New notebooks provide convenience of both pen and keyboard.

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Acer TravelMate C300

$1,900 as tested

The C300 is the only tablet in the bunch to incorporate a large 14.1-inch display and integrated DVD/CD-RW combo drive. (Replace the drive with a second battery if you wish.) It's also the only tablet to integrate a 4-pin FireWire port for fast access to peripherals such as extra storage and digital camcorders.

While the C300 topped the list in both performance and battery life with almost five hours, it's simply too large for comfort. Weighing a hefty 6 pounds, it's uncomfortable to hold for extended periods of time in tablet mode. For the occasional tablet user, the C300 does the job. But if you need to walk and work, only Mr. Universe contestants need apply.

Pros: Strong battery life; integrated optical drive; large display

Con: Big and heavy


Fujitsu LifeBook T3000

$2,050 as tested

The T3000 wins on comfort in tablet mode. Fujitsu has a long line of slate tablets, but the T3000 represents the company's first convertible. With the slate experience comes comfortable design, and the T3000 feels much lighter than its numbers indicate. Fujitsu offsets the weight of the T3000 so the bulk of the load falls on the left edge (if you hold it on your left arm). That puts less weight on your hand.

Fujitsu also incorporates a bridge battery into the design so you can swap batteries by kicking the T3000 into standby. No rebooting required. Battery life disappointed at 3.5 hours, the lowest of the bunch.

Pros: Comfortable in tablet mode; bridge battery

Cons: Flimsy keyboard; so-so battery life


HP Compaq Tablet PC TC1100

$2,300 as tested

The sleek industrial design that distinguished the TC1000 from the competition also distinguishes the TC1100. As in a slate tablet, all components live behind the display. HP's unique removable keyboard turns the TC1100 into a convertible. It's a cool concept, but the top-heavy design makes typing difficult on an uneven surface such as your lap.

This latest incarnation of HP's tablet PC gets a processor upgrade from Transmeta to Intel. It weighs the lightest of our four at 4 pounds -- with keyboard attached. It has just a hair over four hours of battery life, so you won't be disappointed with portability.

HP doesn't skimp on features either. You get integrated Bluetooth along with Wi-Fi and a bridge battery for swapping batteries on the go. HP adds touches such as one-button standby and a jog dial for quickly scrolling through menus and screens. All great, except the TC1100 makes for a better slate than a convertible.

Pros: Good battery life; bridge battery; wireless features

Con: Top-heavy design in notebook mode


Toshiba Portege M200

$2,400 as tested

The Portege 3500 received the Lab Pick when Microsoft's Tablet PC Edition launched in late 2002. The M200 proves even more impressive than its predecessor.

Success lies in details. The pen includes an "eraser" for quickly removing mistakes. Enjoy a dedicated Wi-Fi on/off switch as well as a hardware volume dial. The M200 also has a five-way navigation stick for quickly scrolling through documents or long webpages while you're in tablet mode.

The M200 has the highest-resolution display at 1400x1050, which provides more viewing real estate, even on a 12.1-inch panel. That said, you may need to crank up the DPI setting in tablet mode or squint to make out smaller menu text. In notebook mode you'll love the well-spaced and firm keyboard for churning out those long documents.

As a tablet the M200 isn't as comfortable to carry as the Fujitsu LifeBook T3000. But in notebook mode it's the best of the group. Battery life hits a middle-of-the-road three hours, 44 minutes (with wireless network on).

Pros: Nice keyboard; high-resolution display

Con: So-so battery life

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