Tablets notable, but not for all

Tablet PCs have always been something of a mystery to me. Until a few weeks ago, I'd never known anyone who used one, and I'd never tried one myself.

Since their debut in 2002, the sleek laptops with screens you can write on have grown popular with insurance companies, hospitals, warehouses and other businesses where employees need to fill out forms and jot down notes.

But they haven't lived up to Bill Gates' 2001 prediction that tablets would be the best-selling PC in America within five years.

Prices have come down and more companies are producing them. Some are now aimed at consumers.

With that in mind, I tested three new models from Lenovo, Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard. I wanted to see if any of these tablet PCs could be used as an all-purpose computer.

All three come with Windows Vista and offer the same tablet functionality. To use each computer as a tablet, you simply twist the screen 180 degrees and then fold it down over the keyboard. All of the icons, menus and toolbars then automatically orient themselves to a vertical layout.

Each weighs about 4 pounds and sports a 12.1-inch screen.

Using the stylus to write notes, surf the Web and launch programs was easy. Taking notes in a meeting was quieter than typing on a regular computer. After the meeting, I could convert my notes to text and e-mail it.

My overall impression is that despite efforts to appeal to consumers, tablet PCs are still best to serve business customers. The main reason is that many of them lack an internal DVD/CD drive, requiring the user to carry extra equipment.

HP Pavilion tx1000: This was the only one that could truly be used as an all-purpose computer. I found it a good option for students who need to jot down diagrams and formulas in one class and notes in another.

The unit I reviewed costs about $1,200, and cheaper models start at about $1,100. It has a remote to control DVDs, music and photos, two earphone jacks, a built-in Web camera and dedicated DVD buttons.

The keyboard on HP's tablet is big enough so that you don't have to constrict your hands to type. Its touch pad and scroll bar make moving the cursor easy and may eliminate the need for plugging in a USB mouse.

I wouldn't recommend this for frequent tablet users because it's heavier than other models and the screen smudged from sweat.

Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet: This one was the most conducive to writing with the stylus because the screen was the most comfortable to write on and it didn't get smudged as easily. Unlike those on most laptops, the screen is viewable in direct sunlight.

Its small keyboard and signature red pointing stick were annoying to use, and the DVD/CD player is not on the computer but on a portable drive or base that costs about $200 extra.

The unit I reviewed costs nearly $2,500, but cheaper models start at about $2,100. This is a nice notebook for people who want to do a lot of tablet computing.

Toshiba Portege R400: This was the most stylish of the group. It has a clean, black-and-white design and comes with an electronic display near the mouse pad that has a digital clock, battery meter and wireless Internet indicator. The Portege was the easiest to carry, making it attractive for someone who wants to take a laptop from meeting to meeting. But the Portege felt flimsy to me. You can't use your finger or another stylus on the Portege, a major drawback for those prone to losing things.

It's also the most expensive of the three. The model I tested costs about $3,500, but cheaper models start at about $2,600.