The Real Deal on Tablet PC's!

Hi Claudia.  I am a step ahead of you; I did alot of research and a little bit of trial and error and definitely have some opinions. 

Are they worth it?  YES.  It will make you much more efficient.  Be sure to check with the laws in your state, but imagine having your clients sign their contracts and disclosures right on your tablet!  It is so convenient.  You can then either email the documents or use your electronic fax.  It eliminates the problem of missing pages, etc.

 I initially tried a 14.1" tablet, as I have a notebook of the same size and always considered it to be just right.  However, in tablet mode it just seemed HUGE.  I sold it and got a 12.1".  After researching all the different brands, I decided on Fujitsu.  The Gateway and the HP consumer series don't use Wacom technology. 

EBay has a Fujitsu store that sells both new (discontinued models) and refurbished units.  I bought a refurb and although it stated that it had cosmetic defects, it looks perfect.  It even came with a port replicator and Office Professional 2003.  I had a small problem with the screen and their support was fantastic- I sent it to them on a Thursday and had it back on Tuesday with a brand new screen, under warranty. 

You have to decide whether you want a convertible or slate.  I love the slates, but I knew I would be using this as my primary computer so I wanted the keyboard.   

You also will probably want to invest in a more advanced PDF program where you can piece your PDF's together (for clients that fax documents over helter skelter). 

Look at the user reviews and message boards at www.tabletpcreview.com for more information on other brands and models.  Alot of users really like the IBM T61 tablet and you can get some great discounts as a member of NAR.  I have no experience with those personally. 

Good luck! 

Yes, a tablet is well worth it!  I've had mine for over two years.  It's a supplement to my workhorse desktop, so I purchased an entry level Acer, which continues to serve me very well, primarily as my contract writing machine and remote access into my desktop.

If I had planned to use my tablet as my primary PC, I'd definitely have purchased something with a faster processor, more memory and storage, plus a bigger screen.