Edited by author 12-30-2003 06:55 AM
Price and that licensing issue are the problems, I think. But I'd have bought one if it was cheaper, or if alternative Tablet devices were much more expensive. A lap-screen is cute. And it ought to be able to leave out a lot of hardware - would it need a hard disk?

The catch is that PC hardware is commodity. Even Tablet PC is commodity - even with the XP Tablet Edition price premium. Last year it wasn't, but now it is. Any Chinese DVD factory can switchito Tablets. The things are being sold with XP Home and a screen driver, or with Linux.

You wouldn't notice licensing if the Smart Display is your only monitor anyway - and why not, if it's good enough? And you'd have the full expandability of a desktop PC. Tablet hardware expansion is only by USB, which is okay, but costs. And with Smart Display you could just stash the PC under the stairs and leave the display on the coffee table.

But too expensive. And now, apparently, it's all over. Well, never mind. I decided to buy a Tablet instead, anyway.

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