rights during the endless succession of meetings which comprise corporate life. Motion’s tablets are designed to be used as tablet computers. They are light (first and foremost), fully functional PCs that rely on handwriting recognition for data input. Everything else follows from that.

It took years for the cost and performance curves to cross, but in my case they now have and the payoff on the $2,500 or so investment was well under a year. [As a practical matter it got extended a little because my first LE1600 suffered an uninsured cappuccino inundation which required replacement. It still works, but with a peculiar display anomaly.]

This isn’t particularly relevant to the collector car auction market, but definitely is to the process of reporting on it quickly and accurately.

Rick Carey