10. HP Tablet PC TC 1000

Only 22 mm high without the detachable keyboard, the slate device from HP is not only the flattest, but also the lightest machine (1.36 kg) in the entire test panel. This is what makes the TC 1000 good to work with, even as a replacement for a pad of paper. With the best display in the test, even from a poor angle, the contents on the screen have plenty of contrast and can be read without difficulty. This means that the user is not restricted to looking at the tablet PC only as it lies flat on a table and from an absolutely vertical point, as with the other test candidates.

The idea of including a detachable keyboard (weighing 420 grams) is inspired. This makes the device totally flexible, as it unites the advantages of both tablet PC designs. The HP solution is even better than that of the Paceblade, as the keyboard is fastened to the tablet PC and is thus easy to transport. If it is not needed, the tablet PC can be folded over it, as with a convertible.

The 1 GHz Transmeta CPU forces a tradeoff for the TC 1000 user: although the device is not as slow as the Pacebook when loading a picture, thanks to the Geforce-2-Go graphics card, system performance is still low. The 8.1 dots in Content Creation Winstone show that there is only enough power in the TC 1000 for traditional Office applications. On the other hand, the battery life - four hours and four minutes - is exceptionally good.

Flat, light, chic and extraordinarily flexible - the HP Tablet PC TC 1000 is just slightly behind the test champion from Fujitsu. Only the system performance could be better.

If you need to use the keyboard that comes with HP's tablet PC, it can be connected via a revolving bracket (red circle) on the underside of the machine.