Who makes the best slate Tablet PC?

Electrovay Scribbler SC3100I mentioned on the latest OnTheRun with Tablet PCs podcast that I am beginning to think about my next Tablet PC purchase.  I am happy with my HP tc1100 with its hybrid design but I have been reflecting how my usage patterns have changed over the past few months.  I find I am using the Tablet PC in slate mode over 90% of the time during the day for note taking and other tasks and while the tc1100 is a nice slate I am carrying the keyboard attached to the slate and it makes the device bulkier than a pure slate.  I can leave the keyboard behind but I do need it off and on during the day so I keep it attached even when I am in slate mode.  I also feel it is time to beef up the performance as the 1.2 GHz processor in the HP is getting long in the tooth.

LE1600 keyboardI have been looking at the various slate models and have narrowed the choices down to two, because they are the only ones that offer an attachable keyboard that doubles as a cover for the slate.  This is a nice compromise for the way I work and since the keyboards are full sized they have an advantage over the tc1100 keyboard which is slightly undersized.  The two contenders are the Motion LE1600 and the Electrovaya Scribbler SC3100 (photo courtesy of TabletPC2), both very nice slates with keyboard options as I mentioned.  I decided to compare the pricing for the two and share them here to gather thoughts from the readers.  I have tried to configure them both with similar options and will note where an option varies between the two (details after the jump).

-jk

Here’s the pricing for each model:

Motion LE1600

Base price of $1999 includes the following:

Standard with every Motion LE1600 Tablet PC
- Genuine Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition
- Mobile Intel® Centrino® Technology components
— Mobile Intel® Pentium® M Processor– 1.5 GHz
— Intel 915GMS Express Chipset
— Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG 802.11b/g networking
- 512MB of DDR2 RAM
- 12.1″ XGA TFT display with wide viewing angles
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- Integrated Bluetooth® and IrDA
- Integrated Gigabit Ethernet
- Full-size digitizer pen
- One-year standard warranty

To this I add the following options:

  • Additional 1 GB of RAM (1.5 GB total)– ($200)
  • 60 GB HDD option– ($160)
  • Atheros Super AG 802.11 (no charge)
  • 2 year standard warranty– ($139)
  • Docking station– ($260)
  • Convertible keyboard– ($170)
  • L-Series Optical Drive– ($200)
  • Additional pen– ($35)
  • Bump case– ($100)
  • Extended battery– ($230)
  • Accessory cable for optical drive– ($40)

Grand total– $3,292.93

Electrovaya Scribbler SC3100

Premium Unit– $2342

The premium model includes:

• State-of-the-art SuperPolymer® Lithium-ion 75 Wh battery
• New BOE Hydis 180° viewing angle screen
• Dual Array Microphone System for better quality of sound
• Now available “Outdoor Viewable Screen” for your Scribbler
• 75 Wh battery run-time of up to 9 hours
• Fast Intel Centrino 1.6 GHz processor with 2MB L2 Cache   ensures superior performance, efficiency and power   management
• Very bright 12.1 inch Pressure Sensitive Screen
• Light Sensor adjusts screen-to-environment brightness
• Integrated Biometric Device for Finger Print Sensor
• Integrated IEEE 1394, Intel 802.11a/b/g wireless network   connectivity, gigabyte RJ45 LAN
• Sleek, thin, and lightweight design
• Over $300 worth of software included

To the base configuration I added the following options:

  • Additional 512 MB of RAM (1.2 GB total)– ($99)
  • 120 GB HDD option– ($249)
  • 2 year standard warranty– ($239)
  • Docking station– ($390)
  • Convertible keyboard– (included with premium)
  • Wire stand– (included with premium)
  • Additional pen– ($30)
  • Portfolio case– (included with premium)
  • Extra battery– ($190)
  • Extra AC adapter– ($35)
  • Grand total– $3574

    I was expecting prices to be high but I must admit I was surprised at how expensive these slates can be when you add all the accessories needed to make it your primary computer.  I did not include a View Anywhere screen on either slate since I don’t work outdoors and both units come standard with nice wide angle displays.  The ViewAnywhere option is $300 on the Motion and $289 on the Electrovaya.

    The primary differences between the two slates:

    • Weight– Motion– 3.13 lbs (4.19 lbs with extended battery), Electrovaya– 3.5 lbs
    • RAM– Motion 1.5 GB,  Electrovaya– 1.2 GB
    • CPU– Motion 1.5 GHz, Electrovaya– 1.6 GHz
    • Hard drive– Motion– 60 GB (max.), Electrova– 120 GB (160 GB max.)
    • Wire stand– Motion– none, Electrovaya– included
    • Battery life (standard battery)– Motion– 3+ hours, Electrovaya– 9 hours
    • Battery life (w/ extended battery)– Motion (close to a full day), Electrovaya– not applicable

    I think this about sums up what I have been able to determine while comparing the two.  Pricing is very similar with the nod for weight and battery life going to the Scribbler, along with the super HDD options.  I would love to hear from owners of these two slates to get your thoughts and opinions about them.

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