Since my LS800 is off being repaired I have been struggling with devices that are just not quite the right fit for how I work. I have my work provided laptop which is OK, but it is just a laptop. So to fill the gap in my mobile work life I've been turning to my little Samsung Q1P.
I have to say that while the Q1P is a great device, it is not a good fit for how I work. Key words there - for how I work.
In my work life I divide my time between my desk and meetings. I use my LS800 extensively in meetings. My absolute primary use for a tablet in my work is note taking. The next two most common uses for my tablet after that are reading and mind mapping in that order.
The first two tasks in that list rely heavily on ink and the Samsung Q1P is a device that is optimized for touch, not stylus input. This causes me a couple of problems.
- The inking experience in OneNote is very poor. There is a lot of palm interference, so you have to arc your palm to try and keep your palm off the screen. This is not only uncomfortable but it forces you to write much more slowly.
- The size and geometry of the UMPC does not give you a lot of writing room.
The issue with the third use is actually related as well. The size and geometry of the screen means that you are either working at a very low resolution (800x480) or zooming to 800x600 or 1024x768 and introducing both a loss in fidelity and horizontal distortion.
Other issues I have found with using the Q1P in place of my LS800 include:
- No docking station, which means no grab and go functionality. In order to leave my desk and dash off to the next meeting I need to unplug a USB cable, a network cable and a VGA cable.
- I have not got as many Q1 accessories as I do LS800 accessories. It is just handy having a choice of batteries and cases. I particularly miss having an extended battery - I'm sometimes away from my desk for longer than the Q1P can last.
I'm suppose to be getting a work provided tablet at some point, which will probably be the Lenovo x60. Even then I'll still be using the LS800 as well because you can't beat it for the combination of size, battery life and real tablet functionality. I'm hanging out to get it back.