HP Compaq TC1000

The Compaq TC1000 is a true Tablet, and has a host of attachment options such as keyboards and optical drives.

What initially sets the TC1000 apart from the competition is its price: it appears roughly £400 cheaper than similar offerings from Toshiba and Fujitsu Siemens.

However, it does lack a CD-RW drive and docking station. Each of these will cost you around £245, bringing the price back to round about the £2,000 mark. The docking station comes with VGA out, network and four USB ports.

The majority of the the Tablet's ports have been hidden away within the design. The three audio minijack ports are at the bottom, and the PC Card and Compact Flash (CF) slots are disguised within the curves of the top edge. Next to them, there is a flap concealing two USB ports, modem, Ethernet and VGA outputs.

The right-hand side has all the operational shortcut keys. There's a jogdial, Esc and Tab keys, all of which are useful when the keyboard is not attached.

The Outlook shortcut key is also handy, particularly considering that this model has 802.11b wireless built in. This can be activated from the Compaq shortcut menu button, which also allows you to adjust brightness and volume, and to shut down.

The stylus is active and, as such, can make screen navigation tricky. Therefore buttons such as this make using basic functions faster.

HP opted for a 1GHz Transmeta processor, the aim being to prolong battery life. Its choice certainly has an effect, as the TC1000 can outlast competitors, coming in at nearly three hours.

However, it is significantly slower than cometitors, too; although HP has said the version of the chip we tested was at only 70 per cent capacity.

The keyboard is included in the £1,566 asking price and is relatively easy to use, given its size. The trackpoint is responsive and the mouse buttons are tiny, yet usable. What really lets it down is the space button - it's smaller than we would have liked, and set so low that we found our thumbs hitting the mouse buttons at the same time.

When not in use, it can be detached, swivelled around and either used as a shield for the screen or tucked around the back.

The TC1000 is a well-thought-out Tablet. Provided the processor speed issue is resolved, it could even be excellent. But we can't help thinking that a higher-end PDA, at roughly a quarter of the price, could serve your needs just as well.

SPECS

• 1GHz Transmeta Crusoe TM5800 processor
• 256MB of memory
• 30GB hard disk
• Geforce2 Go graphics with 16MB of SDRam
• 10.4in TFT LCD, 1,024 x 768 native resolution
• Optical drives optional
• 1.4kg
• 216 x 20 x 274mm (w x d x h)
• XP Tablet edition

DETAILS
Price: £1,566.28 (£1,333 ex VAT)

Contact: HP 08705 474 747
www.hp.com/uk