Alright guys, I need your insight. I'm going to be purchasing an Asus R1F Tablet for college... but I've got some issues. The college does not want us using Vista because some of the software they'll have us using doesn't support it yet. As such, they'll be providing a copy of XP Tablet Edition to anyone who's tablet comes with Vista (Vista Business in my case...) Here are the questions I have:

1. I don't know how many of you would know this, but do you think I'm going to lose any functionality of the Tablet when I downgrade to XP? I mean, do you think any hardware/software features will be lost?

2. Do you think Microsoft will allow me to take that uninstalled version of Vista and install it on my desktop instead? My desktop now runs XP Pro. That way I'll have Vista on the desktop and XP on the tablet.

1)No functionality lost
2)Only in case the Vista was not activated yet on that tablet but its usually done so the customers dont have to hassle with that.Microsoft licence politic is somehow shitty in my eyes.

2. My say would be: no. You probably bought an OEM version with your Tablet PC, and OEM versions of Microsofts products don't permit to use the software on a different PC. I'm just talking about legal matters, of course, and I'm talking about what Microsoft says here in Italy, so in the US Microsoft policies may differ, but I doubt it.

Ill start out, im a college student majoring in mechanical engineering starting my third year now.

A few things, a Tablet will be inadequate if you plan on doing engineering... my tablet is 2ghz with 1gb ram and a geforce 6200 with 256mb ram and I find it inadequate for doing real CAD/CAM work.

Secondly, LFS is going to stink, then again my tablet is well over a year old so the newer ones are a bit faster especially with a core 2 duo. But its not going to be as good as a cheaper laptop that has a bigger screen.

Third, I find myself rarely using the tablet features and just using plain old paper and pen in classes.

Fourth, its damned expensive, when I got my tablet it cost me $1700, for $1700 I could have bought a hell of a lot faster laptop.

Fifth, no you won't lose any functionality, XP Tablet PC edition provides everything you need.

Well, my problem is that the Tablet is REQUIRED - not just a laptop, it HAS to be a tablet. Also, the one I'm looking at NOW, a Fujitsu, will be Core 2 Duo 2.0 Ghz, 2 gig ram...

And I'm keeping my desktop and bringing it... just for LFS :P

Thanks for your help tho.

If you're interested, my school is NUTS. The minimum specs for teh Tablet are

1.8 Ghz DUAL CORE
2 Gig Ram
120 gig HD
128 mb video
160 gig external drive...

So basically they REQUIRE a $2000+ tablet, and don't provide it. Sucks.

Well, its only unreasonable if your majoring in liberal arts :-P It really depends on what program you are going into.

With those kinds of specs, it seems to me like an arts/design major which make those requirements fairly reasonable.

Engineering (Aerospace)

IMHO you wont need it your first year you will suffice with your desktop, I would hold off until your 2nd year to purchase it. But then again it really depends on how your course load is for your first year. Are you taking a lot of CAD classes in the first year? If not, then you really won't need it for the first year and you can hold off for a better tablet for your 2nd year ;-)

And again as a Mech E, I never find myself using the tablet functionality too much, CAD applications work 1000x better with a mouse then a pen.

Trouble is, I have no idea what classes I'm taking. I do know that I'm supposed to have one for this year though. We also have to buy a $1500 software package (costs us $350), and I don't at all know what kind of "software" it is. I wish I knew more, but I don't.

Call up your school and ask what your schedule is! It should already be done for you by now.

Most likely that software is either Autodesk Inventor or Solidworks CAD. One of the software sets you should get yourself very used to working with.(UGS is a good one too but $$)

Sucks that you have to buy it now, a laptop/computer usually lasts for about 3 years(with enough power) so you will end up with a painfully slow or broken and abused tablet by your 4th senior year

Also enjoy your freshman year while it lasts, everything gets painfully hard in engineering majors after it.

Lol, great. Thanks for the advice tho.