HP/Compaq TC4200 Laptop/Tablet PC Tested

Hot hardware once subjected the HP/Compaq TC4200 to a closer look. This laptop/tablet PC has a rotatable screen that allows the product function to quickly change from laptop to tablet PC. The tablet runs on Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC and the Wacom digitizer, software that is used by almost all tablet PCs. The TC4200 contains a 1.86GHz Dothan Pentium-M processor, the Intel 915GM chipset and up to 2GB of DDR2 memory. The system weighs just over 2kg.

The screen is a 12.1″ that runs at 1024 x 768 by default. The TC4200 is available in two models: the first is equipped with a 1.73GHz Pentium-M processor and a 40GB hard disk and will cost $ 1,599, the second model includes the 1.86GHz Pentium-M with Bluetooth and a 60GB hard drive, available for $1,849.

In the review, the TC4200 is compared with the IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad X41, a model that has already been tested by the reviewer. The former is sturdier and more geared towards the business market, while the X41 is more geared towards true mobility. This is mainly due to the weight and size. With extra and therefore heavier batteries, the TC4200 can last quite a bit longer than the X41. The batteries together last up to 12 hours. However, this makes the machine heavier, while the laptop itself already weighs more than the X41. The TC4200 is more of a workhorse that, in addition to Office tasks and browsing, can also be used for heavier operations.

The TC4200 gets a 9 from the reviewer. There is little to criticize about the system, the performance has improved considerably compared to older tablet PCs. The TC4200 is even suitable enough to act as your only PC so that you don’t have to buy a desktop as well. The only hardware improvement that the reviewer would like to see is the ability to rotate the screen the other way around so that it is also suitable for left-handers.