While the Tablet market hasn't exploded in the ways that might have been expected given Microsoft's initial hype for the platform, there have still been a number of interesting takes on the Tablet concept. Toshiba's latest tablet is a mix of high-end components and wireless connectivity, and while the resultant package can't be called cheap, you certainly get a lot for your money.
At AU$4290, the Portege M200 will leave a sizzling hole in your wallet, but at the same time it's almost a complete package straight out of the box. Its core specifications include a 1.4GHz Pentium M processor, 512MB of DDR SDRAM, a 60GB hard drive and, as a Centrino certified notebook, 802.11b wireless connectivity. If you're particularly wirelessly connected, Toshiba also offers optional 802.11a/g solutions with the M200. On the visual side, the M200 packs an NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 with 32MB of RAM, which is probably overkill, as well as a 12.1" SXGA screen, that like its predecessors, swivels and tilts into either a slate or standard notebook configuration.
Features
The M200's screen is relatively large for a tablet, although it's not the king in its field. At 1400x1050 maximum resolution you can pack in a lot of detail on the screen. That's not just useful for, say, Excel spreadsheets, but also in picking up fine detail when writing on the screen, although as with any Tablet, it still feels like etching on glass rather than actually writing on paper. If you're the type to worry about tiny icons on a high-resolution LCD, that's covered by a zooming utility that expands the size of onscreen icons. Our only complaint with the M200's screen was that in quite bright sunlight it became quite difficult to see the screen from any kind of acute angle. The swivel upon which the screen rests is quite rugged, although we'd recommend getting hold of some kind of case for the notebook if you intend to carry it around slate style for any serious amount of time. At 295x249x37mm and 2kg it's not the lightest or smallest tablet out there, but it still manages to sit well in the portable space. As with most Toshiba laptops, the keyboard is well spaced out and pleasant to use, although like most portables you've got to make do with an odd arrangement of Windows keys. As with most tablets, there are separate buttons for screen rotation, as well as four function buttons on the right hand side of the screen that can be customised for particular functions. On the physically interesting side, the M200 includes a Gyroscope that detects screen rotation and tilt for hands-free screen rotation when moving from portrait to landscape modes. It's also possible to use this for web browsing, although in our testing it seemed more gimmicky than actually functionally useful.
The stylus that comes with the M200 is on the large side, and slots into the right hand side of the M200. With a nod to the user on the road, there's also capacity within the battery compartment for a spare 'emergency' stylus to be stowed away. The one thing that the M200 doesn't include within the unit itself is any kind of optical drive, although they are available as either add-on units or through the M200's highly striking Multi-Dock that also allows you to use the M200 in a dual-monitor configuration.
From a software perspective, aside from Windows XP Tablet PC edition, the M200 also includes Microsoft's OneNote software, as well as a number of Toshiba-specific utilities. Symbol Commander allows you to perform a number of Windows-specific tasks by drawing symbols on the screen. There's a secure sign-in facility that enables users to use the stylus to 'sign' rather than use a password -- we'd recommend a multi-use security policy rather than just the one or the other, if you're particularly worried about this kind of thing.
PerformanceWe're usually highly sceptical of manufacturer's claims when it comes to battery life and performance, and with a claimed battery life of 4.5 hours, the M200 was going to have to work its silicon socks off to impress us. It reached, and reached, and didn't quite manage to get to that claimed battery life, lasting 220 minutes in MobileMark 2002's performance tests, and 251 minutes under the reader test. That's still better than 3.5 hours of performance, which makes the M200 no slouch, although if you will be using it wirelessly, you can expect that figure to drop sharply. Its score of 151 in performance testing puts it in a very favourable position compared to other tablets; by comparison in our last round of testing Toshiba's then-current Tablet managed a score of 92 in the same test.
The M200 comes with a solid 3-year international parts and labour warranty. It is undoubtedly expensive, but we reckon with the complete package it offers, it's well worth it.
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