The Acer C100 TravelMate tablet pc, which debut in 2002, was a welcome addition to the laptop industry. It converted flat with the ability to use the Wacom/2 pens and write on it as you would a notebook pad in your own handwriting. The overall dimensions of the Tablet PC were 9.9 x 8.2 x 1.16 inches respectively. A full battery charge lasts nearly three hours, which was long enough for most business meetings. Additionally, out of the box, the C100 had built-in speakers, microphone, and a stereo headphone jack, and voice recognition. On-board software included Microsoft Journal, which was the software used to recognize handwriting.

The Acer TravelMate Tablet PC enjoyed considerable success as one of the earlier laptops that dared to bring something new to the table. Business people loved the tablet pc since it was lightweight and they could easily take notes at meetings using their own handwriting on the screen. The main difference between the tablet pc and the other computers of 2002 was the way in which the display screen mounted and swiveled to lay flat, and of course, the ability to write on the screen in your own handwriting. The small tablet pc made a significant splash and was affordable at the time compared to anything else in its class.

The handwriting ability recognized cursive or printing and had the ability to delay the translating for a specified time. The Microsoft Journal gave several features including drawing, doodling, and free form writing that later translated to a text file on the computer. Overall, the handwriting was a super feature and what drew many to the computer in the first place. Many people still own and use a TravelMate tablet pc even though they discontinued the C100. These were tough models and many people still enjoy using them.

The Acer tablet pc included many features including two USB ports, RJ-11 jacks for those that still used internal dial-up modems. Lastly, it came complete with an IR port that was in the front. Another positive aspect to the screen on the C100 tablet pc was the fact that the design did not show marks from your hand resting on it as you wrote. The screen did not smudge nor did it continually need cleaning, which was refreshing.

By 2009, many other small computers began surfacing such as the asus laptop, and its EeeTop ET1602, which offers an interactive touch-screen, but bigger then the TravelMate was at 15.6 LCD panel. There is a smaller version of the asus laptop, which is its netbook line, with a 7 to 10 inch displays. Additionally, they offer a tablet pc with the swivel screen in an 8.9-inch size. The tablets come out of the box with 1GB memory and 16GB hard drive. There are many asus laptop models in which to choose and many people find these suitable. The smaller computers are relatively inexpensive for what you actually get with the asus laptop.

Brad Fettes

A seasoned Senior Solutions Architect with 20 years of experience in technology design and implementation. Renowned for innovative solutions and strategic insights, he excels in driving complex projects to success. Outside work, he is a passionate fisherman and fish keeper, specializing in planted tanks.